The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-05
AMERICAN SOLDIERS FOUGHT like
FlENDs," SAYS BRITISH OFFICER
@ Praise for Conduct Of Yankees First Fight Side by Side With
Their British Cousins-To|d to "p and They Sure Did
e 1hat-Austraians Delighted With Com. ...aky
- *5 rades' Proves at Hame a4ea

for us over there In No Mans Land.
None Of our boys cared for that, but
the day before the attack all the men
Of my company got together and
shook hands and said good-by, for,
you see, we did not know, If we should
meet again. fe s
n Signal to Advance.
ri had worked very hard to learn
to he q good soldier, for / wanted to
be a credit to the folks back home. l
guess must have learned some things,
for my commander gave,me "a Of our
chaps to lead over the top as corporal.
And my men fought WELL"
He paused, his face glowing with
pride, and then continued:
Eat midnight Wednesday we went
forward and laid out in the open wait
ing for the signal to advance. Then
about daylight came the barrage. 1t
was pretty big thing-the biggest we
ever heard. The time came for the
charge and we pushed out.
"A few of our boys were, too anxious
and they got go close to the barrage
that they were hurt. My pal was
struck by a shell beside me"
Again he stopped and this time there
were tears in his eyes and a lump was
working in his throat. There was ST.
lence for moment, then he went on !:
1--WE were advancing toward 2Hamel
village and had to go over one slope,
then down into a little valley and up
another hill. We got along all right,
but down in the valley there was lot
Of barbed wire that held us up some.
I know l got caught, but not for very
long.
"Our men were fighting like any.
thing and killing a lot of Boches who
were in the trenches and shell holes.
A good many Of the Germans were
yelling 'Kamerad,' and surrendering
too. -. u
1.-TWO of the Boches came running
up to me with their hands over their
heads. l didn't know what to do with
them, hut an officer came along and
sent them to the rear. j ,a~- ST..
Wounded, but Killed Two. SD
"Then we went on and had about
reached our objective when something
hit me in the leg and I went down. l
tried to get up but my leg wouldn't let
me and l was dizzy. While l was on
my knee I saw two Boches charging at
me with fixed bayonets. I had the
butt Of my rifle resting on the ground;
my finger on the trigger, and I fired
when they were about ten yards away.
One of them fell over dead, but the
other kept on coming and was on me
before could throw in q fresh cart
ridge. !, Z.
"Then I knew I had to fight him
with the bayonct like man. Sois1
got to my feet somehow. and as he
jabbed at me with his bayonet par
ried 1t with my rife and then swung
the rifle to his head as hard as I
could. The blow broke his skull and
he went down.
"That's all I remember until I woke
up and found chum beside me. He
had gone out and brought me back"
That finished the personal story Of
this boy who had fought and killed and
been wounded, but he had something
else which was much on his mind.
After much hesitation 1t, finally came
out. l"~%}}s ~ A] p" ~ N
t"I wonder II my little girl Mt home
is happy" he said anxiously. referring
to his sweetheart in Chicago. The
correspondent told him she. certainly
would be very happy and proud to
know how we'll he had done.
gS"I hope she will be-" he responded
thoughtfully, and then added:
2"NNould it be too much trouble for
YOU to drop her just line to let her
know that am all right? ! don't
know when shall have chance to
write" ~ ...
That letter will go Immediately, but
pending it's arrival the girl in Chicago
should know that he is wounded, but,
as he himself says. all right. Appar-
emily, his wound is not serious.
German prisoners. taken recently.
have been surprised to learn Of the
number Of Americans on this side.
The German higher command has been
spreading reports that the overseas
troops were not arriving in such num-
bcrs rs the entente capitals had stated.
/ The German prisoners admitted rue
fully that the drive had been conduct
ed with cleverness and invincible cOur.
age. 10 this praise was added a tele-
gram from Field Marshal Haig to the
forces involved, including the Aneri-
can detachment, expressing his warm
y
Boy, Page the Colonel.