The Lake County times., 1918-11-20
From Clarence Williams.


mond. formerly of Shelby. have received
a letter from their nephew describing
the battle at Chateau Thierry. He
says:
"On the 2sth OF May we left the sta
tion of Marines near Paris for action at
the front. We rode on motor trucks
all day and night and were put in re-
serve near Soissons. There we slept on
one side of the road while the German
bombardment was playing on the other
From scissors we hiked and hlked
until June 8. All of the time we could
hear the noise of battle the rumble Of
artillery fire, and all the time we were
meeting peasant refugees who were
fleeing before the advancing Germans.
packing their goods on their backs, such
clothing and articles as they could car
ry; many of them were crying they
walked and stumbled along.
"On the 5th of June we went up be-
tween the first and second lines. That
night at 9 o'clock the Captain came
along and said to lie down and sleep.
MY pal and dozed about an hour. and
the order came to run in force to the
front line. There was nothing there but
little hole which we occupied and
was put on watch for two hours. and
then woke the others up. I told them
to wake me before daylight so 1 could
get into hole
About 1850 or 4:55 the captain gave
orders to go over the top at o'clock.
and we got busy and got our stuff all
ready fast as we could. Just as 1
grabbed my rifle the whistle blew. and
we mounted the top. AS the captain
blew he waved his arm in a gesture for
ward and we went double time across
plowed field until we came to wire fence
entanglements. The captain called for
pliers to cut the wire, but nobody
seemed TO have plires. but we got It
cut somehow and went on about 400
yards to the woods. Belleau Wood. and
then the order came halt, range 400.
fire at viii and we fell on the ground
and kept firing about 10 miutes. Then
the order cease firing. fix bayonets. We
charged the woods and there found an
empty trench with helmets and arms
lying around. Then we went into the
woods as 'skirmishers' venturing about
kilometer Then in the woods the big
time started. There was a big rock and
behind IL were some of them. They
were all around US behind rocks trees.
wood piles and bushes. AS soon as we
would see some one hiding we would
take a pop at him; we would shoot at
them in the trees and they would fall
out like squirrels. only the Germans fell
head first and quickly while the squirrel
is harder to get; we would find them
playing possum aud would bayonet
them; we would see a foot sticking out
under the bushes and would shoot there
above the foot
"AIl the time they were doing some
~. Frl
wait for US; the fellows kept falling on
both sides Of me- but we were crazy:
we kept going. shooting. bayoneting.
swinging some fellow with the butt
of. thu gun-we didn't hardly know what
we were doing except that we were go
ing on.
I'VE had nothing to eat. no water.
but we didn't mind that. we kept going.
I'VE captured a machine gun nest
with IT Germans. The lieutenant didn't
1 like Germans SO he put them in a she'll
hole and we threw hand grenades at
/ them.
1T was every man for himself as we
went ahead. If you saw the German
| hrst it was all right. but If he saw you
first It was all Off
you ha to look out for them. they
would hold UP their hands crying kane
rad and in one hand held 4 knife and
If you turned back they Would try to
get at you.
What got my goat was when the
little boys IL or IA years old, would get
down on their knees and hold up their
hands praying you not to kill them
NO. we didn't take any prisoners;
when we started we had orders to kill
and there was no time to stop and think
about 1t for while you were stopping
some of them might get you
I'VE came to a road in the woods and
the captain blew the whistle; we came
together as skirmishers and formed. to
receive the orders forward again. and
! we went on and 1t was the same thing
over and over again until ye finally got
to the end; barrage was laid over US
and we came to Germans lying so thick
you could hardly walk without step
ping on them. It was about or s
o'clock that might've had been going
all day-when we got so far through the
wood that we could begin TO see day
light through It We went on out and
the CAPTAIN blew his whistle to stop.
I'VE lay down in a. wheat field ana
had been there about ten minutes when
1 a big sea boy came over and got me.
! I woke up In an ambulance on the way
4 to the hospital. and It was some time
before 1 knew how badly I was hurt
II was taken to Base Hospital 27 at
Langes. then to Base s at Savigny,
! then Beauvais and then to Paris where
they kept me two weeks and sent me
home.
There were 81 OF our company of
ESQ who got through the wood. but they
have been going on. and I have since
had a letter from the captain which
said there were only 26 of the original
company now living.
II could tell you more; could tell
| you things winch would make cold
| chiIls run down your back; there were
! things saw which I can't describe,
| for no words can describe all that nap
pened there IN Belleau Wood Even
when think now of what l saw II
makes cold chills run over me-"