Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-24

their real fighting, the last time
they held the bend OF the Mouse /
River with Fritz on three sides rain
ing whhz-bangs and gas and freight
trains and young founderies and dug
out diggers.
Our troops christened this place
Wing bang hsll," and it well de-
served its name. OF course, there
we're casuals, and You have heard Of
some OF them, | know, but they died
lighting, believe me, and the old
lZgth made a name for itself They
took the famous Montiicon, consen-
yoye and DanneyauZ and held their
position ON the Meuse River with not
enough men to make a company.
Here the engineers made IA record
and under the heaviest kind of firing
threw a bridge across the Meuse
which our troops crossed, hghtine
every inch of the way. The per
bona experiences OF the men are
many and varied and narrow escpaes
and incidents of bravery were com
mon.
During all this time thousands Of
iorries and trucks were blowing
through the mud, bringing up sup
plies and ammunition. and thousands
,G at ttnflI Ia ~
up tn shelltorn roads, while field
hospitals sprang up overnight, back
and forth from which the ambu.ances
plowed through the mud.
Finally after fortynine days Of
| steady fighting and holding of the
line our diyie was withdrawn 70 a
little town behind the liens to recup-
| crate Here we received all new
| clothing and equipment, and then
| moved to another little town where a
few civilians were still living From
| here we made a thrCe-night hike, and
| on the morning Of the nth of Noyem-
| Der went over on a portion of the st
| Mihiel line under cover of a dense
fog. 1t was bitter cold and damr
and the mud was deep, and we were
tired, but the advance of the Skin
mish line was wonderful
We all had heard that on that day
he armistce would take effect, bat il
was too hard to believe. Fritz ahclled
rs hard with whizz-bangs, although
he could not see US on account o
the fog, but | suppose he expected
us. At 10 o'clock we reached a little
town held by Fritz and stopped I,
send out patrols. While here hC
opened uD with machine guns an(
gave us a merry time. Some Of Il,
took refuge in an old cemetery, il
Che ruins of an old mauseleum full o
collins exposed to view by shell fire
and here, with both feet in the grave
we were when at II O'Clock on thi
| dot all firing ceased and everything
became as still as death. 1t seemed
90 good to be true, but still it wa
true, and across the plain We hear,
Jerry's bugle call
We marched back over the SAM
| ground we came over and no one SAT-
q word; they were all wondering am
thankful. We mmarchcd a couple o
days; stayed in dugouts over a weeE
md then marched to this camp i
the woods, and here we are. What j
before us | have no idea, but here
hopine
This is getting to be nearly boo
md next week | will send the cover
50 will quit for this time. ! am vel
and hope you are all the same am
have escaped the epidemic, whic
surely seems to be serious. Love t
Ill the folks and regards to Ed an
Steve. The Stars and Stripes, the Of
fetal newspaper Of the A, +. f., give
Us the authority that the censor rule
have been relaxed, therefore this lei
ter of details which | hope will prov
interesting reading. As ever.
HAROLD.