Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-12-26
CONG. JOHNSON
GOT NO SALARY
IN THE SERVICE
Sergeant at Arms Wouldn't Pay
Him, Nor Would the
Army Paymaster. :"

Washington, d. Cover the top
only once, Lieut.. Royal C. Johnson,
got his in the push toward Mont
%faucon, north of Verdun. This adj
vance on September 26, 27 and 2S
was one of the sharpest of the entire
war, and the casualties, according to
Mr.. Johnson, were probably the heavi-
est of any engagement in which the
Yanks participated.
Lieut.. Johnson was attached to
Company X, Three Hundred and Thir-
teenth infantry. The company vas
sent into the trenches early in Septem-
Der, after a months training.
Eve were in the trenches about
three weeks, just north of Verdun,'
Lieut.. Johnson said. Opposing US
was a part of the Prussian guards,
and, believe me, they kept us busy.
They shelled us every day n raided
us early every night. They got some
prisoners, but we were able to get
ON of their men, and / believe it
on patrol work.
1--WE Jumped over early in the
night of Sept. 26. We were held by
heavy barbed Wire entanglements dur
ing the night. all the time under a
heavy machine gun fire. During the
night fighting the captain of my com
pany was put u of action, and /
and started another rush IN the
morning of the 9th. AS we had to go
over a mile of clear ground, always
under heavy fire, our losses were
tremendous. In that fight all the
commissioned officers and all the
~sergeants were killed or wounded,
and a corporal was in command of
~jective. Out of 240. men, that corporal
reported only ninety fit for duty.
johnson Wounded in Action
81 got mine about 5 O'Clock in the
afternoon of the 9th. A fragment of
shell hit me in the back, near the
shoulder and opened the skin to the
bone. I was removed to the dressing
station and later through several
hospitals, to Bordeaux. l was not fully
recovered until the middle of Novem-
Der, after the signing of the armistice.
My great regret is that 1 was not
with my company on the line when
the hostilities ended, but that is the
fortune of war
Lieut.. johnson described the scene
| of the fight as one of the most horrl-
BILE. .'I had never seen a man killed
in battle and shudder at the mem
Dry of it. We lost three majors, one
of them Maj. Israel Putnam, the sur
yiving male descendant of Gen. Israel
! Pullman, of the revolutionary war.
, The total casualties in the regiment
was 1000. I was told. h losses
We're sustained in straight fighting,
principally going up against German
machine guns and artillery. There
We're no losses from accident
Praises Yankee Fighters
81 want to say a word for our
boys" he continued. This, applies
not only TO my own company and
regiment, but to the American Expedi-
tionary force generally. They are
fine, clean cut men. TheyNwere all
eager to lick the Huns in short order.
Some of them We're so full of this
spirit they would climb trees to get a
shot at an enemy, despite the orders
of their officers.
Generally speaking, my W ex-
peFiences were routine while / IVES in
France, except for three weeks in the
trenches, and the two days OF fight
ing after we Went over the top on
September o.
Lieut.. Johnson has a sad duty to
perform in the ear future. About