The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-18

several German batteries. Many had
suffered heavily in dead and wounded.
which lay around their. guns destroyed
by enemy FIRE. Other batteries still
manned were useless because no more
could be gotten through.
We pa used to rest. Several srtil-
lerymen approached u.s. and nOncom-
missioned officer asked them why they
did not FIRE.
Because we have used up all our
was the answer of one Of
the battery men.
"Is ii, impossible to bring ammunI-
tion through this barrage?"
: NO" replied the artilleryman, "but
there is no more ammunition. That is
why we cannot get any. At Neufcha-
enemy. Man and beast died from the
beat. railroads and other mediums of
transportation were left In their dam
aged condition in the wild excitement
of victory, as we dashed into the heart
of France. We raced on. bfindly and
thoughtlessly. thereby interrupting
communication with our bases. ran
directly into the trap set for us by the
French. Before the first ammunition
and other relief supplies reach US we
will all ne killed"
Up to this time we bad trusted
blindly In the Invincible strategy of our
great general staff. Now II was brought
home to US on all sides that the
French were fighting at home. close
TO their greatest source of supply, and
had excellent railroad connections at
their disposal. Further than that the
French maintained terrible artillery
fire from guns of far greater caliber
than we believed they owned. This led
us to the conclusion that they were oc-
cupying positions which had been pre-
pared for long time. Yet we believed
that the picture painted by the artiI-
ieryinaD had been too black. We were
soon to know better.
As we approached the enemy's
trenches. we were met with a heavy
machine gun fire. and In doubie-quick
step hurried to the temporary prOtec-
tion of hastily thrown up dugouts.
hard rain had set in. The field around
us was covered with dead and wound
ed. Even our trench was filed with
wounded. which made its occupation
by the defenders difficult. Many Of
the wounded men were paralyzed from
lying on the Shiny ground. All were
without bandages. They begged for
bread and water. hut we had none for
ourselves. They pleaded piteously. just
for scrap of bread. Many of then
had lain In this inferno for two days
without having eaten anything what
ever.
We were scarcely established when
the French attacked en- masse. The oc-
cupnnts Of these trenches. whom we
several of these attacks. They urged
MS to shoot and fired wildly themselves
into the ranks of the advancing masses
We responded to the exhorfations Of
the infantry officers: Fire, fire hard
er. harderi"
We nred until the barrels of our
guns became red-hot. The eDem,
turned. The victims of our fire al
ready lying In heaps in No Mans Land
between our lines and the eneIDy's
were increased by hundreds. The at
tack was repulsed.
II is dark. and 1t rains and rains. All
about us In the darkness are heard
the wounded weeping. moaning. i'm
ploring. Their cries are augmented
by other wounded closer by. All chilled
for bandages. but we had none left. w.
tore strips from our muddy shirts and
with them covered the gaping wounds
Men are dying constantly. There ARE
no doctors. no bandages. nothing. TIL,
wounded must be assisted. but FIRST tn.
French must he repnlsed.
The rain falls harder constantly and
we are all wet to the skin. We shoot
blindIy into the night. The fiuctuastne
fire of musketry becomes strong. then
weaker. then strong again.
We pioneers are scattered among the
infantry. My neighb0r touches me.
Say" he calls.
'What do yeu want? ask. "who
are you7"
Come here" he hissed.
1t Is eerie. alone In this devils night
"why are you here? VIII you mnr
they will return from over there and
the fun will be on again. Do you hear
the others weep7"
And he laughed.
Suddenly he started again: "I al
ways shoot at them until they stoI,
weeping. Tint is fun
And again he laughed. maniacally.
and louder than before.
realized finally that this man had
lost his reason. A man pneeed bring
Ing ammunition and ! asked him 10
fetch the commander at once. The Of
hcer arrived. accompanied by an infan