The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-25
CAPT. n. M. BEARDALL
TELLS OF EXCITING
TIMES ON FRONT
(Orlando Reporter Starr

In a letter to his mother, dated
September 10Th, Capt. H. M. Beard
all writes:
81 have had little time to write for
the past two weeks. We have been
very busy, on the march at night and
hiding during the day, but we surely
pulled surprise on the Boche up
here. and took territory away from
him that he had been sitting on for
the past four years Also many
horses and food for six months, which |
we were badly in need of. Our great
est handicap is lack of Transports
ton, always transportation.
don't know where left you in
my last letter, but we were still on
the march and pulled on into a small
French town, and here we spent two
days. The third day l went to one of
the large towns to the quartermas-
ter for supplies-only in town a cou-
pie of hours when my motorcyclist
rode in and notified me that we were
leaving in two hours, so I hurriedly
assembled my purchases, and went
back.
Got the men away in charge of
Capt. Davis at 3p. m. and they were
1pahoI into Erannh 1Aprinc rh;nnca
drivers and French guides-some
combination. The train of buses,
As miles long, with so miles to go
Now, let me tell you this is some au-
tos, and some folks and as we were
the last in the train, some of the out
fit was reaching their destination as
we pulled out.
will never forget this ride. I got
my lorries packed and on the road
waited until IL and we started. No
lights, everybody driving like the
devil we clinging to the right side Of
the road to give clearance.
Big lorries turned over down the
steep entertainments and Fords, like
} reaches, turned over on nearly every
sharp curve.
AS on all trips with big trains, we
rode and halted, sometimes for hours
we could not move and at daylight
we were only twelve miles on our
way. | made some coffee about
} seven and waited, raining still, wet
and everybody hungry. At ten a. m
we rode some more and really spent
. all day just like this. Again night
dark as Egypt. and the same condi
tons One wagon with two horses
passed in front of me, drove right
1 ever the embankment into the river
] and the whole outfit went down. Dis
y patch cars and ambulances and mo
: torcycles, going by in the darkness
tyou couldn't see ten feet ahead. This
night we lost Lieut. King who was
with the outfit just ahead of me; hi
got eff his car to take five men bacl
as one of his autos was struck, a:
they lined up on the road, fast cal
ran into them killing him and badl!
injuring three men.
On we went and at ten l had al
my cars in deep cut, well protected
but could not find Capt. Davis will
the rest of the company, so decides
to hold up until daylight. AT one q
m the barrage commenced and tn
whole earth trembled even those bi
fve-ton trucks of mine, loaded to tn
top. After daylight | turned in tc
wards the artillery, and found tn
y men, wet, tired and hungry, but "
- soon had hot meal into them, an
they were after a little rest, fit again
I Spent the day here, passing wounde
/ back, mud over ankle deep and raj
| all the time. Tents so wet you coul
II not get them up. Found an old shac
I and got a good nights rest and W
worked again all morning. Feelin
i better, but at nightfall the same oil
il order. Move up! Infantry Is kilc
II ahead
| got the men away again unde
u Capt. Davis and prepared to folio
!, with my trucks which | had on th
| road at 10 p. m. Such ride! Roa
\ shot to pieces. We threaded OF
u way through guns and trucks stuc
Il in the mud, cussed, pulled, and pushe
| all night, and as daylight broke wi
II never forget the scene; we were pas
II ing through no mans land Of the da
| before, trenches, smashed barbe
81 wire, abandoned machine guns, dea
Il horses, and dead men. One can ne
u er forget such a scene at grey daw
ii where the men had fallen; frequent