Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-08-28

about a mile long.
'Well, there was some grooming
when we found what kind of trenches
they had handed us. They had mud
up to your shoetops and they were
lousier than cuckoo. We went in at
night and spent the first few hours
getting our dugouts fixed up.
"This first trip in the trenches was
only for ten days. But we were glad
to get the rest, when it came time for
us to be relieved. We wanted the
chance to get bath.
"Our trenches were only 800 yards
away from the Fritzies and we could
see them fine. During our stay in there
we got a chance to try some shoot
ing, but there wasn't much doing ex-
cept the Smelling from the German
trenches. In our battalion in that
stay we lost sixteen men killed and
wounded. Two of them were killed
by snipers' bullets and the other seven
by artillery fire.
Lose Their Curiosity.
"It's a funny thing about that she'll
ing. About the first day we were duck
ing ali the time. Whenever we heard
a shell come over we all wanted to
know where it struck. After about
the first day we got so used to it that
we'd never even look around to see
where it went. Most of the Smelling
was done early in the morning or late
in the evening At first, the most Of
us had the shakes somewhat. You
felt all quivery all over and you
couldn't stop, no matter what you
thought about.
"Our dugouts had little French
stoves in them. Them French stoves
amt no good. OF course, we used 'em
and sometimes they did pretty well.
The trouble was that the smokestack
has to be run out the door Of the dug
out, and when the wind blows that
way it blows the smoke right back
into the trench.
SIT was pretty wet and uncomfort-
able lot of the time, but, boy, want
to tell you, I'd rather he in the trench
es any day than drilling.
1.-THE only time ever came real near
| to getting hurt on that first trip up was
the evening before the day we were
relieved. A wagon drawn by mules
was brought up to take away lot of
eats we hadn't used and I had de-
tail of seven men out to load the wag-
on. We had the wagon almost load
ed when the shells began to come over.
But they were going over our heads
and we didn't pay much attention.
"Then Major Duke came along in
! the trench not a great ways from us
and he yelled out: You boys better
come out of that. One Of those shells
will fall short pretty quick
"Well, we only had few more boxes
to put on and says, Throw on the
rest lively, boys, and beat it,
"Just about then old Fritzie sends
one over. You know you can hear
them comm, and you can tell just
about where they will land from the
sound. I knew this shell was going
to come near for it sounded loud.
had kept my uniform pretty clean and
when I heard that shell, sure did
hate to throw myself fiat in that mud
we were standing in.
Takes Chance.
swell, I took a chance and didn't
fall fiat. I bunkered down and so did
the rest of the bunch. The shell ex-
ploded right over our heads about
% feet in the air, guess. Sofl ing
hit me on the head and knocked 2
over and my tin hat fell off.
II grabbed the hat and we beat 1t
for a dugout. The driver Of the wag-
on beat us in, though. He sure had
| the shakes for a minute. l looked at
my hat and it had a big dent in 1t
where piece Of shrapnel struck. Two
other men in the detail, messengers,
had holes cut in their blouses by fly
ing bits Of the steel, but none of US
were hurt. Boy, sure was tlckled
when found wasn't hurt none. The
luck of 1t was that it busted so high
In the air that the bullets had kind Of
! lost their power when they hit US.
One of the four mules on the COM
bat wagon was hit. One Of his fore
legs was broken and we had to shoot
| him.
"It was the first trip up for that
guy that was driving the mules and
you should have heard him swear
when he found out he was all right.
"We had one gas attack. half the
men were on guard and half asleep
when the patrol runs In and wakes US
up and makes us put on our masks.
Two of our men were knocked out by
the gas, but they recovered.
'Well, we went back to our billets
In trucks and 1t was while we were
back there that got shot in the foot
when a rifle went off. It blew hole
In my foot. Something got into it
and it don't seem to heal very fast.
They cut off my little toe, took out
the bone and used the toe to plug up
the hole. I guess it will do fine If 1t
don't grow a toenail on the bottom Of
my foot"