Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-04

was lucky to miss it. \ very good
friend had his leg blown to pieces
and was later removed. Blanche
Fiester nursed him while they op-
Grated. lie was a dandy chap. and
if he had not come over to see us
it may not have happened. The
shells missed their sections this
time
Some Funny Things
II can tell some funny things from
my trips on the line, but twice as
many horrible ones. Believe me, a
German machine gunner had me
laying low one morning. He was
cutting the grass all around me, and
just lay still for the one to hit
me. Any second thought it would
come, but somehow it did not get
me.
I'VE We're in reserve again till
August %, when we agai ntook out
place in the front for five days. The
only times l was on the lines this
time was when delivering a message
to Captain Jenkins or acting as u
guide, battalion headquarters being
about n mile behind the lines. Be-
fore we were relieved l was sent as
runner between the nth Divi-
sion and ours. They wtre holding
the line on our left. This was some
Job, as it kept me two days longer
on the line. Boys, the Dutch artil-
lery used to shoot at us when going
from one place to another. Had to
reduce my pack to get more speed
to beat those shells coming right
for me. After this we
moved farther east and began an
attack in the Argonne forest near
Verdun. This began September %
at daybreak. and we stuck in the
front lines for one attack after an
other until October 8. We drove
those Dutchmen from one hill to
another and from town to town.
| do not know how many thousand
prisoners. guns and supplies we
took. l saw a great many of each.
Here in this attack | was located
at regimental headquarters and ran
my messages to battalion headquar-
ters. But since | told you how far
| back L was the second time, you
will imagine l had a bullet-proof
job this time
THE colonel led his men in each
one of these attacks and we order
lies were right back of him all the
time. This was the worst time of
any, and a perfect hell hole"
passed many a dead Jerry killed
at his machine gun, also quite a
few of our own boys. The most
we lost were with bullet holes in
arms and legs, wounds that may
rapidly heal. Sergeant Fitzgerald
was shot through the foot. Did not
see him, but so heard from the boys.
Our colonel was shot through the
neck when we made our last ad-
vance in town, before being re-
lieved from the line. lie died the
next day. Two German prisoners
carried him to the hospital on a
stretcher.
TT was in this town that
bought a watch from one of the
German prisoners. l have q few
more little trinklets to send you
soon. Enclosed find card from
Hun dugout. They sure have
fine homes. We are now
back out of shell fire in nice-sized
town. How long we will be here
is more than can say. but the
clerk from regimental headquarters
and I have q dandy room and bed.
We pay three francs GO cents) a
night and consider it cheap. 1tis an
old fashioned feather bed. and when
YOU get into it the covers Just eat
YOU up. Some sleep, in fact the
best on this side"
In one of his letters Private Owen
ancloses a handbill stating in
French and English that the Ger
mans are seeking peace, and that
an armistice has been offered. The
bill is interesting in many ways.