The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1918-07-12

gannfrS duguat and wrote letters
home, saying that In the morning they
w"r" going over 'he top, aud also ths,
IL the letters reached their destination
II would mean that tho writer had eesn
Killed.
i These letters were turned over TO
ihs captain with instructions to mail
saJns In the event Of the writer's being
Killed. Some Of the men made out
their Wills Ia their pay books. under
the caption, viii aud Last Tes,a-
men,"
Then the nsrve-raeking walt com
mencnd, Every no~ and then would
sfanfe M TA@ f;iak ~ sssy a~sant- wsteh
ami was surprised To ses hpw fast the
minutes passed by. About Owe minutes
10 two | got nervous waiting for our
guns 10 open w, could not take my
| eyes frota my watch. crouchsd
against the parapet and strained my
muscles Ia u deathlike grip upon my
| rife. A. tho hands on my watch
showed two o'clock hlindIng rid fare
| lighted up the sky In oar GEAR, uaan
thunder. lntermlsei With a sharp whis.
, tling sound In the air over our heads.
I The shells from our guns were spssNd-
/ lines VITA ohe accord the men
( sprung w "a the tlrv step md looked
! over the top In the direction Of the
German trenches, A line Of bursting
shells lighted up No Mas Land. The
din was terrific and the ground tram
bled Then. high above our heads Ne
could hear a signing moan. cur big
| boys behind the line bad eptnsd ~
and DPS and i3inch shells commenced
dropptng into the U"Fuan lines. The
| fash of the guns behind tho lipea the
scream NJ - shells through the air.
and the ilarr Of them, bursting. was q
| spectacle TINT put Pain's greatest dis
play into tho shade. The constant
pup. pun, Of German machine guns and
~ass' ,ssesa ssoaa! ,ssss.ss 81 saae, hAag give
me the impression Of huge audience
applaudlng tho work ct the batteries
Our iS-poundcrs were destroying the
German harbad wire. while the heavier
stur was demellShing their trenches
aai hashiag In dusouis or funk holes.
Then Fritx got busy,
Their shells weas screaming over
head, aimed In the direction 81 the
flares from our batteries Trench NOR
sars started dropping "Mianirs" In
eur front liue We clicked several cas-
uaItlns. Then they suddenly CEASED
our artillery had taped or aienced
them
puripg tho honhar,imept YOU could
almost Rad n new~ea pr Ia our 'rvGich
Sometimes In tho tiar~ ~ sheahuT~
mnns ho,iy would he silhorett@i
7,lnst the paraaps If Tire trench nssyi'
II appeared like a. huge risnstrr. va
euult hardly hear yuursels think. When
an order was to BE- passed down the
trench yen had 10 yell u. nslnS your
hands as funnel into the ear u the
MAN sitting next to ycu 90 the nrp strp
F, In about twcaty minutes generous
rum issue YVES d,lea ent. After DRINK
iaS the ram, which tasted Ike varnGsn
snI sSnt SAcd4pr through your
tame. you wondered ~hy they made
v,u wait un,il the N.eing ~ the bar.
-a-~ before going ove~ Al ten min,
utes IL feur w"ri was passed do0r.
| '~rrn minutes 10 gu" Tn minutes
| - live! We were sh!var'ns all svsr
| Ny legs scIt "a II they wary astf~p
/ Thea word MAS passed down First
wave sei On and as2r the >ra..ug la,,.
| aerx,''
| Before charge Tommy IL .hs ~
',sess ~ Rlea Th~~~ Il Hesar sa, push
| tgg ~ cspwd'ng 20 he s-St NJ thesp
ladders We crnuch.~i a-nnat tbs base
~ the ladders waiting ,ar ,he wora
| ~ 70 over, was sick and enlat, sud
( was pnisas sway NJ an unllShtei FAC
/ Then came the wo-.. Thrive minutes
to g.. upH the ue;ps " the harrase
aud on ths' blast u the Whistles pyer
the top With the best o lucS aud give
| them bell" TIE famous phrase 81
the w~sspsa f~ent. The J0nah phrase
IL the western fySsnt. To Tcahy !,
r,,caus Il y>r arr lucky ersgeA to coG7e
back yoe Will ~ &iaus an arm ~
! leg
siane~1 again at r'y wrist watch
We al wore them aaa yUc caci3 hardly
call US '"xsSSiesr tpr ,loinx 50 /. vas q
! minute h toe-. ccali see the hand
! gs,,xe ~ the twelve, then q deai 5;
ilrrcs. Il hurt. kve-,ons ksasca vi,
~ ss~ what had hag7easSL Int att sos
iloos. Sh&T, whistle Blasts raas OUT
ag,ang shc ,-tnth ard w'th cAcer the
rlcn serapsAge3 gP the sabss-s TAr
I "a vets were rvscstas overhead, and
o>~,aSSoeally q taach,ne sua soala T.p
/ and ;rar ,ae top - ,ts ssndNag para
pst Haw Sos =. tsat ta,Raet ush
aevsr S1es, TIE a-s. Sec tess cot IL
szea. WAS asnat, TaAR ws -SsSe1