Norwich bulletin., 1918-11-02
DR. sLAcKMAR SEES
 SOME FIERCE FIGHTING

An extract from a recent letter of Capt John $. Blackmar, regimental surgeon of 372nd Infantry Tn the trenches near the Argonne for the past three months. He writes of an action in which they have taken part:
 Oct. s, 1918.
 At last I am back out of hearing of the guns, and I thank God last night for bringing me through. We were in and it was a hell. We gained our oD- jcctive, but oh, the awful wastage Of war!
 Capt. W, with division head quarters had his head blown off while riding in an auto. and the driVe1 wasn't touched
 Capt. B. lost leg six hours be- !! fore our relief. think those are the only ones you knew, but we lost 70 per cent of our officers, either killed, wounded or gassed. l stood it O.. K. till B-,was brought in, and | then my nerves deserted me. Enough of that.
 When we went out of the old sec tor we were taken 75 miles in auto | trucks, and then marched back each night to the left of our first position. One night we came within close reach of the French lines. and the drive started. That night we crossed No ! Mans Land and entered q deserted 1 German stronghold. We advanced that day under fire mile or two, and be- , gan work. Each day we kept on so- i inS until we almost reached our ob- | jective, Monthois; were held up there because of strong resistance un our ! left. That position was crucial 10 | Fritz, for if lost, it meant 20 miles ,.nt believe: at any rate we were relieved at2 a. m. one morning and in the mist CT dawn I brought out my men. It was a hike of ten miles TO absolute | safety, but we made it, and slept out 1 Of reach of fire. More hike rocay. but | 1 had my ambulance again, and rode | 1 can hardly walk l am so stiff. It is d peculiar experience to look back up- oil. Shoes off only once in eight days and clothes have not been off in two weeks. Shaved once in that time 1 Lived on water two days. Now we are to re0rganiZe and be ready. 1 see by the papers that the kaiser talks ar1nistice. He only wants time to dig in. for on our front he hasn't . trench now. We took them all, an he is hard pressed. The French trie, for four years to take our objective l but could not. so naturally our gen ual is pleased and our regiment ma. l be cited
 Much mail today; eight lerrers, ont l fsom written in <,rch tC ] Newport News, with no regiment il address. The box also came at last Sorry could not have had the kodal to take .ile ruins in the previous sec tors. The places about here are no at all picturesque. The villages ar neither as good nor as ruined, ana th, country is a poor, sandy, rolling coun try with bare hills for miles. Ther' gre two Champagne districts; one Ih good one, where they grow the grapes and this one, the so-called "lous. Champagne"
 Six big naval guns went througi here tonight, each gun on two trucks Monstrous.
 Your missing letter came just as w started into action. and I reaG II il German dugouts. Took some picture as souvenirs, but when counter 4t tack came l destroyed hem. Tn Germans came in a mist, and go through out front line. but we discov cred them and killed them all
 I owe several letters anl appreciat all have received, but 1 have yer little time now. and home comes frs Have lots of work tomorrow on rec ords, etc. and as it is getting late an cold, will hunt for "cooties" and 2 tc bed. No clean clothes to put or
 my personal stuff is scattered all ove France, and l doubt if 1 ever get it
 but here's hoping.