Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-13

whiStlinG and cXplodin. OF shells and
the bombing of artillery around mo
that 1t is like music to my cars. At
this battery we turned loose machine
gun charge in the direction Of the Ger
man trenches. and were promptly an
swercd by their artillery. From this
battery VIC walled across the fields
and woods. seeing several emplace-
ihents used by antiaircraft guns in the
nrSt year OF the swar, great improve
mcntS have been made. I wish ! could
SHOW a. battery to you they are put
In now. but l can't until after the war.
We passed by one field Of about two
acres. where 1000 French soldiers
were buried. Now we come TO the
greatest experience yet. There was
nothing else OF interest in the artil-
lcry for the day. so We walked over
to the infantry trenches. passed
through connecting trenches and right
on up into the front-line trenches and
10 an advanced listening post within
zoo meters OF the German front line
trenches. saw the soldiers at their post
Of duty, in the dugouts. and eating
their meal. visited the officers in their
bombproof dugouts. and declined an in
Nltation TO have tea with them as we
hud 70 get out before IT. got too dark
10 ma the way: and heard machine
guns and rifles firing some bat no,
ihuch. as 1t was Il rather quie: section
OF the trenches. One of the soldier.
IN the listening post showed me how
10 throw "A hand grenade and I wa.
tempted to toss it over the top at the
Germans. When I heard the frs, shot
fired. duckcd. and felt rather funny.
out after that feared not. stood
mead and shoulders above the top OF
INC trenches in the listening post for
lie" minutes and Sazed out over mo
mans land You can't imagine a
more dcsolatc, awful looking sigh, Of
destruction than that is. This was
formerly forest land but all OF the
trees have been killed and mangled and
the ground torn By shells. and to add
10 this YOU arc looking through barbcd
wire cntang1cmcnts which have been
cut by shell fire. then you get tina;
AWFUL dccaycd human bcinga' odor in
stead of the fresh windy breeze, and
there is nothing living in sight In.
stead OF the rustic of autumn leaves
and the singing OF birds, there il the
sound Of constant firing Of artillery,
interrupted by an occasional machine
gun and ri1c cracking. AS passed
by the soldiers on duty. In several
p!accs wanted to shake the hand of
each or them because they arc surely
doing mansfield Job nobly The:
all seemed so glad TO SEQ us, as We
we're the first Americans to 20 UP there.
and ssSurcd them America f.!.u United
Statcs) is coming TO help them can
hut hope that every American will do
his part as we'll as the Frcnchmai is
We walked back 10 the chateau in
time for dinner at o'clock. having
Il rather dark walk, as there is no
Eight seen around here a; night In
all we walked about ten miles to-day.
so VIII sleep well tonight il the
! "Bochc.' don't disturb us.
NO CHURCH BELLS RING
ALONG BATTLE. FRONT
November Sunday makes no diff
ference here. AS sherman rightly said.
war IS hell" SO there are no church
hollis 20 ring here. II is cloidy and
I"Ssy still so tho German planes did
no; ny today, but other artillery Is
! In action just the same This morn
'hH We spent short while at our bat
tcT%. hut as there were no .Bochc.'
plains 10 shoot at. VIC walked over 20
battery OF iivc-inch guns nearby.
me officer here had his men fire on
gun at German town just for our
nrnchi: We did not go over TO see
what damage the she'll did; however.
would like TO know
I'M" afternoon the French lieutenant
took US to sec the family of his friend
I living in town near the front These
people refused TO leave their home
"hcn inc Germans occupied tho town
as d'd only few moro of tho inhabi-
tahtS, in spite of the fact that tho Cor
man officers occupy their house with
them They told US many interesting
incidents and showed us some souvenirs
OF inc war. among the latter was q,
German helmet. The young daughter.
Ver: interesting and we'll cduca ted
girl. played the piano and sang for us
in French some American songs
hon
ncr' and Yankee Doodle" and many
French songs.
November 5--To-day il cleared ,fr
and the German planes began living
so We saw much antiaircraft artillery
IN action. defeating the purpose of the
bochc bird. This afternoon ono OF my
comrades and ] changed places with
two other officers who were put with
an auto mount battery at the same
time that VIC were assigned TO platform
Semi-hHed battery. Our host now tile
french officer commanding this bat
terry, speaks Il little English and we
speak little French so that our.
conversation with the aid of tho
French English and English French
dictionaries. arc very Interesting and
beneficial. since each is trying to learn
the others language. We live in an
old castle that has a good bit of his
tory attached TO its life which 4 can't
tell now. 1t is 600 years old. built OF
solid masonry, and the walls are six
feet thick. was in another castle
this afternoon also that was bull, in
the eleventh century, and from which,
] could see the German front line and
part Of Germany in the rear. Here /,
hoping that I will see Berlin in a few
years. This afternoon before coming
here we went up into forward artil.
lety observation post TO observe artil.
lery fire. both antiaircraft and other.
wise. From here we could see our
shells bursting on the Germans, got a
fine view of the mountains, and the
valley Of the River -
-'ovcmber Cit was bad weather to-
Gny. SO that we did not get out to the
positions or the front, but put in the
tiHin studying and reading the walls
c: the castle.
November This morning we stayed
In bed rather late after breakfast We
were up late last night. the weather
was bad, and we all have a cold. so
why get up. early. is the French idea
OF life. Our breakfast is served to ue
every morning in bed, the regular