The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1918-06-07


we were going over, and, boy, I'm
telling you, there was some cheering.
I'VE went on board about IL o'clock
at night, and that same night we
started out, but were later held up
for several days. | don't know whas
wewere waiting for, but when we start
ed out we had convoy of war ships
In our company we had Danish lad
whose father was a sea captain. This
Dane kid had been in every port in
the world. Just as soon as he saw the
port he says, We are going into the
port of that didn't mean
much to US, but he told us it was in
France,
''Well, boy, / want to tell you it is
the prettiest place in the world. 1t
looks just like picture, hand paint
ed picture. 1t is the prettiest town J
ever want to see.
Eve were at that camp fourteen
days and while we did quite lot Of
drilling we got liberty to go back to
the town. They wouldn't let us spend
much money, and at that time they
didn't know how much money we got,
so prices were cheap. They thought
the soldiers got the same Pay as their
soldiers, and they didn't start to send
the price up for sometime.
'The boys got so they could talk
pretty well. Duck was bear and
could make signs and babble to Seat
the hand. Habler means to talk the
other guys lingo.
"WelI, we got Che kinks CIT of our
selves daring the two weeks we stayed
a. that camp. / guess there must
have been more rlen coming over, be-
cause one night we gets the word to
be ready to move on the next day.
They moved us in box cars. We were
two days and two nights on the road
aad must have gone about $50 miles;
it was a swell trip. The country look
ed great at that time of the year, and
we were loaded down with flowers all
the time.
1--WE went into camp at which
about four miles behind the front
line trenches. We were billetted m
barns and stables from Saturday I'M
I'll Monday night, when we took our
first trick in the trenches. Our divis-
ion was feeling fine they all wanted to
get chance at fighting right away.
"There were four regiments in our
crowd and one battalion from each
regiment was sent up in the first re-
lief. My battalion was chosen from
the regiment. We had about 5000
men going up the first time We took
up a front about mile long.
"Well, there was some grooming
when we found what kind of trenches
they had handed us. They had mud
up to your shoe-tops, and they were
lousier than cuckoo We went in at
night and spent the first few hours in
getting our dugouts fixed up. These
dug-outs are shored up with timbers,
md that's where you spent lot oi
time. They were the lousy places;
they were so alive with lice that they
almost moved.
"This first trip in the trenches was
only for ten days. But we were glad
to get the rest when it come time to
be relieved. We wanted the chance to
get bath. When you'go in for only
ten days you only carry one outfit IN
that is, you only have one suit of I'M
derwear. When you go in for a long
er stay, you carry two suits. The ex'
ira suit you keep wrapped up tight
and the lice don't ge in it; that is, moi
so many of them.
"0ur trenches were only eight hun
bred yards away from the Fritzies
and the lice don't get in it; that is, no
our stay there we got chance to try
some shooting, but there wasn't nue.
doing except the Smelling from the Ger
man trenches. In our battalion in tina
: stay we lost sixteen men killed an
( wounded. Two of them were kille,
) by snipers' bullets and the other sever
!, by artillery fire.
t '4t's funny thing about that shell
t ing. About the first day we wer
3 ducking all the time. Whenever W
t heard shell come over we all wante
t to know where it struck. After abou
4 the first day we got so used to it tina
: we'd never even look around to Sc
where it went. Most Of the shellin
e was done in the morning, or late ]
k the evening. At first the most of u
t had the shakes somewhat. You feI
: all quivery all over, and you couldn
c stop. no matter what you though
about.
n "The only thing that helped out Wa
- Duck and his guitar. How he keT
r that guitar with him all through.
o don't know. You wasn't supposed
u carry anything along with you th'
e was breakable. But Duck kept h
old guitar just the same and som,
e times when itsquieted down he wou
e give them Fritzies real treat, sinl
# ing Spanish songs at them and givir
D. them line of blues A guitar
e great music, especially in a little dul
! out on damp night.
rs "0ur dug-outs had little Frent
st stoves in them. Them French stow,
aint worth damn. Of course, v
at used 'em and sometimes they did pre-
m ty we'll. The trouble is that the smol
OF stack has to be run out Of the do
10 of the dnrnnt and when, the VIII