The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-12-26


Our sergeant said he would not ask
any man to attempt to carry the mes
sage, because ne said it was not only
certain death, but absolutely useless.
And he began to show that he was
near shell shock himself.
Then I began to shiyer again, and I
thought to myself that anything would
be better than sitting in this hole watt
ing to go 'cafard." so decided to vol
unteer. did not think there was any
chance to get through. but 1t seemed
as If just had to do something, no
matter what. had never felt that
way before, and had never been
anxious to Ego west" with shell for
company, but have felt that way
since then several times, ! can tell
you.
The man was telling us that some
time before they had sem the Turks
bringing up ammunition from some
storehouses. but they did not come
anywhere near. He said their sergeant
wanted our messenger to tell them
that. too. He would say few words
very fast, then he would shiver again,
and his jaws would clip together and
he would try to raise bis hand, but
could not.
Then our sergeant asked the name
Of the other sergeant, and when the
man told him he said the man was
senior to himself and therefore in
command and would have to be obeyed.
He seemed to cheer up q lot after
he said this and did net shiver any
more, SO thought 1 would volunteer
then, SO / said to him, "Well, mon
vieux, do you think we are seeing real
Smelling now7" And then was going
to say would go, but he looked Mt
me in funny way for q second and
then said. swell. my son, suppose you
60 and find out"
thought he was kidding me at first,
but then I saw he meant 1t. thought
two things about it-one was that any
thing was better than staying there,
and the other was that the old dugout
was pretty fair place after all. But
did not say anything to the SER
geant or the other men-just went
out Of the dugout. The sergeant and
another man went with me and boost
ed me over the back wall Of the hole.
lay fiat on the ground for a minute to
get my bearings, and then started off.
set my course for where thought
thu ,3n0k fov oYx -
the right. and just stood up and ran
for l figured that as the shells were
falling so thick and it was open
ground l would not have any better
chance If crawled.
l tripped several times and went
down, and each time thought I was
hit, because when got it in the thigh
at Dixmude 1t felt good deal as
though had tripped over a rope
And one time when I fell shell ex
ploded near me and began to shivel
again, and could not go on for 9
long time. All this time / did moi
| think would get through, but finally
when / reached what had been the
! communication trench / felt l hat
done the worst part Of 1t, and begar
/ to wish very hard that / would ge
through was not at all crazy abOu
| going west.
The mouth Of the communication
trench had been battered in and tn,
trenches 1t Joined with were all fillet
up. There were rifles sticking on
4 Of them in several places, and
thought probably the men had beer
buried alive in them. But 1t was to,
late then. II they had been caught, S,
! climbed over the blocked entrance Il
the communication trench and starte,
back along it. It led mp through sor
of gully, and l thought 1t was ba,
place to dig u communication trencl
in, because it gave the Turks some
thing like the side Of a hill to shoot al
Every once in a while I would hav
to climb in and out of shell hole
and parts of them were blocked wher
shell had caved in the walls. In on
place saw corpses oil torn to pieces
so ! knew the Turks had found tn
range and had got to this trench i
great shape. At another place I foun
lots Of blood and equipment but n
bodies. and I figured that reinforce
4 ments had been caught at this spo
and that they had retired, taking thei
casualties with them.
{. The Turks still had the range, an
they were sending q she'll into tn
trench every once In a while, and
was knocked down again, though th
shell was SO far away that it knocke
me down with force Of habit MOI
|, than anything else. felt dizzy an
!: shivered lot, and kept trying to thin
of Murray or anything else but mysel
So finally got to the top Of tt
little hill over which the gully RAJ
and on the other side~F felt almo
safe. Just down from the crest Of IL
. hill was one of our artillery position
i with the good old '75s" giving 1t to Il
i Turks as fast as they could. to
the artillery officers what had ha
/ pened, had a drink Of water al
, thought would take nap. But whit
, they telephoned the message back
. division headquarters the man at Il
: receiver said something to the oflic
, and he told me to stay there and
] ready. / thought sure he would SCI
me back to where / came from al
; knew / never could make 1t agai
: but / did not say anything.
: When looked around saw th
our real position was to the right
/ where the artillery was, and that the
, were three lines Of trenches wi
+ French infantry In them. So t
hnxa x<,s..<> A,<sa,n ssxx.,.<. mr.,