Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-14
Colovsd S0)disvs
IN France Chane
Hymns at Burial

Especial Cable to Chicago Tribune.l
Paris, Sept. t.---A plain dirt road
winds about the base OF "A low, thickiy
wooded hin and. passing into hcids.
runs along across hollow where lie
the ruins OF what once was village
OF stone houses, Just at the edge Oh
tho village IL cuts at an acute angle
another road. and In the first OF the
angles thus formed stands the cross
OF the wayside shrine, At the foot OF
the cross In "A short. freshly dug trench
whence "A few weeks ago n machine gun
poured out It's deadly hail.
We stand there in the warm sun
struck by the thought which this con-
,rast inspires, when from the direction
of the Hill comes the droning sound of
song.
We're climbing. climbing. climbing up
Jacobs ladder.
Every little round goes higher. higher,
Lord. I'm almos' home"
We listen to the smooth roll OF
melody. then walk toward IT, In about
a hundred yards we come to "A group
OF twelve or fifteen negro laborers in
CnarEc Oh IN AIutTiC.tu SCI ttahe. AssVss
of them were lolling on the ground,
but three. standing elbow to elbow, are
swinging their picks In rhythmic uni
son as they sing an old camp meeting
song.
We're climbing up Jacobs ladder
Lord. I'm almos home
The words OF the cadence OF soft
voices and the scene touch us to the
quick.
on the nearby hill is Bellean wood
and tho ruins OF Il village. The ne
groes are digging a trench grave FOR
the bodies of those splendid heroes who
gave their lives in that desperate
struggle,
YOU can't get them to do thing
unless you make them believe they're
doing something religious" said Ser
| geant George X. Murdoch. or Phila-
delphia. pointing to the negroes. all OF
whom are from North or South Caro-
lima.
They have to be singing this song
or some other, or they won't work at
all. You can't get them to touch .
body with their hands"
|
victorious the armies carry with them
the plaudits and attention OF the world,
but behind them lie the wrecks OF men.
To gather up these and give them that
care which at best is such trivial
recompense for their sacrifice Is n
humble labor which attracts neither at
tention nor applause. But with palms,
taking and intelligence the grave reg
1 lNT,.t
in the rear OF the army, collecting our
heroes from shallow graves into which
they were hurried after the battle and
placing them in plots together. Bodies
are examined with utmost care so that
IL possible. no soldier will have to suf-
fer the fate of an inscription. IN
known"
Around Belleau wood alone there are
six such plots, each containing from
seventy to one hundred graves. At the
head OF every. grave is CROSS on which
is tackled the Identification tag of the
soldier lying there. as web as an OBJ
long tinfoil plate on which Is written
his name and organization. Every SOL
der wears two tags on n string about
his neck. One Is cut of and put on
the headboard, the other being buried
with him.
When both tags are gone a search
lis made OF papers In his clothing. Six
teen bodies which had been buried
latter the battle as unknown were
identified by Sergeant Murdoch in this
way so that not a single unknown lies
in the little plot.
Looking thus thru the letters OF
a young lieutenant to learn his identity
there was found letter from his wife
whom he had married only last Novem
Der. Almost all Of it was taken up with
talk about the expected new life which
now must replace that of the father. II
so happened the officer was neigh
Dor OF Sergeant Murdock-Thomas
Miles, who lived only a few blocks from
him.
Almost all the bodies carry letters
from a mother or sister" said Muir
dock. "and almost all contain appeals