The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-12-21


the steel deck, but / was able to crawl
on to the turret door. Just as i was
about to enter the gun was fired. That
particular charge happened to be de-
fective. The she'll split and caused a
back fire and the cordite, fire and gas
came through the breech, which the
explosion had opened.
1t must have been a piece of cordite
which did it, but whatever it was, it
hit me in the right eye and blinded 1T.
The ball of the eye was saved hssss slsE
French surgeons and looks normal, but
1t pains me greatly sometimes and
they tell me it viii always be sight
less.
| was unconscious Immediately from
the blow and fron the quantity Of gas
which I must have swallowed. This
gas did me great deal of damage
and gives me dizzy spells often to this
day. do not know what happened
during the rest of the engagement, as
l did not regain consciousness until
three days later at sea. But / heard
In the hospital that the French super
dreadnaught Jeanne dare and the
light cruiser Normandy were in it as
well as ourselves, though not at the
time l was wounded, and that we had
all been pretty well battered. The
Cassard lost SO men In the engage
ment and had 48 wounded. Some OF
our turrets were twisted into all man
ner of shapes and part of our bow
was carried away. One of our lieu
tenants was killed in the engagement.
I was told that both the VERT and
the Kaiserliche Marine were sunk In
this engagement. I have seen pictures
of sailors from the VERT who were
prisoners at interment camps.
When we arrived at Brest the
wounded were taken from the ship In
stretchers and after we had been rest
ed for about fifteen minutes on the
dock put into ambulances and rushed
to the hospital. On the way those who
could leaned out of the ambulance and
had great time with the people along
the streets, many of whom they knew,
for the Cassard was Brest ship. And
of course the women and children
yelled, give la Francer" and were
glad to see the boys again, even
though they were badly done up.
Some of our men were bandaged
all over the face and head and it was
funny when they had to tell their
names to old friends Of theirs, who
dld not recognize them. As soon as
one of the Srest people recognized q
friend of he would go to get cigarettes
and other things for him and some Of
them almost beat us to the hospital.
do not know, of course, just what
the surgeons did to me, but 1 heard
that they had my eyeball out on my
cheek for almost two hours. At any
rate they saved it. The thigh wounds
were not dangerous In themselves and
II 1T had not been for the rough treat
ment they got later on they would be
quite healed by this time, am sure.
really think ] got little extra at
tention In the hospital In many ways,
for the French were at all times anx-
lous to show their friendliness to
America. Every time my meals were
served there was a little American
flag on the platter and always large
American flag draped over the bed. / /
had everything wanted given to me /
at once and when I was able to, all
The cigarettes could smoke, which
we're not many.
While ] was still In bed In the hos
oital received the Croix de Guerre,
which I had won at the DardaneIles.
The presentation was made by Lieu.