Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-07-23

two o'clock Ia the morning hs came
back. lie simply fell over Into the
trench. all IN. He had been wounded
four tunes, and had lain In shell
crater full Of water for several hours.
lie would not ~ back for treatment
then. and when daylight came. Il was
too late, because we were practically
cut on by artillery FIRE behind the front
line trenches.
when daylight came, the artillery
Are opened up right on US, and the
Germans had advanced their lines Into
some trenches formerly held by us and
hardly forty-nve yards away. We re-
ceiyed bombs and shells right In our
faces. A Tunisinn In our company got
crazy. aud ran back over the parados.
lie ran a few yards, then stopped and
looked back nt US. ] think he was
coming 10 his senses, and would have
started back to us. Then the spot
where he had been was empty, and a
second Inter his body from the chest
down fell not three yards from the
parndos. I do not know where the
top part went. That same shell cut u
groove IN the low hilltop before II ex-
plodcd. He had been hit by big
shell. and absolutely cut In two. ]
have seen this happen 10 four men, but
this was the only one In France.
About seven o'clock. we received re-
endorsements. and poured fresh troops
over and retook the trench. No sooner
had we entered II. however. than the
Germans turned their artillery on rs.
not even waiting for their own troops
TO retire safely. They killed numbers
Of their own men In this way. But the
Are was 70 heavy that. when they coun-
ter-attncked. we had to retire again.
and this time they kept after Us and
drove US beyond the trench We had
originally occupied. ~
We left them there. with our artil-
lery taking care Of them, and our ma,
chine guns trying TO enfilade them. and
moved to the right. There was a
bunch Of trees there. about like small
woods, and az we passed the Germans
concealed In II opened fire on rs. and
we retired to some reserve trenches.
We were pretty much scattered by this
time. and badly cut up. We reformed
there. and were Joined by other Of our
troops, In small groups--what was left
Of squads and platoohs and singIy.
Our captain had got II nth time,
meanwhile but he would not leave us,
as ne was the rnnking officer. He had
a scalp wound. but the others were 10
his arms and shoulders. He could NOT
move his hands ut oil. Df
But he led our charge when we ran
for the woods. We carried some ma.
chine guns with US as we went. and
the gunners would run piece. set up
nre while we opened up for them. and
run on again. Some troops came oui
Of q trench still further to the right
and helped us, and we drove the Ger
mans out Of the woods and occupied II
ourselves. TX. ,.,oo = ,n.,,t~,.
From there. we had the Germans ID
our old trench almost directly from
the rear. aud we simply cleaned than
out Iathink all the vows were kept
that day. or else the men who made
them died first. -
] was shot through the thigh some
time or other after the captain goi
back. II felt just like q needle-prich
at first, and then for q while my lel
was numb. 4 couple Of hours after w
took our trench back. Ilstarted out fol
the rear. and hospital. The wound hat
been hurting for some time. They car
ried the captain ont onEa stretchel
about the same time. but he died oE
the way from, loss of blood. .a Fresl
troops came up to relieve ~, but ON
men refused to 60. and though ofiicial
'fly.they were not there In the trench
they stayed until they took the cap
tain away. Then, back to blllets-noi
bullets, this time. believe that we re
ceIved an army citation for that piece
Of work. but do not know. as'l WI