Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-21

A08m0
volunteers for trench duty. was not
very keen about going, because I had
been In trenches at Dixmude, and I
knew how pleasant they were-not,
but volunteered, and SO did Murray.
We went ashore in our. boats under
heavy fire. There were II men killed
in the lifeboat In which was. I es-
capped without a scratch.
We were mustered up on shore and
volunteers were called for, for sentry
duty. Murray volunteered. II he had
only gone on with the rest Of us he
might have come through. After a
short walt we were given the order to
advance. The firing became heavier
about this time, SO we went at the
double. We had not got very far be-
fore we had a fine little surprise party
handed us.
The front line was running over
what appeared to be good, solid
ground, when they broke through and
fell into trenches 30 to 40 feet deep.
These trenches had been dug, covered
over with A-inch boards and then
with dirt, and were regular man-traps.
Sharp stakes were sticking out of the
parapet and parados, and at the bot
tom were more stakes and rocks and
barbed wire.
!. We were advancing with bayonets
fixed and arms at the carry, SO when
the first line fell, and scme of the
second, the boys Of the third line came
running up, and in the scramble that
followed many Of the chaps in the
first few lines were bayoneted by their
comrades. was in the third line, but
was lucky enough to pull up in time
and did not fall in. You could not look
down into that trench after you had
seen It once, 1t was too sickening.
Our casualties were sent back to the
ship. One boat was sunk by a shell
and all the men lost.
We remained where we were,
scratching out shallow trenches for
ourselves, finding what natural cover
there was and otherwise getting ready
for the night which was near. It
began to rain and we could hardly
keep any fires going, because we had
to shelter them from the shore side, SO
the enemy could not spot us, and the
wind was from the sea. It was certain
ly miserable that night.
Every once in while we would
stand by to repel an attack, whether it
was a real one or not, and we were
under fire all the time. It seemed as
II morning would never come. The
sand was full Of fieas-greht big boys
and they were as bad as any
coolies I had ever had at Dixmude.
The morning came at last, and I
was detailed with a fatigue party
to the beach where we had landed
stores. When we got down to the
docks ! missed Murray and asked
where he was. They said he had been
missing from his post not more than
an hour from the time we left.
I left my fatigue party, without
orders, and Joined in the hunt for
Murray. There were men searching
all along the docks and on the shore
to each side. Finally I saw bunch
Of men collect around q storehouse
at the farther end Of the docks on the
shore side. ] ran up to them.
There was poor old Murray. They
were just taking him down. He had
been crucified against the wall of the
st0rehouse. There was q bayonet
through each arm, one through each
foot and one through his stomach.
One Of the garbies tainted when he
had to pull one Of the bayonets out.
They had hacked of his right hand
at the wrist and taken his identifica-
ton disc. lay this to the German
officers more than the Turks.
I do not know Just what did after
this. But it changed me all around
and was not like my usual self dur
ing the rest Of the time.
It was still raining when we started
on our way to the front line. Along
the road were numbers Of troops
scofang and among them Indian troops
on sentry duty. They looked like q
bunch Of frozen turnips, cool and I'M
comfortable. We. were close enough to
make the roar Of the cannonading
seem intolerably loud and could see
the bursting shells. particularly those
frO'1 the British ships.
Then we came across some Turkish
prisoners who were sheltering in an
old barn, guess it was, and we
stopped for shelter and rest. They
told US that their troops were very
tired from long fighting, but that they
had plenty Of men. They said couple
Of shells had dropped about a hum
dred yards from the barn Just before
we came. SO we knew the batteries
were trying to get our range and we
did not stay any longer, but went
away from there and ON our road.
About 500 yards farther on we came
to ruins. and when we went inside
we. found so or 90 Of our boys cooking
and sleepin1 and mot pivinu a thnuoht