The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-11-15

for what she has done in the last
four years. Neither you or the rest
Of the good people will know, for one
must view these scenes Of devasta
ton before they can realize fully how
absolutely brutal, inhuman, and de-
structive the Germans have been.
Il have had sixteen months in
which To view these crimes, and each
time | 90 TO the front and see evil
dence of some new crime, / think
! il surely must be the height of their
| brutality, but il isn't. II sometimes
seems tHat we are not fighting hui
man beings hui SavageS, anyhow not
brave men, for brave men would not
commit the crimes against old men.
women and children that they do,
and most certainly wouldn't use the
theys use
| Their willingness TO accept PreSi-
! dent Wilson'S demand to evacuate all
allied territory doesn't surprise me,
for they are afraid TO face the whip
ping that they will receive if they
don't.
! Il have been rambling along tel
ling you about the war and almost
forgot to tell YOU where | am wound
ed | was hit in the left shoulder
by machine gun bullet, which went
down my arm, and came out about
half way TO my elbow. 1t happened
one morning when We went over
about an hour before daybreak, and
il was about the hardest fight we
ever faced. The enemy was Smelling
US quite heavily, and there We're more
machine guns than usual. The
country was quite hilly, and il was
| hard for Us 10 advance, as swift as
We were used 10.
Il had charge of an automatic
, rifle section and also had one my
, self My battalion was in The first
= wave. and il was hard to keep to-
, gether ard follow our course as we
= had never been over in the dark be-
, fore There were shells bursting all
, around and many flares presenting
r a very beautiful sight. Ii reminded
ME very much of Fourth Of July
fire works display at night in the
r United States. The noise was sc
4 great that one could hardly hear
themselves speak. We progressed
n very nicely. putting a machine CUR
nest cut OF commission here an(
. there. of course, and losing man OF
= two here and there until about ter
J. o'clock
a I'VE gained the top Of hill, ant
II down in The valley was a little town
4 and il seemed that every door an,
# window held machine gun. 1t wa:
= rather n tough job 10 face but W.
d went right TO it.
% Il look my gun and helper ant
q anCthher gunner and his helper, ant
Il we managed 10 get about half wa
n down the hill into a little clump O
N bushes. Ny duty was 10 silence a
le many guns as possible, and 10 at
If tract attention and draw fire, Will
ID the other boys fianked the place.
If carried out my mission, silencing tire
20 guns that | know OF, and drawing
m heavy fire. The boys were going III
to the town when-plunk-tha bui
let hit me. didn't care so niue
NJ about being hit, but | did hate
70 be put out of the fight just when W
,g were gaining nice little victor,
I One OF the boys with me split N
., sleeve open and tied up my arm, an
q. after seeing that we had taken IN
~ town | went on back 10 the aid sta
~, ton, and here | am in the hospita
40 1T will be only matter of fe
- DAYS until | am back with my CON
pany again. The arm is settir
M along very nicely, and l am up an
in about every day. One of the be
% things of all is that ] am rid Of Il
.sc coolies for awhile anyway, and TIL
~, surely is a relief TO soldier oV
a. here. am afraid that | must clio
- for this time, for it is almost supp
NJ time. and that appetite OF mine mu
NJ be satisfied"