Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-04
NIGHT IN A TRENCH
GRAPHICALLY TOLD
BY SEASONED VET
How the Long Vigil Is Broken
by Sporadic Firing and
Feint Attacks and Some
times Real Thing
lsnecIal DIsnatcn 20 The Ionrnall

| CAMP MCCLELLAN, Admission, Ala.
Jan. while the rockies at Camp Nc
Clellan feel that they are veterans after
hours spent in one of the five-mile
trenches constructed on the government
| reservation here, where they are ini-
dated into some Of the features of gas
fumes, bayonet. practice and going over
the top" il takes one Of the Freedmen
who are here training the American
guardsmen to describe the real thing.
one of the most graphic pictures yet
given in this country is presented by
one OF the French veterans at Camp
Mcclellan in the following sketch which
he called "A Night in a Trench:
THE sun sets slowly: it is red. To-
night il will be very cold. The darkness
lbegins-we cannot see anything. Every
body is at his loophole, and il is a long
winter night. Sometimes we stand in
the water. 1t is 3 p. m, and the evening
is very dark. The watching dog comes;
we put him at the outpost-he watches
like US; we put a blanket on him. Every
thing is quiet. The watching sergeant
goes through the trench. He is doing
his round. He goes to the outpost to see
If there IS any news 1t is a dry cold
and the night is very dark. We light
some light rockets. Everybody is look
ing over the parapet. We can only see
our barbed wire where a German BODY
hangs The rocket has again burned out,
and we are again in darkness. We put
on our wooden helmets, our gloves, and
wrap ourselves in our blankets. With
our wooden helmets, we look like cru
saders.
ION our side we hear a continuous
rumbl.ng. There the sky is on fire. In
front of MS it is quiet. I go through
the trench. All men are watching; some
smoke a pipe. The night is suddenly
disturbed by a fire of salvos from our
75s, the shells pass about six feet above
our heads. then it is quiet again. The
men stamp their feet. The sky is covered
with stars, we are anXiously waiting
for the moon.
Scouting
The captain calls me. I must go
scouting tonight at S'o'clock with three
men, for observation of the enemy en-
trenchment. I designate The men who
are to come with me. TN our left there
is hot grenade fighting. The Germans
are quiet in front of us; that silence
disquiets us. They sometimes only
light some rockets. II will soon be
o'clock We prepare ourselves to 60
out. We put a few grenades in our
pockets, and in our belt we have re-
u
Eight o'clock, we have to so. 1 give
my pocketbook to a friend, because !
might be killed. We jump over the
parapet. ] have one man on my left
one on my right and one behind me. Our
artillery does not shoot at present. There
| is few yards between US, but we can
not see anybody, but each man knows
his work. I creep without noise; l go
through our barbed wire-a light rocket
l. 81 and
there is darkness again. ] crawl on my
knees: I am near the German trenches
l hear something moving. A rife shot is
: fired Just in front Of US. Am | discov-
cred? ! am i'm the depths Of a she'll
/ hole. I see a shadow coming in my
direction. NY revolver is ready; my
I grenade also. I wait. a light rocket
( 7 look. 7 recognize one of my men. He
I is soon in the same shell-hole with me
I He has come to inform me that the Ger
mans are working and placing barbed
wire. We listen. We hear them very
we'll We are within few yards OF
them Some smoke; another one coughs
/ We come back slowly. We go through
/ our barbed wire again. The guard stops
us. We give them the countersign. we
Jump into the trench. I go to the cap
tain and report my observation. one
man is missing. We heard fusillade
Had he been discovered? We are anX-
iously waiting; the minutes go slowly
/ Here he is. He smiles. He had stayed
/ TO observe the Germans. We write
down our reports which are to be sent
TO the major.
Helping the Ger1nans7
/ "A few minutes after, our '15' was
/ helping the Germans to work. A falling
/ star sweeps through the sky. Eacr
one says a wish; it is the same wish
the victory. The salvo fire is Finished
now. All is silent. The moon is rising
we salute her and we sing. Goodnight
/ Mrs. Moon The dog barks furiously
/ run to the outpost Something creeps
/ Halt says the guard. Then the shadow
stops and we hear, 'Kamerad Franzesen
/ l am unarmed' We know what il IS
| A German surrender. One man goes &
see and brings the German back He is
wounded; we carry him in our trench
He cannot walk. Then we take care
of him by the use of first-aid packet
and dress his wounds. Perhaps this
| German whom we are taking care of has
helped to burn our towns: has cut the
hands off our little children. In thai
minute the French soldier only see:
an enemy who is wounded and is suf
fering The stretcher-bearer carries hin
| TO the dressing station. Now every
i thing is quiet in the trench. On ouI
/ left the bombardment is very heavy. The
night is clear. There are no light rock
cts. We can see far Off A few mel
are resting and dreaming. of what dc
YOU dream? / ask of one of my men
! The answer is: I am thinking If ms
I little children are comfortable ] looE
at him. His beard is full of ice; he Is
I very cold but does not think of himself
Pritz's Dancing Lesson
/ The night goes slowly. We hea,
/ sometimes a few fire shots Of machine
/ guns and rifles and on our right the
/ bombardment continues. man said
/ TO me: The Tommies are giving q
dancing lesson to the Frizt' / looF
over the parapet, and the moon is light
ing up a destroyed village. We car
/ see the steeple on the church which is
/ half destroyed. II stands up menacins
. -.d apnears IN defy the Germans