The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-04-09

got off at small placed called Mon
treal, and stayed there all during the
afternoon of the second day of June
During the evening, about $50, we
started out to hiking, and we hiked
about three or four kilometers, and
got to farm by the name of the Dia-
mond Farm. There is where we
formed the front line We did not
know what we were going to do, but
were just lying there in suspense.
relieve the 165th Division, which had
been forced to retreat several times,
trying to hold the Germans off the
city of Paris. We formed a front
line on the second day of June, in
the morning. The French command
er told our division commander it
was impossible to hold the position;
that there were at least nine divis-
ion of Prussian Guards, and we had
only one division; so it was impossi-
BILE to hold them. But our commander
told him that we were sent there to
fight, and fight we must, if we lost
every man we had.
On the morning. Of the third. about
ten o'clock, as we'll as l can remem-
beg, the Germans started over and the
French retreated. They had to pass
n the rear of US in order for US to
take the front line. However, they
were very much disgusted lin fact,
we could not get anything out of them
except Finish the war" That is all
they would say-'finish the war;"
and they had only thirty Or forty men
to company. We realized then that
we were going into a pretty stiff bat
lie. We could see the Germans COM
ing out of Belleau Wood, and it was
the most beautiful sight l ever saw:
| never saw anything like it. We had
three hundred and forty rounds of am
munition to the man. We were there
with the intention of using the French
artillery, because our artillery had to
come six or eight miles, pulled by
horses, and it took some time to get
there. The French division had lost
most of their artillery; the Germans
had captured it. They had two ma
chine guns left, which we got to the
front, and little ammunition. The
German got within about six hundred
yards of US, and we opened fire with
our rifles. We fired and fired,
ought there until about nine o'clock
IN the night, holding our own. Final
~ the Germans realized that they
we're up against resistance. They fell
back to the small town of Lucy. We
did not advance an inch, but we held
our own. We stayed there until the
morning of the third, not knowing
what we were going to do; just hold
ng our own. On the day of the 4th
we got word that we were going over
the top. We had very little ammuni-
ton, but we advanced in good order;
n fact, we old not meet any resist
ance at all. We formed front line
.boDt half a kilometer the other side
of the town of Lucy, and laid there
six days. Imagine being without any,
thing to eat, and also without artil-
cry or ammunition. We called for
support of artillery, and we called for
support of ammunition and for some
thing to eat, but we didn't get either.
We got word that we were going over
the top; that we had to take the town
Of Lucy; and we didn't have a cart
ridge. But we went into it with the
best of heart. We had eighty-seven
men of the Sixth Regiment Marines,
and ninety-six men of the Second
Regiment, and these two companies
led the way. We captured the town
after hand-to-hand fighting all day.
We got through the town, although ii
was well fortified, the machine guns
being built up in windows and at the
| corners of the streets. We got
through the town about $50 in the
evening of the 9Th day of June, and
| formed front line about a mile the
ther side of the town, at the edge
of Belleau Wood. Of the eighty-twe
men of the other company, there were
welve men left. and of the ninety.
SIX. we had seventeen.
! We had to lay there then until We
got reserves. We called for reserves
men, ammunitions and artillery ane
rations, and the answer came back
the artillery is in action, the reserv,
is coming, but it is impossible to ge'
you something to eat" We had to la,
there until from the End day Of Jun,
to the 7th day of June, without
bite to eat, or anything to drink, an,
only twelve men left of q company O.
two hundred and fifty.
Well, the night Of the 7th we go
new men. We called for barrag
of the town Of Lucy. Our artiller.
wiped the town off Of the map. w
didn't have to bother about machin
guns. The day of the 9th they got q