The Monroe journal., 1919-02-11

Il was gassed badly. and the doc
tors say that | will be long time re
covering, but even so | would not
have STAYED at home. don't live on
a reservation. We are full citizens.
you know. ] live with my mother.
She wept when left home. but she
said TO me. Go over and help to end
il all quickly. Remember the tradi-
tion OF your fcTefalheIs. and be brave
i'm action tried my best TO follow
her instructions.
Our guns were all brought up at
night into prepared positions. Ocea-
sionally we had TO dig our own pits
and dugou,s in which TO take shelter.
We had lot OF marching to do from
time 10 time. Sometimes il was rain
ing and we were drenchcd TO the skin.
1t such times our rations often failed
to reach Us. and that failed to add TO
the comforts of the "trip. But just the
same we carried on. Our horses had
10 be cared for. too. The drivers had
their own troubles.
Il was a cannoneer. stationed at
No. position. had TO throw the
empty shell gases to one side and help
in shifting the trail of the gun. II is
heavy work throwing siN-inch seige
gun around.
Il was gassed on October .. One
night before that We had a great
scare. We had a fire in one of our
dugouts. Powder became igniled and
il burned UP ell our stuff. Our gas
masks were consumed in the fire. and
if FriIzie had sent over gas that night
We would have been out of luck, But
ne didn't. and We escaped. | really
don't know how | came 70 be gassed.
We were working and | didn't have
my mask on. was caught, and here
am We had been deluged with
chlorine. sneeZe, and mustard gas be-
fore. but we all escaped
But what is troubling me most
row" he said and for the first time
he showed real emotion, Il have not
heard from lly mother. I've written
her twice. but no reply has reached
me. I'm afraid something has hap
pened to her. The war was bad. but
her silence is far worse than all the
German bombardments that ever
Were hurled against US.
Joseph Cloud. scion of the famous
Cloud family that once dominated the
Sioux tribe. was walking around Oh
cmtches. nursing foot that had been
mutilated by German shrapnel. The
reporter outlines the war-reeord of
this representative of one of the old
est American families.
tnn nf h
ed TO the 121st Machine Gun Battal-
ion. and fought at Chateau-Thierry
with the Mad Marines in saving Par
is. He was over the top twice and
came TO close quarters with the Ger
mans once. He isn't sure just how
many Huns he got, but thinks he sent
enough of them. Cloud admitted ra-
ther dolefully that there was no time
to lift any Germans hair The troops
had to keep on going, he explained
aud he. had-to 30 with the troops.
Cloud has no respect for the fight
ing ability of the Germans. He in
sists that when they are driven back
they stay put. He sneered contempt
uously. "They don't attack the Amer
leans. BY damn, when we got over
the top they just run like hell. and
they don't stop running at all.
Il was wounded on August at
Chateau-Thierry We were chasing
the Germans back from the road TO
Paris. Our infantry waves were in
front of us and the machine gunners
were coming along in support. Their
suns We're laundering at us to beat
the band, but we got through the bar
rage all right and had them going.
There were lot of woods around
where we were fighting, and the
American troops adopted the old
Indian tactics. They took cover
whenever they could and advanced
in fairly even line.
1T was a terrible fight. with the
shells roaring all around us. but we
went on and over and through them.
| was wounded just before we got to
their trench. was carrying ammu-
milton. | tried to keep up, for | did
not want the boys to know ] was
hurt. But my foot was broken and
had TO lie down. lay in shell
hole until was helped back to the
rear.
Before was wounded had been
over the top before. This, too. was a
frightful battle We went over the
top at / O'Clock in the afternoon, and
the battle ragged for long time. We
drove the Huns on before us. They
won't fight unless they are running.
My forefathers gave the cavalry bet
ter battles than the Germans gave us.
I'VE underwent hardships cheer
fully. There were times when the
food did not reach us. Carriers were
killed and gas spoiled the food But
we stuck il out gamely. and the war
was won by Americans.
Il did all | could for my country.
I'm proud that did and | would do
il all over again. too. My nation
gave literally to the army. The men
wanted TO go: the women ordered us
to go. No good Indian would run
away from a fight. We knew that
the life of America depended on its
men, and we are Americans"
A note of pride came into Clouds
voice, and one could see through a
veil of tears a painted-feathers war
rior talking of the valor of his tribe.
The years have altered the form and
face but the warike heart of the In
dian is untouched.
The Germans" he went on. tried
to stir up disloyalty among the lndi-
r II. 1g,.s