Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1919-01-17

iOitONOlnS ueScTlptlOn OF the ngntlnR
in France in which he was engaged.
Aisy. France.
December 14th, 1918.
The 315th Field Artillery arrived
i'm France Saturday, June Sth, 1918,
at Brest. After a three days resi-
we entrained for Reden, arriving
there twenty-four hours later. From
there a part of our men were sent
to different parts of France to gath
err up horses for our regiment and
brigade.
After getting our horses we left
Reden and arrived at Camp Meuson
after very hard four days hike.
In Camp Meucon we received our
artillery practice. There qualified,
and on September 18th left for
some actual experience with the
"Boche". We arrived at Seully on
the Western front, near verdun, on
September 10th.
We placed our guns in our first
firing position at e-Mort-Hemmes
which in English is Dead Mans Hill.
There we had our first experience
with the Huns. About $500 A. M,
September 25th our great barrage
began. After quite a number of
hours hard lighting we gained Dead
Mans Hill, with Hill PSI, and also
the greatest observation post in
France, located at Montfaucon.
This is where the German Crown
Prince watched the slaughter of his
own men, about two years ago, in
the battle of Verdun, which was
fought on Dead Mans HILL.
From there we advanced about six
niles, taking cur second position in
or near the town of Bethencort. Our
fighting SOth Division could not be
contented, and again they advanced.
From there we advanced and placed
our guns near Nantiles, known here
as Gas-Hollow. In this position was
our first casualties. The roads and
fields were strewn with dead men.
Shell -zwere-ssbl,rsti,RF exerywkere.
The roads were almost impossible;
men were dying all around us, but
We still advanced, taking our next
artillery position in Montfaucon.
After two weeks hard lighting we
again advanced through a forest of
woods under heavy shell fire to
"Cierges". There our fighting 80th
Division of Infantry was relieved for
replacement, the artillery being at
tached to another Infantry Division
The boys who relieved our fighting
S0th for some reason did not show
the spirit that our Infantry boys did.
We certainly thought at that time
that time that we were going to
have to occupy the front line trench
es ourselves to save our big guns.
Times were SO critical that if our
S0th Division Engineers had not
come to our rescue we. would have
been out of luck. With our Engi-
neers we held this position until the
Rainbow Division arrived From
there we advanced capturing the
town of Romagne; at this place we
had the saddest experience of our
lives, but we not only held this po-
sition but advanced.
On November LIST we gave the
Germans second great barrage.
This was one of the greatest, hard
est, bloodiest battles fought in
France. The S15th wins at this time
attached to the Goth Division In
fantry. At this position our artil-
lery came in close contact with the
enemy. They made q counter at
tack and we were compelled to get
our small arms, rocks, bayonetts, or
the most convenient thing to fight
with, and help the Goth drive them
back
This Goth Division Infantry does
not know the word retreat. If
ever men held a position being great
ly outnumbered, those Goth Division
Infantry boys did. Our lighting S0th
Division Infantry which was back
for replacement again, arrived fresh
and full of grit, and with them We
again advanced on our left. With
our heavy barrage on November LIST
we captured the noted Argonne For-
est sector, known to be the bloodiest.
hardest sector on the entire front.
We captured at this time thousands
of prisoners and guns of every de-
scrlpuon. From this position We
continually advanced only being
stopped at two particular points, and
that for only very short period OF
time. Once near Bantheville and
the other cannot recall at present