The Holly chieftain., 1919-04-03
Holly yDescribes French
Campaign.
CORP. PIERCE's BATTERY
NEAR EIYYEL TOWER
Son Of J. A. Pierce Who Was
Through the Entire Campaign
Escapes without Serious Wound
to Tell Graphic Story.

Following is another highly inter
esting letter from Corporal Wayne
ii. Pierce, still over seas, to his faith
er, J. A. Pierce. Young Pierce has
had q most remarkable experience
as will be seen by his letter, and
amidst shot and shell has come out
without serious injury. His letter
follows:
This drive began for Battery G on
July IA. The battery was at that
time encamped in village, within
sight of the Eiffel tower at Paris.
1t had arrived from 5Qkilometer,
l5-hOur march, and was tired and
hungry, having had no food till the
end of the march.
On the evening of the 14th the
battalion moved out, but halted al
ter two kilOmeters march and short.
ly after the surprising order to un-
hitch was given. Here the battery
remained all the next day. The
lnen instead of getting unbrOken
rest had several unimpOrtant forma-
tions to stand. At last it was an
nounced that IS men including the
gun crews and nearly all unmOunt-
ed men, would leave on trucks for
scissors, and the guns would be
hauled behind the trucks. Sudden
ly the order was changed, however,
and it was announced that the
march would be made as usual.
Then began q heart breaking
march. The route was lost in the
first 10 minutes after the march be
Ean, and the battery had to turn
around in wheat field. Eighteen
hours passed in which only two
short halts were made, besides the
usual short breathing spells each
hour. No food was served till late
on the 18th, 26 hours after the last
meal before. The 18th was very
hot day and finally in the after
noon the men were allowed to hang
their rifles and blOuses on the guns
and caissOns. One man fell out on
this. day OF exhaustion and was
taken to hospital.
Late on the 18th the gun crews,
and unmOunted men were loaded
on trucks and left for the front
singing songs. We always believed
we could stop q German drive. At
last we were to have a chance.
About ! o'clock in the morning
we camped for the night and the
next day proceeded to within five
kilometers of our selected position,
as near as trucks could 60 We
marched under full pack to the pO-
sitiOn. On this day we had few
beans and hard-tack. That day,
the 18th, we rested in the afternoon
and night, except for some digging.
The night was rainy and everyone
was thoroughly damp all night. The
next morning, the 18th, l was awak-
ened at dawn by common shot, fol
lowed by another and another and
then by volleys as battery after bat
terry opened I crawled out OF my
water-sOaked bunk and picked up
my gas mask and looked around,
but our guns, we had been told
would arrive by midnight had not
come was bitterly disappointed.
The morning was bright and clear
and the guns booming briskly but
it looked as if C battery would not
be there.
I then awakened all the men near
by and ordered them to get their
gas masks, as the Germans usually
employed gas in counter battery
work. l had just attended to this
work and turned to watch the
flashes of the guns on the hillside,
when from behind a big old build
ing by the road came a pair of hOrs-
es with an American in the saddle.
Behind him came the other pairs of
the team and lastly a numbering
old 155 hOwitZer. leaped up and
let out a whoop as they strained up
the hill.
The A battery men ran out and
grasped the wheels to help and
then we saw that the horses were
half dead with weariness and the
drivers stared ahead with sleepy
eyes which frightened littlt with
the excitement of going into action
amid the crash of heavy artillery.
Quickly they pushed up the hill
and now other teams appeared with
guns and caissOns, and as rapidly
as possible the guns were pushed in
to position and caissons emptied.
Officers appeared with aiming cir
(Contiuued On Pags o