Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-02-06

On September 20 jeff Curtice and |
got pass to a place called Pescheria.
We enjoyed ourselves and ate our din
ner there. We ate the first and only
piece of chicken that we tasted since
we left Camp Sherman.
Orders came on October 3 to move,
so we took down our tents and on the
4th we marched to Villa Franco, and
about IL o'clock at night we loaded in
box cars and were once more on our
way. After riding for about IL hours
we arrived at Traviso, Italy, a town
about seven miles from the front line
trenches. We had no more than left
the cars when we heard signal, which
meant that an enemy airplane had
crossed the line, but just as soon as
they opened fire on him he turned
back.
hiked for about IL or 15 miles daN
" certainly was tough on a fellow. On
the night of October % l was awak-
e1ed about II 80 by an explosion and in
a few seconds l realized that there
was an air raid on. The Austrians had
crossed the lines and were bombarding
the town. 1t lasted about ten or fifteen
minutes, which seemed much longer
to me. They repeated the raid three
times that night, but did not do much
damage. They tried the same thing
two nights later, but did not accom-
plish anything.
On the night of October 26 the real
drive of the Piave started. The English
and the Italians put o. er an artillery
barrage which lasted "a hours. 1t was
just one continuous roar all the time.
On the night of October % we started
for the trenches. We marched from
10 o'clock until o'clock the next
morning, when we halted in the road
| and rested the best we could, which did
| not amount to much. About noon we
moved into nearby field, where we
stayed until the morning of October 81,
when we started forward again. Our
| marching was slow, owing to the sup
plies that were being sent on ahead.
About 4:30 in the afternoon of the 31st
Tor remembered it better as HallOw-
e'en) we crossed the Piave River. 1t
was the first real war sights that had
seen. The small town of Amadolong
which we passed through was almost
completely destroyed, the houses being
nothing but piles of stone and dust
There was hardly building that was
not half torn down, this being the re-
suits of the barrage few nights be-
fore. Wounded We're being taken care
of and the dead were being buried.
About 8 o'clock we halted for the night
travelling had been so low that we
only made about six miles in ten hours.
The next morning we started on the
march again, marching until dark.
| During the day we passed many dead
Austrians and horses and piles of rifles
and ammunition which the retreating
! Austrians had left behind.
/ About 2 o'clock the next morning l
was picked to go with part of our
company as an advance guard. About
i 2:3O in the morning we came to the
River Livenza, over which we had to
cross. The bridge had been destroyed
and temporary footbridge had been
built, and it was a slow task to march
a regiment across by single file, but
, we went across. About in the morn
| ing we halted again to await orders.
We received orders that the enemy
were in the immediate vicinity and
, careful searching over the ground
ahead of us had to be done. We adj
vanced to Prada, where the bridge over
the Sanrocco River had been blown up
and it was necessary to file across an
other, tempol Try bridge. Along the
IOduS ONcI WulCu we IIdNeleu we
4 passed hundreds of rifles, and as we
water was clear and you could see to
the bottom, and it looked as though
Ithey had dumped the rifles in the water
by the wagonload. They We're followed
so close that they did not have time to
destroy them. We arrived at Cimpello
at dusk. We had travelled miles over
fields and streams and through hedges
and brush. / had thrown away all my
equipment except my rifle and ammu-
milton and my rations. | was so tired
that night that lay down and went to
sleep without any bedding or blankets.
i On the evening of November we
reached the Taglamento River, where
we halted for the day. The enemy had
been reported to be on the opposite
bank. So that night we had hardly
laid down for little rest when our of
ficers awakened about 100 of us and
marched us to the river, and after
stripping ourselves to the waist we
waded across five different channels
The water was up to my waist and
awful cold. 1t was so swift that /
could hardly raise my feet from the
bottom for fear of being washed away.
We crossed all except the east channel
Of the river, and we formed skirmish
line. We heard voice in English
calling for our officers. Our captain
crossed the remaining channel and ap-
ing him, and found himself face to face
with an Austrian officer who spoke
English. The Austrian informed him
that the war was over, that an armiS-
tice had been signed. He then went to
the commander of his regiment and Sc
cured copy Of the armistice from the
headquarters of the Austrian army,
telling Of the armistice between that
country and the Allies. 1t was good
thing that there was an armistice for
we learned that there weer about 1000
or 5000 Austrians and only about 100
| Of us. We laid on the rocks for about