Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-14
NO CHANCE FOR
BECOMING DULL
IsIander's Letter of Experiences in
war Proves Excitement Sol
diers Were Afforded.


experiences as d soldier in the ma
tional army were among the most
thrilling of soldiers from Rock Is
land.
He tells of many of his expert
ences in combating the hun and in
getting over into France in letter
TO his sister, Miss Edna Ransom, 300
Fourteenth street.
Private Ransom is recuperating
from wounds he received in action
while fighting the Germans and is
in the general hospital, No. 20, at
Fort Smelling, st. Paul, MINI.
His Letter to his sister is append
ed:
You wanted to know of my ex-
perience since l left Rock Island.
Well, left home Sept IS for Camp
Dodge, Iowa, with 14S other Rock
Island boys. We were there in
tlaining for two months, and then
>NFe were sent to Camp Pike, Arkan-
sas, and in April, 1918, were trans
ferred to South Carolina, where
was put into the Fifth infantry.
Fourth division. Was at this camp
only one week before we started
for France. On our way to our EN-
barking port we stopped at Camp
Mills, Long Island, New York. Here
we camped for ten days waiting for
our boat. We slipped out of Camp
Mills early in the morning, went to
the New Jersey coast where we got
on the boat which sailed the same
day. After We were out at sea sew
en- days, on a fine moonlight night
around 2:30 a submarine took a shot
at our boat, this was May 81. AS
soon as the shot struck us the rest
of our convoy ducked in all direc
tions, leaving US all alone. We piled
into life boats and hung onto RATS
until the submarine chaser picked
us up about two hours later. The
boat went down within 80 minutes.
Eifty-siX lives were lost. These
boys were on the lower floor The
/. torpedo struck the room in which
Sey bunked and tore out the stair
ways, so they had no chance to es-
cape The water rushed in through
this hole. Believe me, this was an
awful night.
THE submarine chaser took us to
Liverpool, England, where we met
the rest of our outfit. We were in
England three days when we eros
Sed the English channel, to Calais.
Were at Calais four days. The sec
Ond night the Huns pulled off an
air raid, but did not do much dam
age. This was June 4. From here
we worked our way to the front
and June IA we were in action at
Chateau Thierry and BelIeau woods.
In July l came out with a battered
right shoulder. This | got from
butt end of Hun rifle, for we were
fighting in close quarters. Lots of
bayonet fighting here and the cas-
ualties were heavy on both sides.
Can't really tell, myself, how
came out of that fight alive.
"On the 10th of July, at night,
/ was sent into No Mans Land to
take up a position as a listening
post. Well | started at IL O'Clock,
Crawled on my stomach until l got
within hearing distance Of the Hun
trench. My duty was to try and find
out how many Huns were holding
down this first line trench. Really
| was so close that / could hear
them talk and move around. Now
and then I would throw a hand gre
made at them and every time l did,
.tRey would send flare of light into
THE air trying to find out from which
direction these grenades were COM
ing. Never once did it come to
mind how easy it would have been
for them to make any breath my
last if they got sight of me. l had
to do all of this while on my stOm-
ach. / did not dare TO stand. l was
on this post for four hours. Was
awarded the distinguished service
cord for that stunt.
I'm July I was one of the many
who captured Chateau Thierry and
Belleau wood We lost Belleau
wood that same day Fierce fight
ing on both sides, but we were game
and it was man for man. After
this fight, we went into the reserve
where we filled the vacant places
in our division. There were only 35
of my company to answer roll call. /
The others wereN either killed or
wounded.
while in reserve here I received
the pictures of Alice and Mary Cas-
~ with your letters. Take it from
me, l sure did have a good cry, for !
it made me feel that l was not for |
gotten by the home folks and that /,
ing for me.
Near the last of July we were /
moved a little to the north TO the /
scissors front. We took up our po- (
sition on the third of August and on .
the 4th we went over the top and /
were ordered to cross the Vesle riv- /
er and take possession of town .
named F.. The town lies about
a mile and a half from the river.
We crossed the river at noon and
were driven back by the heavy
Smelling and machine gun fire. The
river was laid with barbed wire and
time bombs. Casualties were pref
ty heavy there. We dug in and out
on our side of the river. and late in
the afternoon we tried again. l
never got across this river again.
but was on the way and about II
bells | got mine. / was leading
the chase when a machine gun OPP
ened upon mel got a compound I
fracture of my left leg below the
knee and my right leg also bat
tered up and my back struck be-
tween the shoulder blade and spine
1 could not help myself and l lay
on the battlefield all night in the
rain. Old Germany sent over lots
of gas that night and so ]. got my
share of that, too. The dampness
caused my leg to swell and become
paESlyzed. Was picked up at day
rght and rushed to a field hospital,
operated on right away and in "a