Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-28

would not find us punched together.
- We found the roads lined with
deal. both men and horses and a
great many German guns.
They had left in decided hurry and
had taken care OF but little property.
Vast piles of ammunition were
stored under piles of brush. BY night
we had advanced into the outskirts of
b. and here We dug into a bank Of
mud and spent q most uncomfortable
night. 1t tained NEST of the time but
the way Jerry sent those shells over
was a caution. 1t is surprising to see
what deep hole one can dig with a
small hand shovel. with the proper
incentive. Many boy who never
welded a shovel before dug a regular
HON" that night. Next morning we
got the first meal since midnight OF
the day before.
l think the worst day I put in was
about the sixth day out. We had
advanced about IS ki!os up to noon
and had reached the top of 4 high
hill where We rested for n half hour
and ate Il few bareback. While cat
ing a Terry airplanc few casually
over and took 4 good look at us. Be-
lieve me. We knew what we might
expect. There was nothing to 90,
we We're cut in the open and in plain
sight. We got orders to advance and
proceeded down over the front siGe
Of the hill. We had hardly got down
there when the shells began to ar
rive. Talk about ducking, we Ger
tainly took cover as best We could.
About all cnc can do is fall prone
wherever he is and trust to luck that
the shrapnel does not bear his name
We got the worst Smelling there Of
any place VIC had been.
Springs in Our Beds
We dug in i.crc and staid until
late afternoon. IN the meantime il
began 10 rain and for the next two
days it came continuously, and most
of the time in torrents. With no
shelter or cove" we were soon chilled
to the bone. We We're expecting re-
lief but as usual il was not to be had
That night We dug into the side IF a
hill again for Jerry was still after us.
l can tell y-u that We all had springs
in our BEDS TO. the next few nights.
Every time we dug a hole it would fiji
up 18th water. but thore comes time
when ones clothes will hold no more
water, so why worry.
Our division. the 18th. had a salient
to cover between the 18th and the
S0th and on the left and right. and our
battalion was to open the drive and
the company ! was in was to lead the
battalion into action. Bcfort startin>
out again We left all unnecessary
equipment behind, and carried just
our roll which contained our ness
kit and reserve rations Of a can OF
bully beef and two packages Of hard
tack. From this time on we he Il no
blanket or raincoat.
Some Of the boys 90 through untold
suficlin and bear it with = smile, !
never So W such pluck as ;hc Yankees
have shown. Very seldom do No"
hear one complain when ct the front.
However. when We al" resting back
at rest camp they ind fault with
the food and patt" things most q the
time for want Of something to do.
q Plueky Lad
One of our boys ran across q fellow
in a shell hole who had boon badly
cut w with shraDnel. He wa: sit
ting up with one foot blown entirely
off and the other l"g badly man"'ed.
When our fellow went up to him. the
wounded man asked what chances
were for smoke. The fellow lit Il
cigarette for Kim and left him 4 part
Of q box which he carried. He th"n
stoned the flow Of blood as best h"
could and eft him until the first AID
fellows came mp. | have nrvcr heard
how the fellow came out. 1t Is I'M
pos"ihle to get cid to all the fellows
and many dc from wounds who
,1icht have been saved if medical at
tortion could get TO Them The medl-
ca, DEPARTMENT j.; doing wonderful
work and facing the firing with the
do,-hboys bat it cannot get to every
one.
About 10 o'clock that night We got
orders to move again. We haG hardly
slept at all for three nights and had
had scarcely any food since the drive
started We had orders to establish
the division line between Stonne and
another town. the name of which l
have forgotten, we will call it y. The
mud from there on was all that
French mud is supposed to be any
where from a few inches to half way
to the knees
% Men Out Of 100 Left in Company
(Co. c, 76th Div.)
When we started for the town \,
out Of 100 men in our original COM
pa V, we had just % left. Some We're
out for good. others wounded. but
many were dropping out from physi-
cal exhaustion. Other companies in
the battalion were in about the same
condition so they put us all into one
company and advanced. We reached
the town about one O'Clock and We're
the first troops to arrive there. The
Germans had left that afternoon.
Greeted with Cheers
The way the people greeted us was
caution. The battalion headquar-
ters were the first in town and the
: hen came out with hot coffee and
bread. They Rugged the boys and
were so overjoyed. it was actually
impressive. The Germans had mall
treated everyone here as elsewhere.
One old lady had terrible wound in
her mead where she had been hit by
German. Everything those people
ha to offer was ours if we would
have taken If hut of course we were