The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-05-30

pass through the gates OF death into
the Argonne with the Lost Battalion
Is home. much alive and well, the
same fine specimen of young man
hood as of old, with friends and rel
atiyes again OF the total number or
his fellows caught in that trap, up-
ward of 900, Marion e. Mahoney
came out after the rescue with the
remnant OF less than 800 all told.
For six days, October to October s,
the little command was without food
except roots, berries and herbs.
Water was afforded in abundance
from living springs that abounded in
the trap. The soldiers crept out un-
der cover of night to secure the sus-
tenance that nature afforded, and
they lived on from day to day till
finally rescue came with the break
ing through of their supporting
forces. The Lemhi county soldier in
this historic experience tells of ii in
simple narrative.
Il left Salmon June "a, last year."
Mr. Mahoney said, zone OF my fel-
low travellers to camp being the la
mented Manson Soule, fated not to
return with me. Our stay in the var
ious camps in this country was brief,
for We landed in Liverpool August
20 and in France four days later
With short terms of training we
were sent to the front lines or i'm
mediately back of them within a
month, for on September Goth our
command (30Sth infantry of first bat
talon. 77th division) followed tre-
mendous barrage that cleared our
way to go through a tangle of barbed
wire in the Argonne. A thick fog
served our purpose to get through
without being observed. On our left
the negro division advancing at the
same time was driven back and the
enemy thus was enabled to encircle
our rear. Our command had been or
dered to an objective in the midst
of that woods and We reached it ev-
en- though it found us thus trapped.
We had been six days getting into
it and were destined to remain fully
that length of time utterly cut Off
from assistance before final rescue
should be afforded. We were hud-
died together in a thicket between
two little hills held by enemy forces
who could talk with each other over
our heads. We were unable to sig
nal planes which circled above us
each day and had but four pigeons
These we released and some one
of them finally reached headquarters
for only by this means did our sup
porters know of our plight. With
bayonet and pan we dug holes, being
thus concealed during daylight and
coming forth at night for water and
for what food could be foraged from
nature. The only supply we had in
abundance was ammunition and
spring water. The cartridge belts we
gathered from our fallen comrades
no longer able to use them. Thejr
bodies We covered as best we could
after taking their belts and whatever
else they carried on their persons
that would help us in our extremity
THUS the hours grew into days and
the days into a week lacking one
day that made up the sum of our ex
periences. Once on picket duty l re
manned at my post 56 hours without
sleep or drink. Others were called
upon for trials OF endurance like
mine or worse. A number of our men
on duty were captured and one oi
them afterward came into camp. He
was wounded. His captors blindfold
ed him and sent him back to us with
the message that we must surrender
lor be exterminated. / never knew
anything about the return message
of Captain Whittlesley to the effect
that the enemy should 60 to hell. but
I do know that some of us were ir
for shooting our returned comrade
for bringing back such message
from the enemy. Certainly none OF us
were in for anything like surrender
Meanwhile we were dwindling ir
numbers. Our first aid forces had
long since been wiped out in carins