The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1919-02-06

began our officers who wer,
very efficient in their lines o.
! duty, assembled the company
and we calmly set our machin.
guns pointing toward the enemy
and all held our once gained
position and awaited the ap-
| proach of the Hun but he was
only bluffing, for he failed to
come over. In a few minutes this
| barrage ceased and all was silent
| for a space of time when all at
once the Hun opened up again
and in this second barrage got
but two Of our men. Two hours
later we were relieved by the
32nd Division. This sure was
pleasing news for us as we were
holding a front line and had to
stay low all the while or be the
target of the German barrage.
We had to stay in small holes
such as we could dig for shelter
from the rains Of bullets, day
and night, for SO hours. Well
we were relieved and going to
the rear for a rest and about a
half a mile back we passed
place in the road where there lay
Is killed and wiunded men of the
company which had gone out
while the barrage was on. These
men called for first aid and can
teen, but we were not permitted
to do anything for them as we
were on the march. Our captain,
however, who was later promot-
ed to major, took it on himself
and with one sergeant hunted
first aid for the wounded men s
relief. He finally succeeded in
doing so. About three miles to
the rear we were caught on
road where German high explos-
i've shells were falling but lucky
we were and no one was hurt.
1t seemed as tho the Hun was on
our trail and had our range, al
though it was late into the night,
but luck was in our favor and
when the high explosives landed
we were not there. We went back
about six or seven miles carry
ing all our guns and ammunition,
and at four O clock the following
we landed in heavy |
wood where we took up our new
abode. | was so tired that / laid
my pack on the ground for a pill
low and laid down to rest, with
out cover, only my thin short
slicker. I rose early only to find
that many others had done like
wise.
About noon this morning we
moved to a new part Of the wood
a few hundred yards and were
given blankets. Here we had to
make our hunks on the bare
ground and slept here two or
;hree nights; then had to pack up
md beat it out. They marched
Is about four miles and had us
,itch tents out in the open and
We were just getting ready to put
n a good nights rest by pulling
srass and weeds to make soft
Junk when an order came in for
IS to go in to the front to fill in
wedge shape gap on hill 255.
We broke camp at four p. M
nd were ready for the nearly
en- mile hike by quarter to five, !
nd by dark were well on our
7ay toward the line where we
rere to take up our position.
We marched all that night up
i'll and down thru valley and )
yer loose rocks, thru rain and !
/ mud and total darkness till 7
,ur O'Clock the following morn :
lg, at which time we dug in for !,
le rest of the morning. 1t was !,
ark and the officers found some :
d dugouts just large enough .
,r one or two men to the hole !;
hese holes were dug by 316th = =
Doughboys" night or so be- =
re. While they were here they /"
ust have been shelled quite /
,avily for this place was densly :,
rewn with dead bodies from 3
e 316th Engineers. Beside the =, -
lie in which / slept that morn I"
g lay a dead Sammy who had :.
en covered all but one hand g,
ID eight inches of his forearm 81
th dirt thrown from the hole. ~
woke up at daylight only to ~
g the hand and forearm Of this 4;
II hero, who had been killed by -
rapnel. On the bank just to e..
r front about 90 yards away ~ ~
Y three dead "Doughboys" ~
led from rifle or machine gun -,
llets. On our left lay in scat r.
ed positions five more, two of ' 4n
lom were killed by high explo- ~ ~
e.
We were here all this day and IL
,ht and on the following morn sa g.,
: at day break we went out II, i
out four hundred yards and r.