The Republican journal., 1919-01-23
Y5
sSl ! 81 9 9 d
soc, &C, $40


once German position, so we lived in
German huts, which were we'll equipped.
On my birthday, Nov 9th we went down
the hill and took up a position couple of
miles nearer the German lines and very
near an old German ammunition dump.
All this territory had been taken from
the Huns during the St M!hiei drive and
this part of it had been in their hands
very recently. There was a lot of artll-
lery IN this sector, both American and
German, and it was some hell hole, be-
leVe me. We were there until peace was
declared and got very little sleep during
that time, for the guns and bursting shells
would shake the whole earth. There was
big drive planned, to start the day peace
was declared, and we had started with
the artillery preparations, but got orders
to cease firing.
The tenth of Nov. there were four of
US from the Battery Commanders detail
who went up to Wool, nearly four miles
nearer the Germans and very close to
them, and located new position into
which the battery was going to sneak
that night The Huns were Smelling the
town and the German anti aircraft bat
teries were firing continuously at large
bunch of our planes which were flying
right over our heads, and the shells were
landing all around us, so you can bet
that we didn't stop long looking for SOU
venlrS, although there were lot of them.
We never thought the war would be over
so soon or we would have taken few
The worst time we had was the night
of Nov. 9th, for the Huns shelled US the
whole night long, in front of US, behind
US and on each side. One shell landed on
battery's No. gun, putting it out of
commission, killing one man and wound
ing another. Back of US were bunch of
6 inch rifles and E inch howitzers and
they were giving the Huns two for every
one, so we Just lay there in our pup tents,
with no protection and waited for morn
ing to come. The next night we moved
into some old German ammunition dug
outs and felt little easier.
Hostilities ceased at eleven o'clock the
morning of the 18th, and up to that time
both sides kept up a continuous hammer
ing as if they were trying to get in as
many shots as they could before the hour
of eleven came around. At eleven along
the front, it became as quiet as country
church yard so quiet that it seemed as
II something was wrong, and everyone
went around in kind of listening atti-
notwithstanding for that wicked whz
that precedes the roar of bursting shell;
but none came and later that day we got
orders to pack up and move back to our
home on the hill.
We had regular Fourth of July cele-
bration that night and the next, TO- all
along the line rockets and star shells
were sent up by the thousands, and as
they were varied colored it was a mag
nifcent sight.
We did nothing but sleep and eat for
ten whole days and it surely did seem too
good to be able to sleep all night and
know that you wouldn't be shelled out of
your bunk any minute. 1t also seemed
good to have bunk to sleep in, for down
on the plain we slept in the mud, on the
cold hard ground. On the 21st we pack
ed up and, as our horses had been turned
over to some other outfit, we got into
trucks and were hauled to the place we
are now in, reaching here that night
When we move again, | don't know,
bat there is some talk of our leaving this
week. Well, here is hoping that | will
be home soon and be sure and have a lot
of cake and pie laying around loose, be-
cause can use lot of it in my business
Just now.
am alive, well and as happy as can be
expected, so don't worry. The war is
finished.
Good night, and lots of love to you all.
LLOYD