The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-04-17
WOUNDED COMRADES
CONVERSE
Sergeant Bisson Tells About Company
4 at Chateau.TierTy

You have all been told that Co (
was in the first wave. when the big
drive started al Chateau -Thierry on
the morning of July Is, and that II
was the drive which never stopped
until the signing OF the armistice.
Perhaps you would like 10 know a
little more about It. We were in our
support positions a good mile in the
rear Of our front line trench. which
was being held By other companies
from our regiment About O'Clock
on the evening Of July II, we were
| ordered to be ready TO 90 over the top
the following morning Each man
saw to il that his gun and equipment
were in perfect order About half
past three on the morning OF July Is.
We started for the front line Most
Of the way, where we went, was
through the woods, by paths which
! seemed to have been travelled by live
stock in more peaceful times The
woods we're not like what We have
/ here in Maine. but were free from
underbrush. a thunderstorm had
CONE up about midnight, but it clear
ID away before We started This,
however. left everything soaking wet
! The American artillery opened up
about five minutes after We started
md ir7v faft
The noise was deafening and shells
were bursting all around The
Boche had our number and were
making direct hits With all sorts OF
projeetiles on the patti which ~
were travelling
We got cur first casualties abou,
feur O'Clock. but these were mostly
New Hampshire mer. Who h4d been
transferred to Go Z d. Wes,deld
was near Allen F.tzmorr.s when he
w4s hit in ~ IL, abou; $50 At
the same tim piece Of shrapnel hit
ne II he left shoulder pretty we'll up
~ the neck. ana also in tAe left arm
We tell YER near each other. and
were unconscious at first. but little
later We regainei consciousness. He
called out 20 ne. to ask who | was,
and how badly was hurt. and We
talked for few minutes I learned
from him that he did not think he
was badly wounded but a few min
utes later he was hit a second time.
~ oh IN, oh
In the little conversation which we
afterward had. he told me he knew
+ he should not live. He died about
an hour later on the way 10 the first
aid station.
l was picked up at the same time
having laid there an hour. and was
taken TO first aid station and cared
for. l was then taken back 10 the
Field Hospital, where my wounds
were dressed again. From there |
was taken in an ambulance to an
Evacuation Hospital Here l was
operated on and most Of the shell
fragments removed. The collar bone
was split, and this, OF course. received
attention I was in the Base Hos
pital. whittier l was sent on q hos
pital train the following morning, for
three months.
An XRay was taken and more
small she'll fragments we're discover
ed This necessitated a second op-
Grafton These two little bunches OF
steel have with me yet and they
are likely 10 prove interesting sou-
venirs Of my Chateau-Thierry expert
ence
Corp. Alvan " Bucknam. Corp
Harry D. ST. Ledger, Corp. Millard NJ
Corson, Corp. Simon Peters. Pvt
Placide Boduc, Sergt Arthur Nc
Kenzie, Pvt a ST Peter, Stanley
Beane and Pvt. Blendon Dean were
killed about an hour after l was
wounded OF course | learned none
of these particulars until after I Mad
been in the hospital several weeks.
l subsequently learned that Corp
Bucknam and Corp. ST Ledger were
near each other AZ the time they were
hit, and | understand they were both
struck bv machine gun bullets.
can remember that the smoke was
thick as fog among the trees, and the
air was full Of the smell of gases and
burned powder Branches, and even
trees were falling all around us, and
big shells would throw up dirt in
every direction The conclusion
from them, would throw the boys
over. even il they were some distance
away.
OF course, was sorry 10 be out OF
the fight just as il started | WAS so
hurt that | did not know how the boys
came out. until long afterward.
simply knew that they kept on and
went out OF sight among the bursting
shells and through the trees in the dt-
rection OF the enemy. Our objective
was a line of railroad, and the BOYS
went through and dug in. There
were not enough of them LEFT, how
ever to hold this position against the
counter attacks. and they had to fall
back that night
In thinking OF that morning after
the thunderstorm at Chateau-Thierry
| sometimes bring to mind the story
in the old histories of the battle OF
Lexington. something TO the effect
that the first shot fred was heard
around the world. Skowhegan peo-
pie will be privileged TO remember
that her boys OF Co. f led the ad-
vance at ChateauTherry, on the
morning Of the big drive which. az II
! afterwards proved, was the turning