Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-01-16
Word From The 313th.

Word From The 313th.
A Letter From Chas. E. TrOXell
Son OF The Late Lewis TrOXell.
Aix-Les- Bains, Sunday Dec. l, 1918.
My dear sister and ALL
Now that censorship has been lifted
want to tell you little about my where
abouts and the game we have been play
ing over here, as we can write most any
thing we want now since everything Is
over, of which know everybody is glad.
know we are over here.
Well guess you heard about the big
ship we came over on, being the largest
in the world, twas German ship. The
Allies captured some boat, to large to go
up in the harbor. 1t stopped out in the
ocean and we got tug boats to bring US
ashore.
We arrived here at o'clock July 18th
at a place called Brest and had four miles
to hike. where we pitched tents for three
days They call it rest camp, lcalllt
detail camp. Well, the 3rd we got an
order at 10 O'Clock to pack up which we
did, and hiked it back to Brest where we
boarded train riding in box cars like
cows, forty of US in one car. These cars
look like cigar boxes over here. We left
for a little town called Bouix. We were
on the cars three days and four nights,
and was surely some tired when we got
off, at O'Clock in the morning and had
one mile to hike to our town, arriving
there at O'Clock and put in bilets where
we drilled several weeks, but not so hard.
From there we went in trucks, one day.
ride to town called Chameplitte which
was fine place. We surely had some
hard drilling for six weeks but the time
passed so fast and the people didn't like
to see us go, and for myself. | did not
want to go, but Uncle Sam didn't even
ask me- From that town we went right
to the front, another long ride in box
cars, and pitched tents in a woods for
tWO udy -, anu IilC SSIOllu ing hS az SiSht
O'Clock just when we thought we were
through we got an order to pack, not
knowing what was going to happen, and
we started After we had liked about
three miles the captain yelled, "fall out
on the right of the road for ten minutes
as usual" and before starting out again
the captain told US, mo more loud talk
ing or no smoking" so We knew then
where we were.
The moon was shining so pretty ard
light and it was not long until German
airplane came over and saw u.s. Hewent
right back to their artillery and they be-
gan firing on US at once, but we went on
lodging shells and side stepping machine
gun bullets, and the first thing we knew
we found ourselves up in the front line
trenches. We we there under shell for
two days, we did not mind that until
some Ounce would yell "gas" then if you
could have seen US getting that gas
mask on, which we had hanging on US
for breast protector.
We lost one man in those two DAYS of
hard fighting and we thought it was ter
rible to have him knocked out Wewere re-
lieved the second night at 10 O'Clock and
went quietly out of the trenches and
walked all night until nine o'clock next
morning when we came to some dugouts
holes under the ground that sheltered
t.,
had good hunks but was so dark the best
we could do was feel our way around,
so you can imagine our stay there for
eight days.
On September 25th, at 5 O'Clock our
orders were to pack up, leave at six
O'Clock and we walked until IL O'Clock
which put US right back of the German
lines of course we were as quiet as mice
never said word. There we layed in
shell fire as well as our own shells flying
right over our heads from to O'Clock
next morning, Sept. 26th, when Major
yelled, Everybody up and out, go right
forward don't stop for anything" We
did not 60 far until the Huns began with
machine guns but we gave no attention
to that but kept straight ahead. 1t sure
ly was hard to see your hunky walking
right beside you knocked off, but it hap
pened SO often that we did not mind it
towards the last.
We could hear some one calling First
ADD all the time.
One night while we were lying in a
shellhoe, thinking everything was still
Fritzy opens up and lays shells all a.
round us, striking several of our fellows
and they yelled and mourned all night.
1t was awful to hear them, but what
could we do? Nothing. We were there
six days and again released. They told i
us we were going back for a rest and we
walked for three days where we found
ourselves right on another front but all |
we did there was outpost duty for one
week then again went back to fill up our
company, telling US we were going back
to drill these new men. We did not have
far e miles, to go, arriving at o'clock
and our Major received an order to be in
Verdun by daylight next morning Which !
was Is miles Well, we with our heavy