Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-20

w fearful wind and thunderstorm,
just as final preparations were being
made to leave the front. The darkness
was so intense that it seemed like heavy
impossible to see any object to matter
how close. The third battalion was
ready and silently waited in the pour
ing rain for the coming of the French.
The thunder pea led necessarily and the
lightning seemed to be striking every
where at the same moment; the jagged
flashes would light up the valley for a
moment, only to make the darkness
seem blacker than ever the next. Sud
denly from down the road came a
cry for help. For a moment no one
paid any attention--then there came
again First aid. Help-we're hit"
The call seemed to come from a little
woods along the Fismes road about
500 yards away. where the horses and
drivers were awaiting orders to 'hook
in" I'nmindful of any danger. Ser
geant George Woltinger rushed down to
the wood calling to the first aid men to
follow. For this he was later awarded
Croix de Guerrc. They arrived to
find that n couple of shells. uuheard
during the noise of the storm. had
burst in the midst of + Battery S horses.
In the darkness it was almost impossible
to find who had been hurt. but a search
revealed the terrible fact that Privates
Earl Witsil. Frank Holden. Albert
Smith. Joseph McGin and Charles Horn
had been directly in the path of the shell
and had been instantly killed.
After this gruesome discovery groanS
were heard at little distance and three
more. Privates Leon Roberts. Harry
CahilI and Daniel Hussey, We're lying
in ditch where they had crawled.
- Councilman's Son Tells Story
! According to story of Private
| John ID. Niasterson. son of Daniel V.
| Masterson, assistant clerk of Select
Council, the havoc wrought by the
| bursting shells was terrific. Il was
standing by my team, not more than
ten yards away from the fellows who
were hit" tells Masterson in speaking
/ of that night. ''It was one Of the worst
nights | ever experienced in my born
days. 1t was absolutely black and II
few of us were talking. A shell had
landed previously to our right and we
were wondering if there was any shel
| ter near.
Suddenly we heard of a shell near.
called, Duck low" and happened to
glance up and see the fash of the burst
ing shell. Then few seconds after l
heard cries for help. | called out, Who
is it, And the answer came, Harry.
Telling him to stay where he was till
we got to him. we made our way
through the woods and found him lying
under some brush, and with the help OF
]. Fowler Carr, John McCarty and
John Dunn we got Cahill out of the
woods on to the road and called fol
first aid Word then came to bring
up the teams. On my way back
through the fields ] heard cries in the
dark. Come get me. Jack" said the
voice who is it, | answered. Bob,
he replied. / then called to the Others
on the road that there were more in
iurrd in the woods and got my team
and reported at the guns.
Relieved by the French
At last about o'clock the French
artillery pulled in. How different they
acted from eur own men; flash lights
blinked, cigarettes glowed and they
acted with a Sang froid' that caused
many a curse from those who had beer
so careful not to show the slightest
glmmer, we'll knowing that the Ger
mans knew the location. Finally the
confusion lessened and the battery
pulled out, not, however, before missing
parts for our guns had been carefully
policed, despite the darkness, from
those Of the entering French.
1t happened that it fell my duty to be
left at Courville as marker to direct
the battery and regiment 1t was with
out doubt one Of the worst jobs l have
ever had. | was cold, wet and deaC
tired, and yet it was absolutely neces
sary that stand at that point for wha
amounted to before relief came, eight
cen hours of constant vigilance les
some Of the outfit go astray. 1t wa!
momentarily expected that the cross