The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-07-04
tCcntinued from las, issue ,

o!' anu were digging like
every thing, using our steel helmets
ana bayonets but we didn't dig lon,
untiI the worst barrage / ever went
through started. Eyerythiny ,ha
oernlahs had was spilling their shot
W TINS little place 1t was terrible.
no not possibly see how any of us
sot through at all Me and I got he
nind big tree near by, living there
lsniVerlng, getting covered with dir,
pieces OF trees and refuse. One hour
lof this seemed year. After Inc
worst stoppd Nc went to look for his
gun which he had lost. went look.
ing Tor a hole, finally findiug another
ieliow out of my company. He had
a good hole started so | helped him
dlg II deeper. We heard something
coming stealthily up the hill, All
WORK STONED. We prepared TO stay
IN that hole if the whole German
army came over. We stood there.
crouching with bayonets nxed. wait.
ing Tor this fellow to get close. On
ne came. He was right on us. Now
got ready to lunge ard Yelled
Halt No answer. Again yelled.
NO answer. He had stopped. Yell
cd again starting to lunge at the
same time. Just then he answered.
Diana" That took all the heart out
OF me. 1t was the little wop out OF
our company and my bayonet wasn't
SIX inches from his face. guess he
was too scared to speak.
Just before daylight the whole
company went down to the rav.ne
and fixed our light packs. We were
going over with the Marines In an
hour. The Marines began to come
up and lay down beside us until three
companies were these. Then some
men brought few cans OF coffee up.
Oh, but that tasted good. it being the
first We had had stree we left Parnes
May 30th-eight days with hardly
anything to eat and but little sleep.
About four O'Clock the Marines lined
up there on the edge of the woods,
four waves deep. We took our posi-
tions back of them as we were to be
their support. The minute the first
man stepped out the Germans opened
up every machine gua they had.
| Our orders were to stay in the
edge of these woods and hold them IL
the Marines lost out. Across that
held they went. Oh, it was terrible
The machine guns moved them down
like SO much grass, but at that some
of them reached the other edge OF
woods where the Germans were.
Soon though they had to come back.
what was left of them, for the Ger
pans were too many. That machine
gun fire cut our company up badly
We lost about s. men in those two
days. We got relieved that night by
more Marines who reinforced the
next day and went over into those
woods and held them.
The rest of our stay at Chateau
Thierry, thirty-nine days in all. was
a continual drag. There would be a
few more hit or gassed every day.
II was here on the 9th of July that
got a bad dose of gas. | was going
through patch Of woods to notify
some men where to go in case the
gas got too thick II was so dark I
couldn't see with my mask on so |
jerked it off and ran through. got
there, but, oh land, the rest of that
light and all the next day was sick.
couldn't eat. my eyes watered. but
didn't want TO go to the hospital
i thought I'd soon be all right. stay
ed with them uatil we went back IN
reserve where | took flu was sent
10 the hospital July 18th, just two
rious drive at Soissons
II is useless TO try and tell you my
many experiences in the hospital and
the hard time | had getting back TO
my company in September in time TO
get in the ST Mihiel drive ] was with
Regimental Headquarters and didn't
see much of the fighting.
After this drive we stayed nj Toul
for ten days rest. Then pulled ont
for the Champagne front to hcl1 the
French. Here we had one of the stiff
fest battles of the wa Blame Mont,
an impenetrable German fortress
that the French told US VIZ would
never capture. fell in a half day
toughest fighting We went through
II had Belleau skinned nile Ne
stored on This front line until the
last October.
From here We went 10 the second
battle of the Argonne where we bust
ed Germanv's hope, ending with
building a bridge across the Meuse
under a whitening machine gun nre
the last night Of the war.
As the building of this bridge Is
one of the feats pulled OF by com.
rsnies A and B. being in p. will
have TO give II little more space
and describe 1t better,
The 10th of November the Ameri=
cans hf,i advanced as far as the
south bank Of the Meuse river.
4 and II companies. Second engl.
ueers. were in Beaumont 2 mile and
4 half from the river ard under
German bofnbardment.
laa for the last two DAYS been col
lrc.irr timbers from the DESTROYED
buildings for the building Of two
foot hride4 acraSs tho river
TIE bridge was 70 be q system ~
-,fts 10 Be fied together e The river
s-vi- then showed acrces and fa7ffr-
- vi+b rarrs on the other SIDE
rs#lv the reorriHs q The 10Th |
-.e s5rt In battalion head0uart @T#
--,.1. n message eirht Nlimeiers 10
~ rea~ Tho road wa7 alwaya Fh".l
- s-F vas very vuddr. so =
-s-r h7f f-7ve1inr 7 cane hack and
--s cant s-sin. Thus it kent ~ aH
-, made that trip forr tiree=- =
,,ssnr seem possible that / did and