Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1919-04-30

befS Oh cdSu W. AVE- c'o "i'tS-i
arrived in this country few
months ago, under command of
Lieutenant Morris r. Mitchell.
Each member Of the company was
asked to tell in writing the eX-
periences of the day he was
wounded. A portion of this valu-
able collection together with the
personnel of the company was pub
lished recently.
CLAYTON D. Kaufman, of Carlisle,
Pa, who was a member of Company
G, 112th Infantry, says: after lying
in reserve trenches five days the order
came that tonight we go to the front.
Very we'll. About $3.50 "fall in" was
called and UP to the front we went,
relieved the Third Battalion of the
1O9th Infantry, staying in the front
for about three hours. Jerry shot
over terrible barrage. This had
hardly lifted when the Dutchmen
were right in among us. Myself be-
ing a company runner, | was sent
back to Battalion Headquarters for
reinforcements. To my surprise when
about $50 yards from Co. Hdq. hap
pened to look in a house and saw a
Heinie. l put my rife to my shoulder
to shoot him, but a potato smasher
which he threw burst on top Of me or
rather at my side and threw me down.
I tried to crawl away, but he threw
another. l kept on crawling and he
threw a third one, giving me q
wounds. Just at this time | looked
to see if he was still there. Just as
did someone shot me through the
heart. | lay there for about five min
utes and a bunch of Heinies came
down and asked me where the Ameri-
cans were out there. said something
to get rid of them. Two Red Cross
men stayed with me. The one gave
me his wine, the other gave me first
aid. They started back with me. At
ter going about $50 yards more or less
the Americans commenced to send
over gas. They set me down along
the road and put on their masks. |
had no mask and had to take their
poison and some poison it was. l
found myself in field hospital in a
short while getting searched. All l
had left when they got through were
oI d
kerchief. was told by an interpreter
that in the morning would be sent to
Deutschland where it was better. After
riding in a Red Cross train for two
days found myself in Zweibrucken."
Kaufman was the first American
prisoner to enter the town, and he
gives an interesting description of the
crowds who came to view the "curious
creature" and the bombardment of
questions to which he was subjected.
He was put on special diet for 2S
days in the hospital. This consisted
of one bottle of beer per day, 4 cups
of wine, pancakes, eggs, etc. The
regular diet was not so good, he says,
but nevertheless he got plenty Of
good solid grub" such as carrots,
cabbage, spuds, etc, but very little
meat.
"After thirty days in the hospital"
he says, 81 was questioned by Ser
geant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major
and Field Marshal. They took me into
room.
"Have a cigarette" said the Ser
geant.
II WILL" said l.
eve are going to ask you some
questions. If you know anything
about them we would be glad if you
would tell us-you are not compelled
to-" The fun began.
''Did you see any submarines on the
way over?"
"Not a one-all al the bottom of the
sea, SIR"
GLOW many Americans are in
France now?"
Give million, sir" "Great Colt in
Himmel," he says.
GLOW many machine guns to COM
pany of infantry" "42, sir" "Great
Colt in Himmel."
"How do the Allies get along toge-
ther?"
Gust like brothers." Etc, etc.
He kept me in good humor by giving
me six cigarettes.
He describes the repeated efforts to
destroy an ammunition plant in the
town, one of which was successful.
Several Americans died while Kauff-
man was in the hospital, and he de-
scribes the funeral thus: each was
wrapped in a sheet and blanket and
put into wooden casket covered with
black cloth. On the third daV under