The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-09

got off at small placed called Mon
treal, and stayed there all during the
afternoon of the second day of June.
During the evening, about $50, we
started out to hiking, and we hiked
about three or four kilometers. and
got to farm by the name Of the Dia-
formed the front line. We did not
know what we were going to do. but
were just lying there in suspense.
relieve the 165th Division, which had
been forced to retreat several times,
trying to hold the Germans off the
city of Paris. We formed front
line on the second day of June, in
the morning. The French command
er told our division commander it
was impossible to hold the position;
that there were at least nine divis-
ION of Prussian Guards, and we had
only ore division; so it was impossi-
BILE to hold them. But our commander
told him that we were sent there to
fight, and fight we must, if we lost
every man we had.
On the morning of the third, about
ten o'clock, as well as l can remem-s
ber, the Germans started over and the
French retreated. They had toepasss
n the rear of us in order.sfer US To
lake the front line. However, they
were very much Disguised lin fact,
we could not get anything out of them
except Finish the war" That is all
they would say finish the war;
and they had only thirty or forty men
to company. We realized then that
we were going into pretty stiff bat
tie. We couldsee the Germans coun-s
:ng out of Belleau Wood, and it was
the most beautiful sight l ever saw;
| never saw anything like it. We had
three hundred and forty rounds of am
munition to the man. We were there
with the intention of using the French
artillery, because our artillery had to
come six or eight miles, pulled by
horses, and it took some time to get
there. The French division had lost
most of their artillery; the Germans
had captured it. They had two ma
chine guns left, which we got to the
front, and a little ammunition. The
German got within about six hundred
yards of us, and we opened fire with
our rifles. We fired and fired,
fought there until about nine o'clock
N the night, holding our own. Final
ly the Germans realized that they
we're up against resistance. They fell
back to the small town of Lucy. We
did not advance an inch, but we held
our own. We stayed there until the
morning Of the third, not knowing
what we were going to do; Just hold
ng our own. On the day Of the 4th
we got word that we were going over
the top. We had very little ammuni-
tion, but we advanced in good order,
n fact, we did not meet any resist
,nce at all. We formed a front line
| bout half a kilometer the other side
| IF the town of Lucy, and laid there
six days. Imagine being without any.
thing to eat, and also without artil.
cry or ammunition. We called fol
support Of artillery, and we called fol
support of ammunition and for some.
thing to eat, but we didn't get either
We got word that we were going ove1
he top; that we had. to take the towr
If Lucy; and we didn't have q cart
-idge. But we went into it with thu
best of heart. We had eighty-seve1
] men of the Sixth Regiment Marines
and ninaty-six men Of the Secont
Regiment, and these two companie!
led the way. We captured the towl
after hand-to-hand fighting all day
We got through the town, although i
was well fortified, the machine gun.
being built up in windows and at til,
corners of the streets. We go
through the town about $50 in tn.
evening of the 9Th day Of June, an,
sormeds front line about mile th'
.ther Ssfde of the town Mt the efre,