The Republican journal., 1919-01-02
A Letter From a Former Mont
vile Boy.

The first of October I was commission
ed and sent to the Fifth Division That
was supposed to be near Toul but 1t had
left for the front and we followed it all
day and all night in truck. We caught
up with it next noon and found the
Major about dark, and were assigned to
Co. L of the Sixth Unfit, that was near
Melville, just back of Verdun, At eight
o'clock that night we tossed aside all be-
longings, which in my case was nothing,
and started for the battleline. | had no
coat, no sIicker, one blanket and one re-
volver-well equipped. The rest were
about the same We walked all night
and made camp the next morning at
four, in some German positions taken
the day before. There we stayed three
days and had chance to look over my
platoon. We then moved into support
and were shelled continually from then
on What with continual Smelling and
moving around, we were getting pretty
tired When Mt Foucon was taken we
backed up the attacking regiment and
stayed in the trenches, or rather holes,
trenches did not exist there, when they
went over and took Nan. Then the 60
and 6lst with us behind advanced and
took Cunel, and for two days and nights
we manoeuvered around expecting a
counter attack and prepared for it. Those
were two hard nights, as no one knew
what to expect and it raned and we were
wet About daylight we were ordered
out and were taken back, the 18th and
9th to rest. That night a meeting was
called in the Majors dugout and by sew
eral candles some twenty officers gather
ed and were told what was to be the next
move and what was expected of each.
We were to leapfrog the Third that night
and attack in the morning 81 and ''K'
in the first wave and 'I'' and an" in
the second, the two other batalions in
the rear. | had the post of honor, the
left flank, which connected with nothing
but Germans. | Immediately saw that |
was to catch H--in the morning and
Judged correctly. We set out after dark
and walked all night getting to our posi-
ton before light but not much before.
AT five O'Clock the Germans opened up
heavy evidently expecting we were to
attack at that time, but we did not until
$50. AT eight we saw the Thirty Second
go over and the Germans retreated some
what. We lay in a shell hole, we Off
GERS, wearing the oldest of O. q. clothes
and told stories until 8.25, and observing
Bind. We then crawled to our platoons |
and in five minutes over we went. The |
commanding lieutenant went first and |
next. We caught everything they had |
On our flank as ] knew we would, and |
were about wiped out. ! was lucky and
found myself up at the objective, with |
what remained, although l am sure j
don't know how ] got there Soon the
Major came up and located another
1 n...cc1 the Major told me / was in COM
mand of 'L'' and "M' companies. We
each dug ourselves hole, got down into |
1T, except myself, who had to see that ,
everything on my left flank was Q, X, i
One time while ! was sitting in hole, |
resting, bullet came through a wall of !
dirt and Hoped INTO my shirt front but |
never made a Druise. Then followed !
DAYS of small pushes and patrols, which /
! led under the Majors directions. We !
had taken great quantities of German
stuff and we were living on German
black bread and jam, and were defending !
our lines with German guns. On the !
18th we were replaced by the End bat !
TALON and we moved back mile. l j
stayed with the End battalion to show
them the ground. That night was the
first nights sleep had had for almost
week. spent I. in Red Cross dugout
and I was still wet to the bone. TWO
days later was sent to Divisional head
quarters and with my musette bag by
nv side and German helmet over my
shoulder / set out for the rear, 80 kilo-
meters. There near Melville l found
them and received orders to 60 to Les
Valboune as instructor. l came to Paris
covered with mud from head to foot,
looking like the lowest tramp. Bought a
suit, leggings, shoes and hat and UNDER
clothes, took a bath and came forth a
Lieutenant. / then went to Lyons,
stayed one day there and reported here,