Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THURSDAY, MARCH 24TH, 1827. THE BARNWEIX PEbPLE-SENTINEL« BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA n*r«r«ciM*j DutriM im * CapL JOHN W. THOMASON, Jr. [IHotCrmtod bj Um Aathor tram Skitrhtf Mr ifi on tb« BittUM<M] SYNOPSIS % f ( ^v CHAPTER I.—Th» author describes feow the First battalion of the Fifth marl lies' 'hinr quartered near Marlgnjr during the first part of June. 1911, when they nr* suddenly s’ent up north to relieve—the First division, bearing the brunt of a tidal wave of Qermans just breaking through for a great of fensive. Part of the Fifth wrest Hill 142 from the enemy and wait theire toy the German counter offensive they «an see forming. While they lie pep pering the Roche a detachment of Second engineers comes to their as-, aistance. I . CHAPTER II.—A terrific Oespian at tack soon develops, wreaking fearful havoc among the marines, but not dis lodging them. In the Immediate vlcln« tty other fierce encounters are reduc ing the American troops and forcing the necessity of replacements which arrive presently. On the sixth of June the Fifth runs into bitter fight ing In the vlclnUy of Champlllon . . for hours they try to oust the Poche from his stronghold In the woods and succeed commendabiy. but at great cost. CHAPTER III.—This ngrratlve cen ters about the activity of the marines f hut really stands as a cross section of all the fighting done by Americans. After Acquitting themselves marvel ously at the Bols de Belleau and Hill 142 early In June, 1911, the First re ceived replacements to cover horrible losses, fight some more and then are relieved, somewhat compensated for their heavy losses by a notable tribute to their fighting qualities Issued by the general commanding the Sixth French •rmy, but the liberty in Paris which the battalion would have preferred Is not forthcoming. >» CHAPTER TV—Respite behind the lines Is soon crushed by new orders to proreed far to the north In the Soissons sector, where the Germans are beginning a vast, new offensive After an all night’s grueling forced march the battalion finally arrives at the r« iv front Their orders are to get Into touch with the Moroccan division fight ing with the French forces. /''WAPTEU V —On the morning of July 18, after a barrage from every French and American gun procurable, i the American forces, with the Sen egalese and the French Foreign Le gion, go forward. All enemy poaitlons are taken, as ordered, though at fear- I ful Cpst, and the Piret battalion of I the Fifth marines are withdrawn for rest' and replacements, going back to el^rn they had fgken from the enemy In the hard fighting of two days before rHAPTERNyi—After a short rest behind the 4'hampagne front, the marines are again advanced, to assist tbe French In a terrific drive against the heights of Rlanp Mont After recelv iug final orders th^ regiment marches up to the battle link < >n their way, while passing a cross road, a German five-inch shell screams -down Just fifty yards from the men A direct hit would Jiave meant the annihilation of whole companies of the marching marines, but the fortune of war ,1s yMii them for the moment, only one casualty, a machine-gunner, being recorded-- • CHAPTER VII—The Objective now ia the famous Essen Hook, ope ol the strongest of the enemy positions Here victory Is attained at a heavy coat, hut the regimental commanders con> slder themselves lucky to remove their men without further loss. Once estab lished near the dread Essen Hook the order la given to attack—Instructions being Issued for the Fifth marines to act as support troops for the Sixth, who are aiming to seize Blanc Mont Itaelf. After a day’s furious fighting word comes hack that, the Sixth has attained Its objective, while the Fifth la to register an attack on a different tangent that same night. (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) CHAPTER VIII Biting the Boche with the J^nerican Saw-Tooth For mation. Not greatly troubled by the Rocht- shelllng, that died to spasmodic bursts as the night went on, the hattaljon mounted through the dark to Its ap pointed place. Here, beside a blasted road that ran along Blanc Mont. Just 9 behind the thin line of the Sixth, the weary men lay down, and, no orders being Immediately forthcoming, slept like the dead that were lying thick ly there. Let the officers worry over the fact that the French had fallen behind on each flank, that the divi sion was, to all purposes. Isolated far out’ In Boche territory—let any fool worry over the chances of stopping one, tomorrow—tomorrow would come soon enough. 44 The lootenant says to get all the rest you can—don’t—no body need to—tefl—me—tha—" In the deep dugouts behind the road the battalion commanders prodded at fleld-maps and swore wearily over the ominous gaps behind The flanks— three kilometers on one flank, flve on the other, where the French divisions had not kept pace. Into these holes the Boche had all day been savagely striving to thrust himself,^and his suc cess would mean disasterX Already the Sixth had a force thrown back fo cover tbe left rear, disposed at right angles to tbe line of advance. . . . And orders were to carry the attack forward at dawn. On top of that, after midnight a Boche deserter crawled Into the line with the cheer ing news that the Ormans were plan ning to attack In force on the Amer- icnn flunks at dawn; a division of i fresh trdope—Prussians—had Just been brought up for that purpose. It looked bad—it' looked worse' than that. '‘Weir.” said Major George Ham ilton 9f the First battalion of the Fifth, “orders are to attack, and, by God, we’ll attack”-r-a yawn spoiled the dramatic effect, of his pronounce ment—“and how I’m going to get some sleep. Coxy, wake me at 5:30—that will be an hour.” ^ And at dawn, while the ridge shook and thundered under the barrage that went before the Boche flank attack, and the Sixth held with their rifles the branch behind the left, the Fifth marines went forward to carry the battle to SjvEHienne. Noon found them well forward of the ridge, lying in an open flat, while the leading battalions disappeared in 'pine woods on a long slope ahead. It had fallen strangely Hjulet where they lay./ Up forward, though, all hell sud denly broke loose. Artllleryr machine- guns, rifles, even the> coughing de tonations of grenades, mounted to an inconceivable fury of sound. "Here comes a battalion runner—there’s the skipper, oyer there—what’s up, any way?” ^ The second-in-command came through his company with a light In his eyes, and he sent his voice be fore him. "Deploy the first platoon, Mr. Langford. Three-pace interval, be sure. Where’s Mr. Connof ? Oh, Chuck, you’ll form the second wave behind Tom. About fifty yards. Other two platoons In column behind the com pany flanks. On yo* feet, chlllun 1 We’re goin’ up against ’em!” * And so, all four companies in line, ‘he First battalion, a thousand men, went up against the Boche. ‘^Captain," said the second-in-command, as they started, “we’re’ swingin’ half-left. This tack will take up -right to St- Ktlenne, won’t It? We were pointings little one side.' of Tt before—major give you any dope?” “The Boche have come out of St.-Etienne—two full Infantry regiments, anyway, and a hunch of Maxim guns—and hit I he second and third In the flank. Must he pretty had. We’re goin’ up to hit them in the flank ourselves. ’Bout a kilometer. I’d say. Walt until their artillery s|M*ts this little promenade. None of ours In support, you know." Every man knew, as they moved out of the flat and ascended the slop** ubead. that the case was desperate, hut tu this end was all their strength and skill in war, all their cunning gained In other battles, and their hearts lifted up to meet what might come. “More interval--more Interval there on the left: Imn’t hunch up, you—” The first shell came screaming down the line from the right, and broke with the hollow cough ahd poisonous yellow puff of smoke which marks the particular abomination of the foot-sol»1Ier. It broke fairly over the center of the Forty-ninth, and every head ducked In unison. Three men there were who seemed to throw themselves prone; they did not get up again. And then the tight closed upon the battalion with the complete and horrid unreality of nightmare. The silent ridge to the left awoke with machine-guns and rifles, and sibi lant rushing flights of nickel-coated missiles from Maxim and Manser , struck down when the shells spared. An Increasing trail of crumple 1 brown figures lay behind the battalion as It went. The raw smell of blood was In men’s nostrils. Going forward with his men. a little dazed perhaps with shock and sound *uch as never were on earth before, the second-ln-wmmand was conscious of • strangely mounting sense of the unreality of the whole thing. The woods on the crest were as far away as ever through the murk, their strides got, them nowhere, their legs were dogged as In an evil dream— they were falling so fast, these men he had worked with and helped to train In war. There was a monstrous anger In his heart ... a five-inch shell swooped over his head, so near that the, rush of air made his ear drums pop and burst. He was picked up 'and whirled away like a leaf, breath and senses struck from him by the world-shattering concussion. The second-in-command was pnlled to his feet by Gunner Ntce," who had taken the second platoon. His hehd lolled stupidly a moment, then he heard words-*-“an’ that shell got all the captain’s group, sli^rall of ’em! An’ my platoon’s all casualties—” He pulled himself together as he went forward. His raincoat toas spilt up the back, under his belt. His map case was gone—the strap that had se cured It hung loosely from his shoul der. There was. blood on his hands, and the salt taste of It in his mouth, but It didn’t seem to be 1 his. And i the front of the battalion was very narrow, now. The support platoons were all In*the line. Strangest of all,, the gray slope was behind them—the trees on the crest were only a few yards away. Behind and to the left the macidpe- guns still raved, but the artillery fell away. A greenish rocket flared from the pines ahead, ind right In the faces of the panting marines machine-guns and rifles blazed. In the shadow of the pines were men In cumbersome green-gray uniforms, with faces that looked hardly human under deep round helmets. With eyes narrowed, bodies slanting forward llk^ men In heavy rain; tbe remnant of the bat talion want to them. It was the flank of the Boche rol- umfl which had come out of 8t.- Etifnne and struck the leading bat talions of the Fifth. It had watched first with keen delight, then with in- credhllty. the tortwed fjTfww the fiattalloff. It had waited too long to open Us own fire. And now, already shaken by the sight of these men who would not die, It shrank from the long American bayonets and the pitiless, furious faces behind the steel. A few Brandenburger zealots elected to die on their spitting Maxim guns, work ing them until bayonets or clubbed rifles made an end. A few Iron-souled PrussIaneXthe Boche had such men— stood up to meet bayonet with bayon et, and died that way. A gfeat many more flung away their arms and, bleated “Kamaraden" to men who In that red minute knew no mercy. Some hid In holes, or feigned death, to be hunted out'as- the press thinned. There was a battery of field- guns down the slope, 500 yards or so. The gunner?—those who wbre lucky —took to cover 'after the first burst of fire. “Thartk Gawd fer a shot at them dam’ artillerymen ! ' Battle-sight, an' aim low, you birds—don’t let any of them get away !" . . . “Sergeant, reckon the lootenant would let us go down an’ take them 77s?”—“Shut up as’ work yo’ bolt, you dam’ fool !— Whatlnell you think you are—a army core?”-—“Besides, Mr. Connor’s dead . . On the hill beyond St.- Etlenne new trenches scarred the slope; there were many Germans itrtll- ing there, some 1,500 yards away. “Save your ammunition and lay low,” the word was passed. "We’re on our own out here:-" And the battalion, a very small battalion now, little more than a hundred men? lay along the crest they had stormed, with their dead and wounded and the Boche dead and wounded around them. Almost Immediately the Bo?lie began to react. He opened on them From M«n That Knew No Msrcy. mints were thrust saw-wise northeast to northeast <9f Blanc Mont; alt were isolated from each other and from the French, who had lagged behind the flanks. Four little Islands In a turbulent Boche sea, and the old Boche doing bis damnedest. More days and nights, slipping, characterless. Into each other. Being less' than a company In strength, the First battalion of the Fifth was not called on to attack again. They lay In their holes*and endured. And after certain days the division Was relieved. |V< The battalion marched out at night The drumming thunder of the guns -fell behind them and no man turned his face to look again on the baleful lights of the front. On the road they passed a regiment of the relieving division—full, strong companies of National guardsmen. They went up one side of the road; and In ragged column of twos, un sightly even In the < dim and fitful light; the marines plodded down the other side. They Were utterly weary, with shuffling feet and hanging heads. The division had Just done something that those old masters In the art of war, the French, and tha world after them^ Including Ludendorff, were to acknowledge remarkable. They had hurled the Boche from Blanc Mont and freed the sacred city of Rhelms. They had paid a price hideoua even for this war. And they were spent. If there was any Idea In those hang ing heads It was food and rest. The M ar l n e major-general com manding, Lejeune, It la related, went serenely, to sleep. And they relate fur ther that a staff colonel who, like Martha, was careful and troubled abo^t many things, came to rouse him with a tale of disaster: “General, general, I have word from the front that a regiment of marines Is en tlrely surrounded by the Germans!” “Yes, colonel? Well, sir.” said the general, sadly and sleepily, “I am sorry for those* Germans!”—and re turned to his slumbers. The Guard companies gibed at the shrunken battalion as they passed. Singing and joking they went. High words of courage were on their lip* and nervous laughter. Save for n weary random curse here and there the battalion did not answer. . . , “Hell, them birds don't kflow no bet ter. . . .” “Yeh. we went up sing- In’ too, once—good Lord, how'long ago! .’ . — They won’t slug when they eoaie out ... or any time after ... In this war.” . «| “Damn you, can't you march on your own side the road? How much room you need?” 4 V ' '■•/ - I \ a storm of fire, high explosive and shrapnel, and his machine guns dinned fiercely. A counter-attack began to form toward St.-Etlerfne. Sweating gunners struggled Into position with the two machine-guns that were left In the battalion, and these with their crews, were knocked out hy shell fire before either had been In action long enough to Are a 'clip. But the rifles gave tongue and continued to si>eak— the last few men are always the most dlffi<*ult to kill—and the Boche had little taste for rifle-fire that begins to kill at TOO yards. That counter attack shortly returned whence It came, and the one that follow* d It went hack also. Whitehead, at the Sixty-seventh company, pluaiped down alongside the captain of the Forty-ninth. Small, very quick and wiry, with his helmet cocked on the side of his head, pe gave the Impression of a fierce and warlike little hawk. “Hunt's cornin’ over, Francis,’’ he said. “Bad place; worst I ever saw. Got about thirty men left. Hell that our machine-guns got knocked out so quick, wasn’t It? —must be two regiments of Frltzles on our front yonder!" Captain Hunt, senior In the field, a big. Imperturbable Californian, came, and -Lieutenant Kelly, promoted by casualties In the last hour to command of the Sixty-sixth company. “How does It }ook to you, gentlemen?*’ said Hunt. “Damn had" was the consensus of opinion, with profane embellish-* ments. Followed some technical dis cussion. “Well,” concluded the senior captain, “we’v'e accomplished our mis sion—broke up their attack—better hook up with the rest of the regiment. We’ll And them through the woods to the right. Move off your companies —Kelly, you go first.” Nobody remembers very clearly that swing to the right, through a hall of machine-gun fire and an inferno of shelling. They found the companies of the Second battalion digging In astride a blasted road, and went Into position beside them. “I’ve organized the company sector with twenty men—all we’ve got left— you and I make twenty-two,” reported the second-in-command, dropping wear ily into the shell-hole where the cap tain had established himself. “Lord, Ttfi tired ... and what I can’t see," he added In some wonder, fin gering the rents In hlg raincoat, “la. why we weren’t killed, too. .' . That night, lying In Its shallow, hastily dug holes, the remnant of the battalion descended through further hells of shelling. The next night tins of beef and bread came up. There was some grim laughter when It came. “Captain,” reported the one remain ing sergeant, after distributing rations In the dark, “they sent us chow ac cording to the last strength report— three days ago—230-odd rations. The men are building breaatworks out-of the corned-willy cans, sir—twenty of ’em—” Spme runners got through, atyd Divi sion H. Q., well forward in a pleas* antij exposed spot on the SooaJn road, built «p a picture of a situation suffi ciently interesting, rear Infantry refi ll was nice, hack in billets, rest ing between buttles, to sit on a bench In the sun and watch the world go by. Odette, the strapping and genteel daughter of the baker of Croutte-aur- Marue, heft- herds the duck Anatole Into the courtyard of her mother’s bakery. (M. Boulanger was last heard from on the Chemln de* Dames; Mine. Boulanger keeps the establishment going ) The du«*k Ana tole has been ordered for dinner by- two lieutenants of the First battalion, the consideration l>elng 37 franca 80 centimes. Two privates of the Forty- ninth company are choiring softly “Mademoiselle from Armentleres” as she passes. It la Just aa well that neither Odette nor Anatole comprend I’anglais. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.) KODAKERS! Send your us for develop* ing and printing. One day eervleo. Write for prices. Lollar’s Studio 1423 Main Street COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA We sell Eastman Films RHEUMATISM Whik in France with the American Army I obtained a noted French pre scription for the treatment of Rheu- matisf and Neuritis. I have given this to thousands with wonderful Re sults. The prescription cost me noth ing. I ask nothing for it. I will mail it if you will send me your addreis. A postal will bring t. Write today. PAUL CASE, Dept. 0-348, Hbrng bg PAUL CASE Dept. 0-348 Brockton, Mass. 6 6 6 is a Prescription for Colds, Grippe, Flu; Den gue; Bilious Fever and Malaria. ~ r It Kitts the Germs JUST RECEIVED.—A suuply of Real Estate Titles and Mortgages.— The People-Sentinel office, Barnwell •! I aper May Be Better THAN YOUR TOWN, BUT YOUR TOWN IS RARELY BETTER THAN • • YOUR NEWSPAPER. AND YOUR NEWSPAPER WILL DO MORE TO BUILD AND BETTER THE TOWN THAN ANY OTHER AGENCY. «»♦«♦♦♦♦« *»«♦♦♦♦♦ Advertise in The I o»o*»o»ooooo+oo»mooo»»»»» HENCE, SUPPORTING YOUR PAPER IS BUILDING YOUR TOWN. COUNTING THE VALUE OF SPACE % •* DEVOTED TO UPBUILDING BARN WELL, THE PEOPLE-SENTINEL’S DO- NATION TO THE PUBUC GOOD IS MANY TIMES THAT OF ANY OF ITS * - . * * GOOD CITIZENS THIS SERVICE IS RENDERED CHEERFULLY. W EONLY ASK YQUR GOOD WILL AND BUSINESS IN RE- TURN. -Sentinel