| Chapter 1 |
Lost in the Depth of the Argonne As I had been transferred from the Pioneer Platoon to the Stoke's Mortar Platoon on our last stop, it meant that besides my own full equipment, I had to carry an additional weight of two bombs, weighing about 32 pounds, in a sack with a box of pistol heads and some percussion caps. As I swung the old sack across my shoulder and marched on, I felt it was a heavy load to carry over shell swept regions, through mud and swamps. As we passed along, here and there lay decomposed bodies of German soldiers, lying as they had fallen near their machine guns. Halting on a hillside that had been badly plowed into a sticky, spongy mass of mud by heavy shells, we found a few dugouts in which we at once took refuge, spending a part of the night, jammed up three into a hole, almost lying on each other. It was a bitter cold night. All around was mud and water, with blustering winds whipping in chilly rains! We could see the flashes of machine guns from our hole - we could hear the roar of the continuous rain of German shells! Hours seemed ages. At daylight we crawled out of our holes, tired, hungry and aching, our shoulders cut and bruised from carrying those heavy bombs. Everything was being hurried and after a small bite we fell in line and continued into the Argonne for the drive we were soon to push through. The night was dismal. Just ahead could be heard the sharp "tat-tat-tat" of many Boche machine guns! Immediate orders were given to load, cock and lock rifles as we would probably have to take over some parts of the line, which would require fighting for. We cut to the left and advanced, gaining steady headway in the almost impenetrable forest, through ravines, up and down slopes, stumbling and staggering over rocks and brush, while overhead, like a swarm of bees, shells were darting in every direction. As we continued through the damp, chilly night we could hardly pull any further under the heavy load that was constantly stinging and bruising our aching shoulders the further we went. Finally, at dawn, we had reached the limit of all physical endurance. Further efforts to continue proving useless, our platoon men were forced to drop out. Our Sergeant finally gave us orders to halt, the rest of our company continuing onward. Utterly exhausted we lay down on the chilled wet ground that dark night with visions of weariness overshadowing us in those few moments of silent rest. Cold, wet and hungry and with gloomy prospects ahead, we again took up the march to join the rest of our company. After going a short distance we found we had entirely lost track of their path. Turning abruptly to our right, we continued onward in another direction only to meet with further disappointments. Realizing we were lost, with no idea in what direction our lines lay, and that to advance at midnight in the dark of the forest would perhaps mean death, we took the chances of remaining and soon bunked up together. Lying with our hands on our rifles we silently kept guard until dawn. Cold, stiff, wet and hungry we proceeded further up, soon locating part of our company. Here we found we had in some manner gotten far ahead of our own front lines and we were about six hundred strong, cut off entirely from the rest of the American army and surrounded by a large force of Germans. |