Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 221, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1918 — SOLDIER AND POET. [ARTICLE]

SOLDIER AND POET.

The following letter was received by Mrs. William Arnott from her brother, Harry Arnott. Harry formerly lived in McCoysburg, but a few years ago went to Spokane with ins parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Arnott: On Active Service with the American Expeditionary Forces, , ■ August 25, 1918. Dear Sister:— If my memory is still well oiled and in working order, I received a letter from you about a month ago which has not been answered'yet. I have a nice comfortable position to write in, so maybe I will write two pages (maybe?). I put my helmet on the groqnd with the top down, and on that I Ibid my gas mask and laying, down flat I am making this wonderful attempt. We are back of the lines for a few days’ rest, and we sure appreciate that rest; too. • I. suppose you want to know all about our little scrap, and I will tell you as much as I can. Dates and locations are, of course, “taboo.” We went on the line the day of ———, near a little town on they *— front. We had traveled most of the afternoon and we pulled into position in the edge of a wood at dark. It was raining and we worked all night in genuine gumbo mud." Had a lot of hard luck and didn’t get -set up until afternoon of that day. Well we fired a few rounds and then got orders to change our position a few feet, which caused us to work all that night and next

day. The boys had stuck to it like heroes but had ’.been dropping out all day long, completely worn out' I feel sort of proud in saying that I. was next to the last man in our section to drop. It was about 4in the afternoon and I sure was all in. At about 5:30 we, began firing and I managed to help until about 9 and then could stand up no longer. It was raining, I was mud from head to foot, wet, cold, and tired out. I crawled into my tent without waiting, to unroll my blankets, nor take off my shoes, raincoat or hat. At midnight I was awakened by the screech of the gas alarms. I got my gas mask on and staggered about through a jet black woods to rouse the fellows who had not heard the alarm. When I ‘turned in’ again a few big shells began to whistle overhead and burst behind us. At once I began to think of all the bad things I ever done, and also began to realize What a nice comfortable home I used to have in Spokane. Aside from joking I was scared, and scared “stiff,” too. But the gas alarm was false and the shells were landing more than half a mile away, so we had our scare for nothing.

Things began to untangle then and in a few days we had,caught up on sleep, and sinee we have had betteroluck. • At this position we saw a Boche airman burn one of our Observation balloons, but the observers both jumped and escaped without injury. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the Marines and infantry went over the top, and at midnight we got orders to move up. I was desperately sick at the timp and when I came to myself at about 10 o’clock we were on the road. We traveled through the battlefield of the day before, and I don’t care to repeat the experience.

We pulled into a position in the evening but before we could get set up for action we got orders to move on up, as the'Germans were running so fast that they were out of range. We traveled at a fair rate of speed until midnight, and the next morning we went into our second firing position;

Nothing of any special note happened here. At our third position, however, we were met by a little shrapnel, but no one was touched, no one of our battery, I should say. A few days later .in this same Wdtion we were shell damage to struck about fifty feetjrom'the gqn I am on and showered dirt'all Over us, but that was as near as they got. At our last position T saw a dandy air battle. Seven allied planes went up above our observation balloons and hid above the clouds. In a short time four Hun planes came over to burn the iballoons. As the Huns approached the allies swooped down from their hiding place and things began to happen. Gee, but it was exciting. Just like a ball game. It lasted about twenty minutes, and then the allies came back with four Boche planes to their credit.

We were on the line days and not a man received a scratch, but, of course, we can hardly expect this extreme good fortune to continue. I am getting short of paper, and as I wish to tell you a few of the things that we did, or helped to do, I shall write very fine. - OUR G. P. P.’S. We fired on a cross-road When we first went oh the line. All were in' the best of spirits, And the guns were working fine. Soon they told us to cease firing For no cross-road was left. We sure Mad raised the devil With our G. P. F.’s.

We got a hurry’ order Our deflection to change. To give ’em ten rounds rapid, At a very different range. They said massed Huns were coming Out of a piece of woods; Like a flash we rammed a shell home, And sent the Huns the goods. When the ten rouds were completed,' Not many Huns were left. For we sure had raised the devil With our G. P. F.’s. Upon a wooded hillside.

With machine guns were the Huns. They were butchering our ‘dough-boys,’ But our ‘dough-boyfc’ wouldn’t run... We pulled into position, Not. a man his task .did shirk. And the big guns soon were ready To do their “bloody work. Soon the hill was cleared of Germans, Irt fact, no hill was left. For we sure had raised the devil With our G. P. P.'s. Three waves of Boohs came over,