TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS NOVEMBER 7, 1918 P. 12
I expect that by now you know all about our “little bit.” We sure had some time and all of us are quite shook up. We went over the top a little to the right of Vaquois, it sure was some battle and I thank the Lord for being still alive and able to get about. We gave the Hun the whipping of his life and lived up to the name the 35th division has established. We have been looked up to ever since our arrival and have been complimented from generals up, and our entry, or rather our first time “over the top” has been under the eyes of many big men. We did all that was expected of us and more. I never dreamt that there could be so many brave men. It beats everything how nervy men can be. We took many prisoners and much material, a great deal of material compared to the number of prisoners.
You know, it was not so bad as I had pictured it. “Jerry” won’t face a bayonet, so that does away with the most disagreeable part of the work. The first two days we went some, our artillery had literally blown the “Dutch” off the earth, but nevertheless we had many machine guns to face and the German artillery was just simply hell We got along O.K. though, and was never stopped. It sure was hard on all of us, if it had not been for the excitement, we never would have been able to stand up under it. At the start of the drive, we left everything except two days’ rations, our rain coats and helmets; the fourth and fifth days our supplies could not get to us on account of bad roads, so all we had was our rations, they were supposed to last two days. Funny, though, a fellow under fire does not get very hungry.
I don’t know what the home papers say about this drive, the papers here gave the Oregon troops the credit for taking Vaquois hill, but they did not, for our regiment did (Co. F, 139th Infantry). I know for I was in the “mopping up party,” and it was sure some experience.
I never saw such an extensive trench system as the Germans were forced to leave, they had electric lights, rocking chairs, electric stoves and kitchens fully equipped with electric appliances.
Expect you are wondering how many souvenirs I brought back. Well, I had many an opportunity, but some how I preferred to leave them alone. The only souvenir that I brought back was a whole skin, for which I am truly grateful. I am not allowed to tell you the number of our men that were hit, but we paid for our ground, but the Germans lost more than double what we did.
Say, you should have seen us when we came back. We were relieved on your birthday (October 11) and we were sure glad to get out. Every night (sometime between dark and midnight) we “dug in” for the night. We slept on the ground and in the rain, so you can imagine what we looked like. Our clothes were nearly torn off. I never saw so much barbed wire in my life. We were mud from head to foot. The only clean thing was our gas masks and the bore of our rifles. German gas is simply awful and many of the boys had to give in and go back to the hospital, but I manged to get through O.K. I got a little of it, but kept going and managed to pull through. The next to the last day (the fifth) we were attacking a town and had to cross an open field without cover. The Germans were in the town and on the opposite side of the town in a small valley. We came down one side and started across this field. They had it covered with machine guns and when we started across they put down a heavy barrage on us. Well, all I can say it was sure a little corner of hell, but we went through and took the town. That town was our division’s objective and we were relieved the next day. I never thought I’d get across that piece of ground all together, for men were falling on all sides of me. It was while crossing this field that many were gassed. We halted a minute to get our breath, before making our final charge which took the town. As we stopped I dropped into a shell hole and it happened to be a gas shell. Well, I sure came out of that hole in a hurry, and I thought for a moment that I was out of the scrap, but did hang on and had a hand in taking the town. That was my closest call, though some of those machine gun bullets came mighty close. After we took the town there was the deuce to pay. Our artillery did not know where we were and started to shell the town and the Huns were shelling too, and it was simply too hot for anyone to live in. We went to the edge of the town, the nearest to our artillery. The Huns thought we were retreating and tried to enter the town from the opposite side. They never reached the roadway. We cut all of them down.
Well, this is all for now, for it’s “lights out.” Captain Daile was lost in action, the bravest man that ever lived.
NOTES: Ned P. Harshbarger was writing to his mother, Mrs. J. F. Dreisbach who in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born November in 1899 in Illinois and died on May 17, 1959 in Macon, Missouri. He departed from New York onboard Carmia on April 25, 1918. He serving as a Sgt. Co. F 139th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I expect that by now you know all about our “little bit.” We sure had some time and all of us are quite shook up. We went over the top a little to the right of Vaquois, it sure was some battle and I thank the Lord for being still alive and able to get about. We gave the Hun the whipping of his life and lived up to the name the 35th division has established. We have been looked up to ever since our arrival and have been complimented from generals up, and our entry, or rather our first time “over the top” has been under the eyes of many big men. We did all that was expected of us and more. I never dreamt that there could be so many brave men. It beats everything how nervy men can be. We took many prisoners and much material, a great deal of material compared to the number of prisoners.
You know, it was not so bad as I had pictured it. “Jerry” won’t face a bayonet, so that does away with the most disagreeable part of the work. The first two days we went some, our artillery had literally blown the “Dutch” off the earth, but nevertheless we had many machine guns to face and the German artillery was just simply hell We got along O.K. though, and was never stopped. It sure was hard on all of us, if it had not been for the excitement, we never would have been able to stand up under it. At the start of the drive, we left everything except two days’ rations, our rain coats and helmets; the fourth and fifth days our supplies could not get to us on account of bad roads, so all we had was our rations, they were supposed to last two days. Funny, though, a fellow under fire does not get very hungry.
I don’t know what the home papers say about this drive, the papers here gave the Oregon troops the credit for taking Vaquois hill, but they did not, for our regiment did (Co. F, 139th Infantry). I know for I was in the “mopping up party,” and it was sure some experience.
I never saw such an extensive trench system as the Germans were forced to leave, they had electric lights, rocking chairs, electric stoves and kitchens fully equipped with electric appliances.
Expect you are wondering how many souvenirs I brought back. Well, I had many an opportunity, but some how I preferred to leave them alone. The only souvenir that I brought back was a whole skin, for which I am truly grateful. I am not allowed to tell you the number of our men that were hit, but we paid for our ground, but the Germans lost more than double what we did.
Say, you should have seen us when we came back. We were relieved on your birthday (October 11) and we were sure glad to get out. Every night (sometime between dark and midnight) we “dug in” for the night. We slept on the ground and in the rain, so you can imagine what we looked like. Our clothes were nearly torn off. I never saw so much barbed wire in my life. We were mud from head to foot. The only clean thing was our gas masks and the bore of our rifles. German gas is simply awful and many of the boys had to give in and go back to the hospital, but I manged to get through O.K. I got a little of it, but kept going and managed to pull through. The next to the last day (the fifth) we were attacking a town and had to cross an open field without cover. The Germans were in the town and on the opposite side of the town in a small valley. We came down one side and started across this field. They had it covered with machine guns and when we started across they put down a heavy barrage on us. Well, all I can say it was sure a little corner of hell, but we went through and took the town. That town was our division’s objective and we were relieved the next day. I never thought I’d get across that piece of ground all together, for men were falling on all sides of me. It was while crossing this field that many were gassed. We halted a minute to get our breath, before making our final charge which took the town. As we stopped I dropped into a shell hole and it happened to be a gas shell. Well, I sure came out of that hole in a hurry, and I thought for a moment that I was out of the scrap, but did hang on and had a hand in taking the town. That was my closest call, though some of those machine gun bullets came mighty close. After we took the town there was the deuce to pay. Our artillery did not know where we were and started to shell the town and the Huns were shelling too, and it was simply too hot for anyone to live in. We went to the edge of the town, the nearest to our artillery. The Huns thought we were retreating and tried to enter the town from the opposite side. They never reached the roadway. We cut all of them down.
Well, this is all for now, for it’s “lights out.” Captain Daile was lost in action, the bravest man that ever lived.
NOTES: Ned P. Harshbarger was writing to his mother, Mrs. J. F. Dreisbach who in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was born November in 1899 in Illinois and died on May 17, 1959 in Macon, Missouri. He departed from New York onboard Carmia on April 25, 1918. He serving as a Sgt. Co. F 139th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT