As soon as possible I rejoined the company, which had been stationed at Brigade Reserve with the remnants of D Co. We had about 50 men left, not counting 20 who were on various special details. Sgt. Wilson and the cooks fed us like lords, and we made up for the past week. Big shells landed around occasionally, but it was a Philadelphia Sunday compared to what we had just left.

The company was reorganized as a platoon, with Lt. Dunn in command and Reid as top sergeant. We slept in pillboxes or gun emplacements, or anywhere else where there was a bit of shelter.

The next day I said goodby to the company for six weeks, as I thought. There were rumors that the Bulgarians were nearly done, and the Austrians weakening; but I don’t think that anyone dreamed that the armistice was only six weeks off. I stopped off one night with Sgt. Stiles to write up the company records, and finally boarded a motor truck for Toul.

From this point the history is taken up by Lt. Gardenier, Sgt. Stiles, Sgt. Peter and Sgt. Tracy White.

CHAPTER VII
MEUSE-ARGONNE

Sept. 28th: Today the company commander left the company, leaving same in charge of Lt. Dunn, the only officer left. He reorganized the company—two platoons of about 40 men each was our strength. We remained in reserve in the Bois des Grandes positions until the night of October 4th. It was during this period that rumors of the enemy countries, Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria having quit reached us, causing a great deal of discussion and doing much to keep the morale at its highest. Sergeant Reid left for Officers’ Training School.

Oct. 4th: “We are going out for a rest”—These words were heard all through the company. Shortly before dark we left our position and marched to the road that led through Limey and remained there until midnight. We then started on what was one of the most tiresome hikes we ever experienced, and finally, at 5:30 A. M., reached the forest de la Reine. A fact that is worthy of mention and probably refreshes the reader’s mind of incidents of the night was what seemed to be a direct hit on an ammunition dump to the right. The sky was brilliantly illuminated and was the cause of numerous rumors and suggestions as to the reason of the glare. We remained here until about 4:00 P. M. October 6th, and then started off for what we fondly believed was a rest. Subsequent events proved that our hopes were not to be fulfilled. It was here that Lt. Luhn joined the company. After hiking until midnight, most of the time through rain, we reached Mecrin and were so tired that regardless of the weather we threw ourselves on the ground and without further aid went to sleep until the following morning. Sgt. Perry rejoined the company at this place. At 11:30 A. M., we started again on a hike to Pierrefitte, arriving at 10 P. M., having covered about 24 kilos. It was again our fate to have mother earth for a bed this night.

From here we hiked a short distance to Nicey, where we took busses for a 40 kilo trip to Beauchamp Ferme in the Forest de Argonne, arriving about 10 P. M. in what seemed to be the darkest spot on earth. As usual it was raining, and this added greatly to our discomfort. There were only sufficient barracks for one company, the rest of the outfit had to sleep in their shelter tents, pitched in spots that were not very appealing when revealed at dawn. Lt. Dunn having been ill for some time left us here and Lt. Lahey took command of the company, having been transferred from Company “I.” Sgt. Perry having been made 1st Sergeant upon his return to the company aided materially in reorganizing the company. We had a few days of much needed rest here and also consumed quantities of wood in making bonfires that dried us out and made life a little more cheerful.

At 2:00 A. M. October 10th we aroused from our slumbers with orders to roll packs and be ready to leave at once. This was another example of how things are done in the army. Having spent several hours in rolling packs and getting breakfast, it was 7:30 A. M. before we started out. Our hikes of several days previous to arrival at this camp had taken us through many ruined villages and parts of the country recently evacuated by the enemy. Today’s hike covered 22 kilos and brought us into the heart of the Argonne, the same ground having been bitterly contested by opposing armies only a week previous. It was here that we were able to form a definite idea of how the Germans lived behind the lines. Every hillside was covered with dugouts made of concrete and heavily timbered and furnished in a style that had been unknown to us during the past four months. In the Limey Sector we found some German camps that were fitted up in grand style, but these could not be compared with the ones mentioned above. The officers’ quarters were equipped with shower baths and in one place a large swimming pool. Everything seemed to denote that the Germans intended to stay there for all time. The signs on the trees and every crossroad led one to believe that the Germans were a nation of sign painters. Arriving at our destination after hiking about 23 kilos we appreciated an opportunity to rest and lost no time in pitching tents and getting a much needed sleep.

The following day we marched about 4 kilos and took up a position in the Bois de Chatel. It was here, on the eve of October 12th, that our much battered company of approximately 80 men, all veterans of the St. Mihiel, received 104 replacements from the 86th Division. Some of these men had never fired a rifle and were not familiar with the use of the gas mask. The company was again reorganized. The four platoons were placed in charge of Sergeants Newell, Lehy, White and Weber, respectively; to these men and our two officers, Lts. Lahey and Luhn, is due the credit of training these new and inexperienced men so that when they were called upon they made a creditable showing. Too much cannot be said about the way these men took care of what seemed to be almost a hopeless task.