In reciting my experiences with the 37th Ohio N.G., Major General C.S. Farnsworth, commanding, I am but echoing those of every other division engaged in that wonderful Argonne battle.
The tragedies of the Argonne will never be fully written or told. Men who have witnessed the butcheries of war are liable to be silent about the worst they have seen. It is the unspeakable.
"Sergeant O'Connor!"
"Here, sir," coming to salute with a snap.
"There is a machine-gun nest in the top of a big tree a mile from here on the left of the road leading over the hill. Silence it."
"Yes, sir!" again coming to salute and turning to carry out the order of his captain. He knew the danger, but executed the order.
When this tree was pointed out to us we understood how difficult had been the task. The limbs had been shot off, but the great trunk was unhurt. About forty feet from the ground the limbs branched and there a nest had been built for the machine gun, which commanded the forest trail and the surrounding country.
On the morning of the third day of the "big push" five "Y" men started with heavy packs of supplies to find our brave lads of the 37th who were somewhere in the line. We were given as guides two privates who were returning to the front for more prisoners. They had brought in many prisoners that morning. I was interested and drew one of them into conversation.
"How many prisoners did you have?"
"A bunch of fifty. We captured so many that first day it was hard to get them all back quickly to the retention camps."