The Fourth of July It was rather quiet for a few days. The companies went forward in details to dig defensive trenches. Then came the 4th of July. There was little ^doing during the day to remind us of our national holiday. Fireworks were few excepting artillery fire. French refugees were sadly making their way back from the areas. They were a most forlorn folk. Old men, women, and children were trudging sadly along. Some had hand carts and wagons filed up with what few belongings they could take. A few had old decrepit horses or oxen drawing loads beyond capacity. It was almost heart-breaking to see their sad faces. I went to sleep at about 10.30 in the midst of unusual shell fire. Suddenly I woke up, hearing the "first call" on the bugle which was immediately followed by "assembly." ^{This was the call to arms.} It was pitch dark. The time was about 1.30 A.M. Sergeant's whistles blasted and the sharp command of "fall in" was heard everywhere. A heavy barrage was coming over. Our artillery was replying vigorously. Blinding flashes like lightning made it all the harder to find the equipment which we had to grab in a haste. I got out as soon as I could and aroused my Supply Detachment. The ^Infantry companies [Page]were soon lined up and the command "Squads right," "Double time" given and they were on their way to the defense line. A German attack was certainly expected. Our men hitched up their teams in quick time and loaded the baggage to make a move either forward or back as the situation developed. ⟨I recalled a poem which I had studied long ago. "The night before Waterloo" One line ran "There was mounting in hot haste."⟩ We moved out of Artouges to a woods to the left and waited for orders. As morning came, the fireworks subsided. After ⟨a⟩ tense wait of several hours, we were ordered back to our former position in the village. The Infantry returned at about noon. The German "attack" was only a raid but the French General took no chances and was prepared for the long expected drive. This drive came later. When we came back, all belongings left behind in the hot haste of the night ^before had already been salvaged by French who had remained in the village, We took up our routine again for a few days. I sent some money from my pay to a bank in Paris through the Y.M.C.A man. This fund served me in good stead when on leave after the Armistice.

Ready It was now evident that another big drive was planned by the Germans. Up to now, their attacks in 1918 were all highly successful. They[Page]had made big bulges, first in the English lines, and then in the French. The new onslaught was to bring them final victory, they thought. Meanwhile, the French, with ^the newly arrived Americans, were feverishly getting defenses ready and harassing the enemy with artillery fire. Long range ^railroad guns of big caliber were brought up at night and used [as] fast as permissible without overheating until the approach of dawn, when they were moved miles back to safety. With ^these the French shelled important roads and towns ^{as far as} twenty miles behind the German lines. On July 8, our brigade (the 55th) moved into what is known as the reserve line. Our men, ^{in small groups}, had gone up mostly at night for a week to dig trenches. Here we were to hold the enemy in case they broke {thru} the first and secondary lines. It was late in the evening when we moved in. The infantry companies went to their trenches. We of the Supply Company moved our ration and ammunition carts under an open shed near the top of a hill a short distance behind the infantry, whose trenches were beyond the crest of the hill.

Waiting. Some of our men slept under the shed with ^the horses. Several of us decided it would be better