DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919 | The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons

Transcribe
Translate

Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919

The American Magazine: "The Hottest Four Hours I Ever Went Through" by Floyd Gibbons - Page 6

Major Berry gave orders for us to follow him at intervals of ten or fifteen yards. Then he started across the field alone at the head of the party. I followed. behind me came Hartzell. Then the woods about us began to rattle fiercely. It was unusually close range. That lead traveled so fast that we could not hear it as it passed. we soon had visual demonstration of the hot place we were in when we began to see the dust puffs that the bullets kicked up in the dirt around our feet.
Major Berry had advanced well beyond the center of the field when I saw him turn toward me and heard him shout:
"Get down, everybody!"
We all fell on our faces. And then it began to come hot and fast. Perfect withering volleys of lead swept the tops of the oats just over us. For some reason it did not seem to be coming from the trees hardly a hundred yards in front of us. It was coming from a new direction - from the left.
i was busily engaged flattening myself on the ground, when I heard a shout, so I lifted my head cautiously and looked forward, The major was making an effort to get to his feet. With his right hand he was savagely grasping his wrist.
"My hand's gone!" he shouted.
of the bullets had struck his left a
the elbow, tearing away muscle
nerves of the forearm and lodging
in the palm of his hand. his pain
excruciating.
"Get down! Flatten out, Major!"
shouted. And he dropped to the ground.
"we've got to get out of here," called the major. "We've got to get forward. They'll start shelling this open field in a few minutes."
I lifted my head for another cautious look.
I judged that I was lying about thirty yards from the edge of the trees in front of us. The major was about ten yards in front of me.
"You are twenty yards from the trees!" I shouted to the major. "I am crawling over to you now. Wait until I get there and I'll help you. Then we'll get up and make a dash for it."
"All right," replied the major. "Hurry along."
I started forward, keeping as flat on the ground as it was possible to keep and at the same time move. As far as was feasible I pushed forward by digging in with my toes and elbows so as to make as little movement in the oats as possible. I was not mistaken about the intensity of fire that swept the field. It was terrific.
The it happened. The lighted end of a cigarette touched me in the fleshy part of my upper left arm. That was all. It felt just like a sudden burn, no larger than one made by a cigarette.
At the time there was no feeling within the arm, that is, no feeling as to aches or pain. There was nothing to indicate that the bullet, as I learned several days later, had gone through the bicep muscle of the upper arm and had come out on the other side. The only sensation perceptible at the time was the burning touch at the spot where the bullet entered,
I glanced down at the sleeve of my uniformed coat and could not see even

Saving...

Major Berry gave orders for us to follow him at intervals of ten or fifteen yards. Then he started across the field alone at the head of the party. I followed. behind me came Hartzell. Then the woods about us began to rattle fiercely. It was unusually close range. That lead traveled so fast that we could not hear it as it passed. we soon had visual demonstration of the hot place we were in when we began to see the dust puffs that the bullets kicked up in the dirt around our feet. Major Berry had advanced well beyond the center of the field when I saw him turn toward me and heard him shout: "Get down, everybody!" We all fell on our faces. And then it began to come hot and fast. Perfect withering volleys of lead swept the tops of the oats just over us. For some reason it did not seem to be coming from the trees hardly a hundred yards in front of us. It was coming from a new direction - from the left. i was busily engaged flattening myself on the ground, when I heard a shout, so I lifted my head cautiously and looked forward, The major was making an effort to get to his feet. With his right hand he was savagely grasping his wrist. "My hand's gone!" he shouted. of the bullets had struck his left a the elbow, tearing away muscle nerves of the forearm and lodging in the palm of his hand. his pain excruciating. "Get down! Flatten out, Major!" shouted. And he dropped to the ground. "we've got to get out of here," called the major. "We've got to get forward. They'll start shelling this open field in a few minutes." I lifted my head for another cautious look. I judged that I was lying about thirty yards from the edge of the trees in front of us. The major was about ten yards in front of me. "You are twenty yards from the trees!" I shouted to the major. "I am crawling over to you now. Wait until I get there and I'll help you. Then we'll get up and make a dash for it." "All right," replied the major. "Hurry along." I started forward, keeping as flat on the ground as it was possible to keep and at the same time move. As far as was feasible I pushed forward by digging in with my toes and elbows so as to make as little movement in the oats as possible. I was not mistaken about the intensity of fire that swept the field. It was terrific. The it happened. The lighted end of a cigarette touched me in the fleshy part of my upper left arm. That was all. It felt just like a sudden burn, no larger than one made by a cigarette. At the time there was no feeling within the arm, that is, no feeling as to aches or pain. There was nothing to indicate that the bullet, as I learned several days later, had gone through the bicep muscle of the upper arm and had come out on the other side. The only sensation perceptible at the time was the burning touch at the spot where the bullet entered, I glanced down at the sleeve of my uniformed coat and could not see even