horses were frequent, and, near the top,
teams from one carriage had to be added to another hitch and then the
assistance returned in order to get up the steep grade. Our division was
on the extreme left of the American forces, and we were constantly
alongside the French troops who adjoined us on our left. How strenuous
had been the fighting was evidenced by the bodies of dead still lying
where they had fallen the afternoon before. Haggard Frenchmen were just
then beginning to seek their missing comrades.

The battalion took position in an open field in front of the woods, at
the top of the hill, under flat-tops. The horse-lines were at the edge
of the woods behind. On our left was a small woods, at the edge of which
were several French batteries of 75's. They pitched no flat-tops, but
camouflaged their guns with green boughs, staying in the woods, where
were their shelters and kitchen, except when actual work on the guns
required their presence. Our telephone men, mechanics and Captain
Robbins also had their quarters in these woods. Elaborate abris,
benches and tables woven of boughs about a cleared "Appelplatz," and
rifles, overcoats and other equipment spoke of the occupation of the
same woods by the Germans not long before. Every section of the battery
had one or two German rifles and a stock of "boche" ammunition beneath
its flat-top, with which ambitious marksmen sought to emulate the
example of the automatic riflemen of the Alabama and New York regiments,
who had each brought down an aeroplane at Champagne.

This position is called by the men the "tower position," from the high
observation platform built of wooden scaffolding by the Germans half-way
between the position and the edge of the woods. Being in the open field
our batteries escaped the fire of the enemy, which was directed several
times on the French batteries at the edge of the woods and in the depths
of the woods also. Sometimes the bursts and fragments came dangerously
close to the gun-pits, but they were not many enough to seem directed at
our position.

Berney came close to providing the battery with fresh beef while it was
here. But "close" was all! A lone cow was seen wandering in a field near
by. A volunteer raiding party composed of Corporal Pond, of the
engineers, and Acting-Corporal Berney of the machine-gunners, set out in
pursuit. They had no difficulty in surrounding and capturing the cow,
which continued to graze placidly when they for