alk, were started out on foot, as all available transportation was
required for recumbent cases. By morning of the 29th, the influx of
wounded having lessened somewhat, two bearer parties went forward, one
under Lt. Speck, and the other under Lt. Bates. Mule ambulances
accompanied these parties, the detachments coming under heavy fire and
some of the mules being killed. One of the drivers was mortally wounded.
These parties were out until about the middle of the afternoon. The work
of the bearers was the most laborious owing to the mud and the long
distances of the carries.

Information was received that the salient created by the attack was to
be protected by establishing the first line in the area being covered by
the bearers. The parties were, therefore, withdrawn to Charpentry. It
was during this operation that Pvt. Lloyd Richmond was wounded, while
remaining with wounded at Chaudron Farm. Upon arrival of the bearers at
Charpentry, their patients were loaded into ambulances, which, by this
time, had cleared the station there, since the location was becoming a
target for gas. Orders were received to move the station back to some
more sheltered position where the wounded could be kept in more
security. Ambulance companies were now ordered to Varennes. Lt. Siberts,
with a detachment of men, proceeded to Very, joining the company at
Varennes the next day.

In leaving Charpentry, the men were forced to run a gauntlet of high
explosives, gas and shrapnel. A rain of shells were pouring into the
valley in a desperate attempt to silence the American batteries. One of
the spectacular scenes of the drive occurred when a battery of French
artillery came crashing down the road, the gunners riding the
seventy-fives which were drawn by big trucks. The little men in blue
were leaning forward and gazing eagerly ahead to the nearby hill where
they afterwards whirled their guns into position and poured a murderous
fire, point blank, into the counter-attacking Germans. It was a little
incident that gave us a slight insight into the reason why the Germans
failed to crush France.

On arriving at Varennes, volunteers were called for to return to
Charpentry to take care of the wounded who might be expected, and to
relieve congestion in regimental stations, which had fallen back to that
place. Lt. Bates with 15 men and an equal number from Ambulance Co. 137,
were selected. This detachment had a very exciting and strenuous
forty-eight hou