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 THE EXPERIENCES 
 
 I Company "L" 368th Infantry ;; 
 
 OF 
 
 :^ UNIT 
 
 OF X 
 
 THE :: 
 
 BLACK BUFFALO DIVISION 
 
 TOLD IN VERSE 
 
 Typical of a Soldier's Life in France 
 
 -J 
 
 PRIGC 25 GBINTS 
 
 BY SGT CHESTER J. WESTFIELD 
 
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 Copyright, 1919 
 
 CHESTER J. WESTFIELD 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 This poem is based on facts gathered by the 
 writer, who was a sergeant in Company "L" 
 368th Infantry. It was written to give some of 
 the life and spirit of the individual soldier; 
 in narrating the events of the Argonne drive; 
 the pronoun "we" refers to the regiment as a 
 unit, and of course the supporting artillery is 
 taken in consideration. 
 
 The writer wishes to express his appreciation 
 of the kindness of his friends in giving sugges- 
 tions and helping correct the manuscript. 
 
 Chester J. Westfield 
 
MAV 16 1919 
 
The Voyage to France 
 
 The news came, "You'll go over," 
 
 But we did not tliink it true 
 Till mechanics marked our boxes 
 
 With letters white and blue. 
 
 Then we were certain of going 
 
 Over there to tight; 
 For they moved us from Camp Meade 
 
 One cloudy Wednesday ni^h^^. 
 
 The boys began to say aloud : 
 
 "Our Uncle Sam ain't jokin'." 
 For we all went thru New Jersey, 
 
 Pennsylvania, to Hoboken. 
 
 They soon began to realize 
 
 Their going far from home. 
 Aboard the ship George Washington, 
 
 As she plowed the rippling foam. 
 
 After a voj^age of thirteen days 
 Over the broad and watery main. 
 
 We entered the Bay of Biscay, 
 x\long the northern coast of Spain. 
 
 We had gone more than five thousand miles, 
 Sailing out from the peaceful West, 
 
 When we sighted land one evening 
 And anchored in tlve port of Brest. 
 
 TO THE THE TRAINING AREA. 
 
 We disembarked from owr trusty ship. 
 
 Then two or three miles went, 
 And slept on the ground in sight of 
 
 The Pontanezen cantonment. 
 
There were no cusliions for our heads, 
 No Avarmth indeed for our feet, 
 
 But scant the water to quench our thirsty 
 And scarce enough to eat. 
 
 After a stay of a week or more, 
 
 A-living 'mid dew and rain, 
 We next marched to the station 
 
 At Brest to board a train. 
 
 Tlie weary soldiers were seated, 
 Witli their packs near to their feet; 
 
 A three days' ration was issued 
 For the hungry men to eat. 
 
 Tiiese rations consisted of bread and jam, 
 Many cans of jiork and beans. 
 
 This fare we enjoyed until we passed 
 Thru the towns of Tours and Orleans, 
 
 For full three days we rode southeast, 
 And no sign of barracks found, 
 
 But at Passavant we were glad to put 
 Our feet once more on the ground. 
 
 From Passavant over hills and valleys 
 
 We ma relied on with a will; 
 Our packs cut our shoulders severely 
 
 Ere we stopi)ed at Figneville. 
 
 It was there two white lieutenants came^ 
 And several weeks they stayed. 
 
 Tliey taught us to play "Old Grady" 
 And to use the hand grenade. 
 
 An order came for us to move 
 
 Across the river Saone; 
 We pitched our tents in a field near by 
 
 The village called Lathone. 
 
At Latlioiie the drilling was hard 
 
 And burdensome to onr backs, 
 For onr exercises were <lone 
 
 With rifles and fnll juicks. 
 
 ON THE VOSGES FRONT. 
 
 In trucks from there we moved 
 
 About seventy miles away ; 
 And at eve we billeted in honses and barns. 
 
 In the village, Le Holier. 
 
 Soon an order came that read : 
 
 "On to the front, you'll till a gap." 
 
 And at night we were hauled from there 
 To the city of Kaon TEtape. 
 
 On the journey many weie frightened 
 And murmured a hurried prayer. 
 
 For the Grerman airmen were trying 
 To bomb us fiom the air. 
 
 The thought then came to the men 
 
 Of filling a dangerous front-line trench, 
 
 For the automatic gunners were sent 
 To the front along wilh the French. 
 
 But the French and American soldiers 
 
 Could not each understand, 
 So the other part of the units 
 
 Went forward, not leaving a man. 
 
 All thru the day 'twas quiet. 
 
 And we did not have to fight. 
 But the Hung; threw bombs on our trenches 
 
 About nine o'clock eacli night. 
 
 At nig'ht we patrolled No Man's Land 
 
 Thru acres of ctose-laid wire; 
 In danger of discovery by lighted flai^es, 
 
 And of death by machine gun fire. 
 
 3 
 
After a stay of several days 
 
 F'roin tlie front we were turned aloose 
 And carried back for recreation 
 
 To the station of La Juas. 
 
 We I'emained there some days more, 
 A-drilling 'mid cold and rain, 
 
 Ere onr comi)any was called together 
 To ^o to the front again. 
 
 We moved that day to a mountain, 
 
 Which little shelter gave, 
 But we made the best of it by using 
 
 A ]>ro1ecting rock or cave. 
 
 The cai)tain said: ^'My boys, 
 
 Your days up here'U be few, 
 For we go on tmicks to-morrow 
 
 To entrain at Corcieux." 
 
 THE MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE. 
 
 We Ihought of the front-line trench. 
 
 But all of us kept cool 
 Till we detrained along the Marne, 
 
 Near the city of St. Manould. 
 
 We were put ofi' the road in a forest, 
 Hun airmen our troops could not see; 
 
 And happy, blithe, and hilarious. 
 We knocked apples off a tree. 
 
 From the forest early next morning, 
 OVr roug^i roads we hiked on still, 
 
 Till we leached some French artilleiy 
 Hid behind a rocky hill. 
 
 An order came io us that night 
 
 Which tried each brave man's nerve: 
 
 "Your regiment will go up to-morrow 
 Witli Tompauy L in reserve." 
 
AVe passed VieDiie le Chateau, 
 And good eiitrenchmeiits found 
 
 Oh a high and rugged lull 
 Al)ove a shell-toru town. 
 
 On the hill we were detei-niined, ' 
 
 And this was the otticer's plan: 
 To hold that hill from the Germans 
 
 At the price of death to each man. 
 
 On our advance the watchful airplanes 
 Soaied o'er us with many a bombing tiler. 
 
 On the ground were wire entanglements 
 And heavy machine gun tire. 
 
 At last, sometime that night. 
 We took over a front-line trench. 
 
 On our light were white Americann, 
 And on our left the suave French. 
 
 T looked ai'ound next nmniing 
 When machine gun shots 1 heard, 
 
 And saw^ they had wounded severely 
 My comrade, Corporal Baird. 
 
 We pushed them back over tangled wire, 
 
 Thru valley and over hill, 
 And ended our part of the Argonne drive 
 
 At the village of Binarville. 
 
 After many Huns we'd captured. 
 Wounded, or gassed and slain. 
 
 We bombarded their bridges which offered 
 retreat 
 Across the River Aisne. 
 
 Many brave deeds we»e done there 
 
 By men who never knew fear. 
 Till the French and Italians relieved us. 
 
 Then triumphant Ave marched to the rear. 
 
THE SOLDIERS GO BACK FOR RECREATION, 
 
 The inarch from there was very severe, 
 
 But each man did his ibest, 
 For, being exposed to artillery fire. 
 
 We con Id not stop to rest. 
 
 Hnngry and tliirsty, we could not enjoy 
 The beaut if^il mountain scenes, 
 
 But Sergeant Brown helped save my life 
 With an extra can of beans. 
 
 W^e marched some days to a station. 
 And a crowded train did catch; 
 
 Following the Moselle River, 
 
 We detrained near the town of Marbach. 
 
 Our officers tried to get barracks, 
 
 . Doing the best they could; 
 They found none, and the soldiers slept 
 Ex}>08ed to rain, in the wood. 
 
 There were few new supplies of food, 
 Still fewer of the old were left; 
 
 Rations were gotten here and there, 
 ]^]ach warrior cooked for himself. 
 
 After living there for several days 
 We packed up and hiked away. 
 
 And made onr home on the River Moselle^ 
 In a town b}' the name of Pompey. 
 
 Though Pompey was an excellent town, 
 'Twas not to all our boys fancy; 
 
 Many slipped off in the gloom of night 
 To visit the city of Nancy. 
 
 Now, most of the boys th^jught Nancy 
 Was the best little town in the world, 
 
 For here their lives were brightened by wine 
 Or a lively chat with a girl. 
 
After a period of seventeen days, 
 Our tramping was kept up still ; 
 
 By wading thru much mud and water 
 We reached the village Franchville. 
 
 But Franchville was dull and solemn, 
 And our boys cared not to stay, 
 
 So the officers showed their sympathy 
 By marching us back to Pompey. 
 
 BEFORE METZ. 
 
 After waiting in Pompey for orders 
 
 For about five days or more, 
 Then a march was made to a dugout 
 
 Near the village of Gezoncourt. 
 
 Our superior officer said: "My boys. 
 
 You're not thru fighting yet." 
 And on the tenth of November we went 
 
 To fight at bloody Metz. 
 
 For each hour of fighting we thought 
 We'd lose a thousand or more. 
 
 For the number of hours we meant to attack 
 Was three times twenty-four. 
 
 After passing thru many dangers 
 
 In combating our subtile foes, 
 The message came at seven o'clock 
 
 That the war would probably close. 
 
 At eleven the big guns ceased roaring; 
 
 The machine guns quit raising Cain; 
 The Boche stopped firing along the line; 
 
 Ood smiled on the earth again! 
 
 We were glad wheM the message came 
 That America would fight no more, 
 
 And victorious we rolled our packs 
 And marched for Gezoncourt. 
 
PERIOD OF WAITING. 
 
 We endured water and mud for a mouth. 
 
 Then began our movement home. 
 And slung our jmck.s and marched formile?^ 
 
 To eatc'li a train at Maron. 
 
 The bovs were hungry and tired, 
 And their packs were heavy as lead, 
 
 And some of our comrades who were gassed 
 at tlie front. 
 On the hike, fell unconscious or dead. 
 
 Our superiors said: ''Don't worry, boys, 
 We'll go borne as soon as we can." 
 
 But, lousy ami dirty, were comj>elled to stay 
 Several w(^ks longer in St. Julien. 
 
 Each man had a vision of sweetheart or wife 
 And no doubt of his parental house; 
 
 When at last we journeyed westward 
 To Le Mans in order to delouse. 
 
 We longed for our homes in America, 
 
 In the far-ort' golden West, 
 When we were moved 'side tlie foaming sea 
 
 To the forwai'ding camp at Brest. 
 
 We had helped to conquer the Iron Man, 
 W1io for glory and 'power did crave. 
 
 And were ready to sail for home again. 
 To the land of the true and the brave! 
 
nil. 
 
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