Tarheel Lieut. Watson in Trenches at Catigny, 1918

“Tarheel Lieutenant at Cantigny Village,” from the Asheville Times, as reprinted in the Jackson County Journal on June 7, 1918

With the Americans in Picardy, June 1—Under the fire that prevented bringing up rations, owing to the lack of trenches, subsisting on hard tack and raw bacon; fighting night and day.

This is how the Americans held Cantigny for three days. The village has now been in the Americans’ possession five days and conditions are rapidly improving, but stories of how they hung on immediately after the capture are the most thrilling since the troops entered the lines.

For the first few days as fast as the boys dug trenches, they were blown up by the Boche artillery. Then came repeated counter attacks. Communication trenches were dug, but were blown up. Rations and ammunition began to run low. Machine guns and rifles captured from the Huns were used.

In the meantime, three platoons traversed a German barrage to the rear and carried up ammunition on their backs through the shell fire.

There was no chance to sleep day or night. The enemy bombardment was constant. But not a single man flinched.

Lieut. Watson of North Carolina stood on a parapet during the hottest bombardment, encouraging his men and yelling:

“Stick to it boys, give ‘em hell, they can’t drive you out. No Boche ever lived who could lick an American.” The boys stuck, any Boche who got beyond the American counter barrage was shot down by rifle or machine gun fire. The new No Man’s Land beyond was littered with German dead. The Americans are now digging trenches faster than the Huns can shoot to pieces. Their lines are greatly improved and ration and ammunition are reaching them.