We sat around for an hour while the regt’l hdq’s made their arrangements. I found out that the C. O. of the 61st was an old friend of my father’s--his father had been in my father’s company at V. M. I. in the Civil War. At last the dope filtered down to the Co. Cmdrs., and we were given ten minutes to reconnoiter our positions. We then had to make haste back to the regiment, so that we could be ready to start again at dark. Packs were made, the platoons gathered together, and at 7:30 P. M. we filed out onto the road and were off on the last lap of our journey to the battle line. Hardly were we clear of the woods when we halted, for some unknown reason. We sat and lay on the grass by the roadside, among shell holes, and listened to the drone of airplanes above us. It was an eerie, ominous sound; and though we were pretty sure the motors were not the deep voiced monsters of the enemy, still we were relieved when they drew off without dropping any H. E. into our midst. In half an hour we started, this time in earnest. It was rough going, and blind work at best. We stumbled up a ravine, out onto a road, skirted a wood lined with artillery, and so drew near our position south of Vieville-en-Haye. The 1st battalion was in support, the 2nd holding the front line, and the 3rd brigade reserve. I never did know where the battalion was that we were relieving. A and B Cos., however, were to hold the crest of a slight swell of the ground about 300 meters south of the village. Trenches there were none; but there were plenty of shell holes, and the company was posted so as to command the terrain in front with Chauchat and rifle fire; two or three men to a shell hole. The 4th platoon found a little stretch of trench which they improved for themselves. A Co. was on our left; C and D Cos. were posted about 700 meters to our right rear, behind Regt’l Hdq. We had gotten pretty well settled, when just before dawn a battalion runner came up, with the cry that haunted me day and night, “Commanding Officer, B Co.” Hard on his heels came the Major. Two companies of the 2nd battalion had lost their way and were temporarily missing, and B Co. was to go up and hold the line of resistance at once. So B Co. was routed out of its bivvies, and donned packs and ammunition, and set off in double file. I was to report to the C. O. of the 61st Inf. front line battalion at Vieville. We hiked down to the road, and up to where the houses began; then through a spacious barn, climbing over a dead horse, and arriving finally at the northern outskirts of the town. Not finding the Bn. Hdq. I had the company take what cover they could in the road and barn while the Major and I strolled up to the top of the hill beyond to have a look ’round.