Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-04-28
Br 7. A. Mckenzie.



Written for the United Press.)
With the British Armies in the Field,
March 30.-(By maid Ask any Can
adian about the Americans in the ranks
and the chances are that he will men
tion two names, Major Stewart and
Captain Stanley Woods, both from the
United States army, and both killed
about the same time in the fight for the
recovery of Observatory Ridge, in June,
1916.
Stanley Woods comes from well
known family in Kansas City, and was
ON the staff of General Leonard Wood.
His father fought for the North and his
uncle for the South in the Civil war.
He resigned his U. S. commission,
against the urgent representations of
old army friends, and enlisted at To-
rOnto as a private. He was anxious to
get to the front, and so he unhesitating
ly tackled the minister of militia him
self. Sam Hughes finally turned ON
him, gave him the rough side of his
tongue, and told him that he was wor-
rying him more than half dozen batta-
lions put together. "But like you, I"
he wound up, "and you can 60" 1t
was Lieutenant Woods who soon after
joined the cavalry at Canterbury.
He came to the Canadians at the
front early in the summer of 1915. He
was wounded soon after, hurried back
as soon as possible, and was killed in
the Following June. In those few months
he earned a reputation which still
makes old comrades voices tremble as
they talk of "Old Woody" He was
to start with, first class soldier, whose
men would follow him anywhere. "He
was the most popular officer in the
army says one. 1--WE thought the
world and all of him." says another.
He was champion baseball player. His
spirits were mexhaustible, and the
worse the time the merrier he was
l"I'm cold and scared. / want to- die
happy. Send me something to drink,
was a typical note to a chum, when he
was out in the front lines.
He always said that if he had to b.
killed, he wanted to die leading his meI
in charge. He had his wish. When
in June, 1916 the Germans by tire
mendous sudden attack succeeded il
taking the line of Mount Sorrel, domin
ating Ypres, his division was calle,
upon to recover it. He commanded hi
company in the great charge and reach
ed the last ridge. Then shell caugh
him.
n Major Stewart, who ranks in tn
) army's esteem with Woods, was for
} years in the U. S. cavalry. He was b.
universal admission one of the fines
cavalry officers in the army, and a
: ideal soldier, father to his subs an
men, and hungry to be in the front c
t the fighting line.
4 On the day of the Observatory Ride
r fight, Stewart learned that one ba
4 talon, close to his own, was short G
G officers. He asked to join it,, and wa
granted permission, with the stipulatio
that he must remain in the front trencl
= es and not go forward
Everyone knew that few return frol
t that coming charge. When the wor
came to go over the top, Stewart, d,
e spite the orders, was first out of tn
I trench. He was smoking a cigar, al
5 parently unconscious Of the tremendor
I German machine gun and shell fir
"Come on boys" he called. He ha
: not gone far when bullet caught hi
7 in the leg. He was carried back to I'll
i trench, and while his wound was beir
q dressed, shell fell between his leg
Z and exploded. They buried him in IL
: big cemetery facing the old railwa
u u line in the Ypres Salient, the final hon
. Of many brave men.
Lieutenant Gibson, formerly capita,
in the U. S. army, was at the time Il
war began, a broker at Prince RupeI
Although well beyond the usual mi
tary age, he enlisted as a private. l
: won his commission by his fightil
Z qualities. His ancestors were the figh
: ing MacDonalds. His men recall how
= at that same Mount Sorrel charge,
: waved his sword, shouting, "Come 0
\ boys. Come on. This is great day f