Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-06
OFFICIAL CASUALTY
LIST OF LOSSES

Washington, Nov. 5.-American troops
captured by the Germans in the trench
raids On the morning of Nov. ) proba-
bly, were trapped in their dugouts and
forced to surrender or be blown to
pieces with hand srenades without a
chance for their lives.
This is the only explanation which
occurs to army officers today, lacking
any details of the fight.
General PerShing's brief report
merely stated that the German artil-
lery had dropped u heavy barrage fire
about sector of the trench, cutting
the men off from help. No explanation
of the eight casualties reported and
the i men taken prisoners was re-
Ceived. The fact that one wounded
German was captured however, indi-
Gated that the trench had been re-oc-
cupied by the American forces. Here
is the official casualty list:
Killed
Private Thomas r. Enright; sister
Mrs. Mary Irwin. Pittsburgh
Private James T.. Gresham; mother,
Mrs. Alice Dodd, Evansville, Ind.
Private Merle d. Hay, father. Harvey
ID. Hay, Glidden, Ia
Wounded
Private John j. Smith; brother, F.
D. smith Ludinston. Mich.
Private Charles J. Hopkins: brother,
James w. Hopkins, stanton, Tex
Pivate George l.. Box; father, James
l.. Box. Altus, Okla.
Private Homer r. Givens: father Will
liam F. Givens Cloverdale. Ala.
Private Charles l.. Orr; mother. Mrs.
Sarah EeSnell, Lyons. Kas
Captured or Missing
Sergeant Ed NJ. Halliburton; father.
George b. llalyburton. Stony Point, n. C.
Corporal Nicholas L. Mulhall; mother,
Mrs. Bridget Mulhall, Jersey City, y. ].
Corporal Edwin II. Haines: mother.
Mrs. Elizabeth llaines, Woodward, Okla.
Private Herchel Godfrey; father. VIII
liam c. Oberst. Chicago. III.
Private Vernon NJ. Kendall; father, Sam
Kendall, Roll. Okla
Private William +. Grigsby; mother.
Mrs. Lizzie Grigsby, Louisville Ky
Private Frank f. MeDougal: father R.
l.. McDougal, Maryville. Mo.
Private Daniel E. Gala CHER; father
Neil Gallagher, Blockton. Ala.
Private John =. Lester: father, William
Lester Tutwies. Miss
Private Harry LauShman. Ada r
Laushman. Chicago. Ill
Private Dewey ID. kearn; mother,
Mrs. Eva Tilton. Collins. Ia.
Private Reckon cannot be identified
The district was accompanied by the
following announcement:
Tie war department has receiy-
ed dispatch from tile commanding
general Of the American expeditionary
forces. which states that before day-
light, Nov, 2, salient occupied for
instruction by a company Of American
infantry, was raided by Germans. The
enemy put down q heavy barrage fire
cutting off the salient from the rest
OF the line. Our losses were three
killed five wounded and u captured
or missing. The enemv's losses are
not known. one wounded German was
taken prisoner"
Shell Might Have Been Cause
Whether the men killed and wound
ed received their injuries in hand to
hand lighting with the raiding Ger
man infantrymen or were struck down
by si~apnel is not known. single
shell. scoring a direct hit in the
trench, might have caused all the cas-
ualty. That would not explain. how
ever, the surrender Of the remaining
y. Under anything short of positive
orders the Il would have been ex-
pected to offer desperate resistance Ia
the Germans crawling up through the
darkness to jump into the trench and
there probably would have been more
than one wounded German left behind
when the raiders retired.
The general practice of trench raid.
ing all along the front. however, seems
to offer possible explanation. II has
been customary Tor French. British or
German raids to he carried out with
out an intense baraae fife used to
isolate the small sector of the enemy
line which ii vas placed to invade
As additional pTCteCt,Ga "a the raid
ers, the artillery :,.a rs covered a
far wider portion oe the front than
that which constituted :he real oh
Jective of the raid. The object of the
fire is to conceal from the defenders
the exact point Of attack until the
raiders arrive there
Probably Advanced Post
Presumably the American trench
raided was an advanced post, with
only 20 men in it. 1t could not have
had a front Of more than 50 or so
feet. Possibly il was the head of a