Evening journal., 1918-05-07

Special 70 THE EVENING JOURNAL
OTTAWA, H.. May THE flrst great
eyewitness picture Of the German
drive. by participant I'm the lighting
has reached the world via Ottawa, lll.
It's the story OF a soldier-an' Amer
ican offcer in the thick Of the battle.
He is First Lieutenant Roswell T.. Pet
tit recently transferred from the Brit
ish Medical Corps to the American Ex-
pedltlonary Force.
II Is contained In a letter written to
his father, Dr. j. w. Petit Of this city.
Although he saw only a small part
OF the battle which resulted in the re-
treat Of the Fifth British army at ST..
Quentin, Lieutenant Pettits account
thrills with the stress Of one Of the
greatest conflicts OF worlds history, as
the letter was written Immediately
after he had left the firing line and is
not confused with after-impressions.
The letter followsl
March 80. 1918.
Dear Father: Now that the show is
over for me for the time being, and
have time TO breathe and sleep and
eat and write I'll try and tell you about
the battle. Before you receive this you
will have had the whole story from
the papers, but I know YOU win be
interested in knowing what1 did In The
AFFAIR.
OF course, the things ] saw were bu
an innnitesimal part OF a gigantic who'll
and it would be impossible for me e
give a correct description OF the bat
tie. And as ! write this. ] do it Will
no knowledge whatsoever or what ha
been going on even a few miles from
me.
have not seen a paper I'm eight days
] have received no mail, and the onl,
information we have received has beel
BY word Of mouth, and most Of wha
we hear must be wild rum0rs. For ex
ample: The French have advanced ,
miles az Nerdun the Americans hay
taken Ostend, and are on their way {
Zeebrugge, and great naval battle ha
been fought in the North Sea.
British Outnumbered.
All / know is that on this part q
tho front the Germans attacked us
overwhelming numbers, in places
divisions 10 our one: that they suilere
terrible losses, but finally broke throug
our lines Of defense, one after anothe
and fighting for the most part, rca
guard action, we have retired about
miles in a straight line.
For a week before the battle starte
we had been expecting IL; we wei
ready TO move on 30 minutes motto
had been out with cOmbatant as We
as medical officers on tours Of recoi
naissance definite methods OF eVacui
ton OF the wounded had been workC
out and our plans OF counter attaC
been made After four or five days
wailing. the storm finally broke.
The boche opened mp on us at . a. ]
March p, with the heaviest barrage
have ever heard "Stand TO" was SCUM
ed we turned out, dressed, and had ;
our equipment packed in 30 minute
Then we sat down and waited for o
ders 10 move. The barrage kept 4
continuously, sometimes heavier al
then Of less intensity, sometimes
seemed 20 be TO the north Of us a
then suddenly 10 switched 20 the SOU
Airplanes Scout Positions.
Our balloons were up as soon as
was light and the airplanes were hui
ing over our heads. The ground m
gradually. cleared and the Germans
q hail Of shrapnel on our camp and
an took cover, but three men were 2
Why Is ii a fellow always feels sa
with a roof over his head. even II
KNOWS UNllfNN anu rNA nFiANA NAAA i'N
of she'll will go through boards
corrugated iron just like paper?
our orders 20 move finally came a
,ve marched Of 60 the brigade asse
bly, point several miles away.
In a large wood there was a bate
OF heavy artillery and shells w
dropping in there two or three TO
minute. and 10 was heavy stun, too.
Sometimes they overshOt the big W0
and shells were landing near where ]
brigade had its assembly point. As
approached our little copse we cor
make all this out from some distaI
away and 10 wasn't a pleasant sen
ton 10 feel we were marching strai.
into1t
All the battalions arrived and In u
little copse there must have been
least 2OOO men. What a chance II