The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-20
VERMONT MEN
FOUGHT WELL
At SEICHEPREY
Extracts from Letter from an officer of
Machine Gun Battalion Tells of
Their Steadfastness in Face
of Heavy Attack.

The state adjutant generals Office a
Montpelier received yesterday a letter
dated May ], from an officer in the lO2
machine gun battalion in France. Thi
is the organization from which most o
the Verl. mt men have been reporte,
killed, wounded and missing since tn
battle of Seicheprey on April 20. Tn
letter tells of the capture of Lieut.. Ten
ney of st. Adams. Extracts are as fol
lows;
| Lieut.. Tenney was captured severa
days ago, as an incident of one of tn,
| sharpest and bloodiest battles which tn,
American troops have been engaged in
| His company was next TO mine in tn,
| line, and | have been able to gather al
the information available
Lieut.. Tenney commanded two gun:
situated in an advanced post. The Ger
mans attacked with large numbers OF
trained shock troops and had the pro
lection and concealment afforded by an
extremely heavy artillery barrage and a
thick fog. Under cover of these, they
were able to advance their stop troops
within few yards of our posts without
detection. At their attack signal several
of our outposts were instantly over
whelmed and captured. The Americans
met them in the rear of these positions,
and after a prolonged struggle drove
the enemy from our lines and captured
his own front trenches.
ut is almost certain that Lieut.. Ten
ney and his crews were captured with
out chance to fire a shot, since an ex-
animation of the ground, made after the
German retreat, showed no traces of a
fight. 1t is safe to assume that he is an
unwounded prisoner in the hands of the
enemy, and we derive considerable com
fort from the fact that the Germans
across the line from us seem to possess
the spirit of humanity to degree which
prevents them from firing upon our Red
Gross men. They were also very kind to
two of our wounded who fell into their
hands and later came into our own lines.
"You will find several Vermont names
upon the casualty list as result of this
battle. Men from the First Vermont met
the shock of the combat as machine gun
ners. and they fought as we knew they
would fight. Those who died we found
dead at their posts, beside their guns
when the battle had turned. / fully APP
preciate the tragedy to those at home
who hoped for the return of these sol
diers, but | hope they will see also the
sweetness and courage and calm simplici-
ty which dignifed Vermont's first sacri-
flee. Their officers and comrades are
proud of them, and no one of us but
hopes that, if his turn comes, he may 60
put as gallantly as these men who have
shown us the way.
at is a principle of machine glInnery
hat the gun crews must be men of a
,aliber who will stand their ground and
face any odds in order 10 protect their
infantry. Our men did this. and 20 good
fleet. In front of one position we found !
he bodies of loo Germans. This was |
the effect of fire from two l
-uns of Lieut.. Tenney's company. We |
know that the Germans are prepared To /
AIRY of their dead and wounded. and 1
he fact that they were forced to leave 4
10 many dead testifies to the accuracy /
Il our fire.
Il wish you would convey the svmpa-
hies Of the officers and men Of this hat
alion TO the families Of the men who
re gone. We believe that the men who
ave fallen into the hands of the enemy
ave every chance Of good treatment and
safe return when the war is finally
Yn.-