Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-06
OUR BOYS
OUR CQUNTRY'S SERVICE


which was dated June % will be of in
terest to many in this section.
My Dear Grampa'.
Il feel it my duty 70 write you line
tonight to let you know that / am feel
ing fine far over the sea and hope you
are the same at home. / am very sor-
~ to tell you that Co. E had bad luck
on the morning of the 18th and during
a bomba rdment from the enemy suf-
fered quite a few casualties. AS luck
will have it came out of it all right.
Soon we expect to go back for rest as
we have been al it quite a while. Let US
hope so for SOM of the boys sake.
Most Of the boys from Madison are
feeling fine. Last night l got bundle
| of Madison Bulletins and in the same
noticed that Madison had gone over the
| top on the Third Liberty Loan. That
! pleased } and all the rest Of the boys
to see that our home town was doing
! her bit. The people are going their bit
al home and We will do ours before we
j come back. I will close with much
/ love to you and all.
Harold j. Perkins.
!
Mrs. Charles Perkins of this town and
! is serving as an orderly to the captain.
/ In the Journal of recent date il was
announced that the l03d regiment had
been cited for bravery in action on
/ June &c in France The following letter
received gives an account by one of the
particip- hts in the battle. 1t will be
read with interest by those who are &C
/ quainted with the member of Co. ], 1891
France, June I'D, 1915
Dear Father:
l have started three letters 10 YOU
since our last clash with the Huns"
but each me something occurred TO
prevent my finishing them.
You Will have read an account OF our
fight long before this letter reaches YOU,
but, like the accounts in the American
and English papers printed in France,
the papers at home will probably print
an exaggerated account. telling how
we evacuated the town, then retook il
by counter attack. while the truth Of
the fatter is that we did not give
ground an inch. but drove them back,
after they had approached to within 50
yards Of us, inside our wire entans!e-
ments. They came up under cover OF
! a heavy barrage, which kept us in our
dug-outs, but which, instead Of making
us lose our heads and become easy for
/ them to conquer made us ugly and
every man was cool as ice after firing
| his first shot. The intense bombardment
and the shock from explosion of the big
| sheIIS they drove at Us, caused few Of
the boys to become shell shocked but
| the greater part of the company fought
| as though they were shooting for 4
wager. and the "Boches" fell like
grass before the scythe" They came
/ over with the best intentions 10 nen-
/ per us with liquid fire In cur dug-outs,
} as they had lot of liquid fire tanks
with them. We took several prisoners.
some of whom gave themselves ,Ip vol
unfairly after the fight This was the
hrst chance we had of trying our met
Tie against a determined attack on our
| position, and we came out with fyiny
colors, l.?vlng about 50 men really fight
| ing from 800 to 600. ! don't '-noW how
many Huns l killed but am reasonably
or two. The sharp fighting lasted about
10 minutes, and in that time. nv rife
became so warm l could not hol6 il by
the exposed metal parts at the end Of
the barrel. None % our boys thought
OF hunting for cover during the fight.
but stood up and let them have II.
There were abc"4 y of US at the p q.
standing in the open, and we alone re-
pulsed an attempt on their part to flank
our position, driving back from that one
position between 60 and 80 Huns The
! company has received a citation al
ready, and there will be individual cita-
tons later. Our Brigadier General who
mas hitherto been inclined to think
more OF the regiments from his own
state says that ''he would not give our
regiment for all the others on this side"
Headquarters designated the battle as
one of the most brilliant actions Of the
war
He was out on the front line now,
waiting for the word to go back for a
rest, which the bows need, after the
| strain they have been through NV
nerves are in first class condition,
| though a big gun explo sion, or that OF
big shell. and especially the whistle
OF shell anywhere within 100 or 200
yards will make me Jump, and look
around for shelter of some kind.
TINS acton has given us confidence
in our ability : drive back 10 times our
number of Huns" and shows US what
| our "Springf1elds" are good for. The
Boches call the "Springfeld," Little
Cannons' and have a wholesome dread
of the execution We can do with them
During the attack though we had all
kinds of bombs at our hands. no one
considered using them, though the
Huns were within easy throwing dis
lance, so near, in fact that they threw
one of their bombs, which we call ''Po-
tato Washers within a few feet of US,
which luckily did not do US any harm
They got few OF our boys, with
their barrage, but only got two clean
kills with bullet. We killed 10 of them
for every one they killed OF our men,
and lost no prisoners We have the
record of being the only company in the
A f. F. which Las been in a real en-
gagement.
l guess l have said enough about our |
Battle though there are a lot OF !
other things about it that would be of
interest. Will wait to tell you the other I
particulars when / get home.
Your loving son.
Cpl. Richard J. McGarrigle Jr..
Co |, loSd [. s. Infy.. A. e T.