Evening star., 1918-06-16
Heroic Sons of Lexington Meet and Defeat Kasers Crack Troops
,as killed just at the door of this

was killed just at the door Of this
He went through those three days
with smile on his face and a cheerA
ing word for every wounded man,
This is the simple tribute a soldier In
hospital paid to Capt. Dudley.
In those three days he treated cases,
including German prisoners, several
OF whom were shot in the back by
their own guns. He had a terrible
time getting water, but the litter
bearers succeeded in bringing up
small quantities for him. Atone time
he had a report that there were 4
number of American wounded in q
shell hole in no mans land. 1t was
daytime. and the fight at it's worst.
Nevertheless: ten boys. all from
Watertown, Mass. crawled out They
found the wounded and were bringing
them back when a barrage forced
them into another crater. They
stayed there several hours, caring for
the wounded. When the firing
hundred yards when a second barrago
cut them off. Again they hid in .
shell hole, and it was not until
o'clock in the morning that the medi.
cal unit brought the wounded into
DR.. Dudley's post. Every one in il
was exhausted. but the lives of the
wounded men were saved.
No less heroic was the act Of thd
Rev. Father J. B. Dc Vale of New
Bedford. Mass. He had refused td
stay behind when the men went intd
the battle, saying that whatever
spiritual aid he could give would be
given In the trenches. Besides end
couraging the men, he had opportunLl
ties for distributing coffee and ciSar1
cites and assisting the medical corps.
In one Of the hand to- hand encouns
ters an American soldier was seed
to fall in no mans land. 1t was pres
sumed that he was wounded and un>'
able to drag himself into a shell hold
or back to the trenches where hH
would be safe from the enemy fires
Our infantry having chased the Gore
mans back and there being no one ID
over the parapet, came up to thN
wounded man and carried him on hid
shoulder back over the parapet and u
a relief post.
These are incidents in which therd
Is some special nuance of fine action
Of self sacrifice. of human glory. But
we have them also in the straight and
steady fighting which made up most
Of the four days. The Germans had
prepared for victory by at least ten
days of shelling. intensified the last
days, 80 that the American front Line
trenches were alsot leveled, being
merely shallow bitches without pro@
lection. Capt Conneiy of Wakefield,
Mass, was in command of one Of our
wings. In the twenty-four hours
which included the crisis of the battle.
Capt. Connely was asked by the
French regiment on his wing to mako
two counter attacks. Capt. Connely
m
full in each. His men told me why.
Capt. Connely was the first man
over in both attacks they said. 'It
was a great sight when he gave the
us. We couldn't help it. We just
had to shout. The Yankees are com.
ing!' some one cried out. and we all
took it up as we came along behind
Capt. Connely.
Then in the second counter ata
tack we did the same thing. II in.
spired US to see Capt. Connely leading
the way, and know there isn't man
in the company now who wouldn't
give his chance for his life for him or
any officer like him."
Lieut.. Wilcox got nineteen German
prisoners and Lieut.. Edwards, a for
mer Boston newspaper man, got
eleven. They had report that Ger
man squad had entered the deserted
and shattered front line. The lieutena
vanced on the fanks of the trench.
Lieut.. Edwards and his men came
upon the eleven who surrendered with<
out protest.
Lieut. Wilcox passed several duga
outs which he believed contained Gers
mans. He therefore left two men at
the mouth of each with Instructions
to get their boches or throw grenades
into the dugouts il the Germans res
fused to surrender.
He advanced alone, armed with an
automatic, and came upon nineteen.
Hands up, Fritz" he commanded.
Then he began calling to the men ha
had left behind, no more than half a
dozen in all.
The Germans, believing he was sum-
moning at least a platoon. held up
their hands. Lieut. Wilcox signaled
for them to advance singly, and as
they passed him. ne searched each ona
for arms, ordered them down tho
trench and kept his pistol covering
the others. This exploit sets the
American record for single-handed
captures.
There are more incidents of a like
nature-many more. Those 1 hav9
mentioned / have verified One was
told me by the general commanding
the division, who has asked Gen. Psra
shing to reward the officer. and 1 have
talked to several of the heroic mems
bers Of this heroic unit
The official communique covering
the action which have tried to illus4
trates was extraordinarily long. 1t con-
c,otod of moro than twenty wnrT5g int