Connecticut western news., 1918-10-24
Advancing Foe Had Surprise of Life When He Found Ameri-
 cans in Line.
GRAPHIC STORY IN LETTER
Tells of Our Troops Heroic Re3Ist- ance in June-HeId by Many Off, cers to Have Saved Paris
 From Huns


 account of the fighting near Chateau Thierry, in which American divisions, including the marine brigade, took part, early in June, was made public recently by the navy department. It is in the form of long letter from an officer of the marines to Major Gen. eral Barnett, commandant of the corps, and the story told is of peculiar significance, as in the opinion of many officers here it was the stand of the Americans along this line which saved Paris.
 The name of the writer is not dis closed. The Americans were rushed to the line in motortrucks to support the hard-pressed French. On June l the marine brigade deployed in a support position, the battalion commanded by Maj. Thomas Holcomb hurrying into the line as the men climbed out of the trucks. The Germans were coming on, and June 2 the French dropped back, passing through the American lines.
 "We had installed ourselves in a house in La Voie Chatel, little vil- lage between Champillon and Lucy-le- Bocage," the letter says. From one side we had observation of the north and northeast. They came out on a wonderfully clear day in two columns across a wheat field. We could see the two twin brown columns advancing in perfect order until twO-thirds of the columns, we judged, were in sight.
 Foe Slowed Up by ShrapneI. ''The rife and machine gun fire was incessant and, overhead, shrapnel was bursting. Then the shrapnel came on the target at each shot. The white patches would roll away, and we could see that some of the columns were still there, slowed up, and it seemed perfect suicide for them to try.
 "Then, under that deadly fire and barrage of rife and machine-gun fire, the Roche stopped. It was too much for any men.
 That men should fire deliberately, and use their sights and adjust their range" he says, twas beyond their ex- perience. It must have had a telling effect on the morale of the Roche, for it was something they had not counted on. AS a matter of fact, after pushing back the weakened French and then running up against a stone wall of de fense, they were literally up in the air and more than stopped. We found that out later from prisoners, for the Germans never knew we were in the front line when they made that at tack. They were absolutely mystified at the manner in which the defense stiffened up, until they found that our troops were in line."
 The letter tells in detail of the days of fighting that followed. It describes a daylight charge against a machine gun host and of scouting raids up to June 6, when the whole brigade swung forward to straighten out the line. This action resulted In the capture of Bel leau wood.
 Hit Three Times, Still Fought on.
 Major Sibley's battalion of the Sixth marine regiment led the way here, with Holcomb in support. The woods were alive with enemy machine guns. That night word came back that Robertson, with 20 men of the Ninety-sixth com pany, had taken Bouresches, breaking through heavy machine gun barrage to enter the town. Robertson, fighting with an automatic In either hand, was hit three times before he would allow himself to be taken to the rear. Speaking of individual acts of brav- cry the writer says Duncan, a com- pany commander, before he was mow- ed down had his pipe in his mouth and was carrying a stick" Later he adds, Dental Surgeon Osborne picked up Duncan and with hospital corps man had just gained some shelter when a shell wiped all three out"
 Private Dunlavy, killed later, cap- tured an enemy machine gun in Bour- esches, which he turned on the foe with great effect, while at another point "Young Zimmerman charged a machine gun at the point of the bayo- net and sent in IT prisoners at a clip" When the enemy made a stand at one point in the woods Sibley's bat taIion was withdrawn and for an hour and fifty minutes American and French batteries hammered the wood f Hughes, with the Tenth company, then went in, and his first message was 1 that the wood had been cut to minc@ meat Overton. leading the Seventy sixth company, finally charged the rock plateau, killing or capturing every i gunner and capturing all the guns, with few casualties.
 The Eighty-second company lost all ! oH;oore onI Mojar Gfb1ou and his adjutant, Lieutenant Ballamy, reorgan- ized it under fire and charged a ma chine gun nest at the most critical time in all the fighting.
 "I wonder if ever an outfit" the let ter said, "went up against more des- perate job, stuck to it gamely, with out sleep, at times on short rations, with men and officers going off like flies, and I wonder if in all our long IEzk