Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-26
AHEAD OF BOCHE,
SAYS LEADER OF
NEGRO TROOPS
Continued From Page One.)

stead were the cheerful and efficient
chore boy of the War department
until coming to the French-well
it's done and that's the answer, ana
now we're looking toward bigger
and better things, after few weeks
rest and training. in open warfare.
Pray God we may neevr again have
to go back to permanent trenches in
a stabilized position.
Many acts of individual bravery
stand out conspicuously. even in this
gallant army of French heroes and
veterans. At least 80 Croix-de-
Queries have been awarded officers
and men (subject to approval OF
A. E. F., H. o.. On the other
hand we had, as l presume every
regiment must have, some men
whose conduct in line and out was
not at all creditabe. But they
couldn't all be heroes on $50 a
month, could they?
We have been here several days.
You would see my DULLES now. All
clean, de-loused, new uniforms, spick
and span and happy, and how they
can drill and maneuver; | enclose
copy of letter from General Chab-
ord, the French general who conf
manded the infantry of our division
so long, leaving US to command a
division. He seems to think well
of US. nest ce pas?
Praised by Chabord.
Enclosed in the letter was the
following commendatory COMMUNE
cation from General Chabord:
IT thank you for the fine things con-
tanned in your letter. Be assured that
on my part l have kept very pleasant
memories Of the 369th R. I. U. s., of Its
brave and excellent officers and par
ticularly Of their commanding officer.
Il should have been happy and proud
to fight in open warfare, side by side
with such warm hearted collaborators; /
would have gone to battle with absolute
confidence.
You had your share in the big battle
with the Fourth army, which stopped
abruptly the enemy offensive and which
enabled US to counter attack somewhere
else, on a large scale.
My division has been engaged In this
counter offensive and has achieved some
good work. For my debut l prepared
and carried out an attack supported by
an Americal artillery brigade under COM
mand Of General Bowley. The success OF
this attack is chiefly due to the co-opera-
ton OF your compatriots who displayed
the finest military qualities. All right!
Colonel, we shall get them They have
led in the wing. Let us not be sleepy,
but let us be also foresighted against the
kicks of the animal at bay.
''My friendly regards to Colonel PICK
ering and to all your officers.
with friendly hand shake and with
the expression Of my entire devotion.
Continuing in the following letter,
received at a later date, Colonel
Hayward says:
Utterback With "The Butchers"
General Gouraud sent me to
Paris on Today leave, or "permls-
sion" as the French say, but the
third day l was there the Amerl-
can army ordered me off to spe-
cial field officers school for two
weeks, to learn certain specialtles,
tanks, camouhage, certain phases OF
open warfare, etc. | saw William
| Utterback, who was there at an
other school, and this young man
! (whom l remembered as an angel
| faced child mild-mannered and as
genteel as he should be with such
a father and mother), RECALLED me
with stories of the wicked fighting
he had seen Chateau Thierry
way, bayonet boche, etc. What a
change had come over the spirit
of our dreams. I had heard his
outfit was called the butchers by
the Germans.
well, things seem to be going
very we'll. General Foch seems to
have developed much of the fight
'em every day ideas of General
Grant. If we can keep it up the
thing will crack before Christmas
I think.
I'm still lame, despite the opera
ton on my ankle, which wasn't a
complete success. Am not as well
as | wish, poor as snake, and
have never fully recovered my
strength since the hospital expert
ence. Guess I will, though. Any
how I can stick it out at least as
far as Berlin.
"It's all been so tremendously in
teresting, exciting and wonderful
(now we can look calmly back at
it), but I've had plenty of fighting,
thank you--a belly full of shells:
big and little a great excess of
boche gas and all the trimmings
Am nearly ready for the "Old SOL
diers Home" l guess.
Zone of the boys said its been
very dangerous war so farr So
it has. I don't believe we will ever
20 back to a fixed sector. We are
to remain in the wonderful French
armee, thank God! I hope to have
a war of movement from now on