Catoctin clarion., 1918-11-28
Major Denig Paints Thrilling Pic.
ture of the Battle of
July 18.
Three FRIENDS ARE KILLED
Battalion Of 800 Men Cut to Pieces In
Two Days Fighting, but Held Foe
In Check-Describes Paralyzing
Horrors Of the Battlefield.

rlnes in the counter-attack against the
German forces on the Marine on July
1S are given in letter written shortly
afterward by Maj. Robert l.. Denig Of
the United States marines to his wife,
who lives at 2131 Porter street Phil
adelphia, and which has been forward
ed to Washington for the historic files
of the marine corps.
In addition to giving graphic pic
ture of modern war, the letter cites
an instance of German treachery in
using airplanes painted with the al
lied colOrs In their unfair methods of
aerial warfare,
The letter also establishes the fact
that the marines who helped to stop
the German drive on Paris at Belleau
wood early in June were hOnored by
being brought forward from this wood
to Vierzy and Tgny, near Soissons, for
participation win crack French di-
vision in the great counter.attack
which started the diSintesration OF the
German front In the west. Names that
became familiar through the fight
ing in Belleau wood are mentioned In
Major Denig's letter us being promi-
nent In the allied counter-attaCk--
Lieut.. Col. Thomas Holcomb, Lieut..
Col. Benton w. Sibley, Lieut.. Col.
John A. Hughes, Capt. Pere Wilmer,
and others who took o prominent part
in the fighting when the Hun was
blocked in his drive on Paris, The
letter fniinwa.
"The day before we left for this big
push we had a most interesting fight
between a fleet of German planes and
French observation balloon right
over our heads. We saw five planes
circle over our town, then put on, what
we thought afterward, Il sham fight.
one of them, after many fancy stunts,
headed right for the balloon They
were all painted with our colors except
one. This one went near the balloon.
One kept right IN. The other four
shot the balloon up with ihcrndlary
bullets. The observers jumped into
heir parachutcs just as the outfit went
up in mass of flames.
"Thr next day we took our positions
at various places to wait for camions
that were to take us somewhere in
France, when on for what purpose we
did not know. WaSs passed me at the
head of his cOmpany--We made Il uate
for Il party on our next leave. He was
lacking fine and was rs happy aS could
he. Then Hunt Keyser, and heap of
a. hy |
and Holcomh the regiment. Our turn
to embark did not come till near mid
night.
Big Shells Falling Fast.
1--WE at last got under way after a
few big sea bags had hit near by. Will
'Hrr and | led in touring car. We
went at good clip and nearly got
dltched in couple of new shell holes.
Shells were falling fast by now, and
aS the tenth truck went under the
bridge q big one landed near by with
crash and wounded the two drivers,
killed two marines, and wounded five
more. We did not know it at the
time and did not notice anything wrong
til we came to Il crOSSrOad, when we
found we had only II cars all told.
We found the rest Of the convoy after
Il hunt, but even then were not told
nf the loss, and did not find 1t out
until the next day.
"Wc were finally. after II hours
ride, dumped in n big field and after
n few hours rest started our march,
"a hnI Il hnI
nothing to eat since the dny before.
We mt last entered q forest; troops
seemed to converge on it from all
points. We marched some six miles
in the forest; n finer one have never
scen-deer would scamper ahead ana
we could have eaten one raw Al ten
o'clock that night, without food, we
lay down in pouring rain to sleep
Troops of all kinds passed up in the
night-a shadOwy stream, over half
million men. Some French officers
told us that they had never seen Such
concentration since Verdun, ii then.
"The next day. the 18th Of July, we
marched ahead through jam or
troops, trucks, etc, and came at last
20 a ration dump where we fell to ana
ate our heads off for the first time in
nearly two days. When we left there
the men had bread stuck on their bay
onets. | lugged ham. All were
loaded down. Here l passed one of
Wass' lieutenants with his hand
wounded. He was pleased as Punch
and told us the drive was on--the first
we knew of it. | then passed few
men of Hunts company bringing pris-
oners to the rear. They had colonel
and his staff They were we'll dress
cd. clean and polished, but mighty
Slum looking.
1--WE finally stopped at the far end
of the forest near a dressing station,
where HolcOmh again took command.
This station had been Il big, fine stone
farmhouse, but was now complete
ruln-wounded and dead lay all about.
Joe Murray came by with his head
all done up; his helmet had saved him.
The lines had gone on ahead, SO we
were quite safe. Had a fine aero bat
tie right over us. The stunts that
those planes did cannot be described
by me.
Field Covered With Dead.
"Late in the afternoon we adj
vanced again. Our route lay over an
open field covered with dead. We lay
down on hillside for the night, near
-s-.--