The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-24
U. 5. OFFICER IN
HOT fight TELLS
UNUSUAL STORIES
or BATTLE FIELD
Colonel Upton; Brother of
Fargo Woman, Says Al
lies Are Winning
MILLION YANKs
COULD WIN NOW
Spirit of Americans in Car
rying Fight to Boche
Most Remarkable

Col, Leroy 8. Upton, commander
Of the first regiment landed in
France, a brother Of Mrs. George
Bascon, 118 Eighth street north,
Fargo, deals interestingly with var
ious of his own experiences in
France, in recent fighting, and de-
clares in letters to his sister that If
America had a million men ready to
go into the first lines = today, the
Germans could never stop them.
I'VE are winning the war;" OBJ
serves Col Upton, whose record of
military service dates from 1887.
Col. Upton, according to Associated
Press dispatches from Washington,
has just been nominated by Presi-
dent Wilson for promotion to brig
adler general. for the duration OF
war.
ceived recently from Col. Upton,
written during the late June and
July fighting in the Chateau Thierry
district, set forth graphically some
Of the highlights OF American parti-
cipation in the world struggle. They
follow:
"The Boche communique announces
that the attack west of Chateau
Thierry was repulsed. Two days ago
II told the officers what they would
say. I had quite a talk with two
prisoners last night. They were
quite intelligent and both said con-
ditions in Germany were terrible,
that the men would throw down
their rifles and quit, but that the Of
f1cers drove them on by iron dis
cipline. They showed me their to-
bacco, ground leaves with just a
taste of tobacco in it. The difference
between us and Germany is shown
by these men. Their men are driven
by iron will like slaves to enforce
the grasping will Of the Kaiser Our
the struggle Of spirituality against
gross, materialism. Never has the
issue been so clear to me, and never
has the result been so certain"
1--WE are being relieved by the 26th
| division, and belong, as you know,
to the second division. Yesterday
| the Boche sent over a balloon with
a message in 1t as follows: Good
bye End, Hello 26thS showing that
they have some humor left.
"On the night Of our attack we
got one red headed prisoner who
| could speak English, and when he
arrived at my farm he drew himself
up and said, Gentlemen, am happy
I to state that the war Is over He was
certainly pleased to be taken pris-
oner."
81 went up to see q town captured
| two days ago, also part of the woods
| we captured, and It was hard to be-
lieve that the ruins I passed were
once town. Shell hole craters 10 to
| Is feet deep, marked what was once
| the Paris road, while heaps of debris
marked houses, yet we got 400 pris-
| oners out Of these heaps Of debris,
for they were in cellars, and I am
sure, that many remain in cellars
from which they will never emerge.
went through the German trenches
on the edge of the woods and found
ali kinds Of things strewn about.
Letters. postcards, orders, KNAPP
sacks, bayonets, rifles, etc. We also
found one dead Boche. The woods
were desolation, although most of
the shell fire intended tor Them hit
out in front. = We passed through
open spaces frequently where we
could be seen by Boche snipers, but
were very fortunate in not being
fired on. On the way back I stopped
at the reserve company's headquar-
rters and found the men had rugged
up stage in a. cellar and had had
vaudeville performance the night
before. They played one or two
hp1eces for me on the piano, and they
certainly sounded good. They had
captured a number tof musical in
struments and with American adapt
ability and ingenuity, they were
proceeding to get the most out Of
life right up near the front line un-
der Boche artillery and Gas shells.
You cannot beat that kind Of spirit.
Germany. although still powerful and
on the aggressive, knows that our
army means her eventual defeat and
it would not surprise me to see her
try and get the best terms she can
this fall rather than have to take
the losers terms after a knockout
next year"
'"The news that one million Ameri-
can soldiers are in France has had
very depressing effect on Ger
many, especially, coming after the
Austrian defeat. It looks to me as
If the allies were at last on top, that
the German offensive has reached its
crest, and that from now on the tide
will turn the other way. A recent
Boche document captured is ex-
ceedingly frank. 1t says. The Sec
ond American division MUST be con-
sidered a very good division, even
an attack division
1--WE are out Of the trenches and
in support position In rear Of the
French division. Last night had
difficulty going to sleep; it was too
quiet. After SO nights of constant
artillery barking to suddenly have it
quiet is too quick a change"
"Our men in the night captured
the Boche runner carrying orders
from the counter attack so proper
reception committee were appoint
ed. and Mr.. BocFe got warm well
-
s, g5z 60. "a