The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-11-21
TELLS HOW U.S..
MARINES HELD
WAY TO PARIS
Major Denig Paints Thrilling Pic.
ture of the Battle of
July 10.
THREE FRIENDS ARE KILLED
Battalion Of 800 Men Cut to Pieces IN
TWO Days Fighting, but Held Foe
IN check-Describes ParaIyzing
Horrors Of the Battlefield.

Washington.-Details Of the par
ticipation Of the United States ma
ripes IN the counter-attack against the
German forces on the Marine on July
IS are given In a letter written shortly
aftcrward by Maj. Robert l.. Denig of
the United States marines to his wife,
who lives ut 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 a graphic pic
tuFe 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 vierxy and Tigny, near Scissors, for
participation with a crack French d.
Vision In the great counter.attack
which started the disintegration 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 as 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 a prominent part
In the fighting when the Hun was
blocked In his drive on Paris. The
letter follows:
'.The day before we left for this big
push we had o most interesting fight
between q feet Of German planes and
q French observation balloon right
v our heads. We saw five planes
circle yer u town. then put on, what
We thought afterward, a sham fight.
One Of them. after many fancy stunts.
headed right for the balloon. They
wer all painted with our colors except
one This one went near the balloon.
One kept right on. The other four
shot the balloon up with incendiary
bullets. The observers jumped into
their parachutes Just as the outfit went
up In a mass of flames.
sThe next day we took our positions
at various places to wait for camions
that were to take us somewhere In
France, when or for what purpose we
did not know. Wass passed me at the
head Of his company-we made a date
for q party on U next leave. He was
looking ine and was as happy as could
be. Then Hunt, Keyser. and a heap Of
others went by. / have the battalion
and Holcomb the regiment. Our turn
to embark did not come till near mid
night.
Big Shells Falling Fast.
I'VE at last got under way after a
few big lei bags had hit near by. VIII.
mer and I led Ia a touring car. We
went at q good clip and nearly got
ditched In q couple of new she'll holes.
Shells were falling fast by now, and
as the tenth truck went under the
bridge q big one landed near by with a
crash and wounded the two drivers,
killed two marines. and wounded five
more. We did not know 1t at the
time and did not notice anything wrong
till we came to a crossroad, when we
found we had only IL cars all told.
We found the rest Of the convoy after
. hunt, but even then were not told
Of the loss, and did not find 1t out
until the next day.
I'VE finally, after II hours
ride. dumped in q big field and after
q few hours rest started our march.
II 81 hot as hades and we had had
nothing to eat since the day before.
We at last entered a forest; troops
seemed to converge on 1t from all
points. We marched some six miles
In the forest ; a finer one / have never
SENDER would scamper ahead and
we could have eaten one raw. At ten
o'clock that night, without food, we
lay down In a pouring rain to sleep.
Troops Of all kinds passed up In the
night-a shadowy stream, over a half
million men. Some French officers
told N that they had never seen such
concentration since Verdun. IL then.
sThe next day. the 18th Of July. we
marched ahead through a jam of
troopA trucks. ETC., and came at last
to . ration dump where we fell to and
ate our heads on for the first time In
nearly two days. When we left there
the men had bread stuck on their bay.
onets. I lugged a ham. All were
loaded down. Here I passed one OF
Wasss ueutenants with his hand
wounded. He was pleased as Punch
and told rs the drive was on-the first
W knew Of II. / then passed a few
men Of Hunts company bringing pris
onefs to the ear They had a colone
ana biz stan. They were well dress
"a. clean and polished. but mighty
dun hooking.
eWe finally stopped at the far enc
sofs 10 forest near q dressing station
where Holcomb again took command
This otation had been Z big, fine stone
1nSmheusa. but was now : complet'