Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-24
L. MORLEY LEADS
MEN TO VICTORY IN
IMPORTANT BATTLE
OTTAWA OFFICER WEARS Shoes
AND EATS RATIONS LEFT BE-
HIND BY FLEEING HUNs-GAlNs
OBJECTIVE AFTER MARVELLOUS
DRIVE IN 27 HOURS.

A thrilling war letter was received
yesterday from Lieut.. Howard Nor
ley by his mother, Mrs. l.. H. Morley,
404 Bissal street, telling of trip
over the top in the st. Mihiel drive
An objective set by the Yanks was
made in Just twenty-seven hours, and
the retreating German troops. left be-
hind them, all kinds of souvenirs from
watches to shoes. and rations.
The story is best told in Lieut.
Morleys own words. which read:
Monday Afternoon, Sept 16, 1918.
My Dear Mother;
While we are resting here in an
other woods win try to write YOU
few lines to let you know | am AL
right and getting along fine.
Probably by the time this reaches
you the papers will have given out
the information that this division par
ticipated in the St Mihel drive.
We made our objective in twenty
seven hours, and it was simply mar
velous the way we went through and
over such stretch of fortified
ground
We certainly licked them and you
should have seen the prisoners come
in. The men have souvenirs galore,
watches, compasses, razors, pistols
and all kinds Of equipment left behind
In their mad rush for the rear. |
never in all my life experienced such
exultation and JOY at the way we
| went through them, the prisoners
| equipment along the road and just
everything, and today and yesterday
| mail arrived and | received thirteen
letters in all You can guess how
welcome they were.
AS yet we haven't seen newspapers
and we know not the extent of the
drive and just what success we are
having But we do know what oul
division company and regimenU did
AS ! said before, we are resting now
in reserve position.
Elmer Machamer of Fulton. H.
was wounded, but will be all right in
a number Of weeks Now, don't want
you to worry about me, as | will
come through in some way. Cam
you see it doesn't do any good tC
worry? This is not as bad as il
may seem to all of you over there.
You ought to see us. We are livins
on some Of the rations captured from
the Germans. am wearing a pair O.
Boche shoes left behind by some of
ficer had lost a heel from one o
mine and they were wet, SO it hat
to be done.
We are having fine weather ant
everybody is feeling fine. For soil,
week preceding the drive 1t rained arl
we were rather tough looking. Thi
noon we had corned beef and cabbage
the beef from our rations and the cab
bage from the captured Boche ra
tions. Right here in the woods ar
several pieces Of artillery capture
from the Germans.
! wish | could send one home as
souvenir haeen't many of then
An officer hardly has time TO collec
any. | guess mentioned in one c
> my letters about seeing John Cassid.
, 1t was on the evening of the 18th, tn
day we started on our "over the top
at st. Mihiel He is looking fine, an
we had quite little bit Of news item
to exchange. II seems as though
d never meet John except when we al
u going over. The last time was G
" July 90.
q Did you get the German coin | sci
you short time ago?
4. Am inclosing poetry written by OF
ID Of the men In my platoon.
n MY supply of stationery is veI