The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-12-28

! packs on our backs and hiked twt
miles throsh SNOW two feet deep fol
the train; through the streets Of Hobo
ken and up the gang plank onto the
Leviathan the Vaterland Of the kai
ser's pride, humbled to troop ship duty
as the finest transport in the world
The old 163rd infantry Of Montana and
the 164th. several hospital corps units
about $50 Red Cross nurses. and the
crew Of the ship made q total Of some
10000 on board. The story Of that
trip and what you want to know Is
how the boys finally landed rs there
are many Of them today in Germany.
Christmas eve Dec. "a, 1917, we de
barked at Liverpool, as You have long
since guessed! Then a flying ride
across England to Winchester and
eight days at Winnal, Downs. Morn
Hill camp. On Dec. 81, we went by
train TO Southampton and crossed the
channel to LIE -Havre. landing in France
with the new year.
Thirty hours later we were speed.
ing southwark. Let's change that one
word speeding 1t isn't true. We
We're making our way south sounds
better. 1t was about 3 O'clock Of the
morning Of Jan. 3 that we left the
crazy little French ears and liked out
to the camp ut La Courtinc. in the de-
partment Of Grouse. On Jan. 6 orders
came.
Twcny.fOur hours later the pride of
North Dakota. the pride Of Montana.
the 10th and 163rd were smashed.
Twenty-six hundred men (privates)
from our old regiment. were sent up
to the 10th. 18th. Goth and 2Sth In
fantries. while the boys from the ma
chine gun companies went to the First
and Second machine gun battalions.
The full history of the First divi-
sion is yet to be written Back home
as we could tell from some of the
Wierd reports which most OF the
newspapers carried the home folks
thought the whole regiment in the
conflict. But there was no such luck
for the corporals sergean,s ANA
commissioned officers Just tn? phi
Yates were taken for the replace
ments.
On January Goth. the remaining
men in the Headquarters company.
supply company. Companies A. 3. c.
and d We're moved to Gondec our; F..
F. G. and Fl were sent to Chatil-
ion sur Seine. and the Third Iattal-
ion to Langres. The First Array corps
school at Gondrecourt had pnenty Of
work for the boys of the first bat.
talon while the Second Army corps
training school at Chatillon and an
officers training school at Langres
provided work for others. Since Jan
nary 26th the non-coms of the old reg
iment have been drilling casuals.
draft men and others. preparing them
for action and sending them on.
About two months ago the regiment
was united again at St. Afghan os-
tensibly to be built up for service as
combat unit. together with the 9TH
err original units of the 41st division.
But most of that information you
have gained from letters sent home
by the boys. -. a.. ..,.-s. u. -
1t is the chaps who saw service in
the trenches and the open fighting:
the boys from North Dakota who did
their share in causing the utter rout
Of the Boche army. that resulted In
the ignominious capitulation that you
are most interested in. p
To land in France with your own
regiment on New Years day. TO reach
q camp in the south central part OF
this country on the third Of the month
expecting a rest and training. then on
the seventh day to be sent up to the
front to enter the trenches on he
ninth; that is the kind of experience
many Norh Dakotans will tell you on
their return.
DO you remember back through
days OF war news TO the original