The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-27

! Maj. InOmaS Barrett LII Oi <>uB uSt-i
 Ga has arrived in Atlanta from
 France with two wound stripes and
 leaving behind him citation for
 bravery in action. Major Barrett IS a
 , son of Thomas Barrett. Jr, of Augusta,
 Ga, and nephew of E. W. Barrett of
 ! Birmingham. The Atlanta Constitution
 of Tuesday publishes the following
 The story of the heroism of the
 Eighty division, which was
 trained at Camp Gordon. was brought
 back to Atlanta last night by one of
 it's wounded. when Mai Thomas Bar
 rett III of Augusta. reached the city
 on leave from the hospital at New port News. at which he is being treat | ed for phosgene gassing.
 1 Fresh stories of individual valor of
 the men of the Eighty-second will be perpetually forthcoming, for there was no end to the deeds of the division which formed the spearhead for the
 American attack in the Argonne tri-
 umph. But something of the division 5 | glory as a whole was related by Major l Barrett
 He told of how the men had endured | untold agony during the Argonne drive of how they had gone five days without food or water. and slept in | the mud and shell holes what little | time they could snatch to close their eyes
 | He told of men pushing forward in great groups. yelling and whistlins, | into the face of sure death to capture | machine gun emplaoements and en- 1 trenched positions; of how unit after | unit had lost it's entire roster of off, | icers. yet pressed forward under their own initiative and the command of noncoms.
 There was no stopping them" he said to a reporter for the Constitu- tion. They went into the scrap with yell and a song. and they fell in I masses. But their living comrades pushed on and on and on. the marvel of allied soldiers who gasped at such | prodigal disregard by the Americans | of death and danger.
 There were times when attacking soldiers were compelled to move for ward over heaps of bodies of their own comrades: yet nothing deterred them. I have seen a body of men start for a strongly emplaced machine gun po- | sition. The gunners moved them down l by the handful, but on kept the dough- boys. with the result that although a great majority or the attacking force was riddled. the enemy gunners were | forced to throw down their arms to | the few survivors who finally man aged to reach the stronghold. Tt was this indomitable fighting spirit which counted most in the Ar gonne victory. The American soldier was invincible. He laughed in the face of peril and hardship and de- privation seemed a lark. In addition to his own individual pluck and dar- ing. he had officers in whom he had the greatest faith and reliance-nen who had stood the test before the sol diers very eyes.
 Hardly a line officer went through the thick of the Eighty seconds op- erations in the Argonne but was list ed as casualty. They led their men; and their men followed them to the very muzzles of machine gun strong holds. and to the brink of enemy en- trenehments. Pain and horrors and great danger seemed only to add to the momentum of the American trooper when he got unlimbered in an assault They tramped over dead and wounded French British American and German soldiers to get at the en- emy they climbed hills to get at him. While he shot them down from above. They sacrificed themselves recklessly to gain a toehold: and once they had gained a toehold they never lost it.
 "The Eighty-second. with the other American forces in the Argonne fight were between the British and French This central location made the Eighty second division a sort of spearhead for the attack. The moment the fight was under way. whatever apprehen- sions the French and British might have had gave way to great surge of astonishment and admiration" Major Barrett was in command of the First battalion. 326th infantry. At | the end of the first five days of fight | ing his battalion was called upon to relieve the Fifty-sixth brigade, which. having gone into the affray with a 1 full quota (approz imately 1000 menp had been compelled to go back for re- Inducements with less than 300 enec- tives. f
 He told of how Mai Homer Wat kins. commander of the Third bat ,talion. had been forced to similarly relieve the Fifty-fifth brigade, which had sustained losses approximately those of the Fifty-sixth brigade. These two battalions were compelled to go forward and hold positions at which organizations of 1000 men had lost all but a mere handful.
 Upon reaching Europe the Eighty second division was first encamped With | the British at Abbeville. where the men were trained according to the Tommy Atkins style. Subsequently,, | they were IliONCu to ehS 'C'eNS where they were trained with the French. From the Vosgesi the di- vision suddenly was transferred to the Toul sector for more advanced training,
 "An interesting incident demonstrat- ing the craftiness of the German se- cret service. and showing that even Fritz is sometimes in a jocular mood, was related in connection with the Eigh hty-second's first visit to the trenches
 .The movement of the divison was made in the closest secrecy" said Major Barrett. Every precaution had been taken to cloak the evacuation of | the French and the arrival or the American forces. The authorities prid- ed themselves upon having caught Fritz unawares. But. To. and behold, when daybreak came. the newcomers peered over the top at the Hun | trenches and there painted on a DE l cardboard was the sign:
 Welcome Eighty-second division, national army of the United states. l Your turn next
 Major Barrett is stopping in Atlanta
 at the home of his ther-in-iaw% Ar l mold Broyles. 155 Juniper street Ills
 wife was formerly Miss Louise Broyles. a popular society girl. He I won a captaincy at the first officers training camp at Fort McPherson, and
 was assigned to the Eighty second di-