Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-01
OFFICIALLY MARK GRAVE
OF LIEUT.. QUENTIN
ROOSEVELT
SEESF|ERCE BATTLES
BAlliEU WOODS ONE OF THE
elooDIEsT BATTLES IN WHICH
AMERICANS PARTICIPATED.


his wife, formerly Miss Lillian Mark.
eson, a copy of which came to Dave
Reiior gives a vivid description of the
battle OF Chateau Thierry AMI the
crossing OF the Marne by the Ameri-
can forces. The letter in full follows:
Office Chief Motor Transport Corps
Base Section No. /, American f. F.
Oct. 8, 1918
! have written you many letters
from ''over here" in far-away France
and they have all been of the same
nature, describing in detail life in the
army in this calm, peaceful French
community OF St. Nazaire. Don't
think from this that ! haven't been
working, because we have all been
right on the jump every minute since
we have been here. this being the
largest base port In France, but what
mean Is that we are not worried
by shrapnel and shells. as the only
shells we have here are down alon.
the ocean, ano they are not of the
explosive type
About two weeks ago an order came
In for one motorcycle arid side car to
be delivered 20 Chateau Thierry, and
| took the telegram in to the major
to find out if | couldn't made the De
livery He studied a few moments ana
then he said. Can YOU drive a motor
cycle?" and said. Yes He studied
while longer and then he said "Al
right, get ready to go, and | will go
along with you
So | made all preparations and we
left at noon, travelling over these won
Merful French roads TO Paris. We
didn't delay long in Paris and nothing
\out Of the ordinary happened,
After leaving Paris things began
to assume a more Warlike aspect in
the form OF hurriedly erected tee.
phone and telegraph lines, camou-
FACED sheds which were used a.
headquarters, and going a little far.
ther, we could see the marks of bonn
bardment, which showed clearly how
closely the Hun hal been to coveted
Paris in 1914
History tells us that the kaiser had
ordered his dinner in Paris on a Ger.
tain day, and the Indications all show
that he could have driven in to enjoy
1t easily in half hour from where
he was If he had only been able tc
dislodge the gallant little army OF
"poius" that barred his way.
In short time we were in Chatear
Thierry and we didn't do much sight
seeing until we had made the delivery
of our convoy, which was consigned
to a certain labor battalion workint
with Graves registration unit. They
were located at Crezancy, about fouI
miles from Chateau Thierry. and afte
Strengthening out few dlfficultiei
concerning the memorandum receip
we made delivery and then we had tn,
rest of the time to look around,
The captain to whom we dellyere'
the motorcycle was in charge of al
the territory between Chateau Their
and Fismes and had detachment
working all over this ground, arid h
offered US the hospitality Of any an
all of his camps as long as We care
to stay in this vicinity, so the frs
night the major chose one Of the fol
ward detaehments which was sta
toned at Cierges, a little town abou
Iten miles from the line, ami Cierges
famous for being the town where tn
Germans had machine gun nest /
the steepe of a church and had Re
Cross flags hanging out from it.
AS soon as the Americans disco
cred this they turned the one-poun
ers lose on 1t, and the clock in I'll
steepe now stands at twenty minute
to 2, the time at which this nest va
nut out of action. We slept in tn
town in an old hunting lodge that ha
been usel as headquarters for Il
--- Division after they had taken
Right on the edge of the town
the famous Hill 230. taken by Pen
lsyvana troops In one of the harde
and boodiest battles of the war, wi
the possible exception of Bali,
woods, of which will tell you late
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