Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-10-15
A Brief History of the losd Infantry.
Aceompshments by Regiment Which
Old Second Maine b Part.

The following story Of the 10Sd q.
direct personal interest, because the old
pared for the speakers participating
already been used by them. This as CIV
In Keunebec County, but 10 Of Interest
have access to authentic sources OF infol
in every detail, II 10 substantially correc
The Second Maine was one of the bes
National Guard regiments In the United
States. It was brought to war strength
two months before any other white
regiment in the country, viz: 20O2 en-
listed men and So officers. The repre-
sentative of the American Railway As
ISOLATION stated that the three divisionl
of this regiment unlosded at Westtield
in just len minutes, q worlds record.
Al Westfield this Maine regiment wal
augmented by men from the 1st New
Hampshire Regiment, and lster from the
9Th Mass. and became the 10S Infantry
Regiment. Incorporated into the 26th
Division, this regiment followed
Pershing to France and this division was
the first full division TO arrive on French
soil. It is now known az the Yankee
Division.
The 2eth Division is made up of four
infantry regiments, three regiments OF
artillery, and a regiment Of engineers.
The division also includes trench
mortar battery, and three machine gun
battaliOns. In the artillery units and
among the engineers may be found men
from the Maine Coast Artillery and
others from the Milliken RegimeDt;% so
that Maine Ia we'll represented In this
now famous Yankee Division. The four
infantry regiments In the Division are
the 10lst, composed of Massachusetts,
men; the 102nd, composed mostly OF
Connecticut men, with few -Aassa.
chusetts and Vermont men; the 1881,
composed mostly of Maine and New
Hampshire boys; and the 104th, COM
posed of Massachusetts men.
The 1OSrd arrived in France In
October, 1917, and was. quartsred for
training purposes in the Vosges, In the
Neufchateau area, in village Of some
three thousand Inhabitants, called
Liffold ls Grande. This town is situated
in What was known as the Zone of Ad-
vancement. 1t was five or six days
march from the front. No aeroplanes
we're. seen here, but on still nights the
rumble of the gums was sometimes
heard. The winter was cold, but did
not com pare in severity with our Maine
winters. At times there were eight
inches of snow and occasionally the
thermometer registered twenty degrees
below zero. The regiment received Its
training from the 163rd French Regiment.
also quarteped in the town, resting, and
being recruited for the thirtieth time.
Instruction WAS received In the use OF
the bayonet, granade, automatic ride,
gas, and fire-bomb. Practice was also
bad in the French formations. The
regiment remained In Liffold le Grande
until February, 1918. The boys look
upon this village a. their home In
France, and their relations with the
villagers were 80 pleasant that these
villagers asked that the boys be return
to them, an unusual occurrence.
During February and March, 1918. the
regiment was brigaded between two
French Regiments on the westerly end
Chemin de Danes, in the vicinity Of
Pinion Wood, Allsmant, and the Aillette
Canal. Just ut that time, the sector was
quiet one. The 10Srd In taking up Its
new position on this sector passed
through Scissor on February 9Th, and
marched about eight miles to point
some three miles behind the battle
front. Here they took up quarters In an
immense cave, or chalk quarry, forty
feet underground, capable OF holding
with ease tho entire regiment. The line
between the Allies and the Germans Was
here marked by the Aillette Canal, .
space of perhaps one hundred and fifty
yards separating the two armies. The
work of the division OF this sector
consisted of STRENGTHENING the
barbed wire entsnglements and
of digging trenches farther
back, to be used II necessity required.
Much of this work was done under
artillery fire. Spaulding, of 81. Com.
pany, and Hunt, of Headquarters Co.
were here killed by shell FIRE. Trouble
was also experienced from gas. Each
battalion, made up of four companies,
would bold the front trench for sixteen
days, four days to . company. The
Augusta Company, being quarantined
for Q time, because OF scarlet-fever,
measles, and mumps, had but little OF
this front line work. Under Sithe
tutelsge of the French the boys resist.
cd enemy raids, executed raids Of their
own, captured prisoners, and lost very
few men.
While the infantry were receiving this
instruction, the artillerymen were learn
Ing to handle tho French 175 guns, One
night when an allied raid wss to be made
for the purpose OF taking prisoners, the
French allowed their American scholars
to lay the barrage. The French 176 Ia
Capable Of firing about six shots . min
ute without heating the gun. When the
word was given for the barrage, the
Americans, In their zeal to give 1.-THE
Boche hell, fired some twenty three
shots minute, In spite OF the agonlzed
"Nou, non, mons" of the excited
Frenchmen. As result OF this usage,
some four batteries, numbering sixteen
guns, were put out Of. commission, and
bad to be sent hack for repairs. A Cor
man officer, captured during this raid,
asked a. q last favor, before being sent
to the rear, to see the new automatic l75
that the French had been using against
them in laying that bsrrsge.
About the 10th or Goth OF March,
word suddenly arrived for tho regiment
to hike ont, as they supposed for rest
area. Before they had oil left the
vicinity, the big German drive on the
Chemin de Dsmen Was under way, and
had this regiment remained, It would In
eli probability have been snnihilated q
vere the French by the German horde
which overran and took this powerful
defense system. As 1t was, companies
E, F, g and q, comprising the Skow.
hegau, Dover-Foxcroft, Bangor and
Watervill6 boys, were harried by hostile
syiatore. Tho station ct which the!
were to entrain was destroyed by air
craft bombs, and the Grew refused for
| time TO operate the train. The secont
battalion and Headquarters Company
we're subjected to. terrific shell.fire, Ant
| escaped casualties only BY the CREATES
Of good fortune.
By rail the regiment was again carried
to the southeastern part OF France, lant
detrsined at Bar sur Aube.' From thti
place they liked for five days aeros
country to their original training village
BifPul le Grande. Here they expected
to remain for training purposes, to- pm
Into practice what they had Ieernet
from tho French 10 tho Chemln ID
DANES Area. Such was not the scaee
however, for the regiment, after al ai'
.o.t .aa. msr0hed Aaaterly. ant