Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-17
KEYSTONE LADS
KILL 9 TO | in A
BATTLE WITH FOE
Mess Sergeant Kicks Away His
Pans to Work Gun on
Germans

witness accounts of how the 10th
infantry. former Pennsylvania
guardsmen fought the best of the
crown princes army to standstill
at the Marne were brought here yes
terday by the Rev. f. A. La Violette.
Doctor La Violette. a Seattle.
Wash, clergyman, was Y. M. c. A.
secretary with the 10th. Just home
from France, he is visiting Pennsyl-
Vania cities and towns which sent
their sons into the 10th, to relate
the gallantry of the boys in this COM
mand.
In his enthusiasm he gives two
companies of this regiment credit
for holding back the German drive of
July 10. Company b, of Beaver
county, and Company c, of Somerset
county, said Doctor La Violette, lost
all their officers. either killed, wound
ed or taken prisoner, except one,
Lieutenant Claude w. Smith, of Com
pany b.
Calling the survivors around him
in a wheatfield, bounded on three
sides by a forest, Lieutenant Smith
formed the remnants into one com
pany and these men held up the
flower of the German army and de-
, layed it's advance, so that the objec-
/ tives never were reached" Doctor
La Violette related.
Infiict Terrific Hun Loss
Those boys struck in shellpits in
that field until they caused such ter
! rife loss of life in the enemy's ranks
! that the Germans finally went around
| this handful of soldiers rather than
face further determination. The cas-
| ualities on the German side were
| frightful. ! went over the battlefield
afterward and there were at least
nine dead Germans to every Amer
lean. and maybe more than that.
Germans tried to pick our boys
out of the shellpits by climbing trees
| and firing down, but the Pennsyl-
vanians shot the Germans from the
trees as they climbed up. When the
Germans moved around the gallant
defenders, Lieutenant Smith took his
| little band to the Marne river, a short
distance ahead of them, and they
worked their way along the bank of
the river to the regimental head
quarters. where the lieutenant and
thirty-two men reported to Colonel
Kemp"
Between eighty and ninety mem
bers of Company C. the Somerset
county unit in this engagement, were
reported missing in action after the
battle. It's captain. William Curtis
TruXal, is now prisoner in Ger
many.
Philadelphia boys, formerly mem
bers of the Third regiment, N. G.. P.
are scattered through the companies
in the 10th, which combines the
Third of this city, and the Tenth. of
Western Pennsylvania. Colonel
George E. Kemp, of this city. is the
commander.
Mess Sergeant Gets Excited
Not understanding the French sys-
tenn of 'spring-back warfare" Doctor
La Violette continued, "a Philadel-
phia mess sergeant became excited
and broke military law. but he was
forgiven. We were at mess one day
when some French troops fighting on
hill in full view began falling back.
The sergeant watched them. Then
he turned to some pans he had
started cleaning and kicked the uten-
sils in all directions.
Damn those kettles! he shouted,
and grabbing a gun, raced away to
join the soldiers. But when he got
to the scene of action the French
were driving back the Germans, hav-
ing worked their spring back trick
of retiring, then rushing forward
suddenly.
1T was about o'clock in the
morning of the attack that hell broke
loose. The most violent shelling took
place, and gas and more gas was
poured on the 10th. But the boys
did not finch. Splendid fellows that
they were. they returned everything
they got.
The cream of the German army
was in that advance. Until Thursday.
July IL, the battle swayed back and
forth. Lines advanced only to re-
treat. The Pennsylvania boys hourly
crowned themselves with glory. Their
heroism was displayed anew with
each moment of the struggle.
blue Devils to the Rescue
Thursday saw rapid changes. The
Pennsylvanians were reinforced by
regiment of French blue devils, who
were brigaded with the Americans.
Then the Franco American sweep be-
gan.
One sergeant from PHILADELPHIA
came into a Red Cross station to
nave shrapnel wounds dressed. His
side had been cut in several places.
| attended him and told him an am
pulance would be along shortly to
take him back to the base hospital,
Ambulance nothingp he exclaim-
ed. I'm going back there and he
joined his company ON the firing line.
I'm the Grand Forest the BOYS of
the 10th captured a chateau which
was filed with ammunition, left by
the enemy in his hurried retreat be-
fore the onrushing Pennsylvanians.
The Pennsylvania boys are won
derful, would glory in being a Penn
sylvanian just to be included within
state that sends such boys as the
10th, 109th and 111th regiments TO
France.
Tell this to all Pennsylvania" the
doctor concluded: The Pennsylvania
boys are clean. They are not going
to the Jimmy bow-wows over there
Not alone are they keeping their
bodies clean, but their souls, too, are
good"
OF the three sons of Mr.. and Mrs.
M. A. Ferguson, Greenville, who are
corporals in Company M. 112th in
fantry, two were sent to hospitaIs
following the lighting of July 15.
Corporal Vernon Ferguson was shot
In the left arm. and his brother. Will
liam Ferguson, was gassed.
FRENCH WHEAT CROP BIG
Paris, Aug. 1.-THE total pro-
duction of wheat in France this year
is estimated at S3,500,00O bushels.