The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-12-19
MEN OF IDAHO
AND WASH.
In 36lST
OFFICER TELLS OF FIERCE BAT.
TIES IN WHICH OUR BOYS PAR
TICIPATED.

Scrlptlon OF the terrific fighting north
west of Verdun, in which the Dist di-
vision, trained at Camp Lewis, took
heroic part and suffered tragic losses,
is contained in a letter from Lieut.
Ernest X. Murray Of Tacoma, to his
wife, which was published in Seattle
papers recently.
Lieutenant Murray was with the
headquarters company of the 361st in
fantry regiment, made up principally
of Tacoma, Seattle, Spokane and north
idaho men. 1t suffered heavy losses.
Lieutenant Murray is the son of
John l.. Murray, proprietor of the
Tourist hotel and Pierce county pio-
neer He is graduate of the Univer-
sity of Washington and at the time of
his enlistment for the First Presidio
officers training camp was Il practic-
ing attorney, with offices In the Bank
of California building
The letter, dated October II, says:
Since my last letter l have led a
most strenuous and hazardous life, and
though now very dirty, quite tired and
somewhat hungry (for it takes some
days to, catch up, | am still as whole
and healthy as ever, thanks to mar
yelous and persistent luck.
On the morning of September 20
at 5 80 we went over the top. You
have undoubtedly read of our First
army's Argonne and Mouse offensive
(north of Verdun, near where we have
been for three weeks).
In the st. Mihiel offensive we were
reserves and lay around in the mud for
three days, but We're not needed and
did not come under fire.
We left the vicinity of that fight
and were dropped about so kilometers
from here, whence we marched by
night moves, spending the days con-
cealed in billets or woods.
Finally we landed right behind the
lines and within range of the boche
guns. He used to drop a dozen or so
shells each night, but apparently did
not want to offend us, so he never pick
ed the spot where we were. / had
heard before of quiet sectors, but never
had conceived OF anything SO lacking
of hostilities as was this place, before
that memorable morning.
On the night before zero our adjutant
and L walked all over No Mans Land
without interruption, seeing nothing
and hearing nothing.
Well, the three. days before the at
tack were busy ones, getting UP sup
plies, ammunition and all descriptions
fare. There was no sleep for anyone
that night, and very little since. Our
quota of trench mortars never came
During the attack l mourned a hun
dred lost opportunities to use them eff
fectively), and l WAS attached to regi-
mental headquarters al a sort of aide
to the colonel. Spent that last night
arranging numerous details that our
fighting organizations might be. in the
best possible working order.
We had an immense artillery prep
aration, starting about IA hours be
fore zero, and it made you thing that
the end of the world had come. 1t was
impossible to converse without shout
ing.
Well, just before zero, the colonel
told me to find out how the attack got
off and l hurried Down (No Mans
Land was a sort of valley with woods
on each side) and went over the top
with the first lire and kept with them
for the first kilometer and half
There was no opposition. A German
plane came flying low and shot at us
with its machine gun; that was all. /
dropped back and reported and was
sent to the unit on our right with SINH
lar results
When the attack had progressed be.
tween three and four kilometers we
met our first serious opposition ma
chine gun and artillery fire. Found
our first wounded 1.-TWO very seriously
and two slightly and met four guards
bringing in 80 prisoners. They were
the regiments first human loot.
First Officer Killed.
The woods (Bois de Cheppy) into
which we jumped off was about foui
kilometers deep, and at its northern
edge 1.-THE attack was northerly) and
from then on it was fight every inch
with machine guns and artillery, and
lots of them. We forced on, and before
evening made four more kilometers,
stopping just south of Epmonville
Here we lost OFF first officer (killed)
Lieut.. Smith. However, our casual
ties for the day We're light, and it was
not until the next dag that we first
learned the real meaning of war.
The second day we fought for Ep-
knoxville, so did the b0che, and we had
IA pretty hard fight. We were opposed
by the famous PrCssian guards, who
fought with all the cleyerness and
courage that their four ears exper-
fence and high esprit de corps gave
them. just as we were taking the
town our own artillery began dropping
shells short (for the sccCnd time that
day, so the men fell back and scatter
ed. and we had to dig in for the night
with Epmonv ~ ntal;en, but the
southern pGd II lines.
She ouii...
Men Wi 4, fire for hours
without giving an iA Il. but few shells
of our own among them has a democrat
ling effect Genprallv II tlkpS -