The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-05-09
THRILLING STORY
OF HAIG RETREAT
Illinois Officer Relates Experience
Of Hun Attack on the
British.
ten DIVISIONS AGAINST ONE
Despite Overwhelming Number Of En-
smY HIs Losses Were Great
Miraculous Escape From 5ap-
tism Of Shell Fire.

First Lieutenant Roswell T. Petit.
n. OR. O., Of Ottawa, H.. in a letter
to his father, DR.. ]. W. Petit Of the
Ottawa tuberculosis colony, and pub
Iished in the Chicago Tribune, relates
the thrilling story Of the great battle
in Picardy. The American officer was
in the thickest Of the fighting for nine
days, during the retreat of the British
Fifth army from before St. Quentin.
Lieutenant Pettit's account of the bat
tie thrills with the stress of the con-
1iict, as 1t was written Immediately
after he had passed through the tre-
mendous experiences and before his
Impressions had been in any way dulled
BY time. His letter follows:
Lieutenant PettIts Letter.
March 80.
Dear Father: Now that the show is
over for me for the time being, and
have time to breathe and sleep and eat
and write, I'll try and tell you about
the battle. Before you receive this
you will have had the whole story from
the papers, but l know you will be
interested in knowing what did in the
affair.
OF course, the things saw were but
an infinitesimal part Of a gigantic
whole and 1t would be impossible for
me to give a correct description Of the
battle. And as I write this, / do 1t
with no knowledge whatever Of what
has been going on even few miles
from me.
have not seen paper in eight days !;
/ have received no mail, and the only
Information we have received has been
by word of mouth, and most Of what
we hear must be wild rumOrs. For ex-
ample: The French have advanced
20 miles at Verdun, the Ameri-
cans have taken Ostend, and are on
their way to Zeebrugge, and a great
naval battle has been fought in the
North sea.
All know is that on this part Of the
front the Germans attacked us in over
whelming numbers, in places ten divi-
Sions to our one; that they suffered
terrible losses, but finally broke
through our lines of defense, one after
another, and fighting for the most part,
a rear guard action, we have retired
about Is miles in a straight line.
For a week before the battle started
we had been expecting it; we were
ready to move on 80 minutes no
tice. / had keen out with cOmbatant
as we'll as medical officers on tours of
reconnaissance, definite methods OF
evacuation of the wounded had been
worked out, and our plans Of counter
attack been made. After four or five
days of waiting, the storm finally
broke.
The Boche opened up on us at 5 a. m.
March 81, with the heaviest barrage
have ever heard. "Stand to-" was
sounded, we turned out dressed, and
had all our equipment packed in &c
minutes. Then we sat down and
waited for orders to move. The bar
rage kept up continuously, sometimes
heavier and then of less intensity
I
of us and then suddenly it switched to
the south.
Our balloons were up as soon as II
was light and the airplanes were buz'
King over our heads. The ground mist
gradually cleared and the Germans
put a hail Of shrapnel on our camp
and we all took cover, but three mer
were hit. Why it is a fellow always
feels safer with q roof over his head
even If he knows bullets and Shrapne
and pieces Of shell will 60 through
boards and corrugated iron just like
paper.
Ordered to Move.
Our orders to move finally came anC
we marched of to the brigade assem-
bly, point several miles away. This as
Sembly point was in a little bunch O.
trees about the size Of Allen park ant
behind and separated from large
wood in front. In the larger wooC
there was a battery Of heavy artiller!
and shells were dropping in there TIVE
or three to q minute, and it was heav!
stuff, too.
Sometimes they overshOt the BIZ
wood and shells were landing in th'
open around the little wood where m!
brigade had its assembly point. A
we approached our little cOpse w
could make all this out from some dis
tance away and it wasn't a pleasan
sensation to feel that we were march
ing straight into it.
All the battalions arrived and in tina
little copse there must have been a
least two thousand men. What 1
chance If the Germans only knewl Blu
the shells continued to drop in front o
us and on either side, but none landet
among US. and after waiting there TO
three hours, expecting to be blown t,
bits any second, we finally moved for
ward. Just as we left the copse. from
behind Us, up over a ridge, came
stream of gallOping horses.
"It's the cavalry" someone shouted
but soon I made out limbers and fiel'
guns.
They galloped past US, going lik
mad, took up q position to our right
swung into position. unlimbered, ant
~~~~~~~~~~~1~~