The Washington times., 1918-08-11
TO SHOOT
MARINE 3 TIMES
BEFORE HE QUIT

How. with almost superhuman
courage and bulldog tenacity, the ma
rines fought their way 10 victory at
BelIeau Wood and Bouresches over
ground every inch of which was bit
terly contested by the Boches is de-
scribed in a letter made public by
Major General Barnett, the comman-
dant
The marine brigade not only lived
up to the very best traditions Of our
service" says the writer. but even
surpassed them at times. because we
never faced such odds and never
were confronted by such a crisis"
The marines were under a terrific
drive from the time they left their
rest area on May 30 until they were
temporarily relieved fifteen days
later
The strain accumulated like a
SNOWFALL running down hill" the
writer says until we were pulled out
temporarily on the 18th. and al times.
in that long stretch II looked as
though the elastic backbone OF the
men and officers could not stand an
other tug, but they were always
ready on an instants notice 10 de-
counter attack"
The Americans took up the support
line with the hard-pressed French on
June !. The next day the French.
tired out and outnum bered. began to
drop back, and that afternoon. by
prearranged plan. they passed
through the American line and the
marines became the front line.
Had n Box Seat.
We had dropped back from our
mandJ." the narrator continues. ''and
installed ourselves in a house in La
Vote Chatel. a little village between
Champillon and y-Ie- Bocage.
From one side we had observation of
the north. and when the Germans at
tackled at p. m. we had a box seat.
They were driving at Hill l65 from
the north and northeast and they
came out on a wonderfully clear day. |
in two columns across a wheat field. |
From our distance il looked fiat and
green as a baseball field We could
see the two thin brown columns ad-
vancing in perfect order until two
thirds OF the column. we judged, were
in view. The rife and machine gun
fire was incessant, and overhead the
shrapnel was bursting. Then the
shrapneI came on the target at every
shot 1t broke just over and just
ahead Of those columns. and then the
next bursts sprayed over the very
green in which we could see the
columns moving II seemed for al;
the world that the green field had
burst out in patches OF white daisies
where those columns were doggedly
moving.
The white patches would roll away
and we could see that some OF the
columns were still there. slowed up,
and il seemed perfect suicide for them
to try. You couldn't begrudge a
tribute to their pluck. at that Then
under deadly FIRE and the barrage Of
rifle and machine gun fire. the boche
stopped. it was too much for any
men. They burrOwed in OF broke to
the cover OF woods"
Grows EnthhsIRStIe,
Over the work OF Major Sibley and
his battalion the writer grows en-
thusiastic. "AIl that day and the
next 9th and Sth) SibIey's men rush
ed machine gun nests in hand-to-
hand hghting. The guns were en-
placed on crests in the thick woods. /
on rocky ridges. with hre to all
points. Many times the groups got q
footing on these crests, only to have /,
to fall back in the face Of a deadly !
machine gun and stick grenade fire 1
1t was work OF the most reckless |
against heavy odds. and they !
took their toll OF US for every gun |
captured or disabled. The COPY of |
cen; you will tell you |
better than anything else the story of |
magnificent work before the |
artillery preparation made the task |
an easier one"
The narrative is repIete with facts |
OF personal heroism. Young Robin /
son charged into certain death to |
take one nest. and string of bull
lets caught him full in the breast |
And Young Roberts. a runner told me. |
the last time the runner saw him was
fiat on a rock not twenty yards away |
from one gun. blazing at IL with an
automatic in either hand. They hit |
him three times, and hit him hard |
before he would consent to go to the
rear"
Returning to srbley. the writer con-
tlnues:
There was not an officer left In .
the Eighty-seeond company. and Sib
ley and his adjutant. Bellamy. re-
organized them under close nre and