Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-10-28
Advance Against
Hun Not An Glory
Even to S. u. Marine


seven miles against hurricane of
German fire, machine gun bullets and
big shells, is not all glory and exhilara-
ton even for a United States marine
This is disclosed in a series of vivid
pen pictures of the tremendous fighting
in which those American boys partici-
pated on the Marine salient written by
Maj. Robert l.. DeniA, OF the marines
to his wife in Philadelphia.
I Major Denig and his battalion took
part in the great allied counter attack
on the Marine salient. July Is. that
started the Hun backward toward Ger
many and began the disintegration OF
the German western front. In that
| fight the marines covered themselves
with glory but at a terrible cost in
killed and wounded. The majors let
ter affords an opportunity to see the
fight thru the eyes of a man who took
part in it.
ITO picture fight" he writes, mix
up a lot Of hungry. dirty, tired and
bloody men with dust, noise and smoke
Forget the clean swords. prancins
horses and Tapping flags. At night,
gas filled woods. falling trees and
bright binding f1ashes.-you can't see
your neighbor-that is war. In the rear
it is all confusion. The general told me
Hurry to such a place, all goes we'll
we are advancing!' His staff miles
away, all clean-one was shaving, an
other eating hot cakes-we had not had
a hot bite for two days. AS I reached
my jumping off place wounded men
killed men. horses blown to bits-the
After describing the beginning of the
advance of the marines to the lighting
line, Major Denig continues:
1--WE were finally. after twelve hours
ride. dumped in, a big field and after a
few hours rest, started our march. II
was hot as hades and we had had moth
ing to eat since the day before. We
at last entered forest; troops seemed
to converge on it from all points. We
marched some six miles in the forest. a
finer one have never seen. Deer would
scamper ahead. We could have. eaten
one raw. At 10 that night, without
food. we lay down in q pouring rain to
sleep. Troops Of all kinds passed us in
the night--a shadowy stream. oyer q
half million men. Some French officers
told us that they had never seen such
concentration since verdun. If then.
"The next day. the 10th of July, we
marched ahead thru jam of troops
trucks, ETC., and came at last to ration
dump where we fell to and ate oul
heads off for the first time in nearly
two days. When we left there. the mer
had bread stuck on their bayonets.
lugged a ham. All were loaded down.
Here 1 passed one Of Wass' lieu
tenants with his hand wounded. He
was pleased as punch and told us the
drive was on. the first we knew OF it
I then passed a few men tof Hunts
company bringing prisoners to the rear
they had colonel and his staff. They
were well dressed, clean and polished
but mighty gliinr looking.
1--WE finally stopped at the far end OF
the forest near dressing station
where Holcomb (Lieut. Col Thomas
Holcomb, of Washington)y again took
command. This station had been big
fine stone farm but was now a COM
plete ruin-wounded and dead lay all
about. The lines had gone on ahead
Had a/fine aero battle fright over us
Late in the afternoon we advanced
again. Our route lay over an open
field covered with dead.
1--WE lay down on a hillside for the
night near some captured German guns,
and until dark watched the cavalry
some four thousand, come up and take
positions. ~ IN
"At 3: 80 the next morning Sitz (Capt.
Walter H. Sitz, Of Davenport. 1owa)
Woke me up and said we were to attack.
The regiment was soon under way and
we picked our way under cover Of a
gas infested valley to az town where
we got our final instructions and left
our packs. wished Sumner Capt.
Allen M. Sumner, Of Washington good
luck and parted.
eve formed up in a sunken road on
two sides of a valley that was perpen-
dicular to the enemy's 'front.', Hughes
(Lieut. Col. John A. Hughes. Of Phila-
delphia), Holcomb left, sibiey Nieut.
Col. Burton w. Sibley. Of Essex juno
ton, Val support, We how began to
get few wounded: one man with
ashen face came charging to the rear
with shell shock. He shook all over,
foamed at the mouth, could not speak.
I put him undersa tent and he acted as
IL he had AT.
!, at $3.50 we Jumped of with a line
Of tanks in the lead. For two 'kilos'
the four lines Of marines were as
straight as die and, their advance
over the open plain In tho bright sun
light was q picture I shall never for
get. The fire got hotter and hotter,
men fell. bullets sung. shells whizzed-
banged and the dust Of battle got thick.
Overton (Lieut. John w. Overton, of
Nashville) was hit by big piece OF
shell and fell. II heard he was hit In the
heart, 80 his death was without pain.
He was buried that night.
"A man near me was cut in two.
Others. when hit could stand, It
seemed, an hour then fall In a heap.
I yelled to Wilmer (Capt. Pere VIII
mer. OF eentsrviiie, MIDI that each
gun In the barrage worked from right
to lebt, then q rabbit ran ahead and !