The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-30
MoorI1ead News
NET BOLSHEVIK
ON NURNAN COAST
Harold Gunnes, Barnes
vile Boy, Waded Rus
sian Swamp to Escape

Harold Guinness. Barnesville young
man. who enlisted in the navy. writes
to c. S. Marden, of Moorhead, of his
experiences on the Murman coast and
near Archangel, Russia, with the
Bolshevik. The letter is written from
the U. S. s. Olympia. Admiral De-
wey's old flagship.
Harold, who is the 1S-year-old son
of Thomas Guinness, was a student in
the GAINESVILLE high school when ne
enlisted in the navy. In his letter
he tells of being caught between two
forces Of Bolsheyiki and compelled to
travel four days and three nights,
the last 40 hours without food, TO
escape through so miles of hip deep
marshes. On that trip he lost %
pounds.
Following is the letter in part. 4
I'VE left Charleston, s. c., on
April % and arrived at Mevinansk.
Russia, on the Murman coast, the
new port Kola located nine miles up
the river.
"On June a landing force of 100
sailors was sent ashore as there was
trouble arising. After we had things
quieted there, we had only two small
fights after capturing rifles and ma
chine guns. We then went across
the White sea to Archangel.
when we arrived at ArchangeT.
we ESQ American sailors), with 100
Frenchmen, 25 Poles and so Russians
were sent up the line to battle Boil
shevik. We travelled up the Dvirna
river for two days, making about 60
miles. We then hiked about 80
miles and ran into a bunch of 260
Bolsheyiks who were entrenched and
had three field pieces and 16 machine
guns. After six hours fighting we
captured the town; also an armored
car of English make.
THE Bolsheviki retreated % miles
to another town and we followed
them. Here saw a baby with its
head cut off by a Bolshevik just be-
cause 1t cried.
I'VE found the Bolshevik to be
about 600 strong and fortified on q
HILL Our main object was to cap
ture the town of Iburskia, a connect
ing point to the Archangel and
Trans Siberian railways. 1t is a
junction that had to be taken before
Vologda. Finding them too strong
ly fortified for our small force, we
returned the % miles and started up
a branch road. We kept hammering
away at the advance guards and an
other force was fighting on the op-
posite side of the town.
about six miles from the town
(probably SyskoD we engaged the
main body OF the Bolshevik and
fought them from p. m. until 2:30
short OF ammunition and were or
dered to retreat.
After digging trenches for day
and half force OF 500 Bolshevik
attacked us on our rear. We had
500 in front and 800 behind and our
force was less than 200 as we had
lost about 20 men. After holding for
20 hours we had to make for the
woods and marshes to try and reach
the other force. It took us four days
and three nights to travel through
this 80 miles of marshes. For the
last 40 hours we had nothing to eat
and the marshes were hip deep.
"On that trip lost % pounds. All
the Frenchmen with us had been on
the Western front for over three
years and they told US it was the
worst they had ever been in. I
wouldn't take any amount of money
for my experience, but it was plain
"On November i. soon after the
troops came, we left Archangel TAX
ing American Ambassador Francis,
who had been compelled to leave
Russia by that route, to a hospital
in Scotland. He had some very hard
experiences. On the way to Scotland
/ was one of the sailors who had the
honor of shaking hands with the
ambassador After landing the
Ambassador we proceeded to Ports
mouth, England, where was given
ten days leave that / spent in Lon
don. I spent a very interesting time
visiting the Houses of Parliament,
London Tower and other places, but
London is no place for a weak mai
to spend leave.
Men OF the navy who wish to be
released from service are handing
their n<mes. have put mine in, for
I honestly wish to get out now that
all the dirty work is done. want
to finish my education and I don't
think the navy, in peace time, has
many opportunities for a young man
with any ambition"