Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-24
FURY Of MARINE BATTLE
TOLD BY AN OFFICER
They Shall Not Cross the River,
Was Constant Thought IN
Minds of u. S. Soldiers.


PENNSYLVANIA officer writing OF the
Msrne battle pays splendid tribute To the
bravery and capacity OF the American
soldier.
After maneuvcring around tor ten
days we finally were gwen our chance,
and on the morning of the 18th oi July
we were attached 10 the 3Sth French
ARMY Corps and that same day took
position ON the south side of the Nlarnc
River. between Coude and Chateau
rh,erry. On our right were the veteran
French 62d DIVISION, and on the lett
al us verc the First and 26th American
Divisions. These were the four divisions
IN front, although ihc French divisions
and the American Third DIVISION were
IN reserve.
You read. oi course, of that terrible
battle. and ven say much about Il
here The follow ing afternoon the most
lnch.ful harragc ever thrown was sent
over hv the Huns II VAS terrible, aS
those French veterans said ~ You can
imagine what II was to the keystone
bows. for IT was thclr baptism OF fire.
All dav july - that night the follow
ing dav and night, was all terrible
nightmare to u> The Huns. IN vast
hordes on the north bank Of the Marine
inc IN support of them. were doing thcIr
utmost to clear the way for their adj
vance On the south side oi the Marine
vcrc French and imcucans with only
on, thought They shall not cross BE
hind our infantry and machine gunncrs
vas the artillery hidden IN every nook
and corner. waiting tor thClr orders 10
give the Huns a taste OF hell and their
own medicine Rut orders we're orders
and they had 10 wait and hldc thrr
time. The brave bows IN the mfantr,
certainly were heroic. and when word
was passed that the following morning
thcv were 20 counter attack they Crcd
with JOY
The French were compelled to fall
back on our night and 1t was here where
We wen our great name Seeing that
rhe French were falling back. and rs
that move Threatened u.s. the luah and
ll0th infantry vent 10 thor assistance.
Their, theN stood ike a rnck anL for
eighteen hour, held iour t,crnan dtvI-
-ious Ii WAS hcrr where NJ Wcrc ctr-
tened The Iron DIVISION and hc Rock
ii the Mari
The following morning title trap Was
An land ior the iiun> The French and
americans fell hack As prvafraugcd, aud
tllnped the hochcs ~ cross thc Marine
Nftcr letting thcm aCrnSS snd drawing
them away trnm thcr artlli,r ~upIufi
the curtain went np rom "NcrA hill
mi knoll and catnouhagcd mounds
.hcc' of death tnd tame tapci frum
hc Nlhrd artillery TIL, earth tfculItd
and thc lin lud raar could br heard a-
tar back Fl. p,rlS Ni, Tie hrlagt> ard
pantoons acres, the Maine Werc blown
fn picccs, and terror aud prnir rolgnri
among he Huns hut the Woi~t Ms Ntt
"a come. and II came u a iCN minutes
The doughhoN> charged With oulJ steel
ma before lnnr thr Naruc kNCr WaS
literally choked NIL dead Han, icro-s
d, Marine he dou1hboys wont drNng
The liuns before thym, and ,au hneW
TN re>t ~ tie story lhcs dd roi stop
~ thirty dAys, and d strcIN Wa> great
sport for Just t. think II Was fh, af~t
me u four vears that rhe Huns WrIc
.u The run
"a errc Is Tin drI1c nom IlN li
n1l september 2 th, lungt- tiat auN
NmtIlran division ha> hccn Is iur Ne
III course lost lots II boys and the
tctrcat ~ III, Ilaus from TIE Manc
to the Al d, EiNcr can easily hc ,ra.,i
hV he graves a' bows from I'll, hty
stone Di1isl.n Who made The notl, st
lfcc
on ~cptenhcr = we were relt1cQ h
i ha' sector. and Tho following t.h cor-
lnenccd hiking and dtcr hree d.1- We
ound ourselves III Ec truunLc woods
September IL After 0ghf days 81
preparation here We once more were
used at the PIVOT or keystone oi the
famous Argonne drive Tho drive com
tnenced ~ , q IN september 26, and
the terrible and most heart rcnGlnC bat
ilc of the war Wss on We were n
the scrap for nineteen DAYS snd j. waS
tins DIVISION that captured Nercuure.
NoundbIdanS lie Agreement Chantlc-
berry. etc. Every inch had - tc fought
for here. ana no matter vhich WAY
YOU moved YOU tiIrtcd with death
How are mother brothers and sister
Remember me 10 all The ueIghbors. and
hope before long 10 be- right with ,ou
and Ginning ike oden TIMES Iot~
Of love. and Merry Z hristmas to ail =