The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-28
NOT ALL EXHILARATION
FOR u. S. SOLDIERS
Advancing Seven Miles Against Hurri-
cane OF German Fire Has Some Very
Drab Features as Revealed By
Soldiers Letters

Washington, d. G., Oct. 2s.--To adj
vance seven miles against hurricane of
German fire, machine gun bullets and big
shells, is not all glory and exhilaration
even for United States marine. This is
disclosed in a series of vivid pen pictures
of the tremendous fighting in which those
American boys participated on the Marine
salient, written by Major Robert L. De-
mig of the marines to his wife in Phil
adelphia
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 Germany 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 letter affords an opportunity to
see the fight through the eyes Of a man
who took part in IT,
ITO picture a fight" he writes, mix
up a lot of hungry, dirty, tired and
bloody men with dust, noise and smoke
Forget the clean swords, prancing horses
and Tapping flags. At night, gas filled
woods, falling trees and bright, binding
flashes you can't see your neighbor--
that is war. In the rear il is all confu-
sion The general told me, Hurry to
such a place, all goes well, we are ad.
vancing!" His staff miles away, all
clean-one was shaving, another eating
hot cakes-we had not had hot bite
for two days. As ! reached my jumping
off place, wounded men, killed men,
horses blown 70 bits-the contrast"
After describing the beginning of the
advance Of the marines to the fighting
line, Major Denig continues;
1--WE were finally, after IL hours ride,
dumped in big field and after few
hours rest started our march. II was
hot as hades and we had had nothing to
eat since the day before. We at last en-.
tered forest; troops seemed TO converge
six miles in the forest, 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
pouring rain to sleep Troops of all
kinds passed us in the night-a shadowy
stream, over half million men. Some
French officers told us that they had new
er seen such concentration since Verdun,
If then.
"The next day, the 18th Of July, we
marched ahead through jam of troops,
trucks, etc, and came at last to ration
dump, where we fell to and ate our heads
off for the first time In nearly two days
When we left there the men had bread
stuck on their bayonets. lugged ham
All were loaded down,
Here ! passed one of Wass' lieuten-
ants with his hand wounded, He was
pleased as punch and told us the drive
was on, the first we knew of ii. | then
passed few men Of Hunts company
bringing prisoners to the rear. They had
colonel and his staff They were well
dressed, clean and polished, but mighty
glum looking.
I'VE finally stopped at the far end of
the forest near a dressing station, where
Holcomb lieutenant Colonel Thomas
Holcomb of Washington again took
command This station had been big,
fine stone farm but was now complete
wounded and dead lay all about.
The lines had gone on ahead. Had fine
aero battle right 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 4,000-come up and take positions.
cat $3.50 the next morning Sitz (Cap-
tain Walter III. Stz Of Davenport, Ia
woke me up and said we were to attack.
The regiment was soon under way and
we picked our way under cover of gas
infested valley to town where we got
our final instructions and left our packs.
| wished Sumner Captain Allen M. Sum-
ner of Washington good luck and part
ed.
eve formed up in sunken road on
two sides of valley that was perpen-
dieular to the enemy's front; Hughes
(Lieutenant Colonel John A. Hughes of