Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-27
COLONEL OF OLD THIRD REGl-
MENr RELATES BATTLE
EXPERIENCES.
EiGhT-pAY BATTLE IN
WHICH HALF WERE HIT
Regiment Acquitted Itself With Glory
in Fight Which Put Huns on Run
North Of Marne-Probable Now
Back in Fighting Line After Rest OF
Several Weeks - Profiteering in
France.


16S:h infantry Iowa's -ighting regiment
with the Rainbow division in France
lost l,inO officers and men, or prac-
tically half of its combatant strength.
in the eight day chase in which the
Huns were sent pell-mell back across
the Marine between scissors ana
Rheims, IS the statement OF Col f. h
Bennett in letter to Lafayette Young
publisher of the Capital.
Colonel Bennett tells of the immense
quantities of stores. and amJnuniuon
abandoned by the fleeing Germans. Oh
the numbens of German deadA and OF
the splendid behavior of the Iowa boys
in the twelve-mile drive.
Colonel BENEFITS letter Is dated
Aug. %. He states that the regiment
will likely be in rest billets three or
four weeks from that date, therefore IL
is very probable that the HaWkeye
organization has recently returned to
the front.
Colonel Benefits letter follows:
Life has been very strenuous Win
the Forty-second division and the
18sth infantry, particularly since be-
ing relieved June 20 from the Baccarat
sector in the Lorraine. Cur activities
there were around Badonvillcr. which
have been largely published, so there
is no violation of orders in writing
this.
Since leaving there we have been
on the Champagne front for two
weeks: then relieved and put in the
line of the advance ia pursuit of the
retreating enemy across IN Marine IN
the reduction of the salient between
scissors and Rheims.
I'VE were in the pursuit eight days,
which was plenty. and the regiment
was relieved Aug. very much ex-
hausted and depleted in numbers
During the eight days the regimen.
lost 400 officers and men, or ABOUT
so per cent of the effective opmpatan'
strength. -
81 wish I could describe In ntuns
way our experiences-the scenes on
me battlefield over which the enemy
| had precipitately retreated.. Ihey
abandoned a nenofrnous amount OF
war material and millions Of rounds oil
shells Of. all caliber. They also lett
large number of dead, and. in fact,
their whole retrea. showed signs OF
| being very hurried. The Rainbow
division. unfortunately. suffered quite
| severely; but that is to be expected.
Our advance. while in was about
| twelve miles.
"The regiment as usual. behaved
splendidly, and If ! had the time !.
could relate numberless instances OF
personal bravery which go to show the
quality and spirit Of our troops. The
| division has won much commentator
from French and American high COM
mands for their conduct in these oper-
atoms.
rTbe situation. as you know, has
changed materially on the west front
in the last thirty days, and from De-
ing a German offensive II has turned
to an allied offensive. The results
are most favorable and must exert a
tremendous influence on the political
situation of the central powers; II
will. no doubt do much to hasten the
/ end of the war. l can fancy the )ol-
LITIGATION caused in the United states
| nv the news Of the allied successes.
and particularly the results OF the
| American operation.
Have Time to Rest.
we were relieved August and
have been in rest since, but was not
sure that we would have a rest OF
any extent, so did not cable Gov
ernor Harding to that effect until to-
day. l expect that we will be here IN
rest and training about three or four
weeks longer.
Our rice down the Marine valley
to this 5>aiea last Sunday was very
| delightful, The day was fine and
the people all out along the river and
the canal cheering us as the tram
went by. 1t was quite a relief, these
scenes of beauty after the endless
weeks and months of ruined and de-
serted villages. Frante indeed, Is a
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