Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-02
Two Mass Meetings
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honored guest OF the evening. And he
said that the people could see and hear
and feel in the speaker Of the evening
q man who Is at once a great soldier. a
thorough disciplinarian, and . man Who
had great thought for the welfare OF
the boys. He then introduced General
Edwards.
General cdwards' Address
A Gener.l Edwards was introduced
the audience rose and. led by Senator
Gannett, ave three hearty cheers. and
this greeting the general answered with
a military salute. 1t was a wonderful
story that he told to Augusta people
the story Of the famous 18th Division.
which was on the spot every minute
and took ouch a prominent part In
breaking Germany's military strength
and turning the tide Of the war from
defeat to victory. He told his story
in a modest. unassuming n and
his message wen straight to the hearts
Of his audience.
After addressing the others in the au-
dience he turned to h e soldier boys
and addressed them as 'Fellow YankS."
He then thanked his audience for the
welcome they had accorded him. He
aid he was glad Of the opportunity Of
meeting the mothers. fathers. sisters
n sweethearts and the girls who were
wise enough to wait and become sweet
hearts of those lads of whom the peo-
pie should be proud. They don't make
any better men than those men of
yours who came from Maine" he said.
General Edwards said that he had told
the legislature in the afternoon about
the Maine boys and that he must re-
peat himself-that the boys were eve
a little better than the people sup
posed and he believed that they would
not come back as a lot Of boys. but
as men who have stood the hardest
test men have ever stood. He said
that people have heard of Bunker Hill.
Lexington n Concord, but that the
boys can tell that they never had gas
there. nor airplanes flying night and
day. nor bombs that would break a
building. They never had gum for
which an easy was IL miles. nor
the Boche methods to contend with. And
w SOW SS0S "S " coy Su3 ~
trying to depriv the men who fought
in those former battles Of any of their
glory.
He stated that less than two years
ago he saw those 1000 boys together
for the first time. 1t was a mob,
but a mighty good looking mob. He
had said to the Governor, Let me
have those boys. I would like to be
their colonel. They would break
through q bunch Of wild cats. and
God pity the Boche tina stand up
against them"
The attention of the audience was
then turned to the field of battle,
where the officers had information
taat Is Boche divisions were coming
from the eastern to the western
line. Five out Of his ten officers
were all who were left. He had said
Garry on: bullets will do this" The
responsibility was his. whether he
had picked out the men who would
give the Boche a run for his life. He
told his audience that he must con-
fess 10000 casualties. 1T was dis
couraging." he said. And he Their
went on to tell that in all the audi
ences he has addressed he has never
had q mother or father put the ques-
ton to him. Couldn't you save my
boy: couldn't you have made the at
tack differently" On the contrary.
women with tears in their eyes have
said to him God bless you; you did
all you could for my boy And the
general hen spoke many words of
praise for the women of America.
General Edwards later in his ad
dress told of his visit to Col. Hume,
whose post command was in a cave.
He could zee tie Boche and what ia
more they could see him, and he and
Col. Hume had to jump into the
trench to get out Of the way of the
bullets. The speaker then spoke or a
gentlemen's agreement that if one
side would let up. the other side
would. But o in Maine cam
keep such a gentlemen's agreement
he said. The 103rd men came UP
In three days 80 Boche snipers had
been tumbled down.
One day General Edwards had seer
Col. Hume. rife in hand. out after
Boche snipers. A sniper of the 1O3rd
was showing him where the men were.
Col. Hume was looking at the men
through magnifying glasses. He had
said to Col Hume This is good work
for a colonel to be doing" Col. Hume
had answered hat it was good fun
General Edwards then read the list
of his killed and wounded men, re-
ferring especially to the casualties of
Maine men. And in speaking Of the
Maine boys he said that they never
lost q bit Of ground and they never
failed to get their objective. The
speaker, then paid q compliment to
Major Southland; he said that Major
Southland could not be fused up and
that the men all believe in him. He
told Of one of Major S%outhard's ad-
vances. and he said that he himself
rode in an automobile 80 miles trying
to catch up with the Yankee division,
And Major Southland had told him
that he had to run as fast. as he could
to keep up with the men in their ad-
vance.
The speaker then spoke OF the
bravery Of Capt. Cooper, who with
W other men were taking pictures
with a moving picture camera They
had come upon seven Boches, who
had Immediately cried "Kamarad."
And the Boches had been taken as
prisoners to headquarters. He spoke
OF h bravery of the battalion COM
manders. mentioning the names of
Hosford, Hanson and Ireland. And he
spoke Of a lieutenant colonel. "a
years Of age-Shumway of Skowhe-