The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1919-02-20
LIEUT.. M'KIVSTRY
DIED LIKE Al
MAN, BRAVE
AND FIGHTING
Soldier Pal Pays Tribute
to Dash and Daring, Fear
lessness and Leadership Of
Popular Canon City Boy
Who Lost Life in st. MihieI
Drive.

OIltes
That is the short but soul-stirrins
tribute paid to Lieut.. John MeKinstry-
ideal American and popular Canu
City boy, who gave his life for world
f, freedom in the fierce fighting of the
/ famous st. Mihiel drive last Septezn-
Der, by his fighting mate, Sergr-
Charles Campbell of Seward, Neh-.
who was by his side on that fatefui
morning
Before the battle a pact was made
between the two that if either wzs
killed the one who lived was to tell the
mother of the other whether he died
man or coward.
Sergt. Campbell, in a recent letter
to his parents in Seward, wrote of thu
lieutenant: He died man, and his
folks live at Canon City, Colo, SO L
will make that trip when get back
Sergt- Campbell later on his way
1 from a battle, kicked half-explode1
bomb which fully exploded and in
jured his heel. thus landing in hos
pital for time. A portion of his
letter follows:
Say folks, now didn't the Eighty
ninth division win a good reputationl
Well. they surely earned it, We went
into the trenches August 5 and our
company in the ST. Mihiel drive on the
morning of September IL. We had
seven kilometers we had to make in
two days. Well, we held the line
then until October s, when we wera
moved over to the verdun front and
then to the Argoane forest Perhaps
you read about the stiff fighting we
had in the Argonne forest From
there we went over along the Meuse
river. Here are some places you have
read about where we were: Dead
Mans Curve. Shrapnel Corner, Leish-
prey, Dead Mans Hill. Judy Woods
Argonne forest. Beaumont and several
others that don't happen TO think OF
now. Lieut. McKinstry was killed
about 10 O'Clock the morning OF the
St Mihiel drive. and l was in com
mand of platoon (59 men). from then
until about three days before I went
to the hospital. / got along fine. hut
it's mans job. Lieut.. McKinstry and
l made an agreement that il one Of MS
got killed and the other one didn't
that the one that lived il out. would
tell the mother of the other whether
he died man or a coward He died
a man and his folks live at CapoR
City. Colo. so / win make that trip
when l get back. We made that
agreement just as we went over the
top the first time. and l must do it, L
never will forget the first patrol 4
was on. We took Is privates. the
lieutenant and myself. We fixed the
privates about 500 yards from the Ger
man trenches and Lieut. McKinstry
and i crawled through the barb wire
entanglements and into their nrsk
trench before we were discovered
Then they opened up on US with uza-
chine guns. We got away tine hut
it was not a very comfortable feeling
especially the FIRST time. but il IS m
lover now and we have many a laugh,
on the close calls and our feelings
You know. folks. il beats the dickens.
about these Americans, and this -
no exception that when they know yun.
are going TO get killed the next minufs
they will roll a cigaret or tell joke
and act like they were at mosine
ipitcure show But on the other h2nA
you should see the German soldiers
ineS were seaieu sun III eI tne uno
except the Prussian guards and they
fought to the end.
Here is what the French say about
the Americans: They eat like hogs
spend their money like millonaires
and fight like hell
When I went to the hospital they
forwarded my mail to me there. but
/ was not there long enough 20 get ie
and now suppose 1t is somewhere On
the way back and i suppose l will not
get it now for at least month. Wen
l will close for this time. with lots OK
love CHARLIE
M DnuI<,.x, Chou,