The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1919-01-15
Experiences of
Many Months
VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF THE
FIERCEST BATTLE OF
WORLD WAR.

Letters written since the censor
ship has been lifted, are beginning
to reveal some of the more thrilling
experiences of soldiers life in ac-
tive service. Mr.. and Mrs. James
Aiken of 118 North Whittier avenue,
have just received letter from their
son, Lieutenan. G. E. Aiken, in which
he tells for the first time, some Of
his experiences Lieutenant Aiken
prior to being transferred to the
Saumur Artillery school, was In the
151st Field Artillery, with the Rain
bow Division.
Aiken writes as follows:
Saumur Artillery School,
November %, 1918
For this day and letter the lid is,
off SO far as censorship goes, thereby
throwing the entire responsibility OF
this composition on The writer, and
relieving the poor censor OF MUGS
libel.
Iaasmuch as diaries were tabooed,
according to certain CHIC. orders,
and inasmuch as keeping a diary is
distasteful to my irresponsible ma
ture. I have no record of any dates
or places connected with my sojourn
in France. Nevertheless there are
certain things which still cling to my
memory and / figure that this is as
good time as any to get i. OF my
chest.
AS YOU already know, sailed from
New York harbor the 18th of Feb
ruary, sighting Belle Isle the morning
of the 18th. Tied up to the docks at
La Pallice The 4th of March and re-
NAMED at the remount station at La
! Rochelle till the last week II March.
Reioined the 151st Field Artillery
March 18th. cas-. of Luneville, in Lor-
raine. During April and May, to
| June 18th, we waded IN mud, I'M
proved various battery positions,
threw many thousands of shells into
German territory and lived through
the general run of work and flghs OF
"position'' warfare in seni-actlve
sector. ACCORDING to dope We were
the first American division to take
over from the French complete di-
yisional sector, held by the AZ d.
vision (Rainbow) for 10 days. i
was the Baccarat sector, closest 10
Strasburg Of aay French sectors.
on June 18th, the division moved
out of Charmes, where we entra1neo
for the Champagne sector. Inc fuil
Intelligence service was aware OF ouI
move, for some days before we leIt
the Baccarat front their avlatofs
dropped messages bidding the And
farewell. Travelling II the regular
dinkv box car we reached Vltry lie
FRANCOIS and unloaded. Stopping at
towns farthes. from the real i've
towns. we finally wound up at Cour-
, f;sols.a few miles east of Chalons sur
The night of July 4th we hit the
road again for the front, taking up
nositions just east of the Salppes-
Souain road. The front was barren
and desolate, the uncultlvated chalky
soiI showing nothing but weeds ana
red peoples. nd
ooronlete q trench system as the
French had bull. throughout the sec
tor. It was real live front, alInougn
the lines had changed but little our
ing the preceding two years. french
and Roche were well dug in, some OF
the P. C.'s (posts of commandl ana
Ia P,s observation pos-s Delng
woaderfuIly we'll constructed. lac
artillery far exceeded the strength
usually allotted 20 sector OF that
size concentrated in depth. Again,
we were the only division in those
narts simply supporting and coop,
GRO +;np with the French who had
oootroI-G General Gourand's army. In
J sector smaller than the one neid
bu our division in Lorraine tnere
were no less than eight hundred ana
some odd batteries-and | know not
how much infantry, the artillery wn-
bv Far the more noticeable. The
French very evidently expected some
thing, but we Americans IN our Dnss-
full ignorance thought that an a,sa AN
would be impossible certain Iolly
on the part of the enemy July l4In
the French 4th of July was qulesiy
celebrated by the poilus IN the sector
but they were aware OF big atIacA
| % be launched that night. They Were
quite right.
At ten minutes past IL o'clock mid
,iobt the Boche guns of all callbre
onened M the most terrific lombard
ment I ever heard, felt, or witnessed
| do no. mean to imply that all Was
quiet and Sabbath-like previous to
rlidnight-far be it from such. But
flat terrible Smelling during the first
few hours of their attack was Amos
paralyzing. Their avowed objective
was Chalons sur Marine, and after
that. Paris. They were SO certain OF
their success that they had written
orders regarding The occupation Of
Chalons and the invoicing and dispo-
sition Of the Spells. But they reck-