Charlevoix county herald., 1919-02-28
His Experiences
Overseas
Former East Jordan Boy was
There Eighteen Months.

troit comrade, gives the experiences OF
Private Robert A. Bigelow. The young
man is a nephew OF Clyde Bigelow OF
this city and is at present visiting at the
home of Charles Beebe. He was en-
ployed at Spencer's Plumbing Shop
during 1915 and later joined Uncle
Sans regular army, serving nearly
three years.
To Robert A. Bigelow, Prvt. 1st Class,
Co. E 18th Inf, 1st Division A. E. F.
Home Address, Tustin Michigan, K. 3.
Robert Bigelow soldiered with me in
Co. E, 18th Inf. and we went over seas
together June IA, 1917, being the first
American troops overseas. We left
Hoboken, N. Y, on the u. S. S. Fin
land, and landed in st. Nazaire, France
on the 18th of June, 1917. Then we
went to the little village of Deluse, near
Toul and Verdun, in fact we were so
near Verdun that we could hear and
see the flashes of the guns at night.
We were on the western front at last.
We were proud to be chosen from the
American army as Pershings first Di-
| vision. We trained near Gondrecoat,
and went into the lines late in Oct. 1917.
There we were where the first Amer
lean soldiers gave their lives for free
dom, Ray Greshon and John Daley, OF
10th Inf, our sister regiment We
swore we would revenge them, and we
did sometime later at Cantigny.
After we left Lorraine, we went to
the Toul sector, and had many small
| fights with Hinie. There we lost our
first man, Prvt. Rufus Atkins, in
terrific bombardment, Jan. 1918. Later
we were relieved and went to Picardy
to help the French and British stem the
advance of the Hun towards Amiens.
! We were sent to the Cantigny sector
and held the front lines for twenty days
under constant artillery fire and re-
peated attacks of the Hun. A great
many of our men were killed there.
We lost 80 per cent of our officers and
sixty per cent of the enlisted per-
sonnel.
On May 3rd, the Hun shot $4,000 mus
tard gas shells, and not one inch OF
ground did we give. They shot them
into the torn up village OF Villiers
Tourneal; behind our position 800 men
were gassed, most of them slightly,
about two hundred died from the
effects.
On May 28th, the 28th Inf. of our
Division attacked the Hun position on
Cantigny hill and captured the village
killing or capturing all the Huns of the
list and I'D Boyarioins Reserve regi-
ments. The Hun counter attacked
nine times, the 18th Inf. supported the
2Sth Inf. and held all captured ground,
but we paid dearly for it, losing 1000
men, killed or wounded in three days.
Prvt. Bigelow was wounded in this ac
ton, but refused to 60 to the rear until
two days after when he went to the
first aid station, where he had his
wounds dressed and returned at once
to the front line.
Prvt. Bigelow risked his life repeat
edly bringing up water and food to his
tired comrades. He was q company
runner and performed his duties in the
face of many odds. Later we took part
ia the second battle of the Marne when
was wounded.
met Bigelow later at Camp Custer
and he told what happened after was
put out of action.
We were relieved two days after
you left and went to Toul for rest, we
lost nearly all OF our men. We went
in with 240 men and officers, and
came out with ii men and one officer,
Co. E, 18th Inf.
1--WE then moved up and helped chase
Hinie out of the st. Mihiel salient. That
was pie for us older men, but the re-
placements thought it was war. They
found out what war really was later.
When we were in Toul sector often
looked at Mount Sec and often won
dered what was on the other side OF
the hill. Well, found out that Hinie
had it fine. Electric lights, roomy dug.
outs, canteens, lots of wine and beer,
and everything a soldier could desire,
especially in the front line.
On Oct. 4th, we went into the Ar.
gonne forest drive and II was plain
Hell. We relieved the 35th Division
and their dead were lying in hundreds
all over the ground mingled with those
of the Hun. Our company lost half oi
J our men in the first charge, but we
/ sure gave them hell with the bayonet
; when we got to close quarters with
( them. II made me feel sick, afterward.
to think Of the slaughter there. II last