The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-01-02
CLIMB OVER HILLSOF DEAD
GRAPHIC WORD PICTURE OF
GREAT DRIVE.
Part the 82d Division Played In 1t
Told by Major Thomas Barrett
Who Is In Atlanta.

Atlanta, Dec. 25.-Major Thomas
Barrett III, son of former Mayor
Thomas Barrett, Of Augusta, arrived
in Atlanta Monday, and is at the
home of Mrs. Barrett's father, Mr..
Arnold Broyles, where he will be for
Christmas.
Major Barrett was the first captain
of the SD division to win promotion
of his present rank, and has been
cited for distinguished service and
bravery. He won the especial love
and loyalty of his command in the
Argonne because of his declination to
have his OWL injuries cared for until
he had personally seen to it that
every one of his men were properly
disposed of and being given medical
attention. He wears two wound
stripes on his sleeve, n for a seri-
Gus wound from shrapnel. In addi-
ton he was once seriously gassed.
To friends here Major Barrett has
told the story of tN@S2d in the Ar
gonne drive, and the word picture OF
American determination, the hellish
suffering from machine gun fire 1t
went through, and the final turning
of the point which the French for
three years believed to be impossible
sounds superhuman. There were
times" said Major Barrett, when
our men had to climb over hills of
their own dead to push forward, but
they kept on until the objective was
gained. Hardly an officer in the
whole line escaped wounds, but they
led the men and the men followed.
'They> went into the scrap with a
yell and a song, and.they fell in mass
es. But their living comrades pushed
On and on and on, the marvel of al
lied soldiers who gasped at such pro-
digal disregard by the Americans of
death and danger.
There were times when attacking
soldiers were compelled to move for
ward over heaps of bodies Of their
own comrades; yet nothing deferred
them. I have cen a body of men
start for a strongly emplaced ma
chine gun position. The gunners
moved them down by the handful,
but on kept the doughboys; with the
result that although a great majority
OF the attacking force was riddled
the enemy gunners were forced to
throw down their arms to the few
survivors who finally managed to
reach the stronghold.
cit was this indomitable fighting
spirit which counted most in the Ar
gonne victory. The American soldier
was invincible. He laughed in the
face of peril; and hardship and de-
privation seemed a lark. In addition
to his own individual pluck and dar-
ing, he had officers in whom he had
the greatest faith and reliance-men
who had stood the test before the
soldiers very eyes.
Officers in Lead.
Hardly a line officer went through
the thick of the Eighty-second's OPP
erations in the Argonne but was listed
a casualty. They led their men; and
their men followed them to the very
muzzles of machine gun strongholds,
and to the brink of enemy entrench-
ments. Pain and horrows and great
danger seemed only to add to the mo-
mentum of the American trooper
when he unlimbered in an assault.
"'TheyS tramped over dead and
wounded French, British, American
and German soldiers to get at the
enemy; they climbed hills to get him,
while he shot them down from above.
They sacrificed themselves reckless
ly to gain a toehold; and once they
had gained a toehold, they never lost
it.
"The SD with the other American
forces in the Argonne fight, were be-
tween the British and French. This
central location made the SD division
a sort of sparehead for the attack.
The moment the fight vas under way
whatever apprehension the French
and British might have had, gave way
to a great surge of establishment and
admiration"
Major Barrett was in command of
the First Battalion, 326th Infantry.
At the end of the first five days of
fighting his battalion was called upon
to relieve the Fifty-sixth Brigade,
which, having gone into the fray
with a full quota approximately T.
600 mem had been compelled to go
back for reinforcements with less