The sun., 1919-03-23

ION October the division started
back to Tincourt Woods. there to
gather themselves together and pro-
coed to the area about Fremont and
Montrebrohain. in which section was
to be staged the next show
"Our attention had to be turned now
from the living to the dead. On that
field of honor lay many of our brave
youngsters, who had most unselfishly
made the greatest of great sacrifices
that Of a man giving his life for his
country.
I'VE found our dead lying in
trepches. lying in shell holes, many Of
them showing that they had died in
stantly, while others had, before death
came to them, endeavored to bind up
their wounds and to stanch the now
OF blood. 1t was a sacred duty which
the detail OF $50 men OF the division
now started to perform-truly the last
that might be done on earth for their
| dead comrades.
Bodies Brought In Under Fire.
with a will and spirit which had
ever marked their work they started
to prepare the cemeteries Our object
they should remain for all time as
marks Of the points at which the divi-
sion had made its greatest stands. Thu
work of collecting the bodies was a
task of no mean proportions, because
the work had to be carried on under
heavy shell fire from the enemy's
guns.
The first cemetery which we laid
p-ae of NH l.
| mont Farm. 1t was this point which
was considered of such great impor-
lance, and it was over this very
ground that the enemy put up such
stubborn resistance. From the sec
ton round about we carefully collected
all the bodies.
Our work of burial was finished
within a few days and then the enei-
neers began the erection of suitable
monument, bearing the inscription that
this was the cemetery of the Twenty
seventh Division and that herein lay
| their heroes.
| 1T was pretty spot-on a knoll
overlooking the surrounding valleys.
1t is now. like all our other cemeteries,
enclosed by a fence, with paths laid
out between the rows of graves
crosses or boards with stars rampant
marking each grave, and each cross
or board inscribed with the name, the
number, the rank and the organiza-
ton Of the dead soldier.
Pains Taken to Identify All.
This was one point upon which our
commanding General was most par
ticular-that the dead should be prop
erly identified and their bodies prop
erly cared for. No pains was spared.
no trouble considered too great, to give
them all the honor and all the glory
which we might pay in our own poor
way. When we came across a body
that we could not identify NE secured
the fingerprints and hoped that by
this means Identification might later
be established through tho bureau at
Washington.
From Guillemont We moved on to
Bony, where We opened the second
cemetery. Here again we collected the
bodies and inferred them properly.
Work here was indeed most difficult,
because the bodies had to be carried
over ground torn by shells and whose
roads had been utterly destroyed.
The work at the cemeteries having
been finished after some days, We now
turned our attention to holding ser
vices. The afternoon that our work
was completed the paths were cleaned,
the graves trimmed and everything
made spck and span. \ large Amer-
can flag was brought out and laid in
the centre of each of the cemeteries.
Farewell yOIIcy by Distant Cannon
THE detail Of men were lined up at
attention; chaplains from the division
representing the different religious
persuasons began to hold their ser
vices. 1t was over in about an hour
and IL was just as the sun began to
sink that a roar of cannon in the dis
lance gave to these dead soldiers a
last volley, after which taps were
; blown and the detail moved on TO Join
the division and prepare for its next
great work.
"One day as we were gathering the
bodies We came across a younGster in
whose nshId was clnched d-~eNcr which
, he had written as he lay there on tho
, field. unable to rise or return, await
, ing only the moment to come when
God would call him unto Himself.
1.-THE letter was addressed TO Mrs.
Mary Reilly. New York city, and readi
My dear Mother:
am writing this letter on the
field and | got wounded while
: fighting for Old Glory. J was
wounded three times. God bless
you and the girls. Fray hard for
, me. Tell Kitty that | love her
! and am always thinking of her and
. you. God bless you all until We
meet in Heaven.
) Your loving son,
such were their thoughts as they
. dind -