Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-09
.h,- JOHN GARLAND ro.I.>up.

t,sssss HS JOHN GARLAND POLLARD.
! ss! ssome weeks ago found myself
SeSated In Paris restaurant opposite
d HYcareworn looking man clad in kahki
and. having upon his sleeve tho red
Sytaneie Upon engaging him in con
sHYsrsatfon. found his voice almos;
y Zone and his nerves sadly shattered
BY his recent experiences with our
nghting boys, in tho front. lie Was
on, his way back to Montana to re-
gain his health and strength When
to mention the Tact THAT /
E-as from Richmond. Va. he brighten
4 S6.0p at once and though he coui'.
& talk little above whisper. began
2sltcrally TO pour forth his praises OF
y the gallant conduct uf our itchmcni
I and Virginia boys OF the field oi
81 Me had been with the First Bat
taliSn. One Hundred and sixteenth IN
Y faTtry. Twenty-uin,h Division, in it,
, fierce fight cast of the Mcusc octo-
Der S to -. The battalion. made M
largely of Nircinians. went into battle
1000 strong aud came out with only
S25.. So many Virginia homes were
saddcncd by the losses Of this en-
EaEement. ! feel ii would bring them
some degree OF confor, TO know from
one who was with their boys under
fire. how rlorioussy they fought and
1 know too tina, the. families OF the
survivors. many OF whose names are
signed TO the ACCOMMODATING paper
would be n grai hS TO noxx e1 haa r proven
themselves worthy of their forefathcrS
of I716 and 1861. /. therefore. asked
my newly, made friend to wit, witt me ne, !,
our Virginia boys. have received
the following anSwcrI
<scDcar Mr. Pollard:
You have asked me 10 write some some
thing touching my experience WIZ
the best battalion OF the best rrSi.
mentof the hes, diNiS hSH, OF na Inc '| IN
earth viz. the First Battalion. one
Hundred "'' and sixteenth infantry,
Twenty-nin,h Division. ,v,,;,r
six months With this organizations;
all OF it in the very front areas. anu
covering both the Alsacc and Mouse
Argonnc sectors, is so n,G W." u" an
experience that one falicrs anu iccls
that 1t is impossible TO :" NiSuAii|e
any one thing or anotnet, so Ma ar ~
more distinctly worth while 10 YOU,
my dear sir, Nrginian' 1t VII ne
more than pleasing to know im'I IN"
thc very flower OF Virginia mAnhood'
and when I've said this it needs no
extensive or clahorats NGtaouttn'E 40
describe how they fouGhi-'hc ono
woTd-Glorious. Will describe ii L"
perfection. May he rnrdoned for
telling you briefly how they "peneo
the. last great battle we were III
REGIMENT ADVANCES
Just at dawn on the morning OF
October s, after hike OF twenty
seven kilometers. when the stay .n'ii'
ness of an autumn day was JUST NAV
inr obstacles plain ~ "a distance OF
fifty TO scventyirc yards. our EuhS
together with those OF the fFtiSh'
opened most awful harrafr' am" 49,,
the very second agreed upon thr firSI
Battalion advanced to the attack WIN
q precision and ordiiimess an" al
esprit de corps that brought the .eniS
TO. my eyes. Magnificent group: Giori-
Uns sons OF glorious sircs! so iohe
as your spirit lives. so long sha'l Tree
dom and freedoms institutions NV
Brave Captain Stack, OF iichnonu.
Than whom no drawer or more worthy
man ever wore the bars OF "A caT'"lh,
disdaining to remain where the rthi
outlined pOSititun of captain Si'Nl"
be. advanced 10 the head OF his COM
pany Company (dear old Il Com
pany, how | love YOU, ana posing
Ills cane above his head said; "At .i'
ton B Company. Come on lhth
through a hell OF machine gun tire an,
the roar of exploding shells, he lea
his men straight against the machine
gun nests of the enemy, ana, refusing
to take cover. his cane twrling aroun.
Ills shoulders. pointing his com
mands, he led the men 10 a Slo!lous
victory and secured Tue hrst opJg'''le
on the very second scheduled on t"e
ELSEWHERE Captains ConkiinG ana
Peters. Lieu,enants Moorins' Eln!h
ham. of New Jersey; iiaesslcr, of New
Jersey, and others were doing the same
thing as Stack, leading, lighting am.
directing, and thus IL went on ron
day to day and night after night "ntli
twenty-one weary lag. and nights
were passed. and the glorious battalion
who went in l,ucp strong, Vet: "nlE q
pitiful remnant OF 325 men. Brave
LIeutenan, Holeman, killed the hisi
ten minutes of the opening nhi1ly;
Lieutenant Blacki4an dead in sA.H
hole, where woundt9 he LED ms com
:. tain Peters. wounded; Major AieNamder,
A. brave and mos, intrepid leader.
wounded and out Of it; Captain Stack.
still unwoundcd and unhurt in any
way, took command OF the battalion
and led il successfully TO the iinish
3ty@First and last. the grand oil"
lions Of the Thirty first Division Of
the, crown princes group Of armies
) directed by the great 90 Won Arnim
R in person.
man, Biackman, Sergeant Peal 'ri-
vate Todd and score Of others whom
I-.loved are gone wonder Will We
Prove worthy of their sacrifice ana
z lie sacrifice Of thousands OF others
from our own land and millions from
other lands? Are We big enough. broad
enough. wise enough and Christian
enough TO revise our code, cniarS"
our viewpoint increase our faith and
enrich ourselves and our lives with
fuller measure Of love, and can We
eliminate the agc-old tauaCtcS %
cEeeds. dogmas and other dry-rot
barnacIes, and thereby say /" the
great crowd Of Witnesses that nov
Surround us:
80. we will prove our worthincss by
our actions If we do this. we'll and
"a good. If we do not. then the future
IS is not future OF light but one OF
Darkness. Let us each resolve to be
Z -Committee OF one TO see that We do
this thing and do IT we'll
.4-, Sincerely yours,
go. T. PETTY"
WORKER Is PRAISED
FOR BRAVERY N ACTION
Great weight Will be added 20 tho
foregoing letter when II j. known