Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-05
COMPANY E OF Sk0WHECAN
HISTORY and ITS Brave CAPTAIN

maze IN inc OSpOI ludI Jay e0N 1uO
company had to march Is killo-
meters beyond. The return to La
folagrande was made by train and
marching, the plan being that the
company should finish training there,
do some shooting, etc.. but because
of a German drive. they only re-
manned there about two days before
going up into the Tout sector to re-
lieve the First Division This trip
was covered by truck and Company
E was in the Toul Sector when the
Xivery affair occurred on June Is.
At about three o'clock that morning.
the first platoon of E Company shot
into a German patrol, wounding an
officer so that he was unable to get
back. Company E men went out
after him and brought him back to
their lines. He was the first Ba-
varian prisoner the Americans cap
tured and there was standing offer
Of 1000 francs by the French Gov
eminent for such an occurrence.
Hence this generous contribution
went to the first platoon of Company
l., who made the capture. About
40 casualties were reported here in
Company E. This was the occa-
sion of the death from wounds or in
battle Of Corp. Clarence Dunlap.
Sergt. Harold Mckinney, Sergt. Ell
wood, Allen. Laurison and Tardih.
while wounded among others were
Lester Walker and Ralph n. Mer-
row. A strong German raiding party
came over that morning preceded by
a violent barrage and got the greater
part of the Artillery on Company E
sector. The raiding party came over
on Companies l and l. on the left Of
E Company and were given a severe
beating. departing in disorder. They
left many behind. dead and wounded.
Those who did attempt to go back
had to pass through the American
barrage and in doing so lost many
more men.
E Company stayed in the Toul
Sector until about the last OF June
and were relieved by the SD Divi-
sion, a drafted outfit who had just
come over. This division suffered
about so per cent casualties from
gas, after beginning their relief du-
ties Proceeding from the front line
to Toul by marching, Co. en-
! trained at Toul and after a three
days rest there they entrained for
Chateau Thierry regions. They re-
! lieved the second division at Belleau
| Woods about July 4th and z company
| was assigned to the front line posi-
| ton. COMPANY E in command OF
! Capt. Healy was on the right and
| Company II in command OF Capt.
| Shumway of Skowhegan on the
| left of the Battalion Sector in fox
| holes in front Of Belleau Woods.
! Thus they held the front line for five
days and FIVE nights with no wire in
! front, a sentinel standing all night
with a signal for a barrage in his
hands The orders were: Stay as
long as you can and then fall back 10
! the woods" This would have been
! impossible however and Company +
and Company H would have been
annihilated if the Germans had
made an attack at this point. About
July 10, Company E was taken back
| for a little rest, but the Germans
didn't allow them much gepose for
they were Smelling the woods with
both gas and explosives. 1t was at
this point that 1t. Col. Shumway
was commended for saving his men
from being gassed. The rest too.
consisted of digging trenches and
being called into emergency posi-
lions so il could hardly be called
restful vacation for the men.
On the night Of July II orders
came that Company e would attack
F., in the morning. This called FOR
hustlins and hard work in the few
remaining hours. No maps and no
information Of where they were to
attack were received until midnight
and it was known that the attack
was to take place at 4.S0 in the
morning. Capt Healy was trying to
get information and maps and the
rest of the company were getting
| supplies together and feeding the
men. AS soon as information came
! where the attack was to be made all
officers were called in the Majors
Dugout for consultation. 1t was
decided that E Company should
make the attack on the left and con-
| meet with the 104th Infantry and go
to the railroad. That was all the in
formation they received. H Com
pany was on the extreme right and
| G Company in the center, with F
! Company supporting. After a great
deal of confusion the various COM
panies got into positions for the
attack, but before e Company got
placed 20 men were lost by shell fire.
Among them were Corp. Allen Fitz-
morris Of Skowhegan and Arno
Hughey Of Madison. Cassimir Bis
| son Of Skowhegan was among those
wounded They went over the top
at 7.45 instead Of 4.30 as first or
dered without a barrage. gained
their objective in less than Is min
utes. this being about 1000 yards
from Belleau Woods. E Company
began to suffer casualties. however.
Immediately, something having gone
wrong with the units on Captain
| Healys left. The Boche saw quick
er than the men of Company E
and quickly got into Company Els
left rear. 1t was here that Com
pany E began to suffer the greatest
casualties of the day and of the en-
tire war in fact. Here at this rail-
road track Corp. Harry D. st. Ledger
! Corp. Alvan Bucknam. Pvt. Blendon
F. Dean, Corp. Simon Peters. all of
Skowhegan. Stanley Bean of Mos
| COW, and Ellie ST. Peter were killed
| and many others were wounded.
The result was that Company E had
| to fall back to Belleau Woods. The
next morning E Company mustered
| out 70 men fit for duty. including
kitchen force and everybody. The