Evening journal., 1919-05-05
GIVES DETAILS OF
SOLDIERS DEATHS
Captain Jones, of Dover,
Writes of Killing of
Eight Pioneers
HAD GONE THROUGH
DRIVE AT ARGONNE

Captain Herbert NJ. Jones, OF Dover
romanding Company I, 59th Pionce
Dclavarcl Infantry, has written 10 Tn
Evening Journal a letter giving detail
)f the death Of seven members OF ht
company and Of another member OF tn
regiment by the explosion Of a German
nine. The letter contains the name o.
Robert D. Lewter as one W The mcr
silled, his name not having appeared
heretofore. Captain Jones in his litter
under date of April iS, written from
hangcnnes, France. says:
Would appreciate II you would in
scrt this letter in your paper concern
lng The facts OF the deaths OF Private
lsl Class John A. Chandler and Priyalcs
Howard W. Johnson. Howard Penn, Ed
Nard Nolk. Michael Pattwell. Thomas
J. Davis, Harvey lladley and Robert d.
Lcwler. These men with others Of
Company J. 59th Pioneer Infantry were
shocking ammunition in a big Boche
ammunition dump near Damvillers,
Aieusc. France, ON afternoon Of January
p. 1919.
Captain Jones' letter follows:
"Thc custom in this demolition work
Is TO have one enlist d man Of the Ord
nance Department with each squad Of
our picked men, We had four such
squads. These men were picked for
their carefulness and obedience TO
Drdcrs.
The work is not considered danger
ons altogether unless there is dan
gerous man abont These men wcre
Instructed 10 list The ammunition in
his dump but not t0 handle IT, The
ordnance man Of this particular squad
entered one OF the shacks, picked up
Roche step mine. which was not set
and perfectly safe In its condition. made
The remark he was going TO see II u
was an right 10 use as n booster
lmcaning IN demolition work these
high explosives were placed under the
gas shells so that IN The explosion |
would cause ihe gas 10 spread high |
In The air. thereby losing its cf- |
iceilvcncss).
The other men were Ia the door or /
,ight outside when the explosion oc-
.urrcd, which caused the eight deaths, /
leVen Of whom We're from Company / |
Four Of these men, Johnson, Davis,
iadley and Chandler were from VIII /
nington: Johnson. Davis and Hadley /
,elng OF The original First DolaWareI
infantry, and Chandler assigned TO MS /
n Camp Dix, \. J. All OF these men |
Mere with the company during The Ar
sonne drive from September % 10 No /
,ember A. 1918, and all OF them had |
had< some miraculous escapes from |
death I'm that period. while erecting 4
water tanks, lines and road approaches /
back Of The front lines. Then and since 1
have wondered at the wonderful |
morale and even pleasure with which /
the men Of this company have done
Their work. our regiment has been
split up ever since september %. 1918:
not since has the entire regiment been
assembled. Our men have suffered
many inconvenience by this being so.
lut no complaint. In fact since the
rmistlce our slogan has been Every
lay passed IS one nearer home When
aiey do arrive home they know and /
.noW theirs have been a work well I
lepc.
10 our seven comrades. who lost !
neir lives, cannot say more than
iney were true men and soldiers. !
'ome ~ these men during the war {
uttered mental and physical fortunes Z
worse Than most men In the firing line J
70 quote one little incident at The %
inc OF The explosion. one IMAM living =
a tc ground with a mortal alb 4
ominal wound. insisted that one OF A
he company's officers leave him and y
% to the oihsrs, that they needed help q
.orse Than ne. lie died a little later q
J great sony This lad was not con- r
Idered overly brave but will leave Il
D The public 10 register i'm their NJ
iinds N he deserves 70. Anolher lad. n
ven worse manged than he. in G.
onscious moment. called for one OF NJ
ur officers and requested that he per-
onolly send what money he had TO i
Il mother. or her were his last :.
ioushis for he died few minutes
iicr. Boih these lads were from WI
linglon, and we'll may they all four
'e remembered by relatives and
rlcnds IN your city. All OF these men. IS
Win the exception OF Hadley. Who "
5 buried IN Military Cemetery. Glor- b'
ouN, Nleuse. France are buried right an
ntside OF This town and their graves cC
eceiNe daily attention Company 7 v,
nd Company NJ leave here in few OF
avs and go 20 Jonchery. near Chau- 81
loni the a. +. +. Headquarters. We C.
cave our seven comrades here but we p
axe with us a memory of them which cl
'ill last as long as we do" u