Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-05-03

Robert E. Morrow,
 TellsOfLast Battle
Poitiers, France. November 24, 1918.

As the censorship has been suffi-
 ciently removed, can tell you some
 of my movements in this country so
 l will begin.
 l sailed from Hoboken, New Jersey
 os; the good ship, 'Von Steuben," and was accompanied across by the
 George Washington" and "Amirika,"
 All three ships were taken over by
 our country at the' first of the war,
 and the one was on was the German
 Raider, "Crown Prince William"
 which captured or sank eighteen yes
 sells before it was chased into an
 American harbor.
 We had a splendid voyage without
 an accident, and reached the port of
 Brest after nine days. We camped
 in wheat field in our pup tents for
 about week. We were then sent by
 rail in little crowded bor cars to
 Chattion "Lor Et Cher, where we en-
 tered a casualty replacement camp.
 We were billeted with French people,
 and underwent hard drills and train ing as we did in the States.
 Soon the battles in Champagne
 were fought and so many casualties occurred We were sent there to replace
 them.
 We left Chatteon and took train in box cars again, and after three days found ourselves at La Cheppe on the Champagne front. I was placed in the 9th Regiment, 18th Company and in the second Division which is composed of half Marines and half Infantry. The 9th had just came out of the Mont Blanc battle at Souine Py, so we had few days rest and one day just as I had secured pass to visit Chalons, we were told that we were to move to the front again.
 We put all of our belongings on our backs and started out. We camp ed in Suippe, an old ruined city the first night. 1 billeted in what had once been mansion, but the shells parts of the building and roof tore away.
 The next day we passed by the Cathedral of that place, which was in ruins, and all of it's works of art re- moved.
 We hiked over thirty five kilome. ters over what had been German ter rltory only few days before, and had to walk around the big "duds" and tangled wire all this distance. We arrived at night near the front lines and hid in a forest. The next day We rested, and were told we were to support the French who were to try and cross the river. They succeeded so well that we were not called upon; only to follow them up as reserves. It was here saw my first battle field with all of it's horrors. No time could be given to the burial of the dead, and they lay everywhere through the 
 After a few days we were marched back to Siuppe, and rested two days, and received an order to new front. We got on auto trucks and moved to the Argonne front where the first 2 American Army was preparing for big drive. We hid for several days on wooded hill, while the Artillery were being made, and it was here I saw my first aerial bat ties. In one battle an American avi- ator brought down the "Boche Plane" forcing him to land.
 In the second battle eight German Planes of the famous "Red Circus" drove away three American planes, and then fired machine guns upon us on the ground, several of our men were injured and killed. At night we were shelled by long range guns, but as we were dug in we suffered no osses. Aviators also dropped bombs at us, but as we had no lights lit hey made no headway. Aside from few gas casualties we rested nicely lntil October 29th, when we were moved up to the first trenches and to our locations for battle. We. were given talk by Major Gen. ,ral Summerfield which was very el- 'quent, and told us we had been pick ,d out by General Pershing as shock Division on account of our record, and we were to attack the German center, md drive them back eight miles at which time we would be relieved. Dur objective was "Saint Georges" on ! high hill.
 On the night of November 1st we 'rept close up to the German lines and lug ourselves in and waited the mil ion dollar barrage which had been us. At 5:15 A. M. we were Q go over the top. The noise of hrieking shell, and fire is something will never forget, for the shells were only going little ways over our leads. Nothing could withstand the leavy barrage, and save for the heavy ,uns everything was quiet along the ront ahead. Every second red flares it up the sky, where they were ex- 'ecting to see us coming. The word vas passed at the appointed time and ve deployed and started forward. first we were met by a terrible Il,