The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-31
in HEAVY FIGHTING
DIR, GEO. RENSVOLD TELLS SOME
OF THE INSIDE HISTORY
OF BIG BATTLES.

In a letter TO MS Drother, Or, L.
M. Rensvold, of this city, DR.. Geo.
Rensvold, with the army of occupa-
ton in Germany. gives the following
interesting battle history:
Saffig, Germany, Sunday. Jan. S.
Dear Brother: Just received your
letter of December o. 1t and the v
came at a very opportune moment.
Had answered all letters to date and
was just broke, but a real American
five-spot looks too good to spend
here because there isn't much to buy,
yet one must have some geld" for
smokes and the washerwoman. We
still have our pay for October. No
vember and December coming, but
tomorrow is pay day. Just what /
shall do with my 900 marks I've not
decided, though I know | won't de-
posit it in a German bank. This
country would be a good place for
speculation for a fellow with more
luck than brains. A mark should be
worth "a cents. Now we get over
eight marks for a dollar, that's why
we get SO many of them.
In your letter you speak of divi-
sions. Ours is not the 4th, but the
Bird, and like all other infantry divi-
sions has four regiments of infantry.
They are the 4th, 7th, 30th and 38th
infantry. In the division are three
regiments Of artillery, three machine
gun battalions and all our divisional
Q. M. c. and hospital units.
We started the counter offensive
on the Soissons-Rheims salient in
July, crossing the Marine about a kill
ometer up the river from Chateau
Thierry on pontoon bridges, which
were blown up several times before
er two weeks of fighting we were re-
lieved at Roncheres before reaching
Fismes. We had been on the front
line six weeks before crossing the
river. Our regiment strength is
$500. We had 1900 casualties on
the Marine. After a brief res and
training for our 1900 requirements
we went into the st. Mihiel salient,
but were a reserve division there.
So we moved to the Argonne-Meuse
sector, northwest of verdun. A ma
tional army division had made a mess
of 1t there SO we were obliged to take
over the front lines in broad daylight
on September 80. After two bloody
weeks Of attacking and counter at
lacking We were supposed to be re
lieved, but the division was routed by
the heavy German bombardment so
we had to hold the lines another two
weeks. Our regiment lost $500 men
in that month and those who surviv-
ed were the sickliest and most des-
perate lot of men I aver hope to see.
Now that it's over I'm glad / was
with the regulars. The home papers
are not particularly interested in us
as the nativity OF our personnel is so
scattered. / believe that a true &C
count OF the exploits Of the regulars
is as wonderful as the more or less
fictitious newspaper stories about the
adventures of national guard units,
national army divisions and the
much worshiped marines. You no
doubt read Of the marines in Belleau
Wood. The truth is, our 7th infantry
did the better two-thirds of that. /
happen to know that AS / was tenn
pOrarily attached to the 7th infantry.
There was much noise about the part
played by the marines in that coun-
ter offensive started after July Is.
There We're only two regiments of
marines in 1t and six regular army
regiments, viz, 4th, 7th, 9th, 23rd,
3Oth and 38th infantry. The official
data divides honors equally, thus Civ
ing the marines ~one-fourth of the
credit for the success of the offensive.
The story of the disorganized mob
we relieved on September 80 will
never be printed. Regulars paid the
price in blood for that blunder and Il
belonged to the 10th division, l
wouldn't tel: 1t to anyone except may
be the paymaster and then I'd be
ashamed to take the money. There
will probably be a lot OF arguing, but
as for me I'll let them rave when I
come home I'll be more interested in
late breakfasts, home baked pies, the
movies. musical comedies, popular
songs, country roads and automo-
bi1es.
Today / had my picture taken by a