Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-05-29
Our Soldier Boys.

Lieut.. M. Dudley Riggs, ISL Co.,
Ry. Transportation Corps, Gievres,
France, under date of May 8th, writes:
81 reached Gievres this afternoon,
having found Russell's grave and hav-
ing seen something of the region in
which he fought his last fight. When
I got to Reims l found that the closest
| could get to st. Etienne by rail was
Bazancourt. There is q railroad from
Bazancourt to Somme-Py, but 1t is
not operating. I left Reims at one
O'Clock and got into Bazancourt>an
hour later. There were nc Americans
there, no hotel and no traffic in the
direction | wanted to go, go | vas 8
little stumped for a while. However,
a French lieutenant heard me telling
my troublds to the Chef de Care and
offered to take me out to his company,
which was ten kilometers on the
Somme-Py road, where / could stay
all night and go on in the morning.
So / gratefully accepted his offer and
we started out walking. We were
overtaken by a canton when about
five kilometers out and got on that.
There was an old French civilian on
the truck to whom the lieutenant told
my story. The old man said the truck
was going to Pont-Feverger, still
farther in my direction and l could 60
on with him and he would find a place
for me to sleep, Well, we left the
lieutenant and went on to Pont-
Feverger. When we got there, the
old man routed out the Marie, the
Chef de District and nearly every
body else in the town. Finally the
Chef de District called up 8 French
Prisoner Of War Company about three
kilometers farther on, at Betheniville
the lieutenant of which said if Icame
there he would give me a place to
sleep. So | walked on to Betheniville
and they took me in and treated me
like a visiting sovereign. The next
morning | started out to st. Etienne,
going through Hanvigne, st. Clement
and st. Pierre. l had thought pos
sibly to find some Americans in charge
of the cemetery, but they had left 6
few days before. St. Etienne liet
right at the foot of the Blanc Mon
Ridge, the farther hills of which are
about like the Ozarks near Ironton.
1t was g town / Judge of possibly ;
thousand inhabitants before the war
Like all the towns in that region anC
those l have mentioned, it is almos
entirely destroyed. That territory
was occupied by the Germans unit
after the battle of Blanc Mont Ridge
We walked all over the hills tina
morning, finding a half dozen small
cemeteries, but. none of them con
tanning Russell's graves Finally W.
came back to the village, to get some
dinner and found that there was en-
other graveyard that we had over
looked, this n being on the Somme
Ply road, just out of town. We wen
out there right after dinner, and in
few minutes | had found the grave
The cemetery is inclosed with a wir,
fence and has about two hundred
graves in it, with room for as man,
more. The graves are in rows, 8
wooden cross about two feet high a
the head of each grave. On eacI
cross is nailed the soldiers identified
ton tag and a metal disc 3 inches b,
2 inches containing the same informa
tion as on the tag. Russell's grave
the third from the south fence an
in the fourth row from the east. HI
lies between the graves Of Private
Wulff and Unidentified The ser
gesnt and l dug sod all thick will
9wild Marguerites and sodded tn,
grave. | placed two crossed bayonet
at the head and 3 inch shell at eac
side of the foot. It looked very prett
when we had finished, the whit
flowers standing in relief against tn
green grass. II is a pretty spot !
which our boy lies, the green plaint
which show very little trace Of th
recent conflict, flowing away to th
east. 1t is very beautiful and yer
peaceful. Somehow l can't help br
wish that he might be allowed to res
there, up in the Ardennes, in tn
ground on which and for which h
| fought. / took several pictures Q
the grave and also several Of the hill
in the morning. I hope they will tur
out well, but am not sure OF the sue
cess Of the camera | had. l arrange