The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-08
Soldiers in Hospitals Say the
Charges Are True.
Losses Were Heavy, Say Men
Who Were Wounded.
ALL AGREE ON POINTS
Story of Battle Told II Men
Who Were There.
Kansas and Missouri Men
Headed the Big Drive.

(By Union Pacific Il. r. Press Bnreau-l
New York, Feb. S.-The resolution
now before the rules committee of
congress providing for an investiga-
ton of the 35th division lends interest
to the stories of many men from that
unit who are now in debarkaton hos
pitaIs here On one point mentioned
in the resolution introduced by Rep-
resentative Campbell of Kansas they
all agree. This Is the charge that the
35th did not have proper artillery
support at the Argonne. However,
some of them are not inclined to lay
any blame for this fact, attribuung 1t
rather to the fortunes of war and the
extremely heavy going in the woods.
The lack of aerial support is men
toned as the cause of many casual
ties.
REORGANIZATION E. D. Harrison. of
the headquarters company, 140th IN
fantry is in hospital here, having
been wounded on the third day of the
drive. Harrison is from Cape Girar-
deau, Mo.
The 35th Division says Harrison,
'opened the Argonne push on Sep
TENDER IS. being one of the units
heading the drive. and one of the ones
suffering the heaviest losses. The
140th Infantry, when it was relieved
on October first, had only about LOO
out of the $500 men it started the
men that the 18th had far heavier
losses than We did.
Hit Hard and Quick.
When the 35th went i'll it hit hard
and quick and formed a salient of its
own being flaEked therefore on two
sides as the divisions to the right and
left were outdistanced.
'Our artillery support failed after
the first. We started the drive be-
hind a barrage and creeping bar
rage was kept up for about twelve
hours, but after that the artillery fell
behind and we had no protection.
When l was wounded on the 2Sth,
understood that they were just get
ting their guns into position again.
THE artillery had a hard time, we
understand. The going was hard for
us and must have been awful for the
horses and guns. 1 am told that the
horses were so worn out that many
fell in their tracks and that some of
the officers, knowing what we were
up against up ahead. actually broke
down and cried under the strain, be-
cause they couldn't move faster to
help.
I'VE didn't seem to have any air
support either The men could look
away up and behind and see big for
nations that looked like allied planes
but when our troops were ready to
advance the Hun machines swept
down without opposition and We were
met with the heavy artillery fire they
directed.
"At one time the men were in mass
Formation sheltered from sight by
rise, while waiting to go into action.
The German planes flew low, spotted
them and the Smelling that resulted
was a. disastrous affair. Planes at
lacking our infantry with machine
guns flew so low that they could be
shot at with rifles.
our losses in the st. N1ihieI drive
were not so great and the infantry. did
some very good work. The 137th and
158th took Van Quois Hill among
others, a point the Germans had held
and fortified since the beginning of
the war
Infantry Leader Heard.
Lieut.. Vincent Stark of the 140th
infantry, 35th division, was on the
staff of Major Davis when it was