Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-03-05
NORTH CRAFTSBURY

! g
mouth, n. H., newspaper will BE- -
interest to many of our readers her.,
The following letter received H.
Mrs. Harold L. Dutton describes bor.
her husband met his death in Fran
He had won advancement for II,
courage and ability, and was -
every friend knew him, a brave man
The letter will be read with intar
est by every citizen of Portsmouth
He was leading his men in hsrtIo
when he received the fatal wound
Co. F, 325th Infantry
American E. F., France
January 18th, 1919.
Mrs. Harold l.. Dutton,
Portsmouth, n. H.
Dear Mrs Dutton:
| am very glad indeed to answer
your letter in regard to your husband
whose work | remember well
Corporal Dutton was wounded By
high explosive shell on October 226
1918, instead of October 18th as Won
thou~ht mioht have been. He was az
once evacuated and sent to Field Hos
pital No. 1872 American Red Cross
Military Hospital No. 10, reported
his death on Nov. 23d, 1918.
When Corporal Dutton was wound
ed he was in charge of the 4th Pla-
toon of this company. Corporal Dut-
toms work was so good that he was
put in charge of the 4th Platoon about
noon of the 18th of October, after the
sergeant in charge of the platoon
had been seriously wounded. Cor
poral Dutton handled the platoon lust
as well as any could have and remain
M oh Of HIT ? h.
At the time he was hit, his platoon
was on the high ridge just east of St
Juvin. The town of st. Juvin is Just
east of the Argonne near the Aire II
yer, and due east of Grand Pre- As
you probably know the 32d division
was at this time in the First Amer
can army. Our division entered ac-
lively into the Meuse-Argonne often
sive on October 7th and our regiment
was thrown in on October 10th When
the 4th Platoon went over the top on
the 10th of October it numbered 80
men, and on the night of the 22d, it
numbered seven men.
l remember one instance that IS ty-
pical of your husbands work On the
morning of the 18th his company was
sent to reinforce the Sd battalion Of
our regiment which was being held up
by machine-gun fire The 4th Platoon
was sent upon the ridge southeast Of
st. Juvin to clear it of snipers. Cor
poral Dutton led his squad up on the
ridge in the face of a terrific machine
gun fire and continued advancing IN
til the Boche fired point blank at him
from a shell hole. Corporal Dutton
fired at the Boche, who dropped his
rifle, whereupOn your husband took
him prisoner rather than murder him.
Just a few minutes later Sergeant
Ctruwe, the platoon leader, was seri-
ously wounded, and it was then that
Corporal Dutton took charge of this
platoon.
Too much cannot be said of your
husband, and the service he rendered
ms government. Regardless of the
KIND OF work required of him, he al
ways gave the best he had. He was
always volunteer for patrols when
IN the quiet sector and always at the
head of his men during the last often
slVe. Those of US who were in the
Argonne offensive and particularly
near St. Juvin know that it required
the highest qualities to advance as he
did on the morning of the 18th.
AS a man l regarded your husband
most highly and sympathize with you
IN your loss. If there is ANYTHING
further can do for you please do not
hesitate to call upon me. hope that
you will accept from the entire com
pany our deepest sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
(SignedD Walker r. Flournoy.
Captain of Co F.