The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-01-03

' SoA q 49,
| have under me seven captains anC
~lieutenants, each in charge of a diff
ferent prt of the work of the brigade
am responsible for their work, Of
course, and supervise the whole of it
paying personally the most attention
to operations. When first Joined the
brigade there was no organization
whatever, the commanding general
did not know anything about these
different departments of staff work
he had only just arrived from the
states and was still fighting the wal
under our peace time system. 1t re-
quired considerable argument and per-
usasion to get permission to organize
the staff in the manner | know il
would nave to organize if the brigade
was ever to function properly. This
general, however, was not long in see
ing the point and he gave me permits
sion to perfect the organization. l Sc
lected by men carefully with the re-
suit hat / got good men, nearly all
of whom are still with the brigade, SO
that now we have a most efficient
staff, not only, but we are all agree
able to one another.
Immediately after | joined the bri-
gade we were ordered to the Vosges,
the eastern front. Here we had some
instruction from the French, and then
we were put into the line, at first
amalgamated with French units, but
soon all by ourselves. Our brigade
made such a good showing that the
French soon turned a sector of the
front over to us entirely, at first a
quiet sector and gradually the more
active sectors, until in the latter part
of August we were withdrawn en-
tirely.
On September 18th we took part
in the st. Mihiel offensive, our brigade
making the attack for the division.
We look back upon st. Mirhel now as
child's play compared with what we
have had since, which has been
Verdun and the Meuse, first on the
west bank and then on the east bank.
Here the Boche resisted to the death
and we experienced some of the real
thing. We started the morning of the
18th of October and kept up the fight
ing until the day of the Armistice,
being out of battle only four days
during that time to receive replace
ments in men and material, and on
the 18th day of November the armis-
tice found our brigade on the apex
of the American advance, seven kilo-
meters in advance of all other troops.
You probably read about the Ameri-
cans crossing the Meuse; it was our
division that forced the crossing and
it was the 10th Brigade that forced it
first for the division, we had our
whole brigade across before any other
troops had even gained a foothold
on the east bank. After crossing we
gave the Boche no rest and followed
him up so rapidly that in four days
we made an advance of 81 ~kilometers,
running completely away from our
artillery and from all troops on our
flanks, so that we had to stop to wait
for them to catch up. During these
four days the men fought day and
night. We suffered heavy casualties
naturally, but u advance enabled
the whole line of the army to advance
because we compelled the enemy to
fall back to prevent being outflanked.
The armistice was mighty welcome
to all of us, we were tired unto death
and we couldn't have gone much
farther. We might possibly have had
one fight left in us, but if we were
strongly opposed, we might have fail
ed. The brigade was never stopped
except once and that time it was the
fault Of the plan of attack conceived
by higher authority and concerning
which we had nothing to say. Even
then after being stopped and after
pointing out to the higher command
just how the situation could be saved,
the job of saving it was assigned us,
others had failed in the attempt,
and we went in and carried the Bots
.es Reppes which was the enemy's
rock of Gibraltar and the capture of
which compelled his retirement all
along that particular front. We had
some fight that day, believe me.
After the armistice we were pulled
back for four days of rest and reor-
yanization and then we were again
sent forward as part of the Army of
Occupation, being one of the divisions
If the corps in reserve, that is, we
re following up the two front line
as they advance. About half Of
,ur brigade is already in Germany
md the rest of us expect to move l
Onward soor.
I am glad that it is over because
fellow keep continually at this fight
ng business without getting his soon :
r or later. | have been exceedingly :
ucky all the way through and have :
lad some few close shaves. The en- :
artillery fire in the Verdun-
1euse sector was terrific. I haven't !
ad a day off since I came to France y
ut | have been promised a leave as 7
DON as leaves are in order, and | ex- I
ect to go to Paris to get some new :
and to see that famous city. l !,
as promoted to major on August IS 2
recommended for promotion to +
eutenant colonel on November Is,
ut the war department stopped all
romotions on the 18th of November,