The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-04-10
MORE Y. D. MEN
ARE LANDED
Mongolia's 4,7OO Artillery
Men Sent to Camp
Devens To-day
RHODE ISLANDS
SPECIAL DAY
Earliness of Troops Arrival
Did Not Affect the Hearth
ness of Their Reception


join the 1900 Yankee division comrades
who preceded them in the return from
France.
The Mongolia, the fourth Of the troop
ships to arrive with units of the 26th
division, brought the l02d and l03d field
artillery, four batteries OF the l0lst and
Brigadier General John II. Sherburne,
commander of the 5lst artillery brigade,
with his headquarters outfit.
The transport anchored in President
Roads at 3;40 a. m. and remained there
until Gas, when she started up the har-
Dor on the last lap of her voyage, escort
ed by fleet of welcoming committee
boats. She docked at Commonwealth
pier at 7:30
Notwithstanding the earliness of her
arrival she was given a reception fully
equal to that accorded the transports
which had preceded her. Governor Cool
idgo of this state. Governor Beekman of
Rhode Island, and Major General Clar-
ence r. Edwards, former commander of
the division, with officials from various
cities, led the welcoming delegations.
General Edwards and the two govern
ors went aboard the transport from their
steamer and we're cheered heartily by
the artillerymen. The cheering was re-
newed when the general called Private
Norman II. Elliott of Webster from the
crowd and presented him with the croiX
de guerre for gallant conduct at Seche-
prey.
1t was Rhode Islands special greeting
day. Young men of that state enter
largely into the makeup of the l03d field
artillery and their mothers, wives, sweet
hearts and fathers. with state officials,
senators, congressman and mayors, were
out long before daylight to meet them.
Five hundred from Providence and near
by places came by special train leaving
Providence at 4 a. m, led by Mayor
j. II. Gamer, boarding steamers which
took them down the harbor. It was just
dawn when they caught their first
glimpse of the Mongolia through the
mist, The yell that arose gave the ar
tillerymen the cheerest reyeille call they
have had since they left home IS months
ago.
Governor Beekman and some members
OF the Rhode Island delegation were on
the L. s. s. Admiral, while others from
that state were on the steamship John
II. Sullivan
As special tribute TO Brigsdier Gen
eral Sherburne a former member of the
Massachusetts House, more than two
thirds Of the members of the legislature
were among the welcoming hosts The
artillery units arriving on the Mongolia
IL n txr. ..F
New England than any OF the other con-
tingents OF the Yankee division that
have returned. Fewer replseements from
outside New England were necessary TO
maintain the strength of the batteries in
action and they returned composed al
most entirely Of Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, Maine and New
Hampshire men.
The official casualty list of the l02d
field artillery regiment, given out by
the adiutant, included 80 men and two
officers killed in action and 352 officers
and men wounded. Sixty per cent of
the members Of the batteries to return
to-day had been with the outfit since it
went overseas.
Colonel J. + j. Herbert, commanding,
told the stories of Private Elliott of bat.
terry L Of the l02d who was decorated
by General Edwards, and of Private Jo-
seph Parent, another Webster boy, who
also won the croix dc guerre. Elliott
was taken prisoner at Seicheprey April
.. 1917, and was reported as missing.
The French awarded him the war cross
and il was sent to his mother. When
the armistice was signed he was released
and sent word home that he had gone
back to his battery. Mrs. Elliott for
warded the decoration TO General Ed
wards in order that he might present it
on the transport.
Colonel Herbert said that Elliott was
one OF IA men holding dugout at
Seicheprey against large number of
Germans. The enemy used smoke bombs
and attacked with bayonets, four of the
Yankees being killed and three wounded.
The others were captured. Elliott was
one of these.
THAT was before the Germans knew
they had lost the war, said Elliott, who
was standing near his colonel, "and we
certainly got rough treatment They
took everything away from us but our
trousers and shirts They fed us two
bowls of bad soup in the first As hours
and made us work like dogs, first clean
ing streets and later in mine"
Private Parent wears both the croiS dc
guerre and the distinguished service
cross. He won them at Seicheprey when
he brought in from No Mans land a
buddy who was badly wounded and then
returned and finished the job of recon
sJructing wire ENHANCEMENT he had
been working on This was done under
fire and Parent was wounded in the head
and leg, but stuck to his job. General
Edwards gave him warm handclasp to-
day.
Governor Coolidge was the first man
aboard the Mongolia, arriving at 5;45
o'clock He had breakfast with General
| Sherburne and was on hand to greet
| Governor Beekman of Rhode Island when
the latter arrived with General Edwards
| on the steamer Admiral at $3.50.
! Reception committees from this state
and Rhode Island greeted the Mongolia
! at Commonwealth pier. Although orig
! inaI plans were to allow only one man
from each unit to ccme ashore and meet
! the committees, regulations were relaxed
and every man aboard who spied rela
tive or friend in the crowd was allowed
to come down the gangpank,
! The welcoming exercises were inform
al, and there was no speechmaking. Aft
~ h,.;of avehanyos Tho soldiers werp or