The Pascagoula chronicle. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1905-1920, 1919-01-18
COL. CARRU7H
PRAISES BOYS.
Leader Of 114th Ammunition Train
Expresses Pride over Record in
France.

| Camp Beauregard, La, Jan. 13.-The
vanguard of the Thirty-ninth Division,
consisting of more than 1900 officers
and men, arrived in Camp Beauregard
during Sunday night from Newport
News, Va.
They now are preparing to be mus
tered out of the service and expect
to be home in about week. Their
equipment was turned in today, and
physical examinations will begin to-
morrow. By Wednesday afternoon or
Thursday morning, orders for their dis
charge should begin to be issued They
received welcome they Will never
forget. Hundreds of Alexandrians met
their train at the depot and renewed
acquaintance and cheered the men rs
they continued their journey from
town to camp five miles away.
The journey all the way from France
was made without a mishap and their
faces showed the Joy that was In their
hearts to be back home.
After detraining they were marched
to the area of the old 154th Infantry,
where they encamped for the night.
Their arrivals included more than
1900 officers and men Of the Hath Am
munition Train and more than 300 Off
GERS and eighty men Of the Division
Cadre, and men of the 141st Machine
Gun Battalion The remainder of these
organizations went to Camp Pike or
Camp Taylor to be discharged from
those camps where they had originally
joined the colors.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hill Car
ruth of Warren, Ark, commander of
the 114th Ammunition Train, was about
the happiest man in Camp beauregard.
He had been their only commander and
he naturally felt elated over leading
them safely to France and leading them
back to the home base.
"Out of 1895 officers and men,"
Colonel Caruth said I'VE lost only
eight by nautral deaths, from the time
we left Beauregard, August 13, to
December 81, when we reached New
port News, Va. We were nnt in action
lat any time, The armistice ended e..
such possibilities for us. So no one
vas injured or killed in any battle, and
any rumor to the contrary is, of
course, false"
Colonel Carruth is only 20 years old.
He was promoted to be a lieutenant
colonel August 5, 1917, the youngest
man who ever received such high
promotion in Camp Beauregard, it is
believed. He Is widely known In Ar
kansas, where he was a member OF the
Legislature four years before he
entered the state Senate two years ago
from the Eighteenth Senatorial Dis
trict of Arkansas.
"To the mothers and sisters of my
men l want to say that | am very
proud of their record" said Colonel
Carruth. "They will go back to their
homes and their tasks prouder Ameri-
cans. In France they acquitted them
selves with honor. There was no COM
plaint and on serious offenses. The
French admired them for they were
gallant, knightly and courageous.
Colonel Carruth told something of
what these boys had done since they
left Beauregard.
"Our journey to Camp Mills last Au-
gust was a memorable event." he said.
"We had received wonderful recep
ton at every station en- route so that
when our men got on transport for
overseas they felt that they had a
united America standing behind them
and backing them to the limit. Hence
the lurking submarine had no terror
for them; these simply added zest to
the adventure and made the trip all
the more enjoyable. We struck a
heavy gale and for the most part, our
men had to do rail duty.
1--WE landed at Brest, September IL
and there we were received most en-
Enthusiastically by the French, especially
the children. These youngsters got on
tops OF trees and houses and as our
boys marched through the streets they
sang in their Frenchy way Hail, hail,
the gangs all here and, Of course
hey made big hit with all of us.
From Brest we moved on to Plean
Legrande, where we were billeted in
the homes and buildings Of the towns
people to cur mutual great joy until
the armIstice robbed us of the chance
to show the Germans the stuff we
were made of,
Words fail me when try to de-
scribe how Kind and generous the
French people were to our men. The
relation that exists between the l14th
Ammunition Train and the town peo-
pie were extremely cordial and happy.
They we're so extremely grateful for
the part America played in the world
war and they could not show us
enough hospitalities and kindness.
They looked upon us as big brothers
who had heard their call from Mac
edonia and our soldiers, being typical
Americans, naturally responded to
their feeling.
MY most pleasant recollections will
be that at all times our men endeav'