The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-03
HOW YANKS IN RUSSIA FOUGHT
B0LSHEV1KI;, 0UTNUMBERED'
THEY WIN WINTER CAMPAIGN

q.
Washington, D. G. March 31-U]
near the Arctic circle, amid the ic
and snow of northwestern. Russia
approximately 5000 American soldier
who have been fighting the Bolshevik
and the Germans for eight months ar
preparing to leave for home as sool
as the weather permits.
In climate sometimes as cold a:
22 below zero, these men-the ma
jority drafted from Michigan-have
undergone hardships such as our sol
diers. who are now returning from
France knew nothing of. +
NO STORY OF EXPLOITS
KEPT IN WASHINGTON
When l set out to gather from the
war department the facts about the
Archangel expedition, l found that
not even the general staff nor the
army war college, which is the his
torical branch Of the army, had
enough information to form con-
nected story of the expeditions ex-
ploits.
In the office OF General Peyton C.
March, chief of staff an attache told
me:
Communication with Archangel
has been so difficult that the official
reports from Col. George e. Stewart,
commander Of the expedition, and
from Col. James A. E-Sglcs, military
intelligence attache at Archangel,
have far between, mostly confined to
reports of casualties and the physical
welfare of the men," 49,.
From the facts l did obtain, how
ever. it is possible to pice together
a sketchy story covering the high
spots of the expedition.
It's history really dates back to
February, 1918, when the allied am
bassadors at Petrograd found it neces-
sary to flee from the Russian capital
to Archangel. That turned Ameri-
can attention to Russia. In the fol-
lowing month the Germans began to
occupy parts, Of Finland, and again
it became apparent to the allied gov
ernments that some action was neces-
sary in western Russia. The new
government Of North Russia asked
the allies for help. a-.. i
England and France, therefore,
sent detachments of marines tp Kola,
on the Murman coast, to protect the
Murman coast to Petrograd, and the
vast war supplies that had been gath
cred along this railroad. The Fin
nish White Guards were advancing
to seize this road.
FIRST U. S. MARINES
LANDED LAST JULY
On July l detachment of Unit
ed States marines landed at Kola to
cooperate with the French and Brit
ish in this work. The marines are
still there, so far as is known.
On July 30 General Pershing cabl-
ed that on recommendation of Gener-
al Foch, he had detached the 339th
regiment of infantry from the 85th |
division and sent it to Archangel on
British transports. The 339th was
made up largely of men from De.
troit, mpQoyes of automobile fac
tories, and was in command of Co..
George E. Stewart. @.
A little later Pershing reported he
had. sent one battalion of the 310th
engineers, the 337th Field Hospital
and the 337th Ambulance company to
Archangel. These units also, came
from the 85th division, and were
made up of men from Michigan and
~ lSSVilSHh' Liz IOIdl HuiIlDcI was
1894.
A detachment of British troops also
was sent to Archangel, and the whole
expedition was placed in command of
General Ironsides of the British army.
Experience of the quartermaster
corps in supplying troops in Alaska
was called into play to equip the ex-
pedition. In addition to the regular
overseas, equipment the men got fur
caps, fur mittens, moose-hide mocca-
sins, fur overcoats, fur parkas, or
hooded coats and 'mucklucks," or
winter boots used in the north country
The Americans landed at Arch
angel August 5, and lost no time
in getting into action against the
bolsheviki, who were reinforced
by German troops. Three days
after they had landed they had
begun the march southwark to-
ward Volgoda and had attacked
the BOlshevik forces.
/. AS result of thsee conflicts,
Premier Lenine on Aug. 9 issued a
statement that the bolshevik govern
nent considered itself at war with the
entente. This was followed on Sept
10 by confederation from Ambassador
Francis, then at Kamalaska. He re-
ported that the Germans and the Boil