The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-14
WEST VIRGINIA
SOLDIERS DEFY
H0MES|CkNESS
BLUE RIDGE FIGHTERS ENL1VEN
THEIR HAMLET CAMP WITH
ENTERTAINMENTS AND
FOOTBALL GAMES.
Many Soldier Boys Prom the Local DIS
trict Are In the 8oth o. s.
Army Division.

Showing tile same dnshing spirit lha'
actcrizcd their triumphal ollchses
AGAINST the Boche, the doughno!s VI
tho Snth division have taken inc e''teI
tainmcnt and recreation nroolclh NV
their own hands, and series OIL ~.
,o.,,,,r athletic contests and good va"oc-
yiI1n shovs have cnlivcncd lhc1r war;
ous camps. according to newspaper clip
ninps received from the European pa
ncrs. That they defy Inconsistencies -
also the general opinion OF 'nos' WV
know. This is what one paper mas ~
say regarding the boys: ,,ir
'.Thc Blue Ridge fighters. IN 'neiI We
drive If seventeen days from Sep'op'-
49, Or n October IL. and in their last
offensive from November 10 NoVc'n
hor rcfIcctcd tho great manhood Oh
tho tho three Blue Ridge states, fch"-
svIvania, West Virginia and virginia,
recognition of the divisions great "olh
&c cxcm nlif!pd n the promotion OF mhJ"'
General Cronkhitc who has been pllcei
IN command Of an army corps. INC
honor probably would have carried "
thrcc-s,ar decoration had 1t not pecn t"'
,,hc order on advaaccmcnts' Ma1o'
General Sturgiss whose father hcld inc
same rank in the Civil war, Is the pres
cnt commander of the Blue Ridge nGhl-
crs. ,,r
"Thc Tooth brigade. made up largely
of vhirlwind Scrappcrs from Itt'spursH
and vicinity. is fortunate in having loi
its commander BriEadicr General i|ioJu
". Brett. who has been in active Colt
,nand Of trooIE for ~ years. Nci'e' !''
Rrctt is rated among the best leaders IN
the 4. f.. T.. and his military genius Is
tempered so generously with latnefis
action that he is deep down in the hearts
of his 1000 scrappcrS.
After the signing Of the armiSt'cc 'ne
/ Blue Ridge division started hike from
the front which continued for about zen
days, and covered approximately LOU
miles. 10 tho vicinity Of AncH-lc-Fren
the town named being divisional head
quarters. The doughboy outfits the
3I7th. 31Sth, 319th and 33oth regiments,
! as we'll as tho artillery. machine gun
units. engineers, ammunition trair anu
! other parts Of the division, were scatter
! I'd about in quiet villages over a large
area.
I'll was soon evident that tho enter
tainmcnl problem was very serious. as
! the towns were without any forms OF re-
! creation. and il IS dangerous 10 remove
| sports and amuscmrntS from the lively
! Yank. Finally the boys decided 10 get
! busy themselves. and now there are sew
cral groups of entertainers who are DO
| ing valiant service in preventing home
| sickness.
| "Rcccntly some Of the outfits organ
| lied football and soccer teams day
! of TWO ago the clevens Of company
and company *. of the 3l9th infantry.
/ played Il thrilling gridiron game on a
snow-covcred field for tho champion
ship Of thu village OF llicrs-lc-B Bots,
! both companies being quartcrsd in the
| little Town. The game Wes rough. but
! clean. and ended in a scnrclcss tie. The
next morning the iEtiT7nary did a land
office business hut the boys gave the
/ two companies and officers something
TO talk about for a week. and there is
talk of playing it off. On the day previ-
| out the headquarters team defeated the
company \ team . to 0 in a. cracker jack
| game of soccer.
! The Bluc Ridge lighters. rs usual.
arc trying 10 make the hest Of ncon-
| vcnicnt surroundings. The boys who
| have been in actual combat and who
| have slept in wet shell holes are always
/ thc last to grumhlc. They are restrict
! cd TO little hnmlcts that provide no
amuscmcnts. but one hears less grum-
bling from them in other places, de-
spite tho fact that tho patient fighters
| have the home desire in the bottom OF
| their hearts"