Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-01-17
TWUr BRATTEEB0R0l-
BOYS DECORATED
Distinguished Service by Lieut..
Miles and Pvt. Stephens
FormarsActedgfofS OFFICER Killed Natter
Helped Repulse Particularly Savage
German Attack.

First Lieut. Appleton Miles, son of Mrs
&c. A. Miles of this town, recently was
awarded the highest order of the French
war cross, a palm being added to the
N4vfoi& dc guafrcf which HI, received about
n, yeal: ago. The citation came from
General petain for distinguished service
in August during n heavy bombardment,
when. he took the place of a French colo
mel of n sanitary service after the colo
mel was killed. Lieut.. Miles is in the
Il United States army ambulance service
attached TO a French division. He went
TO France in September, 1916. lie knew
nothing of the citation for the palm until
toward the end of November. Since re-
ceiving the croix do guerre Lieut.. Miles
has had ut least three stars added.
Another Brattleboro soldier who has
been awarded the croiX de guerrc is Pri-
vnte8>etfee F.NStephens of Company c.
l02d United States infantry, who has
Just returned to Bfattleboro utter being
discharged at Camp Upton. Private Ste
phens, who was born in Plainfeld, n. j..
has lived in Vermont the. greater part of
his life, being resident of Brattleboro
the past II years." boarding with Mrs
Emily Allen of IA Vernon street. He
formerly was employed at the Central
Vermont round-house, later was en-
ployed by Contractor j. G.. Pellet in
erecting the Crosby grain elevator and
at the time of his enlistment in Company
J, LIST Vermont regiment in 1917, he had
q position in L.. H. Stellman' & Sons ma
chine shop. o.a,.t, u~-u .,t
Private Stephens went with the Yer.
mont regiment to- Fort Ethan Allen and
was transferred from there TO Yale field,
New Haven. Conn, in August, 1917. He
went overseas in September and went
into the trenches in February, 1918. On
April 20 the Germans made an attack on
/ tiM Fsfct or where the regiment was sta
fpSned,. ana although they killed many
and took others prisoner they were re-
pulsed. Several Of the men in Company
G were killed or taken prisoner.
Many OF, thesreRiment were cited by
General Edwards OF the Goth division for
distinguished service and the French
awarded them the croix de guerre. Fiji
teen in Company & received these honOrs.
The following extract is from general
orders N6.e40, headquarters of the Goth
division, issued in France May ID:
'2. At 3 o'clock on the morning of
April 90, 1918, the enemy opened on our
sector in the neighborhood of Seicheprey
q violent artillery bombardment from
concentrated artillery, which involved all
the rear area as we'll as the trenches and
dugouts. Shortly thereafter, under the
protection of a heavy barrage and dense
ing, he Slspsnehed q determined and yigor
Gus attack preceded by force of storm
.sitsoaps, estimated At at least 200, and
guns, sapperss and pioneer troops accom-
panied. by much material The enemy
made q bold and determined attempt to
gain permanent foothold in that part
of our sector.
THE engagement lasted well on into
the 2lst, when the enemy, after partic-
ularly desperate struggle at close quar-
ters was forced to retire without having
attained his objective and after being
severely punished. The fight, by the very
necessities of the case. under the smoth-
ering artillery bombardment of shrapnel
and high explosives, and drenchng of
gas shells, became struggle of resist
,ance by platoons and smaller units, in
dividuals, and machine gun squads.
These units-ofiicers and men-held their
ground; some died in their tracks, but
none fell back. .s--
"The troops engaged in repellng this
attack and throughout the battle proved
themselves q stout hearted lot of lads,
true to their tradition. ,,tt a..
'On behalf of the 26th division, con
graduate the following named officers
and enlisted men on their gallant conduct
in this engagement" a., 49,,
Then follow the names of the persons
cited, among them being Private George
y. Stephens, Company C, l02d infantry"
The order is signed &c. r. Edwards,
Major General, Commanding"
e.. Private Stephens learned afterwards
that Lient G.: Arnold Pellet of Brattle-
boro was back of the lines guarding an
observation balloon, but he did not see
him. '"'a H ,~t.
"' a poultry extension school will be held
ttvn DAVIS newt weeL in connection wit n