New-York tribune., 1919-03-11
TeutOnic Trickery
Failed to Battle
The 9th Division
Private's Log" Relates How
Enemy Used Stretcher to
Advance Machine Gun:
No Prisoners Taken"

CAMP MERRITT. n. j.. March 10
in all the encounters between the men
of the 27th Division and the Boche
there is recorded only one instance OF
Jerry assuming the offensive. That
was against the second platoon Of
Company L OF the 10th Regiment in
the Dickiebusch sector in Flanders on
August 20. The men Of Company L
arrived in camp yesterday as part of
the Sd Battalion.
The enemy's puny offensive cost him
forty killed. twenty of the fastest
sprinters Of massed raldIng party
Of sixty being the only survivors,
according to the war logbook kept by
Private John MacGow, of Newburgh.
The raid, according to Private Mae
Cow was preceded by one of the most
mysterious incidents of the 27th's war
career On the afternoon of August
10. the day before the 9th was to
drop back for transfer to another
sector. said Private MacGow, two mem
hcrs of Company l.. Privates Wheeler
and Daily, were seen to be awakened
by German soldier who had evidently
come to surrender.
"For some reason narrated Private
MacGow the two men followed the
Jerry into his trenches. Our snipers
were busy trying to pick off Fritz, but
shell, dropping into the trench just
after the three had disappeared behind
the parapet, must have blown them to
pieces.
1--WE figured that the ferries might
learn from the men if they had sur
Vived that we were preparing to leave
the sector and could be easily sur
priscd while making preparations All
night long we waited tensely; we had
only been in for seven days, but no
Jerry came. With daybreak we re-
laXcd and were preparing to sleep for
short time when, with a rush and q
shout, sixty ferries were seen coming
across No Mans Land.
"A man in the uniform Of an Ameri
can otticcr-wc learned later from an
examination Of his body that he was
German-had managed to cross our
first line in the space between the
pIatoons.
"He kept running back and forth
behind shouting, BEAT it, boys. or YOU
will all be killed. Well, we just hated
to OBEY that kind of an order, even
when ISSUED by an officer. We were
hesitating and probably bit nervous
when a German officer jumped into
our trench and told us to surrender
about twenty ferries had reached
our parapct when we got our guns and
put every one out Of business for all
time. The other forty, seeing the rst
ones TALL, started back, but our snipcre
mailed about twenty more The man
in the uniform Of AN American officer
was shot as he tried to cross the
trench"
There is going to be dance for
boys OF tho 27th Division at the Y w
c. A. hostess house Thursday night
Jhc jazzers of the 18th infantry will
provide the music. And, of course, there
viii be refreshments. But the New
Y ork swecthearts Of the 9th boys ncet
take no interest in this news item, as
the partners will consist exclusively OF
members Of girls patriotic organiza
tlons from nearby towns.
The men got surprise to-day, whcr
their three day rest period was con.
cludcd abruptly and morning and after
noon drills were begun.
The rcglmental colors OF tho 107tf
and 10Sth regiments were raised to day
before regimcntal Headquarters.
The Sd Battalion the Supply Com
pany and the Headquarters Company
of the 10Th Regiment, which arrived
yesterday. completed the delousinl
process to-day. Half of the men left
at noon on passes.
Colonel +. J. Jennings, commanding
the l0Sth Regiment, has received com
mittces from n number Of upstate
towns, who came to plan homecoming
for their men. Colonel Jennings an.
nounccd most of the men will be sent
home in groups.