Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-15

two casualties aud twenty six horses
or wounde. On September
Z we wtre relieved by the French 221st
Field Artillery. When we came out we
had suffered total losses Of eleven killed
and 100 wounded during n month $
fighting. OF these, fifteen were gasscd.
Then we started to rest camp.
We marched for nine days southeast |
and on September 16, ut Courot, we
received orders to march northeast to |
until September - We now began to |
prepare for the Argonne drive"
He turned to the diary again, reading
typical entry.
September 90. 1t is dark. damp and |
disagreeablc, Rain and lots of mud,
Rain almost all day"
Only eco Horses Left
1--WE had to collect 5000 sand bags .
and lumber to campuflagc batteries. |
| see here a record of our losses in |
horses. OF the 1850 given us we now !
had only 600 left.
The batteries went into position on
the eastern edge of the Argonne forest |
in support of the Fifty Fifth Infantry
brigade. I recall that our observation
post was at Mont villers, which was
mile and half from the German lines !
The battery positions were half mile |
further back.
1T was misty on our sector, but |
could see the whole trench system and
as far back into the German lines as
Narennes. from my post command.
1--WE received our orders on Septcm-
Der % to prepare for the big barragc
that opened the Argonne drive. We
started firing at 30 in the morning
of September 20 and continued until
j 80. when the infantry went over. We
fired three shots gun per minute and
at that time dropped to one shot per
gun per minute.
"Well. the infantry advanced six Kill
ometers that day and we followed on
their heels. The batteries were placed
north of Narennes and went into ac-
tion again at | p. m. on September 2S,
Our bataliOns from then on advanced
alternately little each day so as to
keep up constant fire from the regi-
ment.'
red book again and came across what
he called mere Details When he
read them, the details turned out to be
like this:
Heavy counter attack by the boches
at s p. m. on September 20. The in
fantry called for counter barragc four
times and we over four ten minute
barrages.
Infantry Forced Back
"The boches forced our infantry back
half mile he said, but the boys
drove them back again and took their
positions. He returned to the book.
September 80. we kept up a harass-
ing and destructive fire. but there was
no advar"" infantry. more rain
entry.
at was on the morning of Scptcm-
Der 20 that the bochc ""''-' ""- attacked
with 1900 men against battalion of
only 800 men of the Tooth Infantry.
The infantry called for a barrage. We
fired at 6 a. m. The Germans were
driven back. They lost very heavily
and were virtually wiped out. This
was just north of Apremont. After
ward we found dead boches within
fifty meters of our front lines.
1T was on October that Licuten-
ant Colonel o. +. Harvey, Jr., of
Wilkes Barre, was severely wounded
while advancing with the First Bat
talon to a new position. Lieutenant
LYONS. of + Dat was W. '"d"d and
Lieutenant Grubb killed.
Il spent that afternoon in our ar
tllery post in the front lines. directing
the fire for ID Battery. on Chatcl
Cehery. The fire had effect The first
of Apremont.
"On October 3 we got orders for a
barrage at : % next morning. One
battery was to accompany the infantry.
Battery f was the one selected to 20
with the infantry. They went into
position October with the infantry
northwest of ApremOnt and dug in and
lay there all day working with the
machine guns on all sides of them. They
were sniping at the German machine
gun nests, less than 1000 yards away.
The whole battery was cited for this,
in general orders. They fired from the
second wave of infantry with the
doughboys in foxhcles all around.
Miner Wounded October 4
II was wounded October 4. so the rest
of the story must be told by others.
He laughed when he came to that
day in his little red book. Il was"
he read and then stopped.
"What happened?' came the ques-
ton, "Where is your citation? What
does it say?"
II don't have it here. 1t is at home,
but the citation isn't quite right any
how"
well, how is it wrong, colonel?'
"You see it says that the battery was
demoralized and that / got them to-
gether when the shell fire got so heavy.
That is not right.
! "rhat battery was never demoralized.
Many were being wounded and killed,
but the boys were never demoralized.'
WAS it while you We're getting them
together that you were wounded:'
"Oh. I was only wounded along with
the FEST of them" he smiled. "There
is Captain Hamilton, of Battery f.
He has n CrOix de Guerre from the
French and another from Belgium, They
couldn't hit him. He was everywhere
up there while all of his were getting
something, but he came through with
out scratch.