The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-01-23
Lieut.-col. Smith Lectures at the
Methodist Church Toniuht

Lieut. Col. Smith, Jr., son of our DIR
Smith will lecture at the Metho
dist church in this city tonight.
In his address he says:
shall tell of the war as saw
II In the ST. Mihiel Drive; going over
the top at Faye-en-Haye; the advance
on Vilcey; the taking of Hill 1904;
Les Quartre Clemins (where my bat
talon was surrounded by Germans
and cut off from the regiment of the
enemy. (This is where the battalion
won the name OF The Battalion OF
Death. Of the fighting at Les HUT
Chsmins. Melville. Verdun and the
Argonne Forest.
1 shall try to make my audience
see life as il was in the trenches. on
the march. on the advance and on the
battlefield. I shall tell them of fight
ing i'm the woods, hand-to-hand con
flicts. and of the brave things the
officers and men of my command did
In brief. | shall try to take them with
me over all those wonderful horrible
never-to-beforgotten victorious days.
The following story concerning Col
Smith was sent to the Chicago Daily
News In October of 1918. 1t was
printed in this paper some months
ago and we take pleasure in again
giving 10 our readers this story Of
Col. Smiths bravery as told by one
who was present with him on the
battle field.
With the American Army at the
front, Oct. 24.-Thousands of Chica,
goans remember dapper Dan Morgan
Smith. his debonair manner, his'slouch
hat. his bow tie and his black frock
coat Not many years ago he was an
assistant corporation council of Chi
cago under James Hamilton Lewis
Then he became a special prosecutor
and federal attorney. Finally drop
ping out OF legal circles he was next
heard of on the Mexican border
where he was a 300-pound lieutenant
in the 9TH Illinois national guard regi
ment.
On Tuesday while | was eating a
meal from a mess tin in a muddy vii
large near the zone an officer acquain
lance stepped up and said;
I'VE have a major in our regiment
who comes from Chicago. You ought
20 meet him. He is a corker He is
not afraid of anything and We cali
his battalion the battalion of death
We started out to find the major
who Is now lieutenant-cOlonel, and
who had returned from the trenches
a few hours earlier. We found him
snoring on the floor of a house-or
the remnants OF a hOuse-the only
one visible in the village. Even his
wife would have been unable TO re-
cognize the dapper Smith of former
years. His yellow mustache was
thick and dropping and a week old
stubble covered his face. His khaki
uniform. sOiled and worn. torn and
ripped. hung loosely on his muscular
figure. now weighing not more than
1Se pounds.
My name is Smith-Dan Morgan
Smith-and am glad to see anybody
from Chicago" doomed his heavy
voice which had the same drawl as OF
old. Il have lost my clothes except
these. II is the first chance | have
had toNsleep in ninenty hours. but that
Is all part OF the game"
When | suggested that he describe
some Of the thrilling experiences
which have made him famous in the
army, he said:
Nothing doing. | think am proud
est of this"
tie produced from a greasy pocket
book on officers paper. 1t was an
order citing the major for bravery at
Faye-en-Haye advancing him to the
rank OF Northumberland and direct.
ing him TO return to the United
states and bring over more fighting
americans.
4 got that myself" he said "When
this war started went to train
ing camp in Texas and Just said. NV
name Is smith, and won a commits
sion on merit"
tie is a modest man." said a cab
sain who happened to be near by and
VINO stepped up and told me the fol-
lowing story:
when Smith led his battalion be.
yond the lines it was surrounded nv
Germans. The men fought for three
Jays and were reduced in number
from LEO 10 s25 before other ele-
meutS came mn 10 tko.