Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-01-05
HARRY POWELL TELLS
WATSON A TALE
Local Photographer Says Anoth-
er Soldier Told Him U. ).
Barrage Killed Our Boys

veStigation which the United
States Senate is conducting into
alleged Illegal executions Of sol
dicrs in France by publication
from Washington OF a letter
written BIZ Harry j. Powell. OF
Richmond, on the subject
Mr.. Powell is we'll known
Young photographer OH Main
street. He served during the
wa rand made a good record. lie
wrote to Senator Tom Watson.
Of Georgia, who started the IN
vestigation. The dispatch from
Washington told OF NJ. Powell ;
letter as follows:
That American soldiers were
forced BY barragc laid behind
them to 90 into action ON the
very morning the armiStice was
signed. and that many of them
were killed by the fire from their
own artillery is the substance OF
highly sensational allegations
contained in letter received by
Senator Watson. OF Georgia
from Harry ]. Powell. business
r.an. Of Richmond. Ky.
The kentuck:an's story comes
as the climax OF series of har-
rowing accusations against Amer
lean officers. His letter Is n.
follows:
In the light OF Your recent
| think it fitting to.
give YOU an account OF what ]
regard as an outrage second TO.
none Of which have heard. L
shall tell it to YOU just a the
soldier has told it To- me tonight.
This shameful occurrence was
ON November II. 1918. from / a.
IN. until II a. m. when the ar
was signed. Ii was n.
the battle Of st. Mihicl and the
outfit was the Seventh Division.
Fifth Kentucky and Indiana I'M
iantrv. in charge OF Col. Fist and
Capt. Oater Major Siebels.
Those in command OF this outfit
received orders November .. 1913.
from headuuarters to hold the
front until the eleventh. but to.
DO no more fighting
AT 4 a. IN. November II. 1913.
Major Sicbcls ordered a battal-'
ION OF 1900 men to advance on
Germans cntrcnched in a wheat
field one-half mile away Also,
Germans. with machine guns.
were fixed at many places be
hind barbed wire entanglemeHts
in the intervening distance be-
tween the United States soldiers
and the Germans in the wheat
field.
After giving this order Major
Sicbcl retired To his dugout. but
before retiring to Il safe place he
ordered the heaty artillery To
put a barrage behind the men to
force them forward. They ran
into the barbcd wire with the
deadly barrage on their heels.
This barrage followed them from
behind faster than they could
run. killing them right and left.
The usual barrage in front &
the men was not used at all
This barragc in front was ire
uuently used heretofore to blow
up the barbcd wire cntanglc-
mcnts so the soldiers could get
through. But il was not used
this time. Many men were caught
in this barbcd wire and killed by
their own artillery fire. Some
went one To two miles to the
right or left to avoid the barbed
wire. Others went straight thru
and reached the wheat field. the
artillery fire still ON their heels
] will say here that the artillery
fire was one ami one-half miles
behind the point from which the
men started.
"In the wheat field the United
States soldiers were still killed
off by the FIRE from their own
artillery. Not only this. but the
Germans, surprised at an attack
during the truce. preceding the
armistice, opened fire on the
United States soldiers with ma
chine guns, killing many. This
artillery fire continud until II n.
IN. when the arinistice was sign
ed and then shell fire ceased.
I'm this advance 500 United
States soldiers were killed and
400 were wounded. The remain
ing 500 men of the first l.200 es-
capped injury by hiding in she'll
holes. The artillery fire. when
discovered that II was 1rilliuor