Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1919 — DEMOTTE BOY WRITES OF WAR [ARTICLE]

DEMOTTE BOY WRITES OF WAR

J2ORPj.A..H. rosingw rites -TO GEORGE MARR OF HIS - - . EXPERIENCES. CHAPTER V. The Battle of St. Mihiel. Had quite a neasy time up till the 25th of August, when again we moved out to some other big game hunt. After enduring all kinds of hardships we opened fire the morning of Sept. 12. An all American drive. At 11 that morning we were well on our way through the network of the Hindenburg trench system. Again our division went out to the front. We gained our objective by night through a depth of nfhe kilometres. We were the first there and waited three days for the right flank to catch up. We were only there five days and were expecting a big rest. The horses, what we had left, were all in, not mentioning the men, and we couldn’t get any new horses. A battery is supposed to have 164 horses and we had only 96, so you can imagine what we had to put up with. The meals were pretty scarce for we could hardly get any supplies up there on account of the Germans blowing up the roads and bridges. In those times its ammunitions and ambulances first, and eats next. Our losses were light in this sector. Everybody happy with that good rest in view. Some rest, all right. The French were making a drive in the Champagne sector, ibut couldn’t get any further. CHAPTER VI. The Battle of Champagne. We were on our way back and stopped, in some little town and were given a bath and some new clothing, which, by the way, we surely needed. As I mentioned before, the French were held in 4th French army under Gen. Jerrard asked for the 2nd division to break the lines. Owe place was holding up the whole circus, the Mont du Blanc. They failed twice. Well, it was some honor to be the troops whom such a big general asked for, but we’d sooner had a little rest. Instead we started to hike and arrived around the 28th. The drive was going to start Oct. 1. I was lucky this trip. After being continuously on the firing with the battery, the battery commander put four new gun crews on, so we could have a few days re--1 i es. My gun I called “Old Glory, Which was painted ■on the . shield, was blown all to bits t»ho third day on that drive and killed some members of the :gun crew. The night of the' 3rd ! reported with man cannoneers and they already had a new gun there for me. I sure considered myself lucky for staying with the boys on rest that time. That was the last of “Old Glory.” We christened our new gun “Revenge.” We sure did get revenge, and did we take that Mont du Blanc? We took it and six kilometres with us, although we paid heavily. Our Marines and the doughboys were withdrawn, what there was left of them, And we then backed the infantry of the 36th division for some time. We put the Germans on the run there. We were pulled out there about the last part of October and were ordered to the Forest. “ . ” In the meantime our Mannes and infantry were replaced and were supposed to go into Argonne Forest without us. They politely refused and wanted their own artillery to back them. Several of the Marines and infantry have told this- to me and others, so it is true. . You know we’ve made a reputation as a fighting unit and where one goes the other is right on deck as well.