TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MOUNTAIN ECHO MARCH 7, 1919 P. 1
Bagueux, France
Editor Echo:
I hear my first and only letter written some time ago to your good paper was published, so here I come again. Things have changed considerably over here in sunny (muddy) France since Nov. 11.
We are permitted to write much more than during hostilities. I regret that I have not been with a home unit; haven’t seen but few men from Arkansas. I am with some 1200 other casuals from Camp Kearny, as brave and sturdy as any that fought with the then known Iron Division, now officially known as the Keystone Division. After we were duly signed up with the 28th, and relieved of our surplus clothing, we were given a good supper, then shown a certain spot in the woods to pitch our “pup” tents. This was my first time to sleep in one, but we were tired and soon fell asleep, to be awakened about 3 o’clock in the morning to start for the front lines. We left Charley Woods and that night camped near Chateau Thiery on the Marne. That evening I, with others, visited the once beautiful city, now a smouldering ruin. Leaving here, we hiked down the beautiful, historic river Marne. On this hike I saw my first balloon, or sausage, also saw a skirmish line of dead dutchmen; only saw one American. Passing inside the artillery line of howitzers and 75s, we camped in a woods near the Ourcq river. We could hear shells of large caliber from the Dutch guns going over us to the back areas.
On the morning of 28th of July we were awakened early in the morning, relieved of our packs, ordered to fix our bayonets and load and lock our pieces. That done, each man had to tie a white band on his left arm, then we were told that we were to charge a woods before daylight. It is impossible for me to describe my feelings on nearing the woods, our eyes straight to the front, ears alert and bayonets at guard. We advanced cautiously, only to find Jerry had beat it; he had a good reason, for our boys were after him. We occupied the woods and were not there very long before Jerry spied us. Then something happened. Loud reports were heard above us and around us; great volumes of white smoke, as well as yellow smoke—mustard gas, was seen. Someone yelled gas, and we lost no time getting on our gas masks, which were carried at the alert position. This done, we advanced further into the woods. Jerry gave us about six hours of as heavy barrage as I was ever in. That afternoon we took up a position a short ways from the woods, and early in the morning advanced to a hill just across the Ourcq, near a village called Courmont.
We tried to go over the top here in support of the 110th Infantry. The machine gun fire from the Jerry snipers being too hot for us, we fell back to our holes or dugouts and waited for a better chance. The next night we went after them with bayonets fixed, under an artillery and machine gun barrage. Needless to say they beat it out of the woods and went for the Vesle river. We were relieved by the 32nd Division and went back several kilometers to a woods, where we were bombed that night by Jerry planes.
NOTES: This is a partial letter written by Hugh Garrett of the 105th Infantry. The editor stated that additional parts of the letter would be published next week. This second part could not be found.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Bagueux, France
Editor Echo:
I hear my first and only letter written some time ago to your good paper was published, so here I come again. Things have changed considerably over here in sunny (muddy) France since Nov. 11.
We are permitted to write much more than during hostilities. I regret that I have not been with a home unit; haven’t seen but few men from Arkansas. I am with some 1200 other casuals from Camp Kearny, as brave and sturdy as any that fought with the then known Iron Division, now officially known as the Keystone Division. After we were duly signed up with the 28th, and relieved of our surplus clothing, we were given a good supper, then shown a certain spot in the woods to pitch our “pup” tents. This was my first time to sleep in one, but we were tired and soon fell asleep, to be awakened about 3 o’clock in the morning to start for the front lines. We left Charley Woods and that night camped near Chateau Thiery on the Marne. That evening I, with others, visited the once beautiful city, now a smouldering ruin. Leaving here, we hiked down the beautiful, historic river Marne. On this hike I saw my first balloon, or sausage, also saw a skirmish line of dead dutchmen; only saw one American. Passing inside the artillery line of howitzers and 75s, we camped in a woods near the Ourcq river. We could hear shells of large caliber from the Dutch guns going over us to the back areas.
On the morning of 28th of July we were awakened early in the morning, relieved of our packs, ordered to fix our bayonets and load and lock our pieces. That done, each man had to tie a white band on his left arm, then we were told that we were to charge a woods before daylight. It is impossible for me to describe my feelings on nearing the woods, our eyes straight to the front, ears alert and bayonets at guard. We advanced cautiously, only to find Jerry had beat it; he had a good reason, for our boys were after him. We occupied the woods and were not there very long before Jerry spied us. Then something happened. Loud reports were heard above us and around us; great volumes of white smoke, as well as yellow smoke—mustard gas, was seen. Someone yelled gas, and we lost no time getting on our gas masks, which were carried at the alert position. This done, we advanced further into the woods. Jerry gave us about six hours of as heavy barrage as I was ever in. That afternoon we took up a position a short ways from the woods, and early in the morning advanced to a hill just across the Ourcq, near a village called Courmont.
We tried to go over the top here in support of the 110th Infantry. The machine gun fire from the Jerry snipers being too hot for us, we fell back to our holes or dugouts and waited for a better chance. The next night we went after them with bayonets fixed, under an artillery and machine gun barrage. Needless to say they beat it out of the woods and went for the Vesle river. We were relieved by the 32nd Division and went back several kilometers to a woods, where we were bombed that night by Jerry planes.
NOTES: This is a partial letter written by Hugh Garrett of the 105th Infantry. The editor stated that additional parts of the letter would be published next week. This second part could not be found.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON