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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Average Americans + +Author: Theodore Roosevelt + +Release Date: May 31, 2011 [EBook #36292] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AVERAGE AMERICANS *** + + + + +Produced by Matthew Wheaton, Greg Bergquist and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + +<div> + +<br /> + +<br /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img id="coverpage" border="0" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" /> +</div> + +<p class="caption">Average Americans</p> +<p class="caption">Theodore Roosevelt</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="i_001t" id="i_001t"></a> +<a href="images/i_001f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_001t.jpg" alt="TR" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt<br /> +From a photogrph by Lévey-Dhurmer</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<h1 id="booktitle">AVERAGE AMERICANS</h1> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h3">BY</p> + +<p class="h2">THEODORE ROOSEVELT</p> + +<p class="h3">LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, U. S. A.</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h2"><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h3">G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS<br /> +NEW YORK AND LONDON<br /> +The Knickerbocker Press<br /> +1919</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h4"><span class="smcap">Copyright, 1919</span><br /> +by<br /> +THEODORE ROOSEVELT</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_005t.jpg" alt="decoration" /> +</div> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h3">To<br /> +THE OFFICERS AND MEN<br /> +OF THE 26th INFANTRY +</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[v]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h2> + +<blockquote> +<p class="dropcap"><b>ALL</b> our lives my father treated his sons +and daughters as companions. When +we were not with him he wrote to us constantly. +Everything that we did we discussed with +him whenever it was possible. All his +children tried to live up to his principles. +In the paragraphs from his letters below, he +speaks often of the citizens of this country +as "our people." It is for all these, equally +with us, that the messages are intended.</p> +<br /> +<p>"New Year's greetings to you! This may +or may not be, on the whole, a happy New +Year—almost certainly it will be in part at +least a New Year of sorrow—but at least you +and your brothers will be upborne by the self-reliant +pride coming from having played +well and manfully a man's part when the +great crisis came, the great crisis that 'sifted +<span class="pagenum">[vi]</span>out men's souls' and winnowed the chaff +from the grain."—<i>January 1, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"Large masses of people still vaguely feel +that somehow I can say something which will +avoid all criticism of the government and yet +make the government instantly remedy everything +that is wrong; whereas in reality nothing +now counts except the actual doing of the +work and that I am allowed to have no part +in. Generals Wood and Crowder have been +denied the chance to render service; appointments +are made primarily on grounds of seniority, +which in war time is much like choosing +Poets Laureate on the same grounds."—<i>August +23, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"At last, after seven months, we are, like +Mr. Snodgrass, 'going to begin.' The National +Guard regiments are just beginning to +start for their camps, and within the next +two weeks I should say that most of them +would have started; and by the first of September +I believe that the first of the National +<span class="pagenum">[vii]</span>Army will begin to assemble in their camps.... I +do nothing. Now and then, when I +can't help myself, I speak, for it is necessary +to offset in some measure the talk of the fools, +traitors, pro-Germans, and pacifists; but really +what we need against these is action, and that +only the government can take. Words count +for but little when the 'drumming guns' have +been waked."—<i>August 23, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The regular officers are fine fellows, but +for any serious work we should eliminate +two thirds of the older men and a quarter of +the younger men, and use the remainder as a +nucleus for, say, three times their number of +civilian officers. Except with a comparatively +small number, too long a stay in our army—with +its peculiar limitations—produces a rigidity +of mind that refuses to face the actual +conditions of modern warfare. But the wonder +is that our army and navy have been +able to survive in any shape after five +years of Baker and Daniels."—<i>September 17, +1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p><span class="pagenum">[viii]</span>"Along many lines of preparation the work +here is now going fairly fast—not much of a +eulogy when we are in the ninth month of the +war. But there cannot be much speed when +military efficiency is subordinated to selfish personal +politics, the gratification of malice, and +sheer wooden-headed folly."—<i>October 14, 1917</i>.</p> +<br /> +<p>"The socialist vote [in the New York +mayoralty election] was rather ominous. +Still, on the whole, it was only about one fifth +of the total vote. It included the extreme +pacifist crowd, as well as the vicious red-flag +men, and masses of poor, ignorant people +who, for example, would say. 'He'll give us +five-cent milk,' which he could have given as +readily as he could have given the moon."—<i>November +7, 1917</i>.</p> +<br /> +<p>"Well, it's dreadful to have those we love +go to the front; but it is even worse when +they are not allowed to go to the front."—<i>Letter +to Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., November +11, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p><span class="pagenum">[ix]</span>"Yesterday mother and I motored down +to the draft camp at Yaphank. First, I was +immensely pleased with the type of the men, +and the officers are just as good as the average +of young West Pointers. I believe that in +the end that army there will be as fine a +body of fighting men as any nation in the world +could desire to see under its banners. But +there is still, after nearly three months that +they have been called out, some shortage in +warm clothes; there are modern rifles for +only one man in six; there are only about +four guns to an artillery brigade."—<i>November +19, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"Of course, the root of our trouble lies in +our government's attitude during the two and +one half years preceding our entry into the +war, and its refusal now to make the matter +one in which all good citizens can join without +regard to party, and paying heed only to the +larger interests of the country and of mankind +at large.... I now strike hands with +any one who is sound on Americanism and on +<span class="pagenum">[x]</span>speeding up the war and putting it through +to the finish; but we <i>ought</i> to take heed of +our industrial and social matters too."—<i>Thanksgiving +Day, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"There is little I can do here, except to try to +speed up the war; the failure to begin work +on the cargo ships with the utmost energy +ten months ago was a grave misfortune."—<i>December +23, 1917.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The work of preparation here goes on +slowly. I do my best to speed it up; but I +can only talk or write; and it is only the doers +who really count. The trouble is fundamental +and twofold. The administration has no +conception of war needs or what war means; +and the American army has been so handled +in time of peace that the bulk of the men high +up were sure to break down in the event of +war."—<i>January 6, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"Over here Senator Chamberlain's committee +has forced some real improvements in +the work of the war department and the +<span class="pagenum">[xi]</span>shipping board. It is of course a wicked +thing that a year was wasted in delay and inefficiency. +Substantially we are, as regards +the war, repeating what was done in 1812-15; +there was then a complete breakdown in +the governmental work due to the pacifist +theories which had previously obtained, to inefficiency +in the public servants at Washington, +and above all to the absolute failure to +prepare in advance. Yet there was much +individual energy, resourcefulness, and courage; +much work by good shipwrights; fine +fighting of an individual and non-coherent +kind by ship captains and by occasional +generals."—<i>March 10, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"How I hate making speeches at such time +as this, with you boys all at the front! And +I am not sure they do much good. But <i>someone</i> +has to try to get things hurried up."—<i>March +14, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"Wood testified fearlessly before the Senate +committee, and the country has been impressed +<span class="pagenum">[xii]</span>and shocked by his telling (what of course all +well informed people already knew) that we +had none of our own airplanes or field guns +and very few of our own machine guns at +the front."—<i>March 31, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The great German drive has partially +awakened our people to the knowledge that +we really are in a war. They still tend to +complacency about the 'enormous work that +has been accomplished'—in building home +camps and the like—but there really is an +effort being made to hurry troops over, and +tardily, to hasten the building of ships, guns, +and airplanes.</p> +<br /> +<p>"My own unimportant activities are, of +course, steadily directed toward endeavoring +to speed up the war, by heartily backing +everything that is done zealously and efficiently, +and by calling sharp attention to luke-warmness +and inefficiency when they become +so marked as to be dangerous."—<i>April 7, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"Of course, we are gravely concerned over +the way the British have been pushed back; +<span class="pagenum">[xiii]</span>and our people are really concerned over the +fact that after over a year of formal participation +in the war our army overseas is too small +to be of great use."—<i>April 14, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The administration never moves unless +it is forced by public pressure and public pressure +can as a rule only be obtained by showing +the public that we have failed in doing something +we should do; for as long as the public +is fatuously content, the administration lies +back and does nothing."—<i>April 20, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The people who wish me to write for them +are divided between the desire to have me +speak out boldly, and the desire to have me +say nothing that will offend anybody—and +cannot realize that the two desires are incompatible."—<i>April +28, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"I spoke at Springfield to audiences whose +enthusiastic reception of warlike doctrine +showed the steady progress of our people in +understanding what the war means."—<i>May 5, +1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p><span class="pagenum">[xiv]</span>"It is well to have had happiness, to have +achieved the great ends of life, when one +must walk boldly and warily close to death."—<i>May +12, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"We are really sending over large numbers +of men now, and the shipbuilding program is +being rushed; but the situation as regards +field guns, machine guns, and airplanes continues +very bad. The administration never +takes a step in advance until literally flailed +into it; and the entire cuckoo population of +the 'don't criticize the President' type play +into the hands of the pro-Germans, pacifists, +and Hearst people, so that a premium is put +on our delay and inefficiency."—<i>May 12, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The only way I can help in speeding up +the war is by jarring loose our governmental +and popular conceit and complacency. I +point out our shortcomings with unsparing +directness and lash the boasting and the +grandiloquent prophecies.</p> +<br /> +<p>"The trouble is that our people are ignorant +<span class="pagenum">[xv]</span>of the situation and that most of the leaders +fear to tell the truth about conditions. I +only wish I carried more weight. Yet I +think our people are hardening in their determination +to win the war, and are beginning +to ask for results."—<i>May 23, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The war temper of the country is steadily +hardening and so is the feeling against all +the pro-German agitators at home."—<i>June 2, +1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"In every speech I devote a little time to the +'cut out the boasting plea.' Of course I really +do think that in spite of our governmental +shortcomings we are developing our strength."—<i>June +26, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"On the Fourth of July I went down to +Passaic, where three quarters of the people +are of foreign parentage, the mayor himself +being of German ancestry. I talked straightout +Americanism, of course, which was most +enthusiastically received; the mayor's two +sons have enlisted in the navy, and one has +<span class="pagenum">[xvi]</span>been promoted to being ensign. The war +spirit of the people is steadily rising."—<i>July +7, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"I, of course, absolutely agree with you as +to the tremendous difficulties and possible +far-reaching changes we shall have to face +after this war. Either <i>fool Bourbonism</i> or <i>fool +radicalism</i> may land us unpleasantly near—say +halfway toward—the position in which +Russia has been landed by the alternation +between Romanoffism and Bolshevism."—<i>July +15, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"It is very bitter to me that all of you, the +young, should be facing death while I sit in +ease and safety."—<i>July 21, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"I keep pegging away in the effort to hurry +forward our work. We now have enough +troops in France to make us a ponderable +element in the situation."—<i>August 4, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"On Labor Day I spoke at Newburgh shipyard +and spoke plainly of the labor slackers +<span class="pagenum">[xvii]</span>and the unions that encourage them; and on +Lafayette Day, at the City Hall, I spoke of +the kind of peace we ought to have, and nailed +to the mast the flag of Nationalism as against +Internationalism."—<i>September 9, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"The Germans have been given a staggering +blow, and while I <i>hope</i> for peace by Xmas, I +believe we should speed everything to the +limit on the assumption that next year will +be the crucial year."—<i>October 20, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p>"During the last week Wilson has been +adroitly endeavoring to get the Allies into +the stage of note writing and peace discussion +with an only partially beaten and entirely unconquered +Germany. I have been backing +up the men like Lodge who have given utterance +to the undoubtedly strong, but not necessarily +steady, American demand for unconditional +surrender. It is dreadful to have my +sons face danger; but unless we put this war +through, <i>their sons may have to face worse danger—and +their daughters also</i>."—<i>October 27, 1918.</i></p> +<br /> +<p><span class="smcap">Oyster Bay</span>, August, 1919.</p> +</blockquote> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p><span class="pagenum">[xix]</span></p> + +<p class="h2">CONTENTS</p> + +<div class="centered"> +<table + border="0" + cellpadding="4" + cellspacing="10" + summary="Table of Contents" + width="90%"> +<tr> + <td align="right"> </td> + <td align="left"> </td> + <td align="right">PAGE</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">PREFACE</td> + <td align="left"> </td> + <td align="right"><a href="#PREFACE">v</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">CHAPTER</td> + <td align="left"> </td> + <td align="right"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">I.</td> + <td align="left">BOYHOOD RECOLLECTIONS</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-I">1</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">II.</td> + <td align="left">SINS OF THE FATHERS</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-II">21</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">III.</td> + <td align="left">OVERSEAS</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-III">33</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">IV.</td> + <td align="left">TRAINING IN FRANCE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-IV">48</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">V.</td> + <td align="left">LIFE IN AN ARMY AREA</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-V">66</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">VI.</td> + <td align="left">EARLY DAYS IN THE TRENCHES</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-VI">82</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">VII.</td> + <td align="left">MONTDIDIER</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-VII">120</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">VIII.</td> + <td align="left">ST. MIHIEL AND THE ARGONNE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-VIII">162</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">IX.</td> + <td align="left">ST. MIHIEL AND THE ARGONNE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-IX">183</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">X.</td> + <td align="left">THE LAST BATTLE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-X">201</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">XI.</td> + <td align="left">UP THE MOSELLE AND INTO CONQUERED GERMANY</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-XI">217</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">XII.</td> + <td align="left">AFTERWARDS</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#CHAPTER-XII">234</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> +</div> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p><span class="pagenum">[xxi]</span></p> + +<p class="h2">ILLUSTRATIONS</p> + +<div class="centered"> +<table + border="0" + cellpadding="4" + cellspacing="10" + summary="List of Illustrations" + width="90%"> +<tr> + + <td align="left"> </td> + <td align="right">PAGE</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">LIEUTENANT COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT<br /> + <span class="in2">From a portrait by Lévey-Dhurmer</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#i_001t"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">COLONEL ROOSEVELT IN AMERICA TO LIEUTENANT +COLONEL ROOSEVELT IN FRANCE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p20">20</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">A GROUP OF OFFICERS OF THE 1ST BATTALION, 26TH INFANTRY<br /> + <span class="in2">Haudivillers, April, 1917</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p24">24</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">BRIGADIER GENERAL FRANK A. PARKER, LIEUTENANT +COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT, +AND MRS. ROOSEVELT AT ROMAGNE</td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p38">38</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">"CHOW"<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain W. J. Aylward, A. E. F., 1918</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p58">58</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">BEFORE THE OFFENSIVE<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain W. J. Aylward, A. E. F.</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p78">78</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">THE SIGNAL CORPS AT WORK<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain Harry E. Townsend, A. E. F.</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p86">86</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">A TRENCH RAID<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain George Harding, A. E. F., Montfaucon</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p130">130</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left"><span class="pagenum">[xxii]</span>AN AIR RAID<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain George Harding, A. E. F. August, 1918</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p172">172</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">THE RHINE AT COBLENZ<br /> + <span class="in2">Drawn by Captain Ernest Peixotto, A. E. F.</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p226">226</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="left">THREE THEODORE ROOSEVELTS<br /> + <span class="in2">Copyright, Walter S. Shinn</span></td> + <td align="right"><a href="#p240">240</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> +</div> + + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> +<p class="h2">AVERAGE AMERICANS</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[1]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-I" id="CHAPTER-I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<p class="h3">BOYHOOD RECOLLECTIONS</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:18em"> +<p> +"'Tis education forms the common mind,—<br /> +Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Alexander Pope +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>FROM</b> the time when we were very little +boys we were always interested in military +preparedness. My father believed very +strongly in the necessity of each boy being +able and willing not only to look out for himself +but to look out for those near and dear +to him. This gospel was preached to us all +from the time we were very, very small. A +story, told in the family of an incident which +happened long before I can remember, illustrated +this. Father told me one day always +to be willing to fight anyone who insulted<span class="pagenum">[2]</span> +me. Shortly after this wails of grief arose +from the nursery. Mother ran upstairs and +found my little brother Kermit howling in a +corner. When she demanded an explanation +I told her that he had insulted me by taking +away some of my blocks, so I had hit him on +the head with a mechanical rabbit.</p> + +<p>Our little boy fights were discussed in detail +with father. Although he insisted on +the willingness to fight, he was the first to +object to and punish anything that resembled +bullying. We always told him everything, +as we knew he would give us a real +and sympathetic interest.</p> + +<p>Funny incidents of these early combats +stick in my mind. One day one of my +brothers came home from school very proud. +He said he had had a fight with a boy. When +asked how the fight resulted he said he had +won by kicking the boy in the windpipe. +Further investigation developed the fact that +the windpipe was the pit of the stomach. My +brother felt that it must be the windpipe, +because when you kicked someone there he<span class="pagenum">[3]</span> +lost his breath. I can remember father to +this day explaining that no matter how effective +this method of attack was it was not considered +sportsmanlike to kick.</p> + +<p>Father and mother believed in robust +righteousness. In the stories and poems +that they read us they always bore this in +mind. <i>Pilgrim's Progress</i> and <i>The Battle +Hymn of the Republic</i> we knew when we were +very young. When father was dressing for +dinner he used to teach us poetry. I can +remember memorizing all the most stirring +parts of Longfellow's <i>Saga of King Olaf</i>, +<i>Sheridan's Ride</i>, and the <i>Sinking of the Cumberland</i>. +The gallant incidents in history +were told us in such a way that we never +forgot them. In Washington, when father +was civil service commissioner, I often walked +to the office with him. On the way down he +would talk history to me—not the dry history +of dates and charters, but the history where +you yourself in your imagination could assume +the rôle of the principal actors, as every +well-constructed boy wishes to do when in<span class="pagenum">[4]</span>terested. +During every battle we would +stop and father would draw out the full plan +in the dust in the gutter with the tip of his +umbrella.</p> + +<p>When very little we saw a great many men +serving in both the army and navy. My +father did not wish us to enter either of these +services, because he felt that there was so +much to be done from a civilian standpoint +in this country. However, we were taught +to regard the services, as the quaint phraseology +of the Court Martial Manual puts it, +as the "honorable profession of arms." We +were constantly listening to discussions on +military matters, and there was always at +least one service rifle in the house.</p> + +<p>We spent our summers at Oyster Bay. +There, in addition to our family, were three +other families of little Roosevelts. We were +all taught out-of-door life. We spent our +days riding and shooting, wandering through +the woods, and playing out-of-door games. +Underlying all this was father's desire to have +all of us children grow up manly and clean<span class="pagenum">[5]</span>-minded, +with not only the desire but the ability +to play our part at the country's need.</p> + +<p>Father himself was our companion whenever +he could get away from his work. Many +times he camped out with us on Lloyd's Neck, +the only "grown-up" of the party. We always +regarded him as a great asset at times +like these. He could think up more delightful +things to do than we could in a "month of +Sundays." In the evening, when the bacon +that sizzled in the frying-pan had been eaten, +we gathered round the fire. The wind soughed +through the marsh grass, the waves rippled +against the shore, and father told us stories. +Of the children who composed these picnics, +two died in service in this war, two were +wounded, and all but one volunteered, regardless +of age, at the outbreak of hostilities.</p> + +<p>When we were all still little tadpoles, +father went to the war with Spain. We were +too little, of course, to appreciate anything +except the glamour. When he decided to go, +almost all his friends and advisers told him +he was making a mistake. Indeed, I think my<span class="pagenum">[6]</span> +mother was the only one who felt he was +doing right. In talking it over afterward, +when I had grown much older, father explained +to me that in preaching self-defense +and willingness to fight for a proper cause, he +could not be effective if he refused to go when +the opportunity came, and urged that "it +was different" in his case. He often said, +"Ted, I would much rather explain why I +went to the war than why I did not."</p> + +<p>At school and at college father encouraged +us to take part in the games and sports. None +of us were really good athletes—father himself +was not—but we all put into it all we had. +He was just as much interested in hearing +what we had done on the second football team +or class crew as if we had been varsity stars.</p> + +<p>He always preached to us one maxim in +particular: take all legitimate chances in your +favor when going into a contest. He used +to enforce this by telling us of a man with +whom he had once been hunting. The man +was naturally a better walker than father. +Father selected his shoes with great care.<span class="pagenum">[7]</span> +The man did not. After the first few days +father was always able to outwalk and outhunt +him just on this account. Father always +went over his equipment with the greatest +care before going on a trip, and this sort of +thoroughness was imbued in all his sons.</p> + +<p>Long before the European war had broken +over the world, father would discuss with us +military training and the necessity for every +man being able to take his part.</p> + +<p>I can remember him saying to me, "Ted, +every man should defend his country. It +should not be a matter of choice, it should +be a matter of law. Taxes are levied by law. +They are not optional. It is not permitted +for a man to say that it is against his religious +beliefs to pay taxes, or that he feels that it is +an abrogation of his own personal freedom. +The blood tax is more important than the +dollar tax. It should not therefore be a +voluntary contribution, but should be levied +on all alike."</p> + +<p>Father was much interested in General +Wood's camps for the training of the younger<span class="pagenum">[8]</span> +boys and was heartily in sympathy with them. +Both Archie and Quentin attended them. +Quentin had a badly strained back at the +time, but that did not keep him from going.</p> + +<p>At the sinking of the <i>Lusitania</i> a very keen +realization of the gravity of the situation was +evident all over the country. A number of +younger men between the ages of twenty-one +and thirty-five met together to talk things +over. In this group were Grenville Clarke, +Philip A. Carroll, Elihu Root, Jr., Cornelius +W. Wickersham, J. Lloyd Derby, Kenneth +P. Budd, and Delancy K. Jay. They felt +that it was only a question of time until we +would be called to the colors, and realized +most keenly the fact that it is one thing to be +willing and quite another to be able to take +your part. They felt, as this war has shown, +the lamentable injustice and grievous loss +that is entailed by putting against men who +are trained in the business of fighting untrained +men who, no matter how good their +spirit and how great their courage, do not +know the game.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[9]</span>The outcome of the conference of these men +was the decision to ask General Wood if it +would be possible for him to hold a training +camp, for men up to forty-five years, similar to +those held for boys. With the usual patriotism +that characterizes him, General Wood +said at once that he would hold the camp even +if they were able to get only twenty-five men +to attend. In the beginning, converts came +slowly, but after a campaign of personal solicitation, +in which members of the original group +went individually to various cities in the vicinity +of New York, the movement got under +way with such success that the first so-called +"Business Men's Plattsburg Camp" numbered +about one thousand, and was immediately +followed by another nearly as large.</p> + +<p>At this time the average man did not know +what military training and service meant. +The camp was composed of men of all types +and all ages. Many of them, too old for active +service, had come as an earnest of their belief +and through the desire to teach by their actions +as well as by their preachings. Robert<span class="pagenum">[10]</span> +Bacon and John Purroy Mitchel attended this +camp, both of them men whose memory will +always be treasured by those who were fortunate +enough to know them.</p> + +<p>We took it all very seriously. At one end +of the company street you would see two +prominent middle-aged business men trying +to do the manual of arms properly, rain dripping +off them, their faces set like the day of +judgment, crowned with grizzled hair. At +the other would be Arthur Woods, the Police +Commissioner of New York, "boning" the +infantry drill regulations. George Wharton +Pepper was promoted to sergeant, and was as +proud of it as of any of his achievements in +civil life. Bishop Perry of Rhode Island was +named as color sergeant.</p> + +<p>Men who went to this Plattsburg camp +had to pay their own money in order to try +to fit themselves to serve their country. No +more undemocratic arrangement could have +been made for it placed beyond the power of +the men of small means, who form the body of +the country, to get in advance the knowledge<span class="pagenum">[11]</span> +necessary to act as an officer. Yet this was +the only course open to us. In the ensuing +year these camps spread over the country, and +through them passed many thousands of men. +Far over and above their value from the standpoint +of military training was their educational +value in national duty. A large percentage +of the commissioned officers on our country's +roll of honor attended the Plattsburg camps.</p> + +<p>These camps in themselves furnished the +nucleus for the selection of the commissioned +personnel of the national army, and furnished, +furthermore, the system by which the great +mass of our junior officers were chosen and +educated. Yet the movement was launched, +not with the backing and help of the national +administration, but rather in spite of the +national administration. No official representing +the administration visited these early +camps. Solely by private endeavor, therefore, +arose the system of selection of officers +which enabled the army in this war, more +than any army this country has had in the +past, to choose the men for commissions with<span class="pagenum">[12]</span> +a keen regard for their ability, with a truer +democracy and less of political influence. On +account of this movement the town of Plattsburg +is known from one coast to the other.</p> + +<p>During this first camp my father came up +to address the men. Up to this time, although +he had spoken on universal military training, +it had been considered as such an unthinkable +program that no one had paid any attention. +Two or three times people have asked me +when my father first became convinced of +the necessity for universal training and service +in this nation. They have always been +greatly surprised when I have referred them +back to a message to Congress written during +his first term as President, in which he suggested +that the Swiss system of training would be an +advisable one to adopt in the United States. +Many years before this he had directed N. +Carey Sawyer to investigate and report on +Switzerland's military policy. So little were +people concerned with it at that time that +no comment of any sort was caused by either +act.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[13]</span>The evening of my father's arrival at Plattsburg +an orderly came and directed me to +report at headquarters, where my father was +sitting in conference.</p> + +<p>"Ted, I have decided to make a speech +to-morrow in favor of universal service," +father said to me. "My good friends here, +who believe in it as much as I do, feel that +the time is not ripe, that the country would +not understand it, and that it will merely provoke +a storm of adverse criticism. I have told +them that although the country may criticize, +and although unquestionably a storm of +attacks will be directed against me, it must +be done, because the country must begin +thinking on the subject."</p> + +<p>He spoke next day before the assembled +students. The ring of serious khaki-clad men +seated on the parade ground, father speaking +very earnestly in the center, speaking until +after dark, when he had to finish by a lantern, +is a clear picture to me.</p> + +<p>To many of them this exposition was the +first they had ever heard on the subject.<span class="pagenum">[14]</span> +Most of them up to this time had not been +interested in it, and had felt vaguely that compulsory +military training and service was +synonymous with the German system and +was not democratic. When France and Switzerland +were brought to their attention as +democracies, as efficient democracies, and as +countries which had a thoroughly developed +system of universal military training, their +eyes were opened and they saw the matter in +a new light. From this camp, directed in a +large part by my father's and General Wood's +inspiration and ideas, grew a nation-wide +group of young men who felt the seriousness +of the situation, young men who realized we +must take our part and who wished, as one +of my private soldiers put it to me, "At least +to have a show for their white alley" when +the war broke.</p> + +<p>During the ensuing winter and summer in +many parts of the country enthusiasts were +working, and many more camps were founded +and carried to a successful completion. Recognition +of a mild sort was obtained from<span class="pagenum">[15]</span> +the National Government. Not recognition +which permitted men to go as men should go +in a democracy, to learn to serve their country, +as pupils of the country, at the country's +expense, but at least as men doing something +which was not unrecognized and frowned on +by their government.</p> + +<p>Toward the winter of 1917 father talked +ever increasingly to all of us concerning his +chance of being permitted to take a division +or unit of some sort to Europe. When war +was declared he took this matter up directly +with the President. What happened is now +history. He took his disappointment as he +took many other disappointments in his life. +Often after he had worked with all that was +in him for something, when all that could be +done was done, he would say, "We have done +all we can; the result is now on the knees of +the gods."</p> + +<p>Meanwhile he was constantly interested +in and constantly talked with all of us about +what we were doing. At last, two months +after we severed diplomatic relations, training<span class="pagenum">[16]</span> +camps for officers were called into being with +enormous waste and inefficiency, and we ambled +slowly toward the training of an army +and its commanding personnel.</p> + +<p>All of us except my brother Quentin left +for Plattsburg. Quentin, on the day before +diplomatic relations were severed, had telephoned +from college to father to say he would +go into the air service, where his real ability +as a mechanician stood him in good stead. Of +the other three, Kermit had had the least +training from a purely military standpoint, +having been in South America during most +of the time when we had been working on +the "Plattsburg movement." His ability and +experience, however, in other ways were +greater, as in his hunting trips in Africa and +South America he had handled bodies of men +in dangerous situations. Archie had attended +practically all the camps, and was naturally a +fine leader of men and a boy of great daring.</p> + +<p>At Plattsburg, Archie and I were fortunate +enough to be put in the same company. During +the major part of the month we were there<span class="pagenum">[17]</span> +we were in charge of the company. Our duty +was to instruct potential officers in the art of +war which we ourselves did not know. We +spent hours wig-wagging and semaphoring. +Neither of these methods of signaling did I +ever see used in action.</p> + +<p>In our "conference" periods the floor was +opened for questions. The conversation +would be something like this: "What is light +artillery?" "Light artillery is the lighter +branch of the artillery."—"That is all very +well, but define it further." Deep thought. +"It is the artillery carried by men and not +by horses." One man asked in all solemnity +once, "Does blood rust steel more than water?" +It is not necessary to add that he never became +an officer.</p> + +<p>We worked like nailers, but were always +watching for the word that troops were to be +sent across. To all of us, from the beginning, +it was not a question of deciding whether we +should go or not. We had been brought up +with the idea that, deplorable as war was, the +only way when it broke was to go. The only<span class="pagenum">[18]</span> +way to keep peace, a righteous peace, was to +be prepared and willing to fight. A splendid +example of a fine family record is given by +Governor Manning's family, of South Carolina: +seven sons, all in service, and one paying +the supreme sacrifice.</p> + +<p>"If we had a trained army like the Swiss, +Germany would never dare commit any offenses +against us, and, furthermore, I believe +it highly possible that the entire war might +have been avoided," was a statement often +made to me by father at the beginning of +the war.</p> + +<p>At the end of the first three weeks we heard +rumors that a small expeditionary force was +to be sent over immediately. We telephoned +father at Oyster Bay and asked him if he could +help us get attached to this expeditionary force. +He said he would try, and succeeded in so far +as Archie and I were concerned, as we already +had commissions in the officers' reserve corps. +We offered to go in the ranks, but General +Pershing said we would be of more value in +the grades for which we held commissions.<span class="pagenum">[19]</span> +Our excitement was intense when one day in +an official envelope from Washington we received +a communication, "Subject—Foreign +Service." The communication was headed +"Confidential," so we were forced to keep all +our jubilation to ourselves. Some ten days +after we received another communication, +"Subject—Orders," and were directed to report +to the commanding general, port of +embarkation, New York, "confidentially by +wire," at what date we would be ready to +start.</p> + +<p>We both felt this was not the most expeditious +way to proceed, but we obeyed orders +and telegraphed. We supplemented this, however, +by taking the next train and reporting +in person at the same time the telegram +arrived, in case they could not decode our +message. General Franklin Bell was the commanding +general, and he very kindly helped +us get off at once, and we left on the liner +<i>Chicago</i> for Bordeaux on June 18th.</p> + +<p>Our last few days in this country we spent +with the family. Archie and I went with our<span class="pagenum">[20]</span> +wives to Oyster Bay, where father, mother, +and Quentin were. My wife even then announced +her intention of going to Europe in +some auxiliary branch, but she promised me +she would not start without my permission. +The promise was evidently made in the Pickwickian +sense, as when I cabled her from +Europe not to come the answer that I got was +the announcement of her arrival in Paris. +There were six of our immediate family in the +American expeditionary forces—my wife, one +brother-in-law, Richard Derby, and we four +brothers. Father, busy as he was, during the +entire time we were abroad wrote to each of +us weekly, and, when he physically could, in +his own hand.</p> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<a name="p20" id="p20"></a> +<a href="images/i_048f.jpg"> +<img src="images/i_048t.jpg" width="400" height="265" alt="i_048" title="" /> +</a> + +<p>The last five years have made me +bitterly conscious of the shortcomings of our national character; +but we Roosevelts are Americans, and can never think +of living anything else, and wouldn't be anything else +for any consideration on the face of the earth; a man +with our way of looking at things can no more change +his country than he can change his mother; and it is +the business of each of us to play the part of a good +American and try to make things as much better as possible.</p> + +<p>This means, at the moment, to try to speed up its +war; to back its army to the limit; and to support or +criticize every public official precisely according to whether +he does or does not efficiently support its war and the +army. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="caption">COLONEL ROOSEVELT IN AMERICA TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROOSEVELT +IN FRANCE</p> + + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[21]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-II" id="CHAPTER-II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<p class="h3">SINS OF THE FATHERS</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:18em"> +<p> +"Sons of the sheltered city—<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Unmade, unhandled, unmeet—</span><br /> +Ye pushed them raw to the battle<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As ye picked them raw from the street.</span><br /> +And what did ye look, they should compass?<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Warcraft learned in a breath,</span><br /> +Knowledge unto occasion<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">At the first far view of death?"</span> +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Kipling. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>WHILE</b> we were personally working at +Plattsburg the national administration, +after a meandering course, in which much of +the motion was retrograde, had finally decided +that to fight a war in France it was necessary +to send troops to that part of the world. Out +of this determination Pershing's force grew.</p> + +<p>Investigation of the condition of our military +establishment indicated that we had +virtually nothing available. The best that<span class="pagenum">[22]</span> +could be done in the way of an expeditionary +force was to group two regiments of marines +and four regular regiments together and send +them to Europe as the First Division. So +little attention and thought had been given +to military matters that when the First Division +was originally grouped it consisted of +three brigades, not two. These brigades consisted +of the Fifth and Sixth Marines, Twenty-sixth +and Twenty-eighth Infantry, and the +Sixteenth and Eighteenth Infantry. In the +regiments themselves things were in the same +chaotic condition. Battalions contained three +companies of infantry and one machine-gun +company each. This was an eleventh-hour +change from the old system of four companies +of infantry, to which we returned later in the +year. We had, furthermore, up to this time, +by our tables of organization, companies of 152 +men. These companies were raised to 200 +men, and still later became 250.</p> + +<p>As a matter of fact, the strength of these +companies at the declaration of war was somewhere +around sixty. The 140 additional were<span class="pagenum">[23]</span> +obtained by getting a percentage by transfer +from other infantry regiments, and filling in +the balance with raw recruits who had just +volunteered for service.</p> + +<p>My own regiment, the Twenty-sixth Infantry, +entrained early in June at San Benito, +Texas, and came to the port of embarkation, +New York City. The trip always stands out +in my mind, although I did not join the regiment +until after it had arrived in Europe, +because all through the two years of war I was +pestered by a paper which kept constantly +turning up concerning some $100 worth of +ham and cheese that was supposed to have +been eaten by the men of the Twenty-sixth +Infantry as they passed through Houston. +No one was ever able to furnish me with any +information as to it, but in the best approved +military style the communication kept circulating +to and fro, indorsement after indorsement +being added, until, when I last saw it, +January, 1919, after the war was finished, +there were some twenty-eight series of remarks, +and no one was any the wiser.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[24]</span>A story that always appealed to me was +told me by one of my officers, of the time when +the troop train was lying in the Jersey marshes +waiting to go on board ship. A very good +officer, Arnold by name, had command of one +of the companies of the Twenty-sixth Infantry. +A number of lieutenants were sent from the +training camps to join the First Division. The +military knowledge of the lieutenants consisted +in the main of a month at Plattsburg +at their own expense, and a month for which +the government paid. The lieutenants, after +getting to New York, had their uniforms +pressed and cleaned and their shoes beautifully +polished, feeling that at least they would +look the part. They went out to join the +troops, who were lying in the cars, hot, dirty +and uncomfortable, after traveling for four +days. Arnold was sitting with his company, +his blouse off, unshaven, with his feet on the +seat in front of him. One of the nice young +lieutenants came in to report to him looking, +as the lieutenant himself told me afterward, +like a fashionable clothes advertisement, and +knowing about as much about military matters<span class="pagenum">[25]</span> +as a canary bird.</p> + +<div class="centered"> +<table + border="0" + cellpadding="4" + cellspacing="10" + summary="Casualty table" + width="90%"> +<tr> + <td align="right">1</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Einar H. Gausted</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">2</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. George Jackson</span></td> + <td align="left">killed May 28, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">3</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Capt. Amiel Frey</span></td> + <td align="left">killed May 27, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">4</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Grover P. Cather</span></td> + <td align="left">killed May 28, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">5</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Charles H. Weaver</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">6</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Wesley Freml</span></td> + <td align="left">killed June 29, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">7</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. James M. Barrett</span></td> + <td align="left">gassed</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">8</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Roland W. Estey</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">9</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Major Theodore Roosevelt</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">10</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. B. Vann</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">11</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. George P. Gustafson</span></td> + <td align="left">killed June 6, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">12</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Tuve J. Floden</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">13</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Rexie E. Gilliam</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">14</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. John P. Gaines</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">15</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Lewis Tillman</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">16</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Percy E. Le Stourgeon</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">17</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Brown Lewis</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">18</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Capt. Hamilton K. Foster</span></td> + <td align="left">killed Oct. 2, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">19</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Paul R. Caruthers</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">20</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. M. Morris Andrews</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">21</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. William C. Dabney</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">22</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Donald H. Grant</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">23</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Capt. E. D. Morgan</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">24</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Dennis H. Shillen</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">25</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Harry Dillon</span></td> + <td align="left">killed Oct. 4, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">26</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Charles Ridgely</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">27</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Joseph P. Card</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">28</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Stewart A. Baxter</span></td> + <td align="left">wounded</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">29</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Thomas D. Amory</span></td> + <td align="left">killed Oct. 3, '18</td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td align="right">30</td> + <td align="left"><span class="smcap">Lt. Thomas B. Corneli</span></td> + <td align="left"> </td> +</tr> + +</table> +</div> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p24" id="p24"></a> +<a href="images/i_055f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_055t.jpg" alt="i_055" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">A GROUP OF OFFICERS OF THE 1ST BATTALION, 26TH INFANTRY<br /> +Haudivillers. April, 1917</p> + +<p>Arnold looked at him in a weary way, shook +his head sadly and remarked to the officer +beside him, "We have only ourselves to blame +for it." Indeed, we were to blame for conditions, +and such of us as were fortunate enough +to see service in Europe had the sins of our +unpreparedness brought before us in the most +glaring light.</p> + +<p>Just how much training and experience were +of value was everywhere evident. In my +opinion, all divisions sent over by this country +were approximately equal in intelligence and +courage. There was, however, the greatest +difference between the veteran divisions and +those which had just arrived. Each division, +after being given the same amount of training +and fighting, would show up much the same, +but put a division which had been fighting +for six months alongside of one that had just +arrived, and in every detail you could see the +difference. The men of the newly arrived division +were as courageous as the men of the<span class="pagenum">[26]</span> +old division. Their intelligence was as good, +but they did not know the small things which +come only with training and experience, and +which, in a close battle, make the difference +between victory and defeat, the difference +between needless sacrifice and the sacrifice +which brings results.</p> + +<p>A great friend of mine, Colonel Frederick +Palmer, put this to me very clearly. He was +observing the action of our troops in the Argonne +and came on a young lieutenant with +a platoon of infantry. The lieutenant was +fidgeting and highly nervous. When Palmer +came up he said, "Sir, there is a machine gun +on that hill. I don't know whether I should +attack it or whether I should wait until the +troops on the right and left arrive and force +it out. I don't know whether it is killing my +men to no purpose whatever to advance. I +don't know what to do. I am not afraid. +My men are not afraid."</p> + +<p>This man belonged to one of the newly +arrived divisions. Given the experience, he +would have known exactly what to do. If he<span class="pagenum">[27]</span> +had been a man of an older division and had +seen sufficient service he would have been doing +what was necessary when Colonel Palmer +arrived.</p> + +<p>The little tricks which come only with +soldiering and training, which do not appear +in the accounts of the battles and are never +found in the citations for valor, are those +which make the great difference. For example, +Napoleon has said that an army travels +on its stomach. It is often quoted and rarely +understood, yet nothing is more true. The +men have had a hard day's fighting. They +are wet, they are cold, they have marched for +a week, mostly at night, and are worn out. +Can you get the food forward to them? Can +you get the food to them hot? If you can +get hot food forward to them you have increased +the fighting efficiency of these troops +thirty per cent.</p> + +<p>Experienced troops get this food forward. +A machine working on past experience knows +exactly what to do. The supply trains keep +track of their advance units and follow closely<span class="pagenum">[28]</span> +in their rear. During the engagement the +supply officers are planning where to put their +rolling kitchens and what routes can be used +to get the supplies forward. Meanwhile the +echelons of supply in the rear are acting in +the same manner. One does not find in the +drill-book that the way to keep coffee and +slum hot after it has left the rolling kitchens +is to take out the boilers with the food in them, +wrap these boilers in old blankets, put them +on the two-wheeled machine-gun carts, which +can go nearly anywhere, and work forward to +the troops in this way. This is just one instance, +one trick of the trade. It is something +that only training and experience can supply, +and yet it is of most vital importance. I +have known divisions to help feed the more +recently arrived divisions on their right and +left, when all have had the same facilities to +start with. I have known new troops, fighting +by an older division, to be forty hours +without food when the men of the older division +had been eating every day.</p> + +<p>Right in the ranks of a regiment you could<span class="pagenum">[29]</span> +see the difference made by training and experience. +Look at a trained man alongside of +a new recruit just arrived for replacement. +The trained man, at the end of the day's fighting, +will fix himself up a funk hole where he +will be reasonably safe from shell fragments, +will cover himself with a blanket, and will get +some sleep. The recruit will expose himself +unnecessarily, will be continuously uncomfortable, +and will not know how to take advantage +of whatever opportunity might arise to make +himself more comfortable. The result is that +the value of the former is much greater from +a military standpoint, and the latter runs a +far greater risk physically from all standpoints. +Moreover, when the test comes, as it generally +does, not in the beginning of the battle, but +toward the bitter end, when every last ounce +that a man has in him is being called on, the +untrained man is not so apt to have the +necessary vitality left to do his work.</p> + +<p>Our equipment, for the same reason, during +the early days of the war was most impracticable. +A notable example of this was the<span class="pagenum">[30]</span> +so-termed "iron ration" carried on the men's +backs. The meat component of this ration +was bacon. In certain types of fighting, those +in which our army had been principally engaged, +this may have been best, but for the +work in Europe, it was absolutely impracticable. +To begin with, bacon encourages +thirst, and thirst, where troops are fighting in +many of the districts in France, is almost +impossible to satisfy. A canteen of water a +day for each man was all it was possible to +provide. Furthermore, bacon has to be +cooked, and this again is often impracticable. +About a year after the beginning of the war, +some of the older divisions adopted tinned +beef, which went among the men under the +euphonious name of "monkey meat."</p> + +<p>To the average person in this country these +things are not evident. They read of battles, +they read of the courage of the men, of the +casualties, of the glory. They do not appreciate +the unnecessary sacrifices and the unnecessary +deaths and hardships entailed on us +by our policies.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[31]</span>It is all very well for someone comfortably +ensconced in his swivel chair in Washington +to issue the statement that he glories in the +fact that we went into this war unprepared. +It may be glorious for him, but it is not glorious +for those who fight the war, for those who +pay the price. The clap-trap statesmen of +this type should be forced to go themselves or +at least have their sons, as guarantee of their +good faith, join the fighting forces. Needless +to say, none of them did.</p> + +<p>Except for one instance, I do not believe +there is a single male member of the families +of the administration who felt that his duty +called him to be where the fighting was, a +single male member who heard a gun fired in +anger. I have heard some of these estimable +gentlemen say they considered it improper +to use any influence to get to the front much +though they desired to do so. This type of +observation is hypocritical. No doubt the +men who gave their lives, their eyes, their +arms, or their legs would feel deeply grieved +to be robbed of this privilege.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[32]</span>I have quoted above my father's statement +that he would rather have explained why he +went to war than why he did not, for the benefit +of these gentlemen. I should think they +would rather explain why they used their +influence to be where the danger was than +why they did not. As my father wrote me +in June, 1918: "When the trumpet sounds +for Armageddon, only those win the undying +honor and glory who stand where the danger +is sorest."</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[33]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-III" id="CHAPTER-III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<p class="h3">OVERSEAS</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:16em"> +<p> +"Behind him lay the gray Azores,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Behind the gates of Hercules,</span><br /> +Before him not the ghosts of shores<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Before him only shoreless seas."</span> +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Joaquin Miller. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>MY</b> brother and I sailed from New York +for Bordeaux on June 18, 1917. One +little incident of the voyage always stands out +in my mind. As we were leaving the harbor, +the decks crowded with passengers, everyone +keyed up to a high state of excitement, our +flag was lowered for some reason. While +being lowered it blew from the halyards and +fell into the water, and as it fell one could +hear everyone who saw it catch his breath, +like a great sob.</p> + +<p>The passenger list was polyglot. French +returning from missions to the United States,<span class="pagenum">[34]</span> +Red Cross workers, doctors, ambulance drivers, +and a few casual officers. We spent our +time trying to improve our French to such an +extent that we could understand or be understood +when speaking it with others than Americans. +Our teacher was Felix, a chauffeur. +He had already served in the artillery in the +French army, finally finishing the war as a +captain in the same branch of the service in +the United States army.</p> + +<p>We touched the shore of France toward the +end of June and, passing a few outgoing ships +and a couple of torpedoed vessels, steamed +slowly up the broad, tranquil estuary of the +Garonne. In the town of Bordeaux all the +inhabitants were greatly excited about <i>Les +Américaines</i>. We were the first they had seen +since the news had reached France that we +were sending troops, and as we drove through +the multi-colored market the old crones would +get up and cackle their approval.</p> + +<p>To the average Frenchman who had always +been accustomed to a sound scheme of preparedness +and trained men who could go to<span class="pagenum">[35]</span> +the colors for immediate service, we were +taken to be simply the first contingent of an +enormous army which would follow without +interruption. The poor people were bitterly +disappointed when they found that the handful +of untrained men alluded to by our papers +in this country as "the splendid little regular +army" represented all that we had available +in the United States, and that ten months +would pass before a really appreciable number +of troops would arrive.</p> + +<p>From Bordeaux we went by train to Paris. +In the train the same interest in and excitement +over us continued. The compartment +was full of French soldiers, who asked us all +about our plans, the number of our troops and +when they would arrive. Outside it was a +beautiful day, and the green, well-cultivated +fields and picturesque, quiet villages made it +hard to realize we were really in France, +where the greatest war in history was being +fought.</p> + +<p>On reaching Paris we reported to General +Pershing. He asked us what duty we wished.<span class="pagenum">[36]</span> +We both replied, service with troops. He assigned +my brother at once to the Sixteenth +Infantry, and ordered me to go with the advance +billeting detail to the Gondecourt area, +where our troops were to train.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the convoyed ships containing +the troops had arrived at St. Nazaire. On +the way over officers and men had tried to do +what they could to prepare themselves. One +of the officers told me he spent his time learning +the rules of land warfare for civilized +nations as agreed on by the Hague tribunal. +Like the dodo, the mammoth, and international +law, these rules had long since become +extinct.</p> + +<p>From St. Nazaire a battalion of the Sixteenth +Infantry went to Paris and paraded +on the Fourth of July. The population went +crazy over them. Cheering crowds lined the +streets, flowers were thrown at them, and I +think the men felt that France and war were +not so bad after all. As a side light on our +efficiency in this parade the troops were +marched in column of squads because the<span class="pagenum">[37]</span> +men were so green that the officers were afraid +to adopt any formation where it was necessary +to keep a longer line properly dressed.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile three officers and I had left +Paris and gone to Gondecourt. The officers +were General (then Colonel) McAlexander, +who since made a splendid record for himself +when the Third Division turned the German +offensive of July 15, 1918, east of Château +Thierry; General (then Major) Leslie McNair, +afterward head of the artillery department of +the training section; and Colonel Porter, of +the medical corps. We knew nothing about +billeting. The sum total of my knowledge +was a hazy idea that it meant putting the men +in spare beds in a town and that it was prohibited +by the Constitution of the United +States.</p> + +<p>Toward evening we arrived at the little +French village of Gondecourt. The streets +were decorated with flowers, and groups of +little French children ran to and fro shouting +<i>Vive les Américaines</i>! We were met by French +officers and taken to the inn, a charming little<span class="pagenum">[38]</span> +brownstone building, where French officers, +soldiers and civilians mingled without distinction. +There the mayor of the town and the +town major, who is appointed in all zones of +the army as the representative of the military, +came to call on us, and we started to get down +to business. A most difficult thing for our +men to realize was the various formalities +through which one must go in working with +the French. Many times real trouble was +caused because the Americans did not understand +what a part in French life <i>politesse</i> plays. +No conversation on military matters is carried +on by the French in the way we would. You +do not go straight to the point. Each participant +first expresses himself on the virtues +and great deeds of the other, and after this +the sordid matter of business in hand is taken +up. We were poorly equipped for this. Only +McNair and I spoke French at all, and ours +was weird and awful to a degree. We had +both been taught by Americans after the best +approved United States method.</p> + +<p>The French town major with whom we +dwelt was an old fellow,<span class="pagenum">[39]</span> a veteran of the war +of 1870. He had an enormous white mustache. +He "snorted like a buffalo," and the one word +that I always understood was <i>parfaitement</i>, +which he constantly used.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p38" id="p38"></a> +<a href="images/i_071f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_071t.jpg" alt="i_071" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">BRIGADIER GENERAL FRANK A. PARKER, LIEUTENANT COLONEL THEODORE +ROOSEVELT, AND MRS. ROOSEVELT AT ROMAGNE</p> + +<p>Right by this area was the birthplace of +Jeanne d'Arc. The humble little village, +Domremy, is just like any of those in the surrounding +country. The house where she is +supposed to have lived is rather smaller than +its neighbors. In many ways Jeanne d'Arc +and this little village symbolize France to me. +France is France not on account of those who +scintillate in Paris, but on account of the +humbler people, those whom the tourist never +sees, or if he does, forgets. France has +no genius for politics. Her Chamber of +Deputies is composed of men who amount to +little and who do not share the national ideals +and visions, but in the body of the people you +find that flaming and pure patriotism which +counts no costs when the fight is for France. +The national impulse will exist as long as there +is a peasant left alive.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[40]</span>The training area was composed of a number +of towns with from 150 to 500 civilian population. +We ran from village to village in automobiles, +surprised and appalled by the number +of men that the French military were able to +put in each.</p> + +<p>These small French villages in the north +of France resemble nothing that we have in +our country. They are charming and picturesque, +but various features are lacking +which to the well-ordered American mind +causes pain. To begin with, there is no system +of plumbing. The village gets all its water +supply from the public fountains. This naturally +makes a bath an almost unknown luxury. +Many times I have been asked by the French +peasants why I wanted a bath, and should it +be winter, was I not afraid I would be taken +sick if I took one. Around these public +fountains the village life centers. There the +chattering groups of women and girls are +always congregating. There the gossip of the +countryside originates and runs its course. +There is rarely electric light in the small towns,<span class="pagenum">[41]</span> +and enormous manure piles are in front of +each house and in the street. The houses +themselves are a combination affair, barn and +house under the same roof. The other features +that are always present are the church +and café. Even in the smallest town there +are generally charming chapels. The cafés +are where the opinions of the French nation +are formed.</p> + +<p>The peasants who live in these villages have +an immemorial custom behind them in most +of their actions. They have the careful attitude +of an old people, very difficult for our +young and wasteful nation to understand. +Each stray bit of wood, each old piece of iron, +is saved and laid aside for future use. No +great wasteful fires roar on the hearth, but +rather a few fagots, carefully measured to do +just what is intended for them.</p> + +<p>The families have lived in the same spot +for generations. Their roots are very firmly +in the ground. Individually they are a curious +combination of simplicity and shrewdness. +One old woman with whom my brother Archie<span class="pagenum">[42]</span> +was billeted in the town of Boviolles became +quite a friend of ours. We talked together +in the evening, sitting by the great fireplace, +in which a little bit of a fire would be burning. +She had never in her life been farther than six +or eight miles from the village of Boviolles. +To her Paris was as unreal as Colchis or Babylon +to us. She, in common with her country +folk, looked forward to the arrival of the American +army, much in the way we would look +forward to the arrival of the Hottentots. In +fact, when she heard we were coming to the +village, she at first decided to run away. To +her the United States was a wilderness inhabited +by Indians and cowboys. We told +her about New York City and Chicago. We +told her that New York was larger than Paris +and that neither of us had ever shot a bear +there and no Indians tomahawked people on +the street. We explained to her that if you +took all the houses in the village and placed +them one on top of another they would not +stand as high as some of our buildings. As a +result, she felt toward us much as the con<span class="pagenum">[43]</span>temporaries +of Marco Polo felt toward him—we +were amiable story-tellers and that +was all.</p> + +<p>Once I introduced a French officer to Colonel +William J. Donovan, of the 165th Infantry. +In the course of my introduction I mentioned +the fact that Colonel Donovan came from +Buffalo. After Donovan had gone, the Frenchman +remarked to me, "Buffalo is very wild, +is it not?" I answered him guardedly, "Not +very." He explained, "But it is the place +where you hunt that great animal, is it +not?"</p> + +<p>Something that struck me forcibly was the +total lack of roving desire among the peasants. +Where they had been born, there they desired +to live and die. This you would see in the +<i>poilu</i> in the trenches, whose idea always was +to return home again to the house where he +was born.</p> + +<p>There is also a very real democracy in the +French army. This should be borne in mind +by all those who go about talking of the military +aristocracy which would be built up by<span class="pagenum">[44]</span> +universal service in this country. In France +I have seen sons of the most prominent families, +the descendants of the old <i>haute noblesse</i>, +as privates or noncommissioned officers. I +also have seen in the little French villages a +high officer of the French army returning to +his family for his leave, that family being the +humblest of peasants, living in a cottage of +two rooms. I have dined with a general, +been introduced by him to the remainder of +his family, and found them privates and noncommissioned +officers.</p> + +<p>The French sent to the Gondecourt area +a division of the "Chasseurs Alpins" to help +train us. The chasseurs are a separate unit +from the French infantry and have their own +particular customs. To begin with, their +military organization is slightly different, in +that they do not have regiments and the +battalion forms the unit. Their uniforms +are dark blue with silver buttons, and they +do not wear the ordinary French cap, but +have a dark-blue cloth <i>bérèt</i>, or tam-o'-shanter, +with an Alpine horn embroidered in<span class="pagenum">[45]</span> +silver as insignia. The corps is an old one +and has many traditions. Their pride is to +consider themselves as quite apart from the +infantry; indeed, they feel highly insulted if +you confuse the two, although, to all intents +and purposes, their work is identical. They +have songs of their own, some of them very +uncomplimentary to the infantry, and highly +seasoned, according to our American ideas. +They have a custom when marching on parade +of keeping a step about double the time of the +ordinary slow step. Their bugle corps, which +they have instead of our regimental brass +bands, are very snappy and effective, and the +men have a trick of waving their bugles in +unison before they strike a note, which is +very effective. They have no drums. These +quaint, squat, jovial, dark-haired fellows +were billeted in the villages all around our +area.</p> + +<p>The billeting party, after working very hard +and accomplishing very little, divided the +area up as the French suggested. In advance +of the remainder of our troops the battalion<span class="pagenum">[46]</span> +of the Sixteenth Infantry, which paraded in +Paris on the Fourth of July, arrived. We +were all down at the train to meet them, as +was a battalion of the Chasseurs Alpins. +They came in the ordinary day coaches used +in France. I remember hearing an officer say +that these were hard on the men. It was the +last time that I ever saw our troops travel in +anything but box cars, and this arrangement +was made, I think, as a special compliment by +the French Government.</p> + +<p>A couple of days afterward came the Fourteenth +of July. The French had a parade, +and our troops took part in it. The French +troops came first past the reviewing officers, +who were both French and American. The +infantry of each battalion passed first, bayonets +glittering, lines smartly dressed; following +them in turn the machine-gun companies, +or "jackass batteries," as they were +called by our men, the mules finely currycombed +and the harness shining. Their bands, +with the brass trumpets, played snappily. +Altogether they gave an appearance of confident +efficiency. Then came our troops—in<span class="pagenum">[47]</span> +column of squads. What held good in Paris +still held good—our splendidly trained little +army did not dare trust itself to take up +platoon front.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[48]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-IV" id="CHAPTER-IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<p class="h3">TRAINING IN FRANCE</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:30em"> +<p> +"I wish myself could talk to myself as I left 'im a year ago;<br /> +I could tell 'im a lot that would save 'im a lot in the things that 'e ought to know.<br /> +When I think o' that ignorant barrack bird it almost makes me cry." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Kipling. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>A</b> day or two after the Fourteenth of July +review the rest of the troops arrived and +my personal fortune hung in the balance, as I +was still unattached. Colonel Duncan, afterward +Major General Duncan, commander of +the Seventy-seventh and Eighty-second divisions, +was then commanding the Twenty-sixth +Infantry. One of his majors had turned +out to be incompetent. He came to General +Sibert and asked if he had an extra major to +whom he could give a try-out.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replied General Sibert. "Why +not try Roosevelt?"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[49]</span>"Send him along and I will see what he's +good for," was Duncan's reply.</p> + +<p>I went that day, took command of my battalion +the day after, and never left the Twenty-sixth +Infantry, except when wounded, until +just before coming back to this country after +the war.</p> + +<p>Most of the Twenty-sixth Infantry was +billeted in a town called Demange-aux-Eaux, +one of the largest in the area. By it flowed a +good-sized stream, a convenient bathtub for +officers and men alike. We started at once +cleaning up places for the company kitchens, +getting the billets as comfortable as possible +and selecting sites for drill grounds.</p> + +<p>The men, who up to this time had been bewildered +by the rapid changes, now began to +find themselves and make up to the French +inhabitants. I have seen time and time again +a group composed of two or three <i>poilus</i> and +two or three doughboys wandering down the +street arm in arm, all talking at once, neither +nationality understanding the other and all +having a splendid time. The Americans'<span class="pagenum">[50]</span> +love for children asserted itself and the men +made fast friends with such youngsters as +there were. It is a sad fact that there are +very few children in northern France. In +the evenings, after their drill was over, the men +would sit in groups with the women and children, +talking and laughing. Sometimes some +particularly ambitious soldier would get a +French dictionary and laboriously endeavor +to pick out, word by word, various sentences. +Others, feeling that the French had better +learn our language rather than we learn theirs, +endeavored to instruct their new friends in +English.</p> + +<p>About this time that national institution +of France, <i>vin ordinaire</i>, was introduced to +our men. The two types, <i>vin blanc</i>, white +wine, and <i>vin rouge</i>, red wine, were immediately +christened <i>vin blink</i> and <i>vin rough</i>. The fact +that this wine could be bought for a very +small amount caused much interest. Champagne +also came well within the reach of everyone's +purse. To most of the men, champagne, +up to this time, had been something they <span class="pagenum">[51]</span>read +about, and was connected in their minds with +Broadway and plutocracy. It represented +to them untold wealth completely surrounded +by stage beauties. Here, all of a sudden, +they found champagne something which could +be bought by the poorest buck private. This, +in some cases, had a temporarily disastrous +effect, for under circumstances such as these +a number of men might naturally feel that +they should lay in a sufficient supply of champagne +to last them in memory, if nothing else, +through the rest of their lives.</p> + +<p>I remember particularly one of my men +who dined almost exclusively on champagne +one evening and returned to his company with +his sense of honor perhaps slightly distorted +and his common sense entirely lacking. The +company commander, Captain Arnold, of +whom I spoke before, was standing in front +of his billet when this man appeared with his +rifle on his shoulder, saluted in the most correct +military manner, and said, "I desire the +company commander's permission to shoot +Private So-and-So, who has made some very<span class="pagenum">[52]</span> +insulting remarks concerning the town in which +I lived in the United States."</p> + +<p>Trouble of all sorts, however, was very +small considering the circumstances, and decreased +with every month the troops were in +France. We always found that the new men +who arrived for replacements were the ones +who were most likely to overstep the bounds, +and with them it was generally the novelty +rather than anything else.</p> + +<p>Then came the question of French money. +We were all paid in francs. To begin with, our +soldiers received eight or ten times as much +pay as the average French soldier. This +put them in the position of bloated plutocrats. +Then, too, none of us had very much +idea of what French money meant. Since +the war the paper of which French money +was made had been of very inferior quality, +and I know I personally felt that when I could +get anything concrete, such as a good dinner, +in exchange for these very dilapidated bits of +paper, I had made a real bargain. The soldiers, +I am sure, were of the same opinion.<span class="pagenum">[53]</span> +Prices tripled wherever we were in France. +Indeed, I doubt if in all their existence the +little villages in our training area had ever +had a tenth part of the money in circulation +that appeared just after pay day for the troops.</p> + +<p>Of course, the French overcharged our men. +It's human nature to take as much as you can +get, and the French are human. One should +remember, in blaming them for this, that our +troops, before sailing for France, were overcharged +by people in this country. When +the doughboy wanted eggs, for instance, he +wanted them badly, and that was all there +was to it. In every company there was generally +one good "crap shooter." What the +French did not get he got, and, contrary to the +usual theory of gamblers' money, he usually +saved it. One of the trials of an officer is the +men's money. Before action, before any move, +the men who have any money always come +to their C. O. and ask him to keep it for them. +I remember once an old sergeant came to me +and asked me to keep two or three thousand +francs for him. I did. Next day he was<span class="pagenum">[54]</span> +A. W. O. L. He had not wanted to keep the +money for fear of spending it if he got drunk. +When he came back I tried him by court-martial, +reduced him to the ranks, and gave +him back his money.</p> + +<p>During the twenty months that I spent in +Europe I was serving with troops virtually +the entire time, commanding them in villages +all through the north of France, through Luxembourg +and Germany, and in all that +period I never had one complaint from the +inhabitants concerning the treatment by our +men of either women or children. When we +went into conquered territory we did not +even consider it necessary to speak to the +men on this point, and our confidence was +justified. Occasionally a man and his wife +would call on me and ask if Private "So-and-So" +was really a millionaire in America, as +he had said, because, if so, they thought it +would be a good thing for him to marry their +daughter. This would, however, generally +smooth itself out, as Private "So-and-So," +as a rule, had no intention of marrying their<span class="pagenum">[55]</span> +daughter, and they had no intention of letting +her marry him when they found out that the +statement concerning his family estates in +America was, to put it mildly, highly colored. +Oddly enough, this is not as queer as one +might think. The company cook in one of +the companies of our battalion inherited, +while in Europe, about $600,000. It never +bothered him from any standpoint. He still +remained cook and cooked as well as ever.</p> + +<p>The average day's training was divided +about as follows: First call about 6 o'clock, +an hour for breakfast and policing. After +that, the troops marched out to some drill +ground, where they maneuvered all day, taking +their lunch there and returning late in +the afternoon. Formal retreat was then held, +then supper, and by 10 o'clock taps sounded. +The American troops experienced a certain +amount of difficulty in fixing on satisfactory +meeting grounds with the corresponding French +units with whom they were training. Our +battalion, however, was fortunate, but another +battalion of our regiment had at periods to<span class="pagenum">[56]</span> +turn out before daylight in order to make the +march necessary to connect.</p> + +<p>This battalion during the early part of our +training was billeted in the same town. One +day their first call sounded at somewhere +around 4.15. A good sergeant, Murphy by +name, an old-timer who had been in the army +twenty-four years, had his platoon all in one +billet. He heard the first call, did not realize +that it was not for him, and turned his +platoon out. By the time he had the platoon +filing out he discovered his mistake. At the +same time he noticed that one of the men had +not turned out. Murphy was a strict disciplinarian +and he took a squad from the platoon +and went in to find the man. The man explained +that this was not the correct call. +Sergeant Murphy said that that made no +difference, that when a platoon was formed, +the place for every man was with the platoon, +and, to the delight of the platoon and particularly +the squad which assisted him, escorted +the recalcitrant sleeper out and dropped him +in the stream.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[57]</span>Sergeant Murphy was the type of man who +is always an asset to a command. On the +way to Europe he had been in charge of the +kitchen police on board the transport and +here had earned himself the name of "Spuds" +Murphy. He was always faithful to whatever +job he was detailed. When things were breaking +badly he could always be depended on to +cheer the men up by joking with them. He +was an old fellow, bent and very gray, and he +was physically unable to stand a lot of the +racket, so I used to order him to stay behind +with the kitchens when we went into +action. One night, when the troops were +moving up to the front line, I was standing +by the side of the road checking off the +platoons as they passed. I thought I recognized +one figure silhouetted against the +gray sky. A moment later I was positive +when I heard, "Sure and if you feel that +way about the Gairmans there're as good as +beat."</p> + +<p>"Sergeant Murphy?"</p> + +<p>"Sor-r?"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[58]</span>"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell +you to stay with the kitchens?"</p> + +<p>"But I didn't be thinkin' the Major would +be wantin' me to stay coffee coolin' all the +time, so I just come up for a little visit with +the men."</p> + +<p>The actual training consisted of practice +with the hand grenade, rifle grenade, automatic +rifle, rifle, and bayonet, and in trench digging. +We had a certain amount of difficulty merging +the troops in with the French. It was really +very hard for men who did not speak the same +language to get anywhere. In addition to +this, the French temperament is so different +from ours. They always felt that much could +be learned by our troops watching theirs. +But the soldier doesn't learn by watching. +His eye doesn't teach his muscles service. +The way to train men is by physical exercise +and explanation, not by simply watching +others train.</p> + +<p>At one time an artillery demonstration was +scheduled. In it we were to see a rolling +barrage illustrated and also destructive fire. +<span class="pagenum">[59]</span>The men paid no attention at all to the bombardment. +A company commander described +to me how the men lay down and rested when +they got to the maneuvers ground.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p58" id="p58"></a> +<a href="images/i_093f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_093t.jpg" alt="i_093" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">"CHOW"<br /> +Drawn by Captain W. J. Aylward, A. E. F., 1918 +</p> + +<p>"Whizz, Bill, hear that boy," casually remarked +one, when the first shell went over. +"What was it you said?"</p> + +<p>An interesting sidelight on our military establishment +is afforded by the fact that on our +arrival in France there was no one with the +command who had ever shot an automatic rifle, +thrown a hand grenade, shot a rifle grenade, +used a trench mortar or a .37-millimeter gun. +These were all modern methods of waging warfare, +yet none of our military had been trained +to the least degree in any of them. To all of +us they were absolutely new. The closest any +of us came to any previous knowledge was +from occasional pictures we had seen in the +illustrated reviews.</p> + +<p>The Major of the French battalion with +whom we trained was named Menacci. He +was a Corsican by birth and looked like a stage +pirate. He had a long black beard, sparkling<span class="pagenum">[60]</span> +black eyes, and a great appearance of ferocity, +but was as gentle a soul as I have ever known. +The topic that interested him above all others +was the question of marriage. He was just +like a young girl or boy and loved to be teased +about it. A very fine fellow called Beauclare +assisted him. Beauclare was from the north +of France, tall and light-haired, and full of +energy. He would strip off his coat, throw +grenades with the men, and join in the exercises +with as much enjoyment as anyone.</p> + +<p>Curiously enough, the good fellowship of the +French made things rather hard for many of +us. The Chasseurs were as kind as could be, +and I never shall cease to respect the men with +whom we trained, both as soldiers and gentlemen. +We, however, were trying by incessant +work to overcome the handicap of ignorance +with which we had started, while they were +out of the line for a rest and naturally wished +to enjoy themselves, have parties, and relax.</p> + +<p>At one time we tried attaching noncommissioned +officers from the French units to +ours. We hoped we could accomplish more<span class="pagenum">[61]</span> +this way. It did not work well, however, +except in one instance, in which the American +company became so fond of their French +"noncom." that they did their level best to +keep him with them for the rest of the war.</p> + +<p>Toward the end of the training period, +before the French left us, we had a sort of +official party for both our troops and the +French troops. It was held on our drill +grounds and everyone had chow. The men +and officers really enjoyed this affair. Later +we gave another party for the French officers, +who came and lunched with us. In the athletic +sports that afternoon we experienced +some difficulty with the middleweight boxing +because Sergeant Ross, of B Company, was +so much the best boxer that we could find no +one to put up a good fight against him.</p> + +<p>Among the other sports was a "salad" race, +in which all the combatants take off their +shoes, piling them in the center of a circle. +They line up around the edges and, at the +word "go," run forward, try to find their own +shoes, put them on, and lace them up. The<span class="pagenum">[62]</span> +man who first does this wins. Of course, the +contestants throw each other's shoes around, +which adds to the general mix-up, with the +usual comic incidents. During the meet a +lieutenant rushed up to me before the tug of +war was to be staged, terribly excited, explaining +that the best men in his company's +team for a tug of war were just going on +guard. I hurried off to try to change this and +succeeded in mixing the guard up to such an +extent that it took the better part of a day +to get it straightened out again.</p> + +<p>The French noncoms. came over also and +dined with our men, and one day all of us +went over to the French village and saw their +sports, mule races, pole vaulting, etc. Their +officers' messes are very picturesque. Every +action is surrounded by custom. They rise +in their snappy blue uniforms and sing songs +of previous battles and victories, and drink +toasts to long-dead leaders.</p> + +<p>It was at this time we developed our policy +concerning punishment. Under circumstances +<span class="pagenum">[63]</span>such as we were up against it was necessary +to be severe, for the good of all. No outfit +but had the same percentage of offenders; the +draft took all alike, and any man who says he +had no punishments in his command is either +a fool or a liar. We always considered, however, +that as far as possible, in minor offenses, +it was better to avoid court-martial. The +summary court if much used indicates a poor +or lazy commander. Where possible we always +handled situations as follows: Private +Blank is ordered to take his full pack on maneuvers, +and does not. His C. O. notices it at +a halt. No charges are put in against him for +disobedience of orders. His pack is opened +then and there and nice, well-selected rocks +are put in to take the place of the missing +blankets and shelter half. He resumes the +march with these on his back and has to keep +up.</p> + +<p>One cold day the buglers, who are supposed +to be having a liaison drill while the rest of the +brigade are maneuvering, decide to sneak off +and build a fire. They are discovered, and then +and there are ordered to climb to the top of<span class="pagenum">[64]</span> +a pine tree, where they are made to bugle in a +cold wind during the rest of the morning.</p> + +<p>These punishments serve two purposes—first, +they check the offender, at the moment +he has committed the breach of discipline, +and not only make it very unpleasant for him, +but also make him ridiculous in the eyes of +the other men. Second, they leave no stain +on his record and let him keep his money.</p> + +<p>It must not be taken from the above that +I do not believe court-martial necessary, for +I most emphatically do in many cases. You +often cannot reach constant offenders by any +other method. Also such offenses as "theft," +desertion, and serious insubordination can +be dealt with suitably by no other method. +I believe in keeping all cases away from the +court when possible, but I also believe, when +you do take them into the courts, you should +punish stringently.</p> + +<p>In addition to the numerous incidents where +too severe penalties have been imposed, there +are many instances of unjustifiable leniency. +This is resented by all alike. I remember the<span class="pagenum">[65]</span> +comment which was caused among all ranks +by the pardoning of men convicted of having +slept on their posts. This pardoning sounds +pretty and humane to those who have not +been in the fighting line, but where the lives +of all depend on the vigilance of that sentry, +it is "a gray horse of another color."</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[66]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-V" id="CHAPTER-V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<p class="h3">LIFE IN AN ARMY AREA</p> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>THE</b> billeting of the men was a problem. +As I mentioned before, the constitution of +the United States forbids billeting, taking as +ground for this action that when soldiers are +placed under a private roof constant friction +is bound to arise. In Europe the masses of +troops were so great and the country so thickly +settled that this method of caring for the +soldiers was of necessity the only one that +could be adopted. In the average French +farm the houses have big barns attached to +them. In the barn on the ground floor are +the pigs, cows, and numberless rabbits, also +farm implements, wagons, and the like. Up a +shaky ladder, which had been doing service +for generations, is the hay-loft.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[67]</span>There, among the hay, the soldiers are billeted +and sleep.</p> + +<p>When we first came over, according to our +best army traditions, cots were brought for the +men. We tried to fit these into the barns, but +soon found it impossible, and, after we had been +there a certain length of time, we turned them +all in, and they were never again used by the +troops. Instead, we bought hay from the +natives, spread it on the floor of the loft, and +the men slept on it. This sounds pleasant, +but it isn't as pleasant as it sounds. It is +fairly good in summer, as the weather is warm, +the days are long, and the barn is generally +full of cracks, which let in the air, and you +can get along quite well as to light. When +winter comes, however, the barns are freezing +cold, and the men, after their hard work in +the rain, come back soaking wet. It gets dark +early, and the sun does not rise until late. On +account of the hay the greatest care must be +used with lights. Smoking has to be strictly +forbidden. You have, therefore, at the end +of the day tired, wet men, who have nowhere<span class="pagenum">[68]</span> +to go except to their billets, and in the billets +no light to speak of, very little heat, and a +strict prohibition against smoking.</p> + +<p>The officers, of course, fared better. They +slept in the houses, and generally got beds. +Europeans do not like fresh air. They feel +a good deal like the gentleman in Stephen +Leacock's story, who said he liked fresh air, +and believed you should open the windows +and get in all you could. Then you should +shut the windows and keep it there. It would +keep for years.</p> + +<p>I have been in many rooms where the windows +were nailed shut. The beds also are +rather remarkable. They are generally fitted +with feather mattresses and feather quilts. +Very often they are arranged in a niche in the +wall like a closet, and have two doors, which +the average European, after getting into the +bed, closes, thereby rendering it about as airy +and well ventilated as a coffin.</p> + +<p>I remember my own billet in one of the +towns where we stopped. As I was commanding +officer, it was one of the best and was<span class="pagenum">[69]</span> +reasonably warm. It was warm because the +barnyard was next door, literally in the next +room, as all that separated me from a cow +was a light deal door by the side of the bed. +The cow was tied to the door. When the +cow slept I slept; but if the cow passed a +restless night I had all the opportunity I +needed to think over my past sins and future +plans. In another town an excellent billet +was not used by the officers because over the +bed were hung photographs of all the various +persons who had died in the house, taken while +they lay dead in that bed.</p> + +<p>Human nature is the same the world over, +and we became very fond of some of the persons +with whom we were billeted, while others +stole everything that was left loose. One +hoary old sinner, with whom I lived, quite +endeared herself to me by her evident simplicity +and her gentleness of manner, until I +discovered one day that, under the ægis of the +commanding officer billeting there, she was +illicitly selling cognac to the soldiers.</p> + +<p>The struggle of certain sergeants with some<span class="pagenum">[70]</span> +of these French inhabitants concerning the +neatness of their various company kitchens +or billets always amused me. I remember +a feud in one village which was carried on +between a little Frenchwoman and a sergeant +called Murphy. Sergeant Murphy liked +everything spick and span. The French woman +had lived all her life where things were +not, to put it mildly, according to Sergeant +Murphy's army-trained idea of sanitation. +The rock that they finally split on was the +question of tin cans, old boxes, and egg-shells +in front of Sergeant Murphy's kitchen. I +shall never forget coming around a corner and +seeing Sergeant Murphy, tall and dignified, +the Frenchwoman small and voluble, facing +one another in front of his kitchen, she chattering +French without a break and he saying +with great dignity, "Ma'am, it is outrageous. +It is the third time to-day that this +stuff has been taken away. I shall throw +it in your back yard." He did, and next +morning the conflict was joined again. Although +Murphy kept up the struggle nobly,<span class="pagenum">[71]</span> +no impression was made on the Frenchwoman.</p> + +<p>Most generally, in France, the small French +village contains about one battalion of infantry. +As a result, the battalion commander +is post commander, and to him all the woes of +the various inhabitants as well as the troubles +of his own troops come. One complaint which +filled me with delight was made by a Frenchwoman. +The basis of the complaint was that +my men, by laughing and talking in her barn, +prevented her sheep and pigs from getting a +proper amount of sleep.</p> + +<p>A constantly recurring source of trouble +were the rabbits. The rabbits in all French +country families are a sort of Lares and Penates. +You find them in hutches around +the houses, wandering in the barns, hopping +about the kitchens, and, last but by no means +least, in savory stews. I don't maintain for +a moment that none of my men ever took a +rabbit; I simply maintain that it would be a +physical impossibility for these men to have +eaten the number of rabbits they were accused<span class="pagenum">[72]</span> +of eating. Every little while in each town +some peasant would come before me with a +complaint, the gist of which was that the men +had eaten a dozen or so rabbits. With great +dignity I would say that I would have the +matter investigated. The man would then +suggest that I come and count the rabbits +in the village, so that I would know if any +were missing. I would explain in my best +French that from a long and accurate knowledge +of rabbits, gathered through years +when, as a boy, I kept them in quantities, +counting rabbits one day did not mean that +there would be the same number the next +day.</p> + +<p>Eventually we adopted the scheme of making +some officer claim adjuster. After this +it was smooth sailing for me. I simply would +tell the mayor that Lieutenant Barrett would +adjust the matter under dispute, and from +then on Lieutenant Barrett battled with the +aggrieved. He told me once he thought he +was going to be murdered by a little woman, +who kept an inn, over a log of wood that the<span class="pagenum">[73]</span> +men had used for the company kitchen. +Several times persons offered to go shares +with him on what he was able to get for them +from the government.</p> + +<p>In this part of France there was quite a +little wild life. Sail-winged hawks were constantly +soaring over the meadows. Coveys +of European partridges were quite plentiful. +Among the other birds the magpie and the +skylark were the most noticeable, the former +ubiquitous with his flamboyant contrast of +black and white, the latter a constant source +of delight, with clear song and graceful spirals. +The largest wild animal was the boar. There +were quite a number of these throughout the +woods. As a rule, they were not large, and +there was, so far as I could find out, no attempt +made to preserve them. We would scare +them up while maneuvering. They are good +eating, and occasionally we would organize a +hunt. The French Daniel Boone, of Boviolles, +was a delightful old fellow. When going on +a hunt he would put on a bright blue coat, +a green hat, and sling a silver horn over his<span class="pagenum">[74]</span> +shoulders, resembling for all the world the +huntsman in <i>Slovenly Peter</i>.</p> + +<p>During August a number of the field officers +were sent on their first trip to the trenches. +I was among them. We went by truck to +Nancy, a charming little city, known as the +Paris of northern France. At this time the +Huns had not started their air raids on it, +which drove much of the population away and +reduced the railroad station to ruins. Round +it cling many historic memories; near by was +fought the battle between Charles the Bold, +of Burgundy, and Louis XI, in which feudalism +was struck its death blow; on the hills +to the north the Kaiser stood at the commencement +of this war, when the German +troops were flowing over France, seemingly +resistless.</p> + +<p>From Nancy we went to the Pont-à-Mousson +sector, where we spent a day with French +officers of the corresponding grade. This was +a rest sector, and there was little to indicate +that war was raging. Occasionally a shell +would whistle over, and if you exposed your<span class="pagenum">[75]</span>self +too much some Hun might take a shot at +you with a rifle.</p> + +<p>Pont-à-Mousson, the little French village, +was literally in the French front lines, and yet +a busy life was going on there. There I +bought cigarettes, and around the arcade of +the central square business was much as usual. +A bridge spanned the river right by the town, +where everyone crossing was in plain view of +the Germans. The French officers explained +to me that so long as only small parties crossed +by it the Germans paid no attention, but if +columns of troops or trucks used it shelling +started at once. In the same way the French +did not shell, except under exceptional circumstances, +the villages in the German forward +area.</p> + +<p>On a high hill overlooking Pont-à-Mousson +were the ruins of an old castle built by the +De Guises. In old days it was the key to the +ford where the bridge now stands. It was +being used as an observation post by the +French. I crawled up into its ivy-draped, +crumbling tower, and through a telescope<span class="pagenum">[76]</span> +looked far back of the German lines, where I +saw the enemy troops training in open order +and two German officers on horseback superintending.</p> + +<p>In the trenches where the soldiers were there +were vermin and rats and mud to the waist. +There I made my first acquaintance with the +now justly famous "cootie."</p> + +<p>During this night I went on my first patrol. +No Man's Land was very broad, and deep fields +of wire surrounded the trenches. The patrol +finished without incident. The only casualty +in the vicinity while I was on this front was a +partridge, which was hit on the head by a +fragment of shell, and which the French major +and I ate for dinner and enjoyed very much. +We returned to our training area by the same +way we came. The principal knowledge we +had gained besides general atmosphere was +relative to the feeding of men in trenches.</p> + +<p>These were the primitive days of our army +in France. We being the first troops who had +arrived, received a very large proportion of the +attention of General Pershing and his staff.<span class="pagenum">[77]</span> +The General once came out to look over the +Twenty-sixth Infantry, and stopped in front +of the redoubtable Sergeant Murphy and his +platoon. Now, Sergeant Murphy could stand +with equanimity as high an officer as a colonel, +but a general was one too many. He was not +afraid of a machine gun or a cannon, but a +star on a man's shoulder petrified him. After +the General had watched for a minute, the good +sergeant had his platoon tied up in thirteen +different ways. The General spoke to him. +That finished it; and if the General had not +left the field, I think Sergeant Murphy would +have.</p> + +<p>With all of us comic incidents in plenty +occurred. Our most notable characteristic +was our seriousness, and, running it a close +second, our ignorance. I remember one solemn +private who threw a hand grenade from +his place in the trench. It hit the edge of the +parapet and dropped back again. He looked +at it, remarked "Lord God," slipped in the +mud, and sat down on it just as it exploded. +Fortunately for him it was one of the light,<span class="pagenum">[78]</span> +tin-covered grenades, and beyond making +sitting down an almost impossible action for +him for several days following he was comparatively +undamaged. Often the comic was +tinged with the tragic. We had men who endeavored +to open grenades with a rock, with +the usual disastrous effects to all.</p> + +<p>Once Sergeant O'Rourke was training his +men in throwing hand grenades. I came up +and watched them a minute. They were +doing very well, and I called, "Sergeant, your +men are throwing these grenades excellently." +O'Rourke evidently felt there was danger of +turning their heads by too much praise. +"Sor-r-r, that and sleep is all they can do +well," he replied.</p> + +<p>In order to get the men trained with the +rifle, as we had no target material, we used +tin cans and rocks. A tin can is a particularly +good target; it makes such a nice noise +when hit, and leaps about so. I liked to shoot +at them myself, and could well understand +why they pleased the soldiers.</p> + +<p>Why more persons were not killed in our +<span class="pagenum">[79]</span>practice I don't know, as the whole division +was in training in a limited space, all having +rifle practice, with no possibility of constructing +satisfactory ranges.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p78" id="p78"></a> +<a href="images/i_115f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_115t.jpg" alt="i_115" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">BEFORE THE OFFENSIVE<br /> +Drawn by Captain W. J. Aylward, A. E. F. +</p> + +<p>Some officers in another unit organized a +rifle range in such a position that the overs +dropped gently where we were training. One +eventually hit my horse, but did not do much +damage.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Lyman S. Frazier, an excellent +officer, who finished the war as major of infantry, +commanded the machine-gun company +of my battalion. He was very keen on indirect +fire, but we could get little or no information +on it. One evening, however, he grouped +his guns, made his calculations as well as he +could, and then fired a regular barrage. As +soon as the demonstration was over he galloped +out as fast as he could to the target, and +found to his chagrin that only one shot had +hit. Where the other 10,000 odd went we +never knew.</p> + +<p>We had many incidents that were really +humorous with the men in the guard mount.<span class="pagenum">[80]</span> +A young fellow, named Cobb, who lost his leg +later in the war, was standing guard early in +his military career. A French girl passed him +in the dark. He challenged, "Who is there?" +She replied, "<i>Qu'est-ce qu'il dit?</i>" Young +Cobb didn't know French, but he did know +that when in doubt on any subject you called +the corporal of the guard. So he shouted at +the top of his voice, "Corporal of the guard, +queskidee!"</p> + +<p>We emphasized the manual of formal guard +mount as a disciplinary exercise. One of the +regulations is that when the ranking officer +in a post passes the guardhouse, the sentry +calls, "Turn out the guard—commanding +officer," and the guard is paraded. We had +lived so long by ourselves that although we +sometimes had the colonel in the same town, +when we were in the Montdidier sector, I never +could persuade them to pay any attention to +him. They had it firmly rooted in their minds +that the ceremony was for me and no one else.</p> + +<p>Occasionally a German airplane would come +over and bomb the towns in the area. This<span class="pagenum">[81]</span> +furnished a real element of excitement, as we +had anti-aircraft guns set up. The one +trouble was that we could not tell at night +which was a German and which was a French +plane, with the result that if we should happen +to hit one it was as likely that we would hit a +French one as not. We were saved this embarrassment +by never hitting one. Later, in +the Montdidier sector, I remember hearing +how, in a burst of enthusiasm, the gun crew of +one of our 75's had fired at an airplane, and by +some remarkable coincidence had torn a wing +off and brought it down. On rushing out to +inspect it they found it contained a very +irascible Frenchman.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[82]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-VI" id="CHAPTER-VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<p class="h3">EARLY DAYS IN THE TRENCHES</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:20em"> +<p> +"How strange a spectacle of human passions<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Is yours all day beside the Arras road,</span><br /> +What mournful men concerned about their rations<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">When here at eve the limbers leave their load,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">What twilight blasphemy, what horses' feet</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Entangled with the meat,</span><br /> +What sudden hush when that machine gun sweeps<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And flat as possible for men so round</span><br /> +The quartermasters may be seen in heaps,<br /> +While you sit by and chuckle, I'll be bound." +</p> +<p class="right">A. P. H. (<i>Punch</i>).</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>EARLY</b> in October mysterious orders reached +us to spend forty-eight hours in some +trenches we had dug on top of a hill close to +the village, simulating actual conditions as well +as we could. At the same time a battalion of +each of the other three infantry regiments were +similarly instructed. The orders were so well +worked out that we were convinced at once<span class="pagenum">[83]</span> +that we were to go in the near future to the +front. Everyone was in a high state of excitement, +and very happy that we were at last +to see action.</p> + +<p>The hilltop where we were to stay was +covered by the remains of an old Roman +camp, commanding the two forks of the +stream. We marched up the following day +over the remains of the old Roman road, and +passed our last short period training to meet +the barbarians of the north, where Cæsar's +legions, nearly two thousand years ago, trained +for the same purpose. Many features were +lacking from the trenches on the hill, such as +dugouts, for example, but we felt we could +get along without them, and everything went +happily and serenely the first day.</p> + +<p>We had the rolling kitchens and hospitals +placed on the reverse slope in the woods. +Carrying parties brought the chow along a +trench traced with white tape to the troops, +and they ate it without leaving their positions. +During the evening, however, "sunny +France" had a relapse, and a terrific rain<span class="pagenum">[84]</span>storm +came on. It was bitterly cold, and a +high wind swept the hilltop. We were all +soaked to the skin.</p> + +<p>The men either huddled against the side +of a trench or stretched their ponchos from +parapet to parapet, and sat beneath them in +a foot-deep puddle of water. In making inspection +I passed by a number of them that +night who looked as if they were perfectly +willing to have the war end right then.</p> + +<p>The company in reserve was occupying the +territory around the old Roman wall. They +had dug some holes in it, and crawled into +them to keep as near dry as possible. Splendid +so far as it went, but nearly disastrous, +for a message reached me saying that a first +sergeant, the company commander, the second +in command and the company clerk had +all been buried by a cave-in. I ran back +to see about them and found that they had +been extricated, and looked like animated +mud-pies.</p> + +<p>One company commander during the middle +of the second day started his men digging<span class="pagenum">[85]</span> +trenches as deep as they could, so that at +night when the rain started again and the +cold wind blew up they would have some +place to stay. They dug vigorously all day, +but by night, when the rain came down in +torrents again, the trenches filled up like +bath-tubs, and they had to sit on the edge.</p> + +<p>After the maneuvers we received definite +orders that we were to go to the front. The +equipment was checked and verified, and everything +put in apple-pie order. The trucks +arrived; we got in and started, all of us feeling +that now at last we were to be real warriors. +All day long the truck train, stretching out +along the road, jolted forward in a cloud of +dust. Toward evening we began to pass +through the desolated area over which the +Hun had swept in 1914, and about five o'clock +we detrucked at a little town about fourteen +miles behind the lines.</p> + +<p>Here we stayed a couple of days, while +our reconnoitering details went forward and +familiarized themselves with the position. +On the evening of the second day the troops<span class="pagenum">[86]</span> +started forward. As usual, it was raining cats +and dogs, and our principal duty during the ten +days we spent in the sector was shoveling mud +the color and consistency of melted chocolate +ice cream from cave-ins which constantly occurred +in the trench system.</p> + +<p>We were all very green and very earnest. +The machine-gun company arrived, bringing +all its ammunition on the gun carts. The +guns were uncased and the carts sent to the +rear with ammunition still on them, leaving +the guns with hardly a round. Only about +five or ten shells were fired daily by the German +artillery against the portion of line we +occupied. One man was hit, our signal +officer, Lieutenant Hardon, his wound being +very slight. The adjutant, when this happened, +ran to tell me, and we both went down +and solemnly congratulated Hardon on having +the honor to be the first American officer hit +while serving with American troops.</p> + +<p>A number of ambitious members of the intelligence +group sniped busily at the German +trenches. These were about a mile away, and +though they reported heavy casualties among +the enemy, I believe that the wish was father +to the thought.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p86" id="p86"></a> +<a href="images/i_125f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_125t.jpg" alt="i_125" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">THE SIGNAL CORPS AT WORK<br /> +Drawn by Captain Harry E. Townsend, A. E. F. +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[87]</span>The French were on our right, and we had +some very funny times with them. One +officer of mine was coming in after inspecting +the wire and ran into one of their sentries.</p> + +<p>"Qui est la?" called the sentry.</p> + +<p>My officer then gave in his best American +what he had been told was the French password. +This was incomprehensible to the +Frenchman, who immediately replied by firing +his rifle at him. The officer jumped up and +down and gave the password again. <span class="smcap">Blam</span> +went the Frenchman's rifle the second time. +Nothing but the fact that the Frenchman +regarded the rifle more as a lead squirt rather +than a weapon of accuracy prevented him +from being hit. The officer eventually got +through by shouting repeatedly at the top +of his voice, "Vive les Américains!"</p> + +<p>At the end of the ten days we were relieved +and hiked back veteran troops, as we thought, +to the training area. Our medical depart<span class="pagenum">[88]</span>ment, +not the department with the troops, +but our higher medical department, which +dealt with papers rather than facts, sent at +this time a letter which I would give a lot to +have now simply as a humorous document. +It was headed "General Order ——." It had +at the top as subject—"Pediculi." Pediculi is +the polite medical name for lice. We were +instructed in the body that immediately on +leaving the trenches all men were to be +inspected completely by the medical officer +before they were allowed to go to their billets. +This involved the inspection by the medical +officer of some one thousand men. It furthermore +necessitated the inspection of these one +thousand men between two and five in the +morning, in the dark. The order went on to +say that where pediculi were present all clothes +were to be confiscated, finishing with the brief +and bland statement that thereupon new +clothes were to be furnished throughout. +This to us, who had not had new clothes since +we reached France, to whom every garment +was a valuable possession that could not be<span class="pagenum">[89]</span> +replaced! However, we have no doubt that +the medical officer felt that he had done something +splendid, and what is more, his paper +record was perfect in that, although what he +demanded was impossible, he had put it on +paper, and, therefore, someone else was to +blame for not carrying it out.</p> + +<p>Our first Christmas in France was spent in +the usual little French village. The men had +raised a fund to be used for the purpose of +giving a Christmas tree to the refugee children +living in the vicinity, as well as the native +children. It was the first Christmas tree that +the village had seen and excitement was +intense. The festivities were held in a mess +shack, and to them came nearly the entire +population, though I gave instructions to be +sure that the children were taken care of before +the "grown-ups." The enlisted men ran the +festivities themselves.</p> + +<p>Flickering candle-light cast shadows over +Christmas greens and mistletoe and the +rough boards of the shack. A buzzing mass +of French children and adults crowded around<span class="pagenum">[90]</span> +the tree, and lean, weather-beaten American +sergeants gave out the presents. There were +the usual horns and crackers, and in a few +minutes pandemonium had broken loose. +The curé was there, and the mayor, dressed +in an antediluvian frock coat and top hat. +These two, at a given signal, succeeded in +partially stilling the tumult by making an +equal noise themselves, and a little girl and +boy appeared with a large bouquet for me. +First they made a little speech in French, +looking as cunning as possible. Each time +they said "Mon Commandant" they made a +funny little bow. After giving me the bouquet +the little girl kissed me. Then the mayor +spoke. Warned by the little girl's action, I +fended him off with the bouquet when he +showed a tendency to become affectionate. +I then answered in my best French, which +I alone understood, and the festivities +finished.</p> + +<p>Later in the evening the men gave a show, +which they had arranged themselves. It was +really very good. Sergeant Frank Ross was<span class="pagenum">[91]</span> +principally responsible, ably assisted by Privates +Cooper, Neary, and Smith. The humor +was local soldier humor and absolutely clean. +For instance, the men always march with +their extra pair of shoes strapped on the outside +of the pack. One man on the stage would +say to the other: "Say, Buddy, I call my pack +my little O. D. baby. It wears shoes the +same size as mine, and I can't get the son of a +gun to walk a step."</p> + +<p>During the play the sergeant of the guard +came in to me and said, "Sir, there has been +a little disturbance. Sergeant Withis of B +Company says C Company men have been +picking on him; but, sir, there are three C +Company men at the infirmary and Withis +is all right."</p> + +<p>The day, however, on the whole, was a success +and it speaks well for the men, for of all +the Christmas dinner that our papers talked +so much about, practically nothing but a few +nuts and raisins reached us.</p> + +<p>One old regular sergeant of C Company, +Baird by name, discovered at this time a<span class="pagenum">[92]</span> +novel use for the gas mask. The old fellow +had been in service for many years, and +though a fine and gallant soldier, he was long +past his prime physically. He always reminded +me of Kipling's description of Akela +the gray wolf, when he says that "Akela was +very old and gray, and he walked as though he +were made of wood." Baird was a great man +on paper work, and believed in having his +company files in tiptop shape. Facilities were +a little poor. One bitter day he tried to make +some reports. First he tried in the barn, +where his hands became so cold he couldn't +write. Then he tried in the kitchen, and his +eyes got so full of smoke he couldn't see. At +last we found him sitting in the kitchen with +his gas mask on making his reports, writing in +comfort.</p> + +<p>We were joined at this time by Major Atkins +of the Salvation Army, an exceptionally fine +character. He stayed with us during most of +the time we were in Europe. He was courageous +under fire, felt that where the men went +he wished to go, and was a splendid influence<span class="pagenum">[93]</span> +with them. Whatever he could do he always +did with a whole heart.</p> + +<p>Before the war I felt that the Salvation +Army was composed of a well-meaning lot of +cranks. Now what help I can give them is +theirs. My feelings are well illustrated by a +conversation I overheard between two soldiers. +One said, "Say, Bill, before this war I used +to think it good fun to kid the Salvation +Army. Now I'll bust any feller on the bean +with a brick if I see him botherin' them."</p> + +<p>Early in January we were told that replacements +were arriving to bring up our companies +to 250 in strength. When the men arrived we +planned to be there on time to get our fair +share. Two old sergeants, Studal and Shultz, +went down and helped pick the recruits, working +from detachment to detachment trying to +shift the best material into our detail. The +men were, on the whole, a fine lot, but their +knowledge of military matters was absolutely +nil. A large percentage had never shot any +firearms, and still a larger percentage had +never shot the service rifle. One man turned<span class="pagenum">[94]</span> +up with a service record on which was nothing +except "Mennonite, objects to bearing arms." +Incidentally he made an excellent soldier, and +was killed while fighting gallantly near Montdidier. +Another man had partial paralysis of +one side. When the medical officer asked +him if he had been examined before he said, +"No, sir; just drafted." Still another had an +arm so stiffened that he could hardly bend his +elbow. When the medical officer tried to +send him to the rear he protested. We let +him stay. He became an automatic rifle +gunner, and was later killed.</p> + +<p>One westerner, from Montana I believe, +called Blalock, finished the war as first sergeant +in Company D, after a very distinguished +record. Another young fellow, Aug +by name, was a real estate man from Sacramento. +I noticed him first when he was +detailed as my orderly. Later he was cited +for gallantry twice, and eventually sent to the +officers' school, where he got a commission, +and asked to be returned to the fighting troops. +He fell in action just before the armistice.<span class="pagenum">[95]</span> +Private "Bill" Margeas was a Greek who +came with this lot. He was shot through the +chest at Montdidier, and later ran away from +the hospital and got back before Soissons. +He came in to report to me. I had been near +him when he had been hit before.</p> + +<p>"Margeas," I said, "you're in no shape +to carry a pack."</p> + +<p>"No, sir," said he, "but I can carry a rifle +all right."</p> + +<p>He was killed later in the Argonne.</p> + +<p>Two Chinamen, Young and Chew, drafted +from San Francisco, were also in this lot. +They were with my headquarters all during +the war.</p> + +<p>These replacements had absolutely no conception +of military etiquette. They wanted +to do what was right, but they didn't know +anything. When one man from a western +National Guard regiment—incidentally he was +a German by birth—came up to me with a +message from his company commander, he +would always begin with, "Say." One time I +asked him when he was born and he told<span class="pagenum">[96]</span> +me in 1848, which impressed me as being a +slight overstatement. Subsequent investigation +proved that 1878 was the year. Incidentally +he fought very gallantly, and was +fortunate enough to get through the war, +being with the regiment when I left it in +Germany.</p> + +<p>One huge fellow called Swanson, from North +Dakota, turned up. Swanson was a fine +soldier in every way, but the government had +not figured on a man of Swanson's size. Never +when he was in my command were we able to +get a blouse to fit him. He turned out on +parade, went to the trenches, and appeared on +all other occasions in a ragged brown sweater.</p> + +<p>Some of the men we got could not speak +English. One squad in particular we had +to form in such a fashion that the corporal +could act as interpreter. Once turning around +a corner I came upon a group of four or five +soldiers. All of them except one saluted +properly. He merely grinned in a good-natured, +friendly fashion. I started to read +him the riot act, asking why he thought he<span class="pagenum">[97]</span> +was different from the rest of the men, what +he meant by it, did he put himself in a class by +himself, and so forth. About half way through +one of the other men interrupted me.</p> + +<p>"Sir," he said, "that guy there he don't +understand English." We found someone +who could speak his language, had the matter +explained to him, and found it was simply that +he did not understand. He wanted to do +what was right and he wanted to play the +game.</p> + +<p>These replacements had very long hair and +looked very shabby. One of the first things +we did was to have their hair cut. There +are many reasons why troops should keep +their hair cut. It looks neater for one thing, +but, far more important, it is sanitary, and +where baths are few and far between short hair +makes a great difference. Each company has +a barber. Therefore the excitement was at +fever pitch once in Company B when Loreno, +its barber, deserted and got to Italy, +taking with him the barber tools. As a result +they used mule clippers for some time.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[98]</span>The men took great pride in the good name +of their organization. One man, who afterward +proved himself an excellent soldier and +a good American, came to us through the +draft with no idea of loyalty to the flag, and +with no real feeling for the country of any sort. +He tried to desert twice, but we caught him +both times, although on the last occasion he +got as far as Marseilles. During the trial, +while the court was sitting, he became frightened +and broke away from the sentry who had +him in charge. The alarm sounded for the +guard, which immediately started out through +the dark and rain on the jump. Then, without +any orders, the escaped prisoner's own +company turned out to help them, not because +they had to, but because they felt he was +hurting their company record.</p> + +<p>"What is it, Bill?" I heard one man call.</p> + +<p>"Aw, it's that guy Blank who's been giving +Company B a black eye. He's beat it again, +and we're going out to get him."</p> + +<p>About this time we were issued gas masks +for the first time, thus furnishing us with<span class="pagenum">[99]</span> +another weapon, or means, of warfare about +which we knew nothing. There was a small, +active individual with glasses from general +headquarters who was supposed to be our +instructor. He used to give us long lectures +on gas, in which he told us when gas had +first been used in the past (I believe by the +Greeks), how it had been employed in the +beginning of the war, what gases had been +used, and what their chemical components +were. He told us at great length how to +protect ourselves against the gas cloud, and +then informed us that cloud gas was not used +any longer. Later he took up the deadly effects +of mustard gas, and how we must immediately +put on the gas masks when gas was +evident.</p> + +<p>Toward the end of the lecture a deeply +interested officer asked him how one could +detect gas when it was present in dangerous +quantities. He didn't know; so we left the +lecture with full information as to obsolete +methods of using gas, with full information as +to its chemical components and effects, but<span class="pagenum">[100]</span> +with no information as to how to detect it +when it was present in dangerous quantities.</p> + +<p>To try to put interest in the work and +make it less hard on the men, we organized +competitions in everything—competitions for +the best platoon billet, competitions for the +best platoon in close order drill, bayonet, etc. +The prizes were almost negligible. Sometimes +it would simply be that the victorious platoon +was excused from some formation, but the +men took to it like a duck to water.</p> + +<p>The officers became fully as keen as the men. +I never shall forget the company commanders +who, together with myself, formed the judges. +They would always start off by saying in an +airy manner it was for the good of the entire +organization, and that they personally did not +care whether their company won or not, provided +the battalion was benefited. As soon +as the contest was under way, however, all +was different, and it generally narrowed down +to my doing all the judging. They would +come up and protest the standing in competitions +in the official bulletin for all the world<span class="pagenum">[101]</span> +as if they were managers of a big league baseball +team.</p> + +<p>About this time we organized a drum and +bugle corps. This corps got so it could +render very loudly and very badly a number +of French and American tunes. We used +it on all our long marches and maneuvers. +We used it for reveille in the morning, +for retreat in the evening, for close-order +drill and all ceremonies. The men got so +they thought a good deal of it, and frequently +when marching through towns the +troops would call out, "How about that +band?" The doughboy likes to show off. I +know, myself, that I always got a thrill of +conscious pride going through a town, the +troops marching at attention, colors flying, +bugles playing, drums beating, and the women +and children standing on the streets and +shouting.</p> + +<p>We had, in addition to this early training, +long days spent in maneuvers. I disapproved +heartily of these maneuvers at the time, looking +at them from the point of view of bat<span class="pagenum">[102]</span>talion +commander, who feels that any attempt +on the part of the higher command +to have maneuvers on a large scale is wasting +valuable time that might be employed by +him to better advantage. I am sure now +that General Fiske, the head of the American +training section, was right when he prescribed +them and that the maneuvers contributed +greatly to the ability of the First +Division to keep in contact when it struck +the line. The necessity for them, of course, +was based on the fact that, great as was the +ignorance of our junior officers, it was comparatively +far less than the ignorance of our +higher command and staff. These maneuvers +were bitter work for the soldiers who would +be out all day, insufficiently clad and insufficiently +fed. Often a bloody trail was left +in the snow by the men who at this time had +virtually no boots. We used to call it Indian +warfare and say we were chasing the last of +the Mohicans over the Ligny sector.</p> + +<p>About this time we began to work into +some complicated trench maneuvers. These<span class="pagenum">[103]</span> +were the ones the men liked. They threw +hand grenades, fired trench mortars, and had +a general Fourth of July celebration.</p> + +<p>Once we had a maneuver of this kind +before General Pershing. The company officers +were lined up and afterward were asked +their opinion as to how the men had conducted +themselves. The first one to answer +was a game little fellow named Wortley from +Los Angeles, who was afterward killed. He +said that he thought everything went off very +well and he didn't think he had anything to +criticize. The next lieutenant said that he +thought that a few men of his company had +got a little mixed up. This was a cheerful +point of view for him to have, for, as a matter +of fact, two thirds of his company had +gone astray. His company had been selected +to deliver a flank attack over the top, +but when this took place it consisted of one +lieutenant and two privates. The mistake, +however, was never noticed.</p> + +<p>Indeed, the generals and suchlike who come +to maneuvers can rarely criticize the efforts of<span class="pagenum">[104]</span> +the company and field officers, as they are not +conversant with the handling of small units. +Their presence at maneuvers is largely a +question of morale. I remember during an +exercise a higher officer, a very fine man to +whom I afterward became devoted turned +to me and said: "Have a trench raid."</p> + +<p>"When, sir?" I asked.</p> + +<p>"Immediately."</p> + +<p>Now, any junior officer knows that a trench +raid cannot be staged the way you can fire a +rocket. It has to be thought out in every +detail and all concerned have to be familiarized +with all phases of the plan in so far as it is +possible. I got two very good lieutenants +and, hastily outlining the situation, told them +to go ahead. They made their plans in five +minutes. I got some hand grenades for them +and they gave a lively imitation. The trenches +they raided did not exist, but were simply +marked by tape on the ground. They did +very well considering the circumstances, but +the higher officer remarked to the assembled +officers on its completion that he didn't know<span class="pagenum">[105]</span> +anything about raids, but this one did not +appeal to him. It took all concerned quite +a while to get over their feeling about this +criticism.</p> + +<p>During this period we heard of Bangler +torpedoes. These torpedoes are long sections +of tin tubing loaded with high explosive and +are used for tearing up the enemy wire in +order that the raiding party may get through +into the trenches. Nothing of the kind was +to be had from our people, but we obtained +permission to send someone to try to get one +from the various French ammunition dumps +near by. Lieutenant Ridgely, my adjutant, +went. He turned up after a hectic day with +some long sections of stovepipe and a number +of little tin cases. He explained that he had +been unable to get the torpedoes, but that he +had got some stovepipe and some very deadly +explosive and perhaps we could make one.</p> + +<p>The next day we set out to follow his plan +and two afternoons later completed our experiment, +and gave an exhibition before the +<span class="pagenum">[106]</span>assembled officers of the brigade. The raiding +party were picked men, whom I considered +among the best in the battalion. They all +crawled out through the assumed "No Man's +Land," holding on to one another's heels +and endeavoring to look just as businesslike +as possible. Their faces were blackened and +they carried trench knives and hand grenades. +The party which was to set off the torpedo +lighted it, poked it under the wire, then leaped +up and dashed through the gap in the wire to the +trenches where the enemy were supposed to be. +On account of the amateur workmanship, only +a part of the charge went off, and I never shall +forget my horror when I saw the party of my +picked men galloping gallantly through the +gap over this smoking, unexploded charge. I +had visions of having to reorganize the battalion +the next day. Fortunately the charge did +not go off and all worked out well.</p> + +<p>Later we started a good deal of work at +night, realizing how difficult it was for men +to find their way and how necessary it was +for them to get used to working in the dark. +This training the men enjoyed. It was all<span class="pagenum">[107]</span>in the nature of a competition. Reconnaissance +patrols would be started out to see +how near they could approach to the dummy +trenches without detection. In the dummy +trenches other groups, with flares, etc., would +keep a strict watch. Combat patrols would +go out two at a time, each looking for the +other. I recall one night when two patrols +ran into one another suddenly. One of the +privates was so overcome with zeal when +he saw the supposed enemy that he made as +pretty a lunge with his bayonet as I have ever +seen and stabbed through both cheeks of the +man opposite him.</p> + +<p>During the entire time we were in France +we trained much along the lines indicated in +the previous paragraphs, except that as we became +veterans we naturally became more conversant +with the correct methods of instruction. +For trained troops who are leaving the line +it is my opinion that two points should be +stressed above the rest—one is close-order +drill and the other rifle practice. In the First +Battalion we were particularly fortunate in +this period in having with us Captain Amel +<span class="pagenum">[108]</span>Frey and Lieutenants Freml and Gillian, all +three of whom had served as N.C.O.'s in the +regular Army. They understood close-order +work, the service rifle, and the handling of men, +and to them a large part of the early training +is ascribable.</p> + +<p>The next point in the line to which we +went was the Toul sector. This was much +more lively than Arracourt, and here we +had our first real taste of war. No Man's +Land was not more than fifty to one hundred +yards in width at many places. The +whole terrain had been occupied for three +years, and, as there had been many slight +changes of position, abandoned trenches, filled +half full of mud and wire, ran everywhere. +Originally the front had been held with a +large number of troops, but when we took +it over, these had been reduced to such an +extent that now one company would hold a +kilometer in width. The line of support was +furthermore about one kilometer in the rear. +It was winter and snow and sleet and mud +formed an ever-present trio. As always in<span class="pagenum">[109]</span> +trench warfare, the night was the time of +activity. During the day everything was +quiet; in walking through the trenches all +one would meet was an occasional sentry.</p> + +<p>This night work was hard on the new +men, for it is easy to see things at night +even if you are an old soldier. If you are +a recruit, you just can't help seeing them.</p> + +<p>"Well, Major, it's like this," was the way +Sergeant Rose, an old-timer, put it to me +when I was speaking to him in the front-line +trenches one night. "I'm an old soldier, +but when I stand and look out over this +trench long enough, the first thing I know, +those posts with the wire attached to them +begin to do squads right and squads left, and +if I ain't careful, I have to shoot them to +keep them from charging this trench."</p> + +<p>Private Jones would imagine he saw a +German patrol approaching him, fire all his +hand grenades at them, and send in a report +to the effect that he had repulsed a raid and +that there were three or four dead Germans +lying in front of his part of the line. In<span class="pagenum">[110]</span>vestigation +would prove that an old stump or a +sandbag had received all his attention.</p> + +<p>The division had fairly heavy casualties in +this sector. The Germans staged a couple +of raids. Also there were heavy artillery +actions very frequently. Generally these +would start around three o'clock in the morning. +First would come the preliminary strafing. +During it the higher command would +call up and ask what was going on, to which +you replied N. T. R.—(nothing to report). +Then the shelling would commence in earnest +and all connections would go out at once. +From then on, runners were the only method +of communication until everything was over. +One could never be sure that each strafing +was not the preliminary to an assault. Strafing +like this was very picturesque. Generally +I got into position where I could see as +much of the front as I could. It is possible to +guess by the intensity of shelling just what is +getting ready, while hand grenades and rifle +fire mean that an attack is taking place. First +a few flashes can be seen, which increase until<span class="pagenum">[111]</span> +on all sides you see the bursts of the shrapnel +and the noise becomes deafening. Then it +gradually dies away and a thick acrid cloud of +smoke lies over everything.</p> + +<p>During one of these actions a runner came +in to report that the captain of the right +flank company had been severely hit. The +second in command had not, in my opinion, +had quite enough experience, so I sent my +scout officer back with the runner to take +command. They got to a bit of trench where +shells were falling thick.</p> + +<p>"Lieutenant, you wait here while I see +if we can get through," said the runner to +the officer.</p> + +<p>"Why should you go rather than me?" +asked the lieutenant.</p> + +<p>"Well," came the reply, "you see you are +going to command the company. I'm just a +runner. They can get lots more of me."</p> + +<p>A very good sergeant of mine, Ross by +name, had his hand blown off in this sector.</p> + +<p>He was making a reconnaissance with a +view to a patrol, when a German trench <span class="pagenum">[112]</span>mortar +shell that had been imbedded in the parapet +went off under his hand. As he passed me +he simply said: "Major, I am awfully sorry +to leave you this early before the real game +begins."</p> + +<p>Here we captured our first German prisoner. +I doubt whether any German will ever be as +precious to any of us as this man was. We +had patrolled quite a good deal, but the Germans +had either stopped patrolling in the +sector in front of us or we were unfortunate +in not running into any of them. We felt at +last that the only way to get a prisoner was to +go over to the German trenches and pull one +out.</p> + +<p>One night Lieutenant Christian Holmes, Sergeants +Murphy, McCormack, Samari (born +in southern Italy), and Leonard, who was +called Scotty and who spoke with a pronounced +Irish brogue, were designated to raid a listening +post. They crawled on their bellies across +No Man's Land, got through the maze of wire, +and ran right on top of a German listening +post. A prisoner was what they wanted, so +<span class="pagenum">[113]</span>Lieutenant Holmes, who was leading the party, +leaped upon one of the two Germans and locked +him in a tight embrace. The German's +partner thereupon endeavored to bayonet +Lieutenant Holmes, who was struggling in +two feet of water with his captive, but was +prevented by a timely thrust from Sergeant +Murphy's bayonet. They seized the German, +who was shrieking "Kamerad" at the top of +his lungs, and dragged him back across No +Man's Land at the double.</p> + +<p>When they came in with him we were +as pleased as Punch. Indeed, we hardly +wanted to let him go to the rear, as we had +a distinct feeling more or less that we wanted +to keep him to look at. He was a young, +scrawny fellow, and gave us much information +concerning the troops opposite us. Lieutenant +Holmes and Sergeant Murphy received the +Distinguished Service Cross for this work; and +well deserved it, for they showed the way and +did a really hard job. Holmes told me afterward +that they had all agreed that they would +not come back until they had got their <span class="pagenum">[114]</span>prisoner. +They had decided that if they did not find him +in the first front-line trenches they would go +back as far as necessary, but they were going +to find him or not come back.</p> + +<p>We began here also for the first time to +play with that most elusive of all military +amusements, the code. In order that the +Germans, in listening in on our telephone +conversations, might not know what we were +about, everything was put in code or cipher. +The high command issued to us the Napoleon +code. The Napoleon code is written entirely +in French. Only a few of us could read French, +with the result that only a few could send +messages. General Hines, then colonel of the +Sixteenth Infantry, realized that this was a +poor idea, so he made up a code of his own. +This code went by the name of the Cauliflower +Code, and the commanding officer, his adjutant, +etc., in every place were given distinctive +names.</p> + +<p>Conversation ran something like this—"Hello, +hello, I want Hannibal. Hannibal +is not there? Give me Brains. Brains,<span class="pagenum">[115]</span> this +is the King of Essex talking. Sunflower. +No balloons, tomatoes, asparagus. No, No. +I said <i>no</i> balloons! Oh, damn. My kitchens +haven't come. Have them sent up."</p> + +<p>When we received rush orders to leave +this sector, I tried to mobilize my wagon +truck by telephone. The supply officers all +went by the name of Sarah in the code. I +would start off, "Hello, hello. This is the +King of Essex talking. I want little Sarah. +Little Sarah Van." Lieutenant Van, my supply +officer, would reply from the other side, +"Hello, hello, is this the King of Essex talking?" +"It is." "Well, Major Roosevelt," +then the connection would be cut. After much +labor I got him again. I had just begun, +"Balloons, radishes, carrots" when we were +cut off again. The next time we got the +connection we said what we had to say in +plain English and quickly.</p> + +<p>One evening just after we had arrived in +the front-line trenches, after a rest in the +support position, the telephone buzzed. The +adjutant leaped to it. "Yes, this is Blank.<span class="pagenum">[116]</span> +What is it? Yes, yes. The Napoleon code." +And then for some thirty minutes, during +which time the trench telephone ceased to +work, was cut off, or simply went dead, the +Adjutant took down a long string of numbers. +At the end of that period he had a sheet of +paper in front of him which looked for all +the world like the financial statement of a +large bank. He rushed to our portfolio +where the sector papers were kept, yanked +them out, ran over them in a hurry, and +then turned to me with a blank look of grief: +"Sorry, sir, we have left the code behind." +We thought for a moment, then called back +the sender, and said, "Sir, we have forgotten +our code." He remarked blithely from the +other end, "If the message had been an +important one, I would not have sent it in +code. I'll give it to you when I see you to-night."</p> + +<p>Our first real experience with gas came +in this sector. As I said before, we had been +taught how to put on and take off our gas +masks, how gas was used by the ancients, +<span class="pagenum">[117]</span>what methods had been used and abandoned +in the present war, what the chemical components +were, what the effects were, but not +how to detect it when it was present in dangerous +quantities. The result was that everyone +was thoroughly apprehensive of gas and +afraid he would not be able to detect it. +We had all sorts of nice little appliances in +the trenches to give the alarm. They consisted +of bells, gongs, Klaxon horns, and beautiful +rockets that burst in a green flare. A nervous +sentry would be pacing to and fro. It +would be wet and lonely and he would think +of what unpleasant things he had been told +happened to the men who were gassed. A +shell would burst near him. "By George, that +smells queer," he would think. He would +sniff again. "No question about it, that must +be gas!" and blam! would go the gas alarm. +Then from one end of the line to the other +gongs and horns would sound and green rockets +would streak across the sky and platoon +after platoon would wearily encase itself in gas +masks. One night I stood in the reserve<span class="pagenum">[118]</span> +position and watched a celebration of this +sort. It looked and sounded like a witches' +sabbath.</p> + +<p>After a certain amount of this we worked +into a practical knowledge of gas. We found +that there were only two methods of attack +we had to fear: one was by cylinders thrown +by projectors, and the other by gas shelling +by the enemy artillery. With the former, +an attack was often detected before it took +place by our intelligence, and it was possible +to tell by a flare that showed up along the +horizon on the discharge of the projectors +when the attack commenced. With the latter, +after a little practice, it was perfectly simple +to tell a gas shell from a H. E. shell, as it made +a sound like a dud. The difficulty with both +types of attack was not so much in getting the +gas masks on in time, as there was always +plenty of time for that, but rather in holding +heavily gassed areas, where burns and +trouble of all sorts were almost impossible to +avoid.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[119]</span>It was in this Toul sector on March 11th +that my brother Archie was severely wounded. +The Huns were strafing heavily and an attack +by them was expected. He was redisposing +his men when he was hit by a shell and badly +wounded both in the left arm and left leg. +Major A. W. Kenner, M. C., and Sergeant +Hood were shelled by the Germans while they +were moving out the wounded, among them +my brother, when, because of the stretchers +they were carrying, they had to walk over the +top and not through some bad bits of trench. +To Major A. W. Kenner, M. C., and Captain +E. D. Morgan, M. R. C., is due great credit, +not only in this operation, but in all the work +to come. They never shrank from danger or +hardship and their actions were at all times +an inspiration to those around them.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[120]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-VII" id="CHAPTER-VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<p class="h3">MONTDIDIER</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:31em"> +<p> +"And horror is not from terrible things—men torn to rags by a shell,<br /> +And the whole trench swimming in blood and slush, like a Butcher's shop in Hell;<br /> +It's silence and night and the smell of the dead that shake a man to the soul,<br /> +From Misery Farm to Dead Man's Death on a nil report patrol." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Knight-Adkin. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>BY</b> the end of March we were veteran troops.</p> + +<p>All during the latter part of the month +rumor had been rife about the proposed German +drive. After nearly four years of war, +Germany had crushed Russia, Rumania, Belgium, +Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania; had +dealt Italy a staggering blow, and was about +to assume the offensive in France. On March +28th the blow fell, the allied line staggered +and split, and the Germans poured through +the gap.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[121]</span>The news reached us, and at the same time +came orders to prepare for an immediate move. +At once the Twenty-sixth American Division +moved up in our rear, and with hardly any +time for reconnaissance they took over from +us. My battalion moved out and marched +twelve kilometers to the rear; the last units +checked in to where our trains were to meet us +at about 5 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span>, and by 6 <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> we were on the +march again to the vicinity of Toul, where the +division was concentrating.</p> + +<p>Here we were told that we were to be thrown +into the path of the German advance. By +this time all types of rumor were current. +We heard of the Englishman Cary's remarkable +feat, how he collected cooks, engineers, +labor troops from the retreating forces, formed +them into a fighting unit, and stood against +the German advance, and how his brigade +grew up over night. Cary, because of this +feat, became, from captain in the Q. M. C., +general of infantry. We heard of the thirty-six +hours during which all contact was lost +between the French left and the English<span class="pagenum">[122]</span> +right, when a French cavalry division was +brought in trucks from the rear of the line +and thrown into the gap, and on the morning +of the second day reported that they believed +they had established contact with the English.</p> + +<p>The next few days all was excitement. +We formed the men and gave out our first +decorations to Lieutenant Holmes and Sergeant +Murphy. At the same time we told +them all that we knew of our plans. They +were delighted. Men do not like sitting in +trenches day in and day out, and being killed +and mangled without ever seeing the enemy, +and this promised a fight where the enemy +would be in sight.</p> + +<p>We had a large, rough shack where we +were able to have all the officers of the battalion +for mess. Lieutenant Gustafson, an +Illinois boy, who had, in civilian life, been a +head waiter at summer hotels, managed the +mess. We had some good voices among the +officers, and every night after dinner there was +singing.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[123]</span>Our supply officer, meanwhile, was annexing +everything in sight for the battalion in +the most approved fashion. One time his +right-hand man, Sergeant Wheeler, passed by +some tethered mules which belonged to a +green regiment. He hopped off the ration +cart he was riding, caught them, and tied them +behind the cart. A mile down the road some +one came pounding after them.</p> + +<p>"Hey! Where are you going with those +mules?" Wheeler was equal to the occasion. +"Are them your mules? Well, what do you +mean by leaving them loose by the road? +I had to get out and catch them. I have a +good mind to report you to the M. P. for this." +Eventually Wheeler compromised by warning +the man, and giving one of the mules back +to him.</p> + +<p>Then the trains arrived. We had never +traveled on a regular military train before. +A military train is made up to carry a battalion +of infantry; box cars holding about forty +men or eight animals each, and flat cars +for wagons, kitchens, etc. We entrained +safely and got off all right, though we were +hurried at the last by a message saying the<span class="pagenum">[124]</span> +schedule given us was wrong, and our train +left one half hour earlier than indicated.</p> + +<p>We creaked off toward the southwest. We +didn't know where we were going, but by +this time we had all become philosophical +and self-sufficient and believed that if the +train dropped us somewhere far away from +the rest of the division, we would manage +to get along by ourselves without too much +trouble.</p> + +<p>After a day's travel we stopped at a little +station. The only thing that we had to +identify us was a long yellow ticket scratched +all over with minute directions, which none of +us could read. Here I was informed by a +French guard that this was the regulating +station and the American regulating officer +was waiting to see me. I hopped off the train +and ran back, finding Colonel Hjalmar Erickson, +who afterward became a very dear friend +of mine and later commanded the regiment. +He was busy trying to figure things out with<span class="pagenum">[125]</span> +the French <i>chef de la gare</i>, an effort complicated +by his inability to speak French.</p> + +<p>"My lord, Major, why aren't you the +Seventh Field Artillery?" was Colonel Erickson's +greeting.</p> + +<p>As he was giving me the plans and maps +I heard a whoop from the train outside. I +ran to the door and found that, for some reason, +best known to himself, the French engineer +had started up again and my battalion was +rapidly disappearing down the track. I +started on the dead run after them. Fortunately +some of the officers saw what +was happening, and by force of arms succeeded +in persuading the engineer to stop the +train.</p> + +<p>That night we detrained a couple of days' +march from Chaumont-en-Vexin, where division +headquarters were to be. We hiked +through a beautiful peaceful country, the most +lovely we had yet seen in France, billeting for +the night in a little town where a whole company +of mine slept in an old château. At +Chaumont we stayed for some few days,<span class="pagenum">[126]</span> +maneuvering while the division was being fully +assembled.</p> + +<p>From Chaumont we marched north for +four days to the Montdidier sector. I never +shall forget this march. Spring was on the +land, the trees were budding, wild flowers +covered the ground, the birds were singing. +Our dusty brown column wound up hill and +down, through patches of woods and little +villages. By us, all day, toward the south +streamed the French refugees from villages +threatened, or already taken, by the Hun. +Heavy home-made wagons trundled past, +drawn by every kind of animal, and piled high +with hay and farm produce, furniture, and odds +and ends of household belongings. Tramping +beside them or riding on them were women +and children, most of them dazed and with a +haunted look in their faces. Sometimes the +wagons would be halted and their occupants +squatted by the road, cooking a scanty meal +from what they had with them.</p> + +<p>To us in this country, thanks to Providence, +not to our own forethought or character, this<span class="pagenum">[127]</span> +description is only so many words. Unless +one has seen it, it is impossible to visualize +the battered village, the column of refugees +that starts at each great battle and streams +ceaselessly toward Paris and southern France, +the apple orchards and gardens torn beyond +recognition, the desolation and destruction +seemingly impossible of reparation.</p> + +<p>Nothing would have been better for our +countrymen and women than for each and +every one of them to have spent some time in +the war zone. When I think of men of the +type of Bryan and Ford, when I think of their +self-satisfied lives of ease, when I think of +what they did to permit disaster and death +to threaten this country, it makes me wonder +more than ever at the long-suffering kindness +of humanity which permits such as they still +to enjoy the benefits of citizenship in this +great land which they have so signally failed +to serve.</p> + +<p>When we took over the Montdidier sector +it was not, nor did it ever become, the type +found in the parts of the front where war<span class="pagenum">[128]</span>fare +had been going on without movement +for more than three years. Trenches were +shallow and scanty, and dugouts were almost +lacking. Indeed, from this time on, with one +exception, the division never held an established +sector. The line at Montdidier had +been established shortly after the break-through +by the Germans, by a French territorial +division which was marching north, +expecting to relieve some friendly troops in +front of it. They suddenly encountered, head +on, the German columns that were marching +south. Both sides deployed, went into position, +and dug in where they were. The First +Division took over from these troops.</p> + +<p>The first morning we were in the Montdidier +sector the Huns shelled us heavily. +Immediately after they raided a part of our +front line held by a platoon of D Company, +commanded by Lieutenant Dabney, a very +good fellow from Louisville, Ky. The Germans +were repulsed with loss. We suffered +no casualties ourselves except from the +German bombardment. The next evening<span class="pagenum">[129]</span> +we picked up the body of the German sergeant +commanding the party, whom we had +killed.</p> + +<p>We staged a very successful raid ourselves +at about this time. The raiding party +was composed of eighty-five men of D +Company, under the command of Lieutenant +Freml. The section of German trenches +selected as the objective of the operation +lay in a little wood about one hundred yards +from our front line. Our patrols had reported +that this part of the German line was particularly +heavily held. In the first light of the +half dawn the raiding party worked up into +position, passing by through the mist like +black shadows. At the agreed time our artillery +came down with both the heavies and the +75's, and the patch of woods was enveloped in +clouds of smoke through which the bursts of +the H. E. showed like flashes of lightning. In +ten minutes the guns lifted and formed a box +barrage, and the raiding party went over. +So rapid was the whole maneuver that the +German defensive barrage did not come down<span class="pagenum">[130]</span> +until after the raiding party had reached +the enemy trenches.</p> + +<p>The enemy trenches were found, as had been +expected, full of Germans. Most of them +were in dugouts or funk holes, and did not +make a severe resistance. "Come out of +there," the man in charge of the particular +detail for that part of the trench would call +down the dugout. If the Huns came out, they +were taken prisoner. If they did not, a couple +of incendiary grenades were thrown down the +dugout and our men moved on.</p> + +<p>We captured, in all, thirty-three prisoners, +of whom one was an officer, and probably +killed and wounded as many more. Our losses +were one killed and five slightly wounded. Unfortunately +the one man killed was Lieutenant +Freml, the raid leader, who fell in a hand-to-hand +combat. Freml was an old Regular +Army sergeant and had fought in the Philippine +Islands. After this war he was planning +to return and establish a chicken farm. He +always kept his head no matter what the +circumstances were and his solutions for situations +that arose were always practical. His +men were devoted to him and would follow +him anywhere.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p130" id="p130"></a> +<a href="images/i_171f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_171t.jpg" alt="i_171" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">A TRENCH RAID<br /> +Drawn by Captain George Harding, A. E. F., Montfaucon +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[131]</span>The men returned in high excitement and +fine spirits. This was the most successful +minor operation we had had so far. I was +with the raiding party when it jumped off +and then went to the point where they were +to check in as they got back. There were +four parties in all. As each returned with +its collection of prisoners, the first thing +that the officer or sergeant in command +asked was, "Sir, did any of the rest get any +more prisoners than we did?" When I told +one of them, Lieutenant Ridgely, that another +party had brought in two more prisoners +than he had, he wanted to go back at once and +get some more himself.</p> + +<p>A very gallant fellow, Bradley, my liaison +sergeant, asked and was granted permission +to go on the raid. He turned up at the +checking-in point driving three Germans in +front of him, his rifle over his shoulder, the +bayonet covered with blood and a German<span class="pagenum">[132]</span> +helmet hanging from the end. As he passed +I said, "Bradley, I see you have a new bonnet." +He turned to me with a beaming smile +and answered, "Why, Major, I heard that +Mrs. Roosevelt wanted a German helmet and +this was such a nice one that I stuck the man +who had it on." Poor Bradley was, I believe, +killed in the battle of Soissons, though I never +have been able to get positive information.</p> + +<p>A curious instance of the way a man will +carry one impression from an order in his mind +and one only was given by this raid. Before +the operation started I had given particular +instructions to the effect that I wanted prisoners +and papers. This is literally what the +party brought back, lots of prisoners and +papers of all sorts. They took the crews of +two machine guns but did not bring the guns +back—that was not included in the instructions. +The company which made this raid +was composed of raw recruits who had never +had even the most rudimentary kind of military +training until their arrival in Europe +some five months before this date. They<span class="pagenum">[133]</span> +were of all walks in life and all extractions. +Many did not even speak the English tongue +with ease.</p> + +<p>It was in this sector that the First Division +staged the first American attack when the +town of Cantigny was taken. The attack was +made by the Twenty-eighth Infantry. My +battalion, although not actually engaged in the +assault, was in support and took over the +extreme right of the line after the assault. It +also helped in repelling counter-attacks delivered +by the Germans and in consolidating the +position. Just preceding the Cantigny show +the Germans strafed and gassed very heavily +the positions held by us. I suspect that this +was due to a certain amount of additional +movement in the sector coincident with moving +the troops into position for the attack.</p> + +<p>After gassing us and strafing us heavily a +raid in considerable force was sent over by the +Germans. It was repulsed with heavy loss, +leaving a number of prisoners in our hands. +A Company took the brunt of this, the +platoon commanded by Lieutenant Andrews<span class="pagenum">[134]</span> +doing particularly well. Just after the repulse +of the German attack I was up watching the +right of the line, which was in trenches out +in the open. The German machine guns and +sharpshooters were very active. One of our +men was lying behind the parapet. He had +his helmet hooked on the end of his rifle and +kept shoving it over the top. The Germans +would fire at it. Then he would flag a miss for +them by waving it to and fro in the same way +the flag is waved for a miss when practice on +the rifle range is going on.</p> + +<p>Our own losses were due in large part to +the German artillery fire. In this operation +a number of our most gallant old-timers +were killed. Captain Frey, second in command +of the battalion, was shot twice through +the stomach while leading reënforcements to +his front line. When the stretcher bearers +carried him by me, he shook my hand, said +"good-by," and was carried away to the rear. +After they had moved him a short distance +he lifted himself up, saluted, said in a loud +voice, "Sergeant, dismiss the company," and<span class="pagenum">[135]</span> +died. Sergeant Dennis Sullivan, Sergeant +O'Rourke, and Sergeant McCormick, not +to mention many, many others, were killed +or received mortal wounds at this time.</p> + +<p>The Cantigny operation was a success. We +took and held the town, or rather the spot +where the town had been, for it would be an +exaggeration to say it was even a ruin. It +was literally beaten flat. This piece of land +had seen the German invaders for the last +time. We learned a valuable lesson also, +namely, not to make the disposition of the +men too thick. In this operation we did, and +this, and the fact that our objective was +necessarily limited in depth, caused us casualties, +as the enemy artillery was not reached +and opened on us before we had time to dig in +and consolidate the position we had taken.</p> + +<p>Not all our operations were necessarily as +successful as the ones I have mentioned above. +Raids were organized and drew blanks. At +times orders would reach us so late that it was +exceedingly difficult to attempt their execution +with much chance of success. For example,<span class="pagenum">[136]</span> +one night a message reached me that a prisoner +was wanted for identification purposes by +morning.</p> + +<p>As I recall, it happened as follows: The telephone +buzzed; I answered, and the message +came over the wire somewhat in this fashion: +"Hello, hello, is this Hannibal? Hannibal, +there is a friend we have back in the country +[the brigadier general] who is very fond of +radishes [prisoners]. He wants one for breakfast +to-morrow morning without fail." This +reached me at about ten or eleven o'clock. +The raid had to be executed before daylight. +In the meantime the plans had to be made, +the company commander notified, the raiding +party chosen, and all ranks instructed. +Add to this that everything had to be done +during the dark and you will see what a +difficult proposition it was.</p> + +<p>I got hold of the company commander, got +the men organized, telephoned to the artillery, +and asked for five minutes' preparation fire on +a certain point, joined the raiding party and +went forward with it. Then the first of a<span class="pagenum">[137]</span> +string of misfortunes happened. On account +of the hurry and the difficulty of transmission, +the artillery mistook the coördinate and +fired three hundred meters too short, with the +result that an effective bit of preparation fire +was wasted on my own raiding party. By the +time this preparatory firing upon our own +raiding party was over, the Germans naturally +understood that something was happening, +for why would we strafe our own front-line +trenches to no purpose? The result was +that when the raid went over, every machine +gun in the area was watching for them. They +got to the opposing wire, ran into cross-fire, +and, after various casualties, found it entirely +impossible to get by the enemy wire, and +worked their way back.</p> + +<p>As they were working back a senior sergeant, +Yarborough by name, was sitting in a shell +hole, machine-gun bullets singing by him, +checking his party as it came in. Lieutenant +Ridgely, who had been with the party, came +up to him. As he crawled along, Yarborough +said to him: "Lieutenant, this reminds me of<span class="pagenum">[138]</span> +a story. There was once a guy who decided to +commit suicide by hanging himself. Just +about the time he done a good job of it the +rope broke. He was sitting up on the floor +afterward when I came in, a-rubbing his neck, +and when he saw me, all he said was, 'Gee, but +that was dangerous.'"</p> + +<p>During this period the German Château-Thierry +drive was made, again scoring a clean +break-through. The Second Division, which +was coming up to our rear to relieve us, was +switched and thrown in front of the enemy. +Shortly after the Huns attacked toward the +town of Compiègne, in an endeavor to +straighten out the reëntrant in their lines +with its apex at Soissons. This latter attack +passed by on our right flank.</p> + +<p>We, of course, got little but rumor. In +the trenches you are only vitally concerned +with what happens on your immediate right +and left. What goes on ten kilometers away +you know little about, and generally are so +busy that you care less. "Sufficient unto the +day is the evil thereof," is a proverb that holds<span class="pagenum">[139]</span> +good in the line. In this last instance we +were more interested because we believed that +as a result of this attack the next point to +stand a hammering would be where we were +holding. Our policy, which held good through +the war, was developed and put into action at +this time. The orders were, all troops should +resist to the last on the ground on which they +stood. All movement should be from the +rear forward and not to the rear. Whenever +an element in the front line got in trouble, +the elements immediately in the rear would +counter-attack. This extended in depth back +until it reached the division reserve, which, as +our general put it, "would move up with him +in command, and after that, replacements +would be necessary."</p> + +<p>During the time when the Huns were making +their Château-Thierry drive, Blalock, +afterward sergeant of D Company, distinguished +himself by a rather remarkable +piece of marksmanship. Noticing a pigeon +fluttering over the trench, he drew his automatic +pistol and killed it on the wing. The<span class="pagenum">[140]</span>bird turned out to be a carrier pigeon loosed by +one of the attacking regiments the Germans +were using in their drive toward the Marne, +and carried a message giving its position as +twelve kilometers deeper in France than our +higher command realized. At the same time +it identified a division that we had not heard +of for three months, and indicated by the +fact that it was signed by a captain who +was commanding the regiment that the Germans +were finding it difficult to replace the +losses among their officers.</p> + +<p>Instances occurred constantly which showed +the spirit of both officers and men. A recruit, +arriving one night as a replacement, got there +just in time for a heavy strafing that the Germans +were delivering. A dud—that is a shell +that does not go off—went through the side of +the dugout and took both of his legs off above +the knees. These duds are very hot, and this +one cauterized the wounds and the man did not +bleed to death at once. The platoon leader, +seeing that something had gone wrong on the +right, went over to look and found the man +propped up against the side of the trench.<span class="pagenum">[141]</span> +When he arrived, Kraakmo, the private, +looked up at him and said, "Lieutenant, you +have lost a hell of a good soldier."</p> + +<p>Another time, when we were moving forward +to reënforce a threatened part of the +line, a sergeant called O'Rourke was hit and +badly wounded. As he fell I turned around +and said: "Well, O'Rourke, they've got you." +"They have sir," he answered, "but we have +had a damned good time."</p> + +<p>Sergeant Steidel of A Company was a +fine up-standing soldier and won the D. S. C. +and the Médaille Militaire. He used to stay +with me as my own personal bodyguard +when I was away for any reason from headquarters. +Steidel was afraid of nothing. He +was always willing and always clear-headed. +When I wanted a report of an exact situation, +Steidel was the man whom I could send to +get it. We used to have daylight patrols. +One day a patrol of green men went out to +obtain certain information. They were stampeded +by something and came back into +the part of the trench where Steidel was.<span class="pagenum">[142]</span> +He went out alone as an example to them, +and came back with the information.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Baxter, whom I have mentioned +before, and a private called Upton +patrolled across an almost impossible shell-beaten +area to establish connection with the +battalion on our left. They both went out +cheerfully, and both, by some streak of luck, +got back unhurt. Baxter, on returning, reported +to ask if there was any other duty of +a like nature that he could undertake right +away.</p> + +<p>One night, when we were shifting a company +from support to a position on our left +flank, a heavy bombardment came on. A +number of the men were killed and wounded +while moving up. One sergeant, by the name +of Nestowicz, born in Germany, was badly hit +and left for dead. I was standing in the +bushes on the side of the valley waiting for +reports when I saw this man moving unsteadily +toward me. I asked him what the matter +was, and he replied that he had been hit, his<span class="pagenum">[143]</span> +company had gone on and left him, and +he had come up to ask me where he could +find them. I said, "Hadn't you better go +to the first aid, sergeant?" He said, "No +sir, I am not hit that bad and I want to go +back to my company. It looks as if they'd +need me."</p> + +<p>Sergeant Dobbs, of B Company, badly +wounded by a hand grenade, wrote me a letter, +saying that he was well enough to come +back, but the doctors would not let him +come, and could not I do something about +it. I took a chance and wrote, telling the +medical authorities I would give him light +work if they let him come back to the outfit. +Dobbs turned up, was wounded again, and +the last I heard of him was a letter written +in late October, saying that he had never +had the opportunity to thank me for getting +him back. Mind you, getting him back +merely meant, in his case, giving him the +chance to get shot up again before he was +thoroughly cured of his first wound. He +finished by saying that he was in bad trouble<span class="pagenum">[144]</span> +now, as part of his nose had gone the last +time he was wounded and they would not +even keep him in France, but were sending +him back to the United States. His last line +was the hope that he would get well soon +so he could get back to the outfit.</p> + +<p>There was a young fellow called Fenessey +from Rochester, New York, in B Company. +He was being educated for the Catholic +priesthood. As soon as war was declared +he enlisted and came over with the regiment. +He did well and was a good man to have +around the command because of his earnestness +and humor. He was eventually made +corporal of an automatic-rifle squad. His +rifle was placed in the tip of a small patch of +wood guarding a little valley that ran back +toward the center of our position. These +valleys were important, as down them the +Germans generally delivered thrusts. The +Huns, one morning, strafed heavily our position. +Fenessey's automatic rifle was destroyed +and he was hard hit, his right arm torn off +and his right side mangled. Fenessey knew<span class="pagenum">[145]</span> +he was dying. The strafing stopped, the first-aid +men worked in, and Fenessey was carried +to the rear. They heard him mumble something, +listened carefully, and found he wished +to be taken to his company commander. +They carried him back to Lieutenant Holmes. +When he saw Lieutenant Holmes, he said: +"Sir, my automatic rifle has been destroyed. +I think the company commander should send +one up immediately to take its place." Fenessey +died ten minutes later.</p> + +<p>Quick promotion, unfortunately not in +rank, simply in responsibility, occurred all +the time. Of the four infantry company +commanders which had started, only one +was surviving when we left this sector. In +each case a lieutenant took command of the +company and did it in the finest shape possible. +Lieutenants Cathers and Jackson were +killed here at the head of their platoons, +and Lieutenants Smith and Gustafson died +from the effect of wounds. Lieutenant Freml, +who was killed in a raid, had numerous narrow +escapes.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[146]</span>I remember one time we were going together +over the top on a reconnoitering party preparatory +to redisposition of the troops. Freml +had as his personal orderly a very bright little +Jew from San Francisco—Drabkin by name, +who had kept a junk-shop. The little fellow +seemed to run true to former training, for he +always went around festooned with pistols, +"blinkers," notebooks, and everything conceivable. +A shell hit beside them, Freml being +between this man and the shell. Freml was +untouched, but the man was torn to pieces.</p> + +<p>One young fellow seemed, for a while, to +bear a sort of charmed life. Unfortunately +this did not last, and he was killed in the battle +of Soissons. He was very proud of the things +that had happened to him. One night, while +I was inspecting the front trenches, he said +to me, "Major, I have been buried by shells +twice to-day. The last time I only had one +arm sticking out so they could find me. All +the other men in the dugout have been killed +and I ain't even been scratched."</p> + +<p>It was here that Lieutenant Ridgely earned<span class="pagenum">[147]</span> +for himself the nickname of the idiot strategist, +which he went by for a long while in +the battalion. The Huns were putting up a +pretty lively demonstration on our left. A +message reached me that they were attacking. +I made my preparations to counter-attack, if +necessary, and sent runners to the various +units concerned to advise them of this plan. +The runner who was bringing the message to +Ridgely's platoon lost it in the shuffle. Runners +are made to repeat messages verbally to +take care of contingencies just like this. However, +this does not always work, and when +he got to Ridgely, the only message he could +remember was, "The Major orders you to +counter-attack, and help the troops on our +left."</p> + +<p>It seemed a pretty forlorn business to +counter-attack with one platoon, but neither +Ridgely nor the platoon considered this was +anything which really concerned them. They +hastily formed up and moved to the left. +They got over and found that the Germans +had been successfully repulsed and that they<span class="pagenum">[148]</span> +were among our own troops. The Captain in +charge of the company told Ridgely to go +back. Ridgely thought for a moment and +said, "No, my Major's orders were to counter-attack +to assist the troops on the left," and it +was only with difficulty that they persuaded +him that he must not stage a little private +adventure then and there against the German +lines.</p> + +<p>In this sector we experienced our most +severe gas attacks. It is a thoroughly unpleasant +thing to hear gas shells coming over in +quantity. Often an attack begins much as +follows: It draws toward morning; the digging +parties file back toward their positions. +Suddenly shelling begins to increase in volume. +Private Bill Smith notes a sort of a +warbling sound overhead and remarks to Private +Bill Jones, "Gee, Bill, they're gassing +us." Next, reports come in from various +sections that they are gassing Fontaine Woods, +Cantigny Woods, and the valley between. +You stand out on some point of vantage and +listen to the shells singing over and bursting.<span class="pagenum">[149]</span> +As day dawns you see a thick gray mist spreading +itself through the valley. The men have +slipped on their gas masks. The question +now is, what's up? Just meanness on the part +of the Huns, or is it part of some ulterior +design to straighten the salient and nip off +the two points of woods we are holding? +How heavy is the gassing to be? How quickly +will the wind carry it away? A thousand and +one other questions.</p> + +<p>You send your gas officer up to test. You +go up yourself and generally know as much as +the gas officer. Our general experience was +that the first gas casualties we had were the +gas officers. You decide that, as nothing +has developed up to this time, it is probable +that if any attack is planned by the Huns it is +not intended to take place this morning. You +get your men out of the heavily gassed areas +and try to determine where is the best place +for them to be well protected, to cover practically +the same territory, and not to be too +much exposed to the gas. By this time they +have been sweating in their gas masks for<span class="pagenum">[150]</span> +three hours or more with the usual number of +fools and accidents contributing to the casualties. +You carefully redispose them while a +desultory bombardment by the Germans adds +to the general joy of life. You get them redisposed. +The wind changes, the gas is carried +to the position where they are. You have +to change them again. To add to the general +complications, the chow which was brought +up last night is spoiled. It has been in the +gassed area and the men must go hungry +until the next evening. You come back to +your dugout and find that in some mysterious +way the gas has gone down into the dugout, +so you prop yourself in the corner of the +trench and carry on from there. Altogether +it is a happy and joyful occasion. Your +one consolation rests in the fact that your +artillery is now earnestly engaged in retaliating +on their infantry.</p> + +<p>Speaking of artillery, there is one thing +that always used to fill us, the infantry, with +woe and grief. A paper would come up, reading, +"Nothing to report on the (blank) sector<span class="pagenum">[151]</span> +except severe artillery duels." "Severe artillery +duels" to the uninitiated means that the +opposing artillery fights one with the other. +This, however, is not the custom. Your +artillery shells their infantry hard and then +their artillery shells your infantry hard. This +is an artillery duel. The infantry is on the +receiving end in both cases.</p> + +<p>Our artillery was particularly good. General +Summerall, who commanded, I have been +told, preached to his men that the primary +duty of that arm was to help the infantry, and +that to do this properly in all war of movement +they should follow the advancing troops +as closely as possible. Once I saw a battery of +the Seventh F. A. wheel up and go into action +not more than two hundred yards from the +front line. We, on our part, endeavored to call +uselessly on the artillery as little as possible.</p> + +<p>At times our own artillery would drop a few +"shorts" into us but this is unavoidable and +the infantry felt too strongly what had been +done for them to pay much attention.</p> + +<p>In one of the German dugouts we captured,<span class="pagenum">[152]</span> +a lieutenant told me he found a sign reading, +"We fear no one but God and our own +artillery."</p> + +<p>Sector matériel is something that always +adds interest to the life of the officers in +trench warfare. Sector matériel consists of +all varieties of articles, from tins of bully beef +and rusty grenades to quantities of grubby, +illegible orders and lists, and mangled maps. +These remain in the sector and are turned over +by each unit to the next succeeding. Theoretically +a careful inventory is made and each +individual article checked each time.</p> + +<p>Moreover, to keep the higher command +satisfied, there must be maps—legions of +maps. These maps do not have to be accurate. +Indeed, they cannot possibly be accurate, +but they must be beautifully marked +in red, blue, yellow, and green with a pretty +"legend" attached. The higher command +never knows if the maps are correct, but +they do know if they are not beautifully +marked. In each sector there must be, first, +a map indicating where all the trenches are.<span class="pagenum">[153]</span> +You, as commanding officer, are probably +the only person who knows and you are too +busy to put them down. Then there must +also be maps indicating work in progress. +Very generally they like a map to be turned +in every day showing what work has been +done during the night. How they expect +anyone to do this is beyond anyone who has +done it. Further, maps must show abandoned +trenches; still further, there must be +what is known to the high command as maps +indicating "alternate gas positions." "Alternate +gas positions" are impossible to indicate. +Everything depends on which way +the wind is blowing and what place is gassed. +But the higher command wants these maps +and it is simpler to placate them than to fight +with them. I had a fine artillery liaison officer, +called Chandler. He had had some training +in topography and he kindly agreed to take +over the map question. When a message +came up from the rear demanding a map +showing alternate gas position, he would get +out his stack of blue pencils and make, with<span class="pagenum">[154]</span> +exquisite care, the nicest and most symmetrical +blue lines. He would number them in black, arrange +a margin between, putting green marks +and yellow marks and red marks for other +units; fold them up and send them back. +It was quite simple for him. He did not have +to consult anyone, it wasn't necessary to reconnoiter +the ground; the map would go in with +the morning report and all would be happy.</p> + +<p>Another sport indulged in by the higher +command was to change the main line of +defense and re-allot the defense system of +the sector. To be really qualified to do this, +you should on no account have any knowledge +of the actual terrain. Indeed, I think +in all my experience I never received a defense +map from the higher command where the +individual making the map had been over the +ground. All that you do, if you are the higher +command, is to get a beautiful large scale map, +draw broad lines across it and then dotted +lines to indicate boundaries. For nearly a +month I defended a sector where the map was +entirely wrong. Two patches of woods were<span class="pagenum">[155]</span> +represented as in a valley, whereas they were +on a hill. This worried neither the higher +command nor me. The higher command did +not know that the map was wrong; they +had sent me their beautiful little plans. I +sent them equally beautiful ones without +debating the matter, and all were satisfied.</p> + +<p>I remember one general who commanded +the brigade of which I was a member. His +hobby was switch lines. A switch line is +simply a trench running approximately perpendicular +to the front, where a defensive +position can be taken up in case the enemy +breaks through on the right or left and whereby +you form a defensive flank. The old boy +would come up, solemn as a judge, and ask me +where my switch lines were to be put. With +equal solemnity I would explain to him. +After talking for a half an hour he would +ask confidentially, "Major, what is a switch +line?" With equal solemnity I would explain +to him and conversation would cease. Three +days thereafter we would go through the +same thing again. The old fellow had heard<span class="pagenum">[156]</span> +someone talking about a switch line once +and somehow felt that it counted a hundred +in game to have one.</p> + +<p>Another indoor sport of the high command +was a report for plans of defense. A +plan of defense consisted of maps and long +screeds indicating just where counter-attacks +were to be launched when parts of the front +line were taken by the enemy. They were +beautiful things, pages and pages long. They +were as gay in color as Joseph's proverbial coat, +and when things broke, circumstances were +always such that you did something entirely +different from any of the plans.</p> + +<p>Still another sport was patrol reports and +patrolling. The patrols were, according to +instructions, arranged for by the higher command +because the higher command knew +nothing and could know nothing of the particular +details that govern in any individual +section of the front. They would send down +to the battalion commander and demand +statements, for their revision, as to what his +patrols were to be for the night, when they<span class="pagenum">[157]</span> +were to go out, what they were to do, etc. +The battalion commander would send them +his patrol sheet and then by the above-mentioned +code they would endeavor to confer +with him and debate the advisability of certain +of his actions. Again experience taught the +way out. You agreed with everything they +said, and did what you originally intended. +Next day they would want a map indicating +exactly the points traversed by the patrol. +Knee-deep in water in a filthy dugout, your +adjutant or intelligence officer would make +them this map. The map, like most maps, +was for decorative purposes. No patrol wandering +in a pitch-black night in the rain, stumbling +on dead men, snarling itself in wire, lying +flat on its bellies when the Hun flares shot up, +could possibly tell exactly where it had gone. +This was, happily, not known to the higher +command, so they rested in blissful ignorance.</p> + +<p>I cannot leave the question of maps without +discussing the all-absorbing topic of coördinates. +A coördinate is a group of numbers +which indicate an exact point on the map.<span class="pagenum">[158]</span> +If you have firmly got the system in your head, +you can find the point accurately on the map. +Any man, however, who thinks he can go and +sit on a coördinate on the actual ground is +either a lunatic or belongs to the higher command. +Incidentally, in demanding reports of +patrols, alternate gas positions, etc., the order +usually, reads, "Battalion commander will +furnish reports with coördinates."</p> + +<p>When I was recovering from a wound in +my leg, I attended for two weeks our staff +college. This college was well conceived +and did excellent work, but nowhere were +more evident the grievous faults of our unpreparedness. +A good staff officer should have +had practical experience with troops. If he +has not had this experience he takes the thumb +rules too literally and does not realize that they +are simply rules to govern in general. We +had practically no officers with this experience. +The result was that the students, good fellows, +most of them men who had never been in +action, attached too much importance to the +figures and did not realize it was the theory<span class="pagenum">[159]</span> +that was important. Infantry, according to +staff problems, always marches four kilometers +an hour. March graphics are drawn with +columns which clear points, with three hundred +meters to spare between them and the head +of the next column after both columns have +marched ten kilometers to the point of junction. +No account is taken of the fact that +rarely, if ever, does infantry exceed in rate +of march three and one half kilometers under +the ordinary conditions prevailing in France, +and that bad weather, bad roads, etc., bring it +to three kilometers. What a commanding +officer of troops must bear in mind is not +simply getting his troops to a given point, +but getting them to that given point in such +shape that they are able to perform the +task set them when they arrive. Furthermore, +roads given on the map are accepted +with the sublime faith of a child. I remember +once having my regiment on the march +for twelve hours because the trail on which +we had all been ordered to proceed necessitated +the men going single file, and the infantry<span class="pagenum">[160]</span> +of a division single file stretches out +indefinitely.</p> + +<p>Our troops had now begun to arrive in +France in large numbers. It was more than +a year after the commencement of the war +before this was effected. The inability of +our national administration to bring itself +to the point where it considered patriotism +as above politics was largely responsible for +this. Every move forward toward the active +pushing of the war was the result of the +pressure of the people on Washington. When +I say that our troops were coming across in +large numbers, let it be borne in mind that, +though the men did come, munitions and weapons +of war did not. The Browning automatic +rifle, for example, to my mind one of the +greatest weapons developed by the war, was +invented in the United States in the summer +of 1917. When the war finished it had just +been placed for the first time in the hands of a +limited number of our divisions; my division, +the First, never had them until a month after +the armistice. We used the old French chauchat,<span class="pagenum">[161]</span> +a very inferior weapon. None of our +airplanes had come, and the death of many of +our young men was directly traceable to this, +as they, of necessity, used inferior machines. +Our cannon was and remained French and its +ammunition was French. Our troops were at +times issued British uniforms and many of +the men objected strenuously to wearing them +on account of the buttons with the crown +stamped on them. Our supply of boots, up to +and including the march into Germany, was +composed in part of British boots. These +boots had a low instep and caused much foot +trouble. These are facts that no amount of +words can cover, no speeches explain away.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[162]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-VIII" id="CHAPTER-VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<p class="h3">SOISSONS</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:18em"> +<p> +"And drunk delight of battle with my peers,<br /> +Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Tennyson. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>EARLY</b> in July rumors reached us that we +were going to be relieved. At first we did +not attach any importance to this, as we had +heard many rumors of a like nature during the +months we had been in the sector. At last, +however, the French officers came up to reconnoiter, +and we knew it was true. We were +relieved and marched back to some little village +near the old French town of Beauvais. +Everyone was as happy as a king. Here we +heard that the plan was to form a corps of the +Second Division and our division, train and +recruit them for a month, and make an offensive +with us some time late in August or September. +General Bullard, our division commander<span class="pagenum">[163]</span> +who had been, in turn, colonel of the +Twenty-eighth Infantry, brigadier general +commanding the Second Brigade, and division +commander, was to be corps commander. +This pleased us very much, as we had great +confidence in him.</p> + +<p>We had been in these villages only for a +few days when orders reached us to entruck +and proceed to some towns only a short distance +from Paris. This appealed to us all, +for if we were going to train and rest for a +month, no more delightful place could be chosen +for one and all than the vicinity of Paris.</p> + +<p>The buses arrived and all night we jolted +southwest through the forest of Chantilly. +By morning we arrived and detrucked and +the brown columns wound through the fresh +green landscape to the charming little gray +stone towns. The town where we were to +stay was called Ver. It was built on rolling +country and its gray cobble-paved streets +twisted and wound up hill and down through +a maze of picturesque gray houses in whose +doors well-dressed, bright-cheeked women and<span class="pagenum">[164]</span> +children stood watching us. On the hill were +the remains of an old wall and château, and +at the foot, through a broad meadow shaded +with trees, a fair-sized brook rippled. Jean +Jacques Rousseau lived and wrote there. +How he could have been such a hypocrite and +have lived in such a charming place is more +than I can see.</p> + +<p>The men were delighted. "Say, Buddie, +this is some town; look at that stream!"—"Bonne +billets."—"Let's fight the rest of the +war here"—were some of the remarks I heard +as the column swung in.</p> + +<p>Everything was ideal. The stream above +mentioned furnished a bathtub for the command. +We had had no opportunity for about +two months to thoroughly bathe, as we had +been on active work the entire time, and you +can imagine in just what condition we were. +To put it in the words of one of my company +commanders, "The command was as lousy +as pet coons." The first day we spent in +orienting ourselves, getting the kitchens arranged +and the billets comfortable. Meanwhile<span class="pagenum">[165]</span> +the troops were down bathing in the +stream, to the admiring interest of the French +inhabitants, who lined the bridge. To our +staid Americans the unconventional attitude +of interest in bathing troops displayed by the +French inhabitants of all ages and both sexes +was a source of constant embarrassment. I +have known a platoon sergeant to guide his men +to quite a distant point to take their baths. +When I asked him why, he replied, "Sir, it +isn't decent with all them frogs looking on."</p> + +<p>That evening, at officers' meeting, everyone +was on the crest of the wave, "sitting on +the world," as the doughboy puts it. The +officers established their mess in various +houses, and I remember to this day Lieutenant +Kern, as gallant an officer as ever it was my +pleasure to know, who was mortally wounded +some three days from this time, telling me that +they had the prettiest French girl in all of +France as a waitress at his company mess and +that they were all going to give her lessons in +English. We talked over training and made +all arrangements for a long stay. The only<span class="pagenum">[166]</span> +dissenting voice was that of the medical officer, +Captain E. D. Morgan. He, Cassandra-like, +prophesied that the town was too nice and +we would be moved soon.</p> + +<p>Next morning, while I was out going over +the village, selecting drill grounds and planning +the schedule, a motorcycle orderly arrived +and handed me a message which read, "You +will be prepared to entruck your battalion at +two this afternoon." This meant no rest for us. +We realized that a move on our part now +meant one thing and one thing only, that +something serious had arisen, and that we were +going in again. Rumor had been rife for two +or three days past that the big Hun offensive +was about to start again. In the army, among +the front-line troops, practically all you get is +rumor about what is happening daily. Where +the rumor starts from it is impossible to say, +but it travels like lightning. Officers' call +was sounded, and when they had assembled, +I read them the order and told them it was +my opinion we were going into a big battle +right away. The men were immediately<span class="pagenum">[167]</span> assembled +and told the same thing. We always +felt that all information possible should be +given to the men. Instead of the command +being downcast at the idea of leaving their +well-deserved rest, their spirits rose. Immediately +bustle and preparation was evident +everywhere in the town.</p> + +<p>By one o'clock the truck train was creaking +into place on the road. Oddly enough the +truck train was made up of White trucks, +made in Cleveland, with Indo-Chinese drivers +and was under the command of a French +officer. The troops filed by in columns of +twos toward the entrucking point. The men +were laughing and joking. "They can't do +without us now, Bill." "Say, Nick, look +over there" (pointing toward a grave yard), +"them's the rest billets of this battalion, and +that" (indicating a rather imposing tomb) "is +the battalion headquarters." Many of them +were singing the national anthem of the +doughboy, <i>Hail! Hail! the Gang's All Here.</i></p> + +<p>I got into the automobile of the French +commander of the train, taking with me Lieutenant<span class="pagenum">[168]</span> +Kern, as he was pretty well played out +and I wanted to spare him as much as possible. +The French train commander had no idea +what our ultimate destination was. All he +knew was a route for about sixty kilometers, +at the end of which he was to report for further +orders at a little town. As we ran up and +down the column of trucks checking the train +to make sure that all units were present and +all properly loaded, the men were singing and +cheering.</p> + +<p>As all afternoon we jolted northward through +clouds of dust, rumors came in picked up from +French officers on the roadside. The Hun had +attacked in force east and west of Rheims in a +desperate attempt to break the French army +in two. East of Rheims they had met with +a stone-wall resistance by Gouraud's army +and been hurled back with heavy loss. West +of Rheims their attack had been more successful, +and they were reported to have broken +through, crossed the Marne, and to be now +moving on Châlons.</p> + +<p>As night fell the jolting truck train pressed<span class="pagenum">[169]</span> +ever farther north. At the regulating station, +by the shaded flare of an electric torch, we +got our orders: we were to proceed to Palesne. +We guessed on receiving them what our mission +was. We were pushing straight north +into the reëntrant into the German lines, at +the peak of which was Soissons. Our destination +was a large wood. We realized that we +were probably to form part of an offensive to +be made against the Hun right flank, which +should have as its object, first, by pressure at +this point, to stop the attack on Châlons; +second, if it was possible, to penetrate far +enough to force the evacuation of the Château-Thierry +salient by threatening their lines of +communication. In the early dawn the troops +detrucked, sloshed through the mud, and +bivouacked in the woods. Every care possible +was taken to get the troops under cover of the +woods and the trucks away before daylight +in order to avoid any possible chance of observation +by the Germans.</p> + +<p>All day we became more certain that our +guess as to our probable mission was correct.<span class="pagenum">[170]</span> +We heard that the Foreign Legion and the +Second American Division had come up on +our right. We knew that our division, the +Foreign Legion, and the Second Division, +would not be concentrated at the same point +if it did not mean a real offensive.</p> + +<p>Soon after the orders for the attack were +given us. Apparently the idea was to stake +all on one throw. Marshal Foch had decided +on a counter-offensive in this part and had +delegated to General Mangin, commander of +the French army, the task of putting it into +execution. Mangin desired to make this offensive, +if possible, a complete surprise. All +care was used that no unnecessary movement +took place among our troops in the back area. +We were not to take over the position from the +French troops holding the front line, as was +generally customary for the attacking troops +before an action, but rather to march up on +the night of the offensive and attack through +them. Fortunately, from the point of view +of secrecy, the night before the attack it +rained cats and dogs. The infantry slogged<span class="pagenum">[171]</span> +through the mud, up roads cut to pieces by +trucks and over trails ankle deep in water. +The artillery skittered and strained into place. +The tanks clanked and rattled up, breaking +the columns and tearing up what was left +of the road. It was so dark you could hardly +see your hand before your face.</p> + +<p>As a part of the element of surprise there +was to be but a short period of preparatory +bombardment. The artillery was to fire what +the French call "the fire of destruction" for +five minutes on the front line, and then to +move to the next objective. This bombardment +was to commence at 4.30, and at 4.35 +the men were to go over the top.</p> + +<p>The troops all reached the position safely +by about 4 o'clock. Our position lay along +the edge of a rugged and steep ravine. The +rain had stopped and the first faint pink of the +early summer morning lighted the sky. Absolute +silence hung over everything, broken only +by the twittering of birds. Suddenly out of +the stillness, without the warning of a preliminary +shot, our artillery opened with a crash.<span class="pagenum">[172]</span> +All along the horizon, silhouetted against the +pale pink of the early dawn, was the tufted +smoke of high explosive shells, and the burst +of shrapnel showed in flashes like the spitting +of a broken electric wire in a hailstorm. After +the bombardment had been going on for two +or three minutes, D company, on the right, +became impatient and wanted to attack, and +I heard the men begin to call, "Let's go, +let's go!"</p> + +<p>At 4.35 the infantry went over. The surprise +was complete. Germans were killed +in their dugouts half dressed. One of the +units of the division captured a colonel and +his staff still in his dugout. So rapid was the +advance on the first day that the German +advance batteries were taken. The French +cavalry followed up our advance, looking for +a break-through. By night all the objectives +were taken and the troops bivouacked in the +captured position. During the night Hun airplanes +flew low over us dropping flares and +throwing small bombs. Next morning the +attack started again. We ran into much +machine-gun fire. "Only those who have +danced to its music can know what the +mitrailleuse means."</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p172" id="p172"></a> +<a href="images/i_215f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_215t.jpg" alt="i_215" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">AN AIR RAID<br /> +Drawn by Captain George Harding, A. E. F., August, 1918 +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[173]</span>The Germans now rushed up all the reserves +they could to hold this threatened point. On +the second day we took prisoners from four +Hun divisions in front of the regiment. One +prisoner told us he had marched twenty-four +kilometers during the preceding night. For +five days the advance continued, until the +final objective was taken and we held the +Château-Thierry-Soissons railroad and the Germans +ordered a general retreat. I was not +fortunate enough to see the last half of this +battle, as I was wounded. I heard about it, +however, from men who had been all through +it.</p> + +<p>Our casualties were very heavy. At the +end of the battle, companies in some cases +came out commanded by corporals, and battalions +by second lieutenants. In the battle +the regiment lost most of the men that built +it up.</p> + +<p>Colonel Hamilton A. Smith, as fine an officer<span class="pagenum">[174]</span> +and as true a gentleman as I have ever known, +was killed by machine-gun fire while he was +verifying his outpost line. Major McCloud, +a veteran of the Philippines who had served +with the British for three years, was killed +on the second day. I have somewhere a note +written by him to me shortly before his death. +He was on the left, where heavy resistance +was being encountered. I had just sent him +a message advising him that I was attacking +in the direction of Ploisy. His answer, which +was brought by a wounded runner, read: "My +staff are all either killed or wounded. Will +attack toward the northeast against machine-gun +nests. Good hunting!"</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Colonel Elliott was killed by +shell fire. Captain J. H. Holmes, a gallant +young South Carolinian, was killed. He left +in the United States, a young wife and a baby +he had never seen. Captains Mood, Hamel, +and Richards were killed. Lieutenant Kern, +of whom I spoke before, was mortally wounded +while gallantly leading his company. Lieutenant +Clarke died in the hospital from the<span class="pagenum">[175]</span> +effect of his wounds a few days later. Clarke +was a big, strapping fellow who feared nothing. +Once he remarked to me: "Yes, it is a messy +damn war, sir, but it's the only one we've got +and I guess we have got to make the best of +it." These are only a few of those who fell. +Both Major Compton and Major Travis were +wounded.</p> + +<p>The Twenty-sixth Infantry was brought +out of the fight, when it was relieved, by Lieutenant +Colonel (then Captain) Barnwell Rhett +Legge, of South Carolina. Colonel Legge +started the war as a second lieutenant. When +I first knew him he was adjutant of the Third +Battalion. Later he took a company and commanded +it during the early fighting. He was +then made adjutant of the regiment, and two +or three times I recall his asking the Colonel +to let him go back with his company. Captain +Frey, killed earlier, who was originally +my senior company commander, thought very +highly of him and used to "josh" him continually. +Once Legge took out a raiding party +and captured a German prisoner fifty-four<span class="pagenum">[176]</span> +years old. Frey never let him hear the last +of it, asking him if he considered it a sportsmanlike +proceeding to take a man of that age, +and saying that a man who would do such a +thing would shoot quail on the ground and +catch a trout with a worm. All during my +service in Europe, Legge served with me. +During the latter part he was my second in +command in the regiment. I have seen him +under all circumstances. He was always cool +and decided. No mission was too difficult +for him to undertake. His ability as a troop +leader was of the highest order. In my opinion +no man of his age has a better war record.</p> + +<p>An amusing incident occurred in Lieutenant +Baxter's platoon during the battle. The men +were advancing to the attack perhaps a couple +of hundred yards from the Germans. They +were moving forward in squad columns as +they were going through a valley where they +were defiladed from machine-gun fire, though +the enemy was firing on them with its artillery. +Suddenly Baxter heard rifle fire behind him. +He wheeled around and saw that a rabbit had<span class="pagenum">[177]</span> +jumped up in front of the left of the platoon +and the men were firing at it.</p> + +<p>The worst strain of the battle came during +the last two days when casualties had been +so heavy as to take off many of the field officers +and most of the company commanders, when +the remnants of the regiments pressed forward +and captured Berzy-le-Sec and the railroad. +It is always more difficult for the juniors in +a battle like this, for they generally do not +know what is at stake. General Frank Parker +told me how, during the fourth day, when +battalions of eight hundred men had shrunk +to a hundred and it looked as if the division +would be wiped out, and even he was wondering +whether we were not losing the efficiency +of the division without getting a compensatory +gain, General C. P. Summerall, the division +commander, came to his headquarters and +said: "General, the German high command +has ordered the first general retreat since the +first battle of the Marne."</p> + +<p>General Summerall took command of the +division just before Soissons, when General<span class="pagenum">[178]</span> +Bullard was given the corps. He had previously +commanded the artillery of the division. +The division always regarded him as their +own particular general. He was known by +the nickname of "Sitting Bull." He is, in +my opinion, one of the few really great troop +leaders developed by us during the war. At +this battle General Summerall is reported to +have made a statement which was often quoted +in the division. Some staff officer from the +corps had asked him if, after the very heavy +casualties we had received, we were capable +of making another attack. He replied: "Sir, +when the First Division has only two men left +they will be echeloned in depth and attacking +toward Berlin."</p> + +<p>Beside the First Division, the Foreign +Legion and the Second Division were meeting +the same type of work and suffering the same +losses. No finer fighting units existed than +these two. A very real compliment that was +paid the Second Division was the fact that the +rank and file of our division was always glad +when circumstances ordained that the divisions<span class="pagenum">[179]</span> +should fight side by side. I have often heard +the junior officers discussing it.</p> + +<p>The division was relieved by the Seaforth +and Gordon Highlanders. When I was going +to the rear, wounded, I passed their advancing +columns. They were a fine set of men—tall, +broad-shouldered, and fit looking. They, too, +were in high spirits. The morale of the Allies +had changed within twenty-four hours. They +felt, and rightly, that the Hun had been +turned. Never from this moment to the end +of the war did it change.</p> + +<p>This Highland division showed its appreciation +of the American division by the following +order that was sent to our higher command:</p> + +<br /> + +<blockquote> +<p class="h4"> +Headquarters 1st Division,<br /> +<span class="smcap">American Expeditionary Forces</span>,</p> + +<br /> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">France</span>, August 4th, 1918.</p> + +<p class="noin">General Order<br /> +<span style="margin-left:2em">No. 42.</span> +</p> + +<p>The following is published for the information of +all concerned as evidence of the appreciation of the +15th Scottish Division of such assistance as this +Division may have rendered them upon their tak<span class="pagenum">[180]</span>ing +over the sector from us in the recent operation +south of Soissons:</p> + +<br /> +<p class="right">15th Scottish Division No. G-705 24-7-18</p> + +<p class="noin">To General Officers Commanding,</p> +<p><span class="smcap">First American Division</span>.</p> + +<p>I would like on behalf of all ranks of the 15th +Division to express to you personally, and to your +staff, and to all our comrades in your splendid +Division, our most sincere thanks for all that has +been done to help us in a difficult situation.</p> + +<p>During many instances of taking over which we +have experienced in the war we have never received +such assistance, and that rendered on a most +generous scale. In spite of its magnificent success +in the recent fighting, your Division must have +been feeling the strain of operations, accentuated +by very heavy casualties, yet we could discern no +symptom of fatigue when it came to a question of +adding to it by making our task easier.</p> + +<p>To your artillery commander (Col. Holbrook) +and his Staff, and to the units under his command, +our special thanks are due. Without hesitation +when he saw our awkward predicament as to artillery +support the guns of your Division denied +themselves relief in order to assist us in an attack. +This attack was only partly successful, but the +artillery support was entirely so.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[181]</span>Without the help of Colonel Mabee and his +establishment of ambulance cars, I have no hesitation +in saying that at least four hundred of our +wounded would still be on our hands in this area.</p> + +<p>The 15th Scottish Division desires me to say that +our hope is that we may have opportunity of +rendering some slight return to the First American +Division for all the latter has done for us, and further +that we may yet find ourselves shoulder to +shoulder defeating the enemy in what we hope is +the final stage of this war.</p> + +<p class="right"> +Signed: <span class="smcap">H. L. Reed</span>, <br /> +<i>Major General <br /> +Comdg. 15th Scottish Div.</i><br /> +<br /> +By Command of Major General Summerall:<br /> +<span class="smcap">H. K. Loughry</span>, <br /> +<i>Major, F. A. N. A., <br /> +Div. Adjt.</i><br /> +</p></blockquote> + +<p>The Highlanders cheered as the wounded +Americans passed by them. One lieutenant +called out to me, "How far have you gone?" +I answered, "About six kilometers." "Good," +he said. "We'll go another six."</p> + +<p>After the battle the division was withdrawn +to near Paris. Many of the officers came to +see me, where I was laid up with a bullet<span class="pagenum">[182]</span> +through the leg. Major A. W. Kenner, the +regimental surgeon, who had again distinguished +himself by his gallantry, and Captain +Legge were both in, looking little the worse +for the wear.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[183]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-IX" id="CHAPTER-IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<p class="h3">ST. MIHIEL AND THE ARGONNE</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:20em"> +<p> +"'Millions of ages have come and gone,'<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The sergeant said as we held his hand;</span><br /> +'They have passed like the mist of the early dawn<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Since I left my home in that far-off land.'"</span> +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Ironquill. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>DURING</b> the next couple of months, while I +was laid up with my wound, the regiment +first went to a rest sector near Pont-à-Mousson. +There replacements reached them, wounded +men returned, and they gradually worked up +to their full strength again.</p> + +<p>They enjoyed themselves fully. It was one +of those sectors so common on the east of the +Western Front where by tacit agreement little +action took place. The nature of the country +and its distance from the great centers of +France made many parts of the front impracticable +for an offensive either by the Hun or<span class="pagenum">[184]</span> +ourselves. In these sectors a division such +as ours, worn by hard fighting, or a division +of green or old men, held the line, a handful +of men on each side occupying long stretches. +A few shells would come whistling over during +the day and that was all.</p> + +<p>Everybody used to look back on their +pleasant times in this sector. They got fresh +fish by the thoroughly illegal method of throwing +hand grenades in some near-by ponds, +while fresh berries were plentiful even in the +front line. It was midsummer and the weather +was pleasantly warm. Altogether, if you had +to be at war, it was about as comfortable as +possible.</p> + +<p>An odd incident of this period occurred to +a recruit who was sent out the first night to a +listening post. In the listening post was a +box on which the guard sat. At some time +during the previous night the Germans had +crept up and put a bomb under this box. +After looking around a little the recruit felt +tired and sat down on the box. A violent +explosion followed. Right away a patrol<span class="pagenum">[185]</span> +worked out from our lines to see what had +happened. When they got there they looked +carefully through every ditch or clump of +bushes in the vicinity, but they could not find +a trace of the man. He was reported as dead, +blown to bits. On the march up into Germany +that missing recruit reported back to +the regiment on his return from a German +prison camp. Instead of being blown to +pieces he had simply been blown into the +German lines. When he came to, he was +being carried to the rear on a stretcher, and +he spent the rest of the war as a prisoner, +little the worse for wear, except for a few scars.</p> + +<p>Shortly after this the St. Mihiel operation +took place. The plan was to nip off the salient +by a simultaneous attack on both sides. Our +division was the left flank unit of the forces +attacking on the right of the salient, being +charged with the mission of making a juncture +with the Twenty-sixth Division, which was +the right unit of the forces attacking on the +left of the salient. The resistance was so +slight that the operation partook of the nature<span class="pagenum">[186]</span> +of a maneuver rather than a battle. Our +losses were practically nil. A large number of +prisoners were captured and a considerable +amount of matériel. The reason for this was +that the Germans had determined to abandon +the position and were in full retreat when we +attacked. They had been misinformed by +their spies, however, and started their movement +about twenty-four hours too late.</p> + +<p>The men had a fine time in this attack. +While they had been in the Toul sector a high +hill, called Mount Sec, behind the German +lines, had given them a lot of trouble. From +it the Germans had been virtually able to look +into our trenches. In the attack they not +only took this hill, but left it far in the rear. +Our unit captured a German officers' mess, +including the cook and a fine pig. They +promptly made the cook kill the pig and prepare +him for their dinner, which they thoroughly +enjoyed.</p> + +<p>At another time a German company kitchen +came up in the night to one of our outposts +to ask him directions. When they found out<span class="pagenum">[187]</span> +their mistake it was too late, and they were +promptly conducted to one of our very hungry +companies.</p> + +<p>The value of the St. Mihiel operation to +our army was considerable. It gave our +staffs an opportunity to make mistakes which +were not too terribly costly. We fell down +particularly on the question of handling our +road traffic. The artillery and the trains in +many instances became hopelessly jammed on +the largely destroyed road. Each unit commander +with laudable desire to get forward +would do anything to accomplish that purpose—double +back or cut across country. +The result was, of course, a hopeless tangle. +This alone would have prevented us carrying +on a further attack, as no army can run away +from its echelons of supply.</p> + +<p>Immediately on the completion of the attacks +the First Division, in company with a +number of others, was withdrawn from the +line and moved west by marching to a position +of readiness for the Argonne offensive, +which was to take place in a couple of weeks.<span class="pagenum">[188]</span> +The march was made mainly by night, as +every endeavor was being used to make a surprise +attack. The troops bivouacked in the +woods, keeping under cover during the day.</p> + +<p>The battle was a fierce one. During the +first day the Americans made a clean break +through, but the lack of training showed and +they were unable to exploit their success properly. +The various units became dislocated and +orders could not be transmitted. The men +were gallant, but gallantry is no use when +you do not get orders and when supplies do +not come up. As a result the Germans were +able to gather themselves, and what might +have been a rout became a fierce rear-guard +action which lasted for more than a month.</p> + +<p>The First Division was held in army reserve +and thrown in to take a particularly hard bit +of territory. They were in eleven days in all +and took all their objectives. As a result +they were cited individually by General Pershing +in General Orders No. 201. This order—I +believe the only one of its kind issued during +the war—follows:</p> + +<blockquote><p class="h4"> +<span class="pagenum">[189]</span>G. H. Q.<br /> +<span class="smcap">American Expeditionary Forces</span>,</p> + +<br /> +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">France</span>, Nov. 10, 1918.</p> + +<p class="noin">General Orders<br /> +<span style="margin-left:1em">No. 201.</span> +</p> + +<p>1. The Commander in Chief desires to make of +record in the General Orders of the American +Expeditionary Forces his extreme satisfaction with +the conduct of the officers and soldiers of the +First Division in its advance west of the Meuse +between October 4th and 11th, 1918. During +this period the division gained a distance of seven +kilometers over a country which presented not +only remarkable facilities for enemy defense but +also great difficulties of terrain for the operation +of our troops.</p> + +<p>2. The division met with resistance from elements +of eight hostile divisions, most of which +were first-class troops and some of which were completely +rested. The enemy chose to defend its +position to the death, and the fighting was always +of the most desperate kind. Throughout the +operations the officers and men of the division +displayed the highest type of courage, fortitude, +and self-sacrificing devotion to duty. In addition +to many enemy killed, the division captured one +thousand four hundred and seven of the enemy, +thirteen 77-mm. field guns, ten trench mortars, and +numerous machine guns and stores.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[190]</span>3. The success of the division in driving a +deep advance into the enemy's territory enabled +an assault to be made on the left by the neighboring +division against the northeastern portion of +the Forest of Argonne, and enabled the First +Division to advance to the right and outflank +the enemy's position in front of the division on +that flank.</p> + +<p>4. The Commander in Chief has noted in this +division a special pride of service and a high state +of morale, never broken by hardship nor battle.</p> + +<p>5. This order will be read to all organizations +at the first assembly formation after its receipt. +(14790-A-306.)</p> + +<p>By Command of General Pershing:</p> + +<p class="right"> +<span class="smcap">James W. McAndrew</span>,<br /> +<i>Chief of Staff</i>. </p> +<br /> + +<p class="noin">Official:<br /> + <span class="smcap">Robert C. Davis</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left:2em"><i>Adjutant General</i>.</span> +</p> +</blockquote> + +<p>The losses again were very heavy, nearly as +heavy as at Soissons. It was in this battle +Lieutenant T. D. Amory was killed while +making a daring patrol. Amory was a gallant +young fellow, not more than twenty-two or +twenty-three years of age. He had originally<span class="pagenum">[191]</span> +been intelligence officer for my battalion and +had been quite badly wounded by a shell +fragment in the Montdidier sector. As soon +as he was cured he reported back to the regiment +and took up his old work as scout officer. +When the division took over, contact had been +lost with the enemy. A patrol was accordingly +sent out at once, for it was possible that an +attack would be ordered in the morning. +Lieutenant Amory was given forty men and +went out. Signal-corps men were put with +him to carry a telephone. It turned out that +the Germans were holding strong points rather +than a continuous line of front. On account +of this and the darkness he filtered through +without finding them and unobserved by them. +The first word his battalion commander received +was a telephone message from the +signal-sergeant, saying: "We have advanced +about one and one half kilometers and there +is no sign of the enemy. The Germans have +opened on us from the right flank." Then: +"They are firing on us from three sides. I +believe we are surrounded." And, last: "Lieu<span class="pagenum">[192]</span>tenant +Amory has just been shot through +the head and killed."</p> + +<p>Captain Foster and Captain Wortley also +were killed at this time, besides many other +gallant officers and men. Foster when he +died was but twenty-two years old. When he +came over with the division, he was nothing +but a curly-headed boy. In the year and a +half that he spent in France he turned from +a boy into a man. He was afraid of nothing +and had a rarer virtue in that he was always +in good spirits. He had been hit once before +at Soissons. He had been platoon leader and +adjutant. Later, on the death of the company +commander, Captain Frey, he had taken +command of a company. He, like Lieutenant +Amory, was shot through the head by a +machine gun.</p> + +<p>Wortley was an older man and had always +been ambitious to join the regular army. He +had served an enlistment in the regulars and +had been a sergeant. Later at the Leavenworth +School he had received his commission. +Wortley also had been wounded at Soissons.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[193]</span>Major Youell described to me a personal +incident of this battle, which illustrates very +well the dull leathery mind that everyone +gets after a certain amount of bitter fighting +and fatigue. As commander of the Second +Battalion he had received orders for an attack. +He was not sure of his objectives. He got +out his very best prismatic compass, which he +valued more than any of his other possessions, +as it was virtually impossible to replace it, +sighted carefully, determined the direction of +the attack, ordered the advance, put the compass +on the ground, and walked off, leaving it +there. When he next thought of it the compass +was gone for good.</p> + +<p>Another captain we had was thoroughly +courageous personally, but he had one very +bad fault. He could not keep his men under +control. Once after an attack his battalion +commander was checking up to see if the +objectives were taken and all units in place. +He found the objectives were taken all right, +but that, in the instance of this one company, +the company itself was missing! On the<span class="pagenum">[194]</span> +objective was sitting simply the company +commander and his headquarters group. The +rest of the company had missed its direction +advancing through a wood and got lost.</p> + +<p>I remember this same company commander +in another action. We had been advancing +behind tanks, which had all been disabled by +direct fire from the Germans. I went forward +to where he was lying with a handful of men +by one of these tanks. I said to him, "Captain, +where is your company?" He said, "I +don't know, sir; but the Germans are there." +He knew where the enemy were and was perfectly +game to go on and attack them with +his eight or nine men.</p> + +<p>Colonel Hjalmar Erickson was commander +of the Twenty-sixth Infantry during this +action. He was a fine troop leader and a +powerful man physically. During a battle +the higher command naturally want to know +what is going on at the front. It is very +difficult for the officer at the front to furnish +these details; often he is busy, sometimes he +knows nothing to tell. Once, during the first<span class="pagenum">[195]</span> +Argonne battle, the higher command called +upon Erickson. Nothing was happening, but +Erickson was equal to the occasion.</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, everything is fine. What has +happened? Our heavies have just started +firing and it sounds good," was Erickson's +reassuring message.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile I had been given a Class B +rating and detailed as an instructor at the +school of the line at Langres. After I had +been there a short while I saw an officer from +the First Division and told him I was awfully +anxious to get back and felt quite up to field +work again. A few days after that General +Parker called up some of the commanding +officers in the college on the telephone. I had +one obstacle to overcome. I still had to walk +with a cane, and, although this did not really +make any difference to me from a physical +standpoint, it was a question if I could get +the medical department to pass me as Class A. +We decided that the best way to do was to +take the bull by the horns and go anyhow. I +said good-by to the college one night and went<span class="pagenum">[196]</span> +with Major Gowenlock, of the division staff, +directly back to the division. I was technically +A. W. O. L. for a couple of weeks, but they +don't court-martial you for A. W. O. L. if you +go in the right direction, and my orders came +through all right. On reporting to General +Frank Parker, who was commanding the division, +he assigned me to the command of my +own regiment. When my orders finally came to +the school directing me to report to C. G., of +the First Division, for assignment to duty, I +was commanding the regiment in battle.</p> + +<p>At about this time three cavalry troopers +reported to the Twenty-sixth Infantry. They +said they came from towns where they had +been on military police duty. They stated +that they had heard from a man in a hospital +that the First Division was having a lot of +fighting and so they had gone A. W. O. L. to +join it. They were attached to one of the companies, +and a letter was sent through regular +channels saying that they were excellent men +and we wanted their transfer to a combatant +branch of the service. We phrased it this way in<span class="pagenum">[197]</span> +order to tease one of our higher command who +belonged to the cavalry. A long while later, +as I recall, an answer came back directing me +to send the men back to their outfit, but they +were all either killed or wounded at that time.</p> + +<p>After the division was relieved from the +Argonne it went into rest billets near the town +of Ligny, there to rest and receive replacements +before returning into the same battle. +Advantage was taken of this brief period of rest +to give leave to some of the enlisted personnel +and officers. This was the first leave most of +them had had since they had been in France. +Captain Shipley Thomas took the men under +his command to their area. He described to +me on his return how on the way down all +the men would talk about was: "Do you remember +how we got that machine-gun nest? +That was where McPherson got his." "Do +you remember how Lieutenant Baxter and +Sergeant Dobbs got those seventy-sevens by +outflanking and surprising them?"</p> + +<p>By the time they had been at the Y. M. C. A. +Leave Area twenty-four hours they had for<span class="pagenum">[198]</span>gotten +all this. For seven days they had a fine +time and their point of view changed entirely. +As the train carried them north through France, +when they stopped at a station they would lean +out of the windows and inveigle some unsuspecting +M. P. close to the train. They would +ask him with much earnestness what it was like +at the front, explaining to him meanwhile that +they were members of the Arkansas Balloon +Corps, and when he got near enough throw soda-water +bottles at his head. Later an indignant +epistle reached me demanding an explanation +and directing "an investigation to fix the +responsibility." A commanding officer should +know a great many things unofficially, and +in this case my knowledge was all of an unofficial +nature, so I was able with a clear +conscience to indorse it back with the suggestion +that they investigate some other unit.</p> + +<p>Captain J. B. Card, Captain Richards, and +some other of the officers were given leave. +They started immediately for Nice. While +they were traveling down we received orders +that we were to go back into the battle, so<span class="pagenum">[199]</span> +wires were awaiting them when they got off +the train to report back to their units immediately. +They made a good connection and +spent only three hours at Nice. They reported +back smiling and thought it was a good joke +on themselves.</p> + +<p>General C. P. Summerall had been promoted +to the command of a corps and General Frank +Parker given command of the division. General +Parker was also one of the First Division's +own officers. Before getting the division he +had in turn commanded the Eighteenth +Infantry and the First Brigade. He had a +fine theory for soldiering. Summarized briefly, +it was that the way to handle troops was to +explain to them, in so far as possible, all that +was to take place and the importance of the +actions of each individual man. He had all +his officers out with the men as much as possible. +He had them all emphasize to the private +the importance of his individual intelligent +action. This is a fine creed for a commanding +officer, as it helps to give him the confidence +of his men. Obedience is absolutely necessary<span class="pagenum">[200]</span> +in a soldier, but unintelligent obedience is +not nearly as valuable as intelligent obedience +given with confidence in the man who issues +the order. It is intelligent comprehension of +the aims of an order that lends most to its +proper execution.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[201]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-X" id="CHAPTER-X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<p class="h3">THE LAST BATTLE</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:18em"> +<p> +"The giant grows blind in his fury and spite,<br /> +One blow on the forehead will finish the fight." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Holmes. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>HARDLY</b> had the new replacements, some +1800 in all, learned to what company +they belonged, when our definite orders +reached us. The trucks arrived and we rattled +off toward the front. We detrucked and +bivouacked for a couple of days in a big +wood while our supply trains came up. The +weather, fortunately, was crisp and cool and +bivouacking was really pleasant. What our +mission was we did not know, but as we were +to be in General Summerall's corps we were +sure there would be plenty of fighting to go +around.</p> + +<p>General Summerall himself came and spoke +to each of the infantry regiments. The regi<span class="pagenum">[202]</span>ment +was formed in a three-sided square and +he spoke from the blank side.</p> + +<p>Almost immediately our orders arrived to +move up. As usual we moved at night. The +weather repented of its gentleness and cold +heavy rain started. The roads were gone, the +nights black, the columns splashed through +mud with truck trains, with supplies for the +troops ahead of us, crisscrossing and jamming +by us. We passed the barren zone that had +been No Man's Land for four years and was +now again France.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning in a heavy mist we +reached another patch of woods just in rear +of where the line was. Here we gained contact +with the Second Division that was ahead +of us. They attacked the same day and again +we received orders to follow them. On this +night the maps played us a trick, for a road well +marked turned out to be a little wood trail. +All night long we moved down it single file +to get forward a bare seven kilometers. A +wood trail in the rain is bad enough for the +first man that moves over it, but it is almost<span class="pagenum">[203]</span> +impassable for the three thousandth man +when his turn comes. We got through, however, +and by morning the regiment was in place. +The road was clogged with a stream of transports +of all kinds—trucks, wagon trains, tanks, +and tractors, double banked and stuck. Occasionally, +passing by them on foot, you would +hear some general's aide spluttering in his +limousine at the delay and wet.</p> + +<p>Through this our supply train was brought +forward by Captains Scott and Card and +Lieutenant Cook with the uncanny ability to +accomplish the seemingly impossible which had +stood us in good stead many times. Indeed, +the train beat the infantry and when we arrived, +we found them there banked beside +the road, with the kitchens smoking, and the +food spreading a comforting aroma through the +rain-rotted woods. Orders were received to +march to Landreville. We gave the men hot +chow and put the column in motion as soon +as they had finished. The sun came out and +dried us off and we felt more cheerful.</p> + +<p>Still following in the wake of the victorious<span class="pagenum">[204]</span> +Second Division, we passed through the desolate, +war-battered little town of Landreville. +There, to my intense astonishment, I suddenly +came on my brother, Kermit, and my brother-in-law, +Richard Derby, who was chief surgeon +of the Second Division. My brother Kermit +had transferred to the American army from +the British, had finished his course at an +artillery school, and was now reporting to the +First Division for duty. Seeing them so +unexpectedly was one of the most delightful +surprises.</p> + +<p>We went into position at Landreville and +sent out patrols, which immediately gained +contact with the marines in our front, who +were preparing to attack next day.</p> + +<p>That night my brother and I sat in a ruined +shed, regimental headquarters, surrounded by +dead Germans and Americans, and talked over +all kinds of family affairs.</p> + +<p>Again the following night, as the Second +Division's attack had been successful, we +moved forward. Again it rained. Next morning +we were bivouacked in the Bois de la Folie,<span class="pagenum">[205]</span> +but before evening were on the march again +to another position. By the time we had +reached this position, orders came to move +forward again and we went into position in +woods just south of Beaumont. Here the +Colonel of the Ninth Infantry and I had headquarters +together in an old farmhouse that +had been used by the Germans as a prisoners' +cage. It was surrounded by wire and filthy +beyond description.</p> + +<p>Here we got orders that we were to take +over from the division on the left of the +Second Division and attack in the morning. +By this time the troops had marched practically +five nights in succession and also two of +the days. Speaking of this, there is a military +phrase which has always irritated me. It +appears in all accounts of big battles. It is, +"At this point fresh troops were thrown into +action." There is no such thing as "throwing +fresh troops" into action. By the time the +troops get into action they have marched night +after night and are thoroughly tired.</p> + +<p>The correct phrase should be, "troops<span class="pagenum">[206]</span> +that have suffered no casualties." For example, +that night my three majors, Legge, +Frazier, and Youell, all of them young men +not more than twenty-eight years old, came +in to get their orders for the attack. We all +sat down on wooden benches in the cellar. +Something happened which made it necessary +for me to change part of my orders. Making +the changes did not take more than five minutes +in all. By the time I was through, all three +of them had fallen asleep where they sat.</p> + +<p>After receiving the orders, I got in touch +with the Second Division, and I want to say +that when the next war comes I hope my side +partners will be of the same type. Colonel +Robert Van Horn, an old friend of mine, +was commanding the Twenty-third Infantry, +which was to be on the right flank. I was to +attack with two battalions in line and one in +support, my right flank on Beaumont, my left +following a road that led north to Mouzon. +Together Van Horn and I worked out our +plans and arranged for the connections we +wished to make. He had been fighting then<span class="pagenum">[207]</span> +for a number of days, but was just as keen to +continue as a schoolboy in a game of football.</p> + +<p>That night again sunny France justified her +reputation and for the fifth day in succession +it rained. The troops moved forward and +with the easy precision of veterans found their +positions, got their direction, and checked in +as in place at the moment of attack.</p> + +<p>At 5.35 in a heavy mist they went over the +top. The Hun had, by this time, lost all his +fight and we advanced for seven or eight +kilometers to our objectives, Mouzon and Ville +Montry. By 6.00 in the evening the sector +was cleared, the troops established on the +objectives, and the advanced elements fighting +in Mouzon.</p> + +<p>Two of the German prisoners who were +brought back early this day, an officer and +his orderly, were nothing more than boys. +They said they had been retreating for days +and that they were so tired that they had not +woke up until some of the Americans had +prodded them with a bayonet.</p> + +<p>It was in this attack that, among others,<span class="pagenum">[208]</span> +one of the medical officers, Lieutenant Skillirs, +was killed. Like most of our medical +officers, he followed his work with absolute +disregard for his personal safety. He was hit +by a shell toward the end of the attack while +crossing the shelled area to help some wounded.</p> + +<p>At 8 o'clock we received word that we +were to withdraw from the sector we had +taken and march into a position from which +we should attack Sedan next morning. The +Seventy-seventh Division was to extend its +right and occupy the sector we were leaving. +Word was sent to the majors to collect their +commands and assemble them at a given +point. All honor again to our supply company. +They were there close in the rear of us +and worked forward food to the men. At this +time, with the men as tired as they were, it +was of vital importance.</p> + +<p>I received my detailed orders from General +F. C. Marshall at a little half-burned farm.</p> + +<p>By 8 o'clock the officers and men, who had +marched and fought without stopping for +twenty-four hours, were again assembled<span class="pagenum">[209]</span> +and moving west on the Beaumont-Stornay +road. All night long the men plowed like +mud-caked specters through the dark, some +staggering as they walked. Once we had to +move single file through our artillery, which +was to follow in our rear. Often we had +to take detours, as the Germans had mined +the road. At one place a bridge over a stream +was gone and the whole division had to cross +over single file. Everyone had reached the +last stages of exhaustion. Captain Dye, a +corking good officer, fainted on the march, lay +unconscious in the mud for an hour, came to, +and joined his company before the morning +attack. Major Frazier, while riding at the +head of his battalion, fell asleep on his horse +and rolled off.</p> + +<p>As I rode up and down the column I watched +the men. Most of them were so tired that +they said but little. Occasionally, however, I +would run on to some of the old men, laughing +and joking as usual. I remember hearing a +sergeant, who was closing the rear of one +platoon, say, "Ooh, la, la!"</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[210]</span>"What is it, sergeant, aren't you getting +enough exercise?" I said to him.</p> + +<p>"Exercise, is it, sir? It's not the exercise +I'm worried with, but I do be afraid that them +Germans are better runners than we are! +Faith, to get them is like trying to catch a flea +under your thumb."</p> + +<p>Another time I passed an old sergeant called +Johnson, at one of the five-minute rests.</p> + +<p>"Sir," asked Johnson, "when do we hit +'em?"</p> + +<p>"I'm not sure, sergeant," I said, "but I +think about a kilometer and a half from +here."</p> + +<p>"That's good," Johnson replied. "If we +can once get them and do 'em up proper they +will let us have a rest."</p> + +<p>Johnson voiced there the sentiments of +the rank and file. They had been set a task +and it never entered into their calculations +that they could not do the task. They +wanted to do it, do it well, and then have their +rest.</p> + +<p>In the morning we passed through a French<span class="pagenum">[211]</span> +unit at Omicourt and started our attack. By +afternoon we were on the heights overlooking +Sedan, where word reached us to halt our +attack. Shortly after we were told to withdraw, +turning over to the French. We found +later that it was considered wise that the +French should take Sedan on account of the +large sentimental value attached to it because +of the German victory there in the war of +1870.</p> + +<p>I waited in the sector until the troops had +checked back, and then followed them to +Chemery, where we were to spend the night. +When I arrived I found the three battalion +commanders sleeping in the stalls of a stable. +As I came in one sat up and said: "Sir, I never +knew until this minute what a lucky animal a +horse is."</p> + +<p>A characteristic incident of the new spirit +occurred in this attack. Lieutenant Leck of +E Company was assigned the task of +occupying the town of Villemontry with a +platoon. After severe hand-to-hand fighting +on the streets he succeeded. The rapidity of<span class="pagenum">[212]</span> +the attack prevented the Germans from carrying +off some French girls with them. The town +was under heavy fire and the runner who was +sent with the message directing the withdrawal +and the march on Sedan was killed before he +reached them. After the relieving unit arrived +a message was sent to Leck that his +regiment had withdrawn. He replied that +the First Division never gave up conquered +ground and he would hold the town until he +received word from his proper commander.</p> + +<p>The next day we moved to the south and +east. The plan of the higher command, I +have been informed, was to throw the First, +Second, Thirty-second, and Forty-second Divisions +across the Meuse in an attack on Metz, +to assign no objectives but to let the rivalry +in the divisions determine the depth of the +advance.</p> + +<p>All through the last ten days vague rumors +had been reaching us concerning a proposed +armistice. None of us really believed there +was anything in them. This was largely on +account of the fact that during the year and<span class="pagenum">[213]</span> +a half we had grown so accustomed to war +that we could not imagine peace. Besides, +we felt that terms that would be in any way +acceptable to us would not be even given a +hearing by the Germans. We felt also that +we had them on the run and we wanted to +go in and finish them. As a matter of fact, +we didn't give much thought to it anyhow. +We had almost as much as we could do finishing +the job we had in hand.</p> + +<p>On the march one day I heard one man +discussing with the other members of his +squad. He finished his remarks by saying, +"I hope those damned politicians don't spoil +this perfectly good victory we are winning."</p> + +<p>As we were moving back a day later an +engineer officer rode up to me from the rear +and told me he had just come from Second +Division headquarters, where they had announced +that the armistice had been signed +and all hostilities were to cease at 11 o'clock +that morning. I sent back word to the men. +It was announced up and down the column +and a few scattering cheers were all that<span class="pagenum">[214]</span> +greeted it. I don't think it really got through +their heads what had happened. I know it +had not got through mine.</p> + +<p>That night we stopped in the Bois de la +Folie, and for the first time the men began +to realize what had happened. Fires were +lit all over. Around them men were gathered, +singing songs and telling stories. It was +very picturesque: the battered woods, the +flaming fires, and the brown, mud-caked soldiers. +The contrast was doubly great, as +until that time no fires were lighted by the +troops when anywhere near the front lines. +German airplanes always came over and as +the men expressed it, "laid eggs wherever they +saw a light."</p> + +<p>The first thing that really brought it home +to me personally was when a little military +chauffeur came up through the dark and said, +"Colonel, Mrs. Roosevelt is waiting in the car +at the corner."</p> + +<p>I knew that no women had been anywhere +near the front the day before. I realized +that this really meant that the war was over.<span class="pagenum">[215]</span> +The car came up and skidded around in the +deep mud. Mrs. Roosevelt was there in a +pair of rubber boots. She had somehow +managed to come because she wished to say +good-by to me and return to our children in +the United States now that the fighting was +over. I went back with her some ten kilometers +to a tent where some Y. M. C. A. men +were giving out chocolates, crackers, etc.</p> + +<p>All the way back through the night the sky +was lit by the fires of the men. On every side +rockets were going up, like a Fourth of July +celebration. Gas signals and barrage signals +flashed over the tree tops. The whole thing +seemed hardly possible.</p> + +<p>Although we had been there in France only +a year and a half, it seemed as if the war had +lasted interminably. It seemed as if it always +had been and always would be with us. All +our plans had been based on an indefinite +continuation. I had been rather an optimist, +and yet I did not consider the possibility of +a cessation of hostilities before the following +autumn. Much of the quaint philosophy of<span class="pagenum">[216]</span> +the French had sunk into our hearts and insensibly +became a part of us—the philosophy +which had its creed in the expression <i>C'est la +guerre</i>. To them and to us <i>C'est la guerre</i> +had much the significance of "All in the day's +work." Like them, we treated <i>après la guerre</i> +as something in the nature of "castles in +Spain."</p> + +<p>So the war finished, so our part in the fighting +came to an end; a page of the world's history +was turned and we moved south to Verdun +to prepare for our march into conquered +Germany.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[217]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-XI" id="CHAPTER-XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<p class="h3">UP THE MOSELLE AND INTO CONQUERED +GERMANY</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:11em"> +<p> +"Judex ergo cum sedebit<br /> +Quidquid latet, apparebit<br /> +Nil, inultum remanebit." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Celano. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>THE</b> Third Army, which was to march into +Germany as the army of occupation, was +all in place on the 15th of November. My regiment +was bivouacked in what had once been +a wood, northeast of shell-shattered Verdun. +The bleakest of bleak north winds whistled over +the hilltops, whirling the gray dust in clouds. +The men huddled around fires or burrowed +into cracks in the hillside. Here we prepared +as well as we could for our move forward.</p> + +<p>Before dawn on the 17th of November, the +infantry advanced in two parallel columns. +By sunrise we were over the German lines and<span class="pagenum">[218]</span> +the brown columns were winding down the +white, dusty roads through villages long beaten +out of the semblance of human habitation +by the shells. Gazing back down the column, +the thought that always struck uppermost +was the realization of strength. The infantry +column moves slowly, but the latent power in +the close mass of marching men is very impressive. +The only thing I know which compares +with it in suggestion of power is a line of great +gray dreadnaughts lunging across the water.</p> + +<p>At one village a young French soldier, who +had been riding on a bicycle by our column, +stopped sadly before three crumbling walls. +It was all that was left of his home. His +father, the mayor of the village, had lived +there. His mother had died in Germany and +he did not know what had become of his father.</p> + +<p>By night we were out of the uninhabited +parts and were reaching the freed French villages. +Here we found starving men, women, +and children whom we helped out from our +none-too-plentiful rations. These people were +pathetic. They seemed to have lost the<span class="pagenum">[219]</span> +power to rejoice. They looked at us from +their doors with lackluster eyes and apparent +indifference. One woman told me that the +Germans as they left her house had told her +they would be back soon. I asked her if she +believed it, and she simply shrugged her +shoulders.</p> + +<p>Next morning we were on the march again. +All day long, past our advancing columns, +streamed the prisoners whom the Germans had +been working in the coal mines. They were +French, Italian, Russian, and Rumanian, desperately +emaciated for the most part and still +wearing their old uniforms. Sometimes they +dragged behind them little carts containing +the possessions of two or three of them. +Often I stopped them and questioned them, +but whether they were French or not they +seemed to have one idea, and one only—to +put as many miles between them and Germany +as possible.</p> + +<p>We had sent back to where our baggage was +stored while we were at Verdun and brought +up our colors and our band. Now we put<span class="pagenum">[220]</span> +them at the head of the column and went +forward with band playing and colors flying.</p> + +<p>The farther we got from where the front +line had been, the better was the condition +of the inhabitants. Now we began to see the +first signs of rejoicing. News would reach +the authorities in villages that we were coming +some time before we arrived. They would +throw arches of flowers over the streets +through which we marched. Groups of little +girls would run by the side of the column, +giving bouquets to the men. Cheering +crowds would gather on the sides of the +road.</p> + +<p>The doughboy had a beautiful time. The +doughboy loves marching to music, with flags +flying and the populace cheering. He is very +human and is fond of showing off. For some +reason or other there is a current belief in this +country that the average American does not +like parades, decorations, etc. This is just +bosh. The average American is just as keen +for such things as anyone else. He likes to +put on a pretty ribbon and come home and<span class="pagenum">[221]</span> +be admired by the young ladies. I know I +like to put on my decorations for my wife.</p> + +<p>In every little town where we spent the +night a ceremony of some sort took place. +Generally the townspeople made us an American +flag and presented it to us. I have some +of these flags stowed away at this moment. +They were made with the help of old dictionaries. +Sometimes these dictionaries were very +old and the American flag of one hundred +years ago would be the one copied. At one +village we were presented with a flag with +fifty stars. The donor explained that he had +been in the United States and knew we had +forty-eight and that the two extra were for +Alsace and Lorraine.</p> + +<p>Once, while we were at mess in the evening, +with great ceremony it was announced that +a committee of young ladies desired to wait +on me. I bowed to the girdle and said, +"Will they come in?" They trooped in, peasant +girls from fourteen to twenty years old, +dressed in their Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes +and headed by the mayor's daughter. They<span class="pagenum">[222]</span> +had a flag with them. First, one of them +made an elaborate speech, in which we were +hailed as the sons of Lafayette and George +Washington, a slight historical inaccuracy. +Then I replied, calling upon the names of +Joan of Arc, Henry of Navarre, and others, +and then the spokeslady, to the intense delight +of my staff, stepped forward and kissed me +on both cheeks. At another time a large, corpulent, +much-bewhiskered mayor endeavored +to enact the same ceremony, but forewarned +is forearmed, and I evaded him.</p> + +<p>In a short time we came to the Duchy of +Luxembourg and marched over the border. +Everywhere here also we were met with +open arms. The streets were jammed as we +marched through the villages. All the world +and his wife were there and greeted us as +"Comrades glorious" and "Victors."</p> + +<p>We sent forward, as was customary, a detail +of officers to make sure that billeting accommodations +were forthcoming and that everything +would be as comfortable as possible for +the men. When I arrived, slightly in advance<span class="pagenum">[223]</span> +of the troops, the first thing I saw was a procession +of townfolk approaching. At its head +was a band which might, for all the world, have +come out of the comic opera. Following the +band were pompous gentlemen in frock coats +and top hats, carrying bouquets of gorgeous +flowers done up with ribbons, and making up +the body of the procession were people of every +age, both sexes, and every grade in society. I +realized they were heading for me, and with +great dignity descended from the dinky little +side car in which I had been traveling. Major +Legge and Lieutenant Ridgely here joined me +and explained that a ceremony of welcome +was to take place, and I was to represent the +United States! We three lined up solemnly +while the Luxembourgers formed a semicircle +around us. The ceremony was, first, the presentation +speech; second, the keys of the city +and armfuls of bouquets, and, third, a cheer for +America; and then the band played. We none +of us knew the Luxembourg national anthem, +but felt that this must be it, so we stood at +attention with great solemnity and saluted<span class="pagenum">[224]</span> +while it was sounding. When it was finished +the mayor started it off again with a cheer +for France and the same supposedly national +anthem. Again we stood at attention. We +went through this same ceremony for six of +the Allies, when fortunately the troops came +up and terminated it. Later I found that the +tune they played and to which we had been +rendering the formal compliment was the air +of a popular song. The warm welcome would +have impressed me more had I not been certain +it had been accorded equally to the Germans +when they marched through.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the Eighteenth Infantry of our +division had passed on our left flank through +the city of Luxembourg. That day I ran down +with a couple of officers to watch them parade. +It was the first time I had ever been in Luxembourg. +The city is very picturesque. It is +built on the side of a rocky gorge, and on one +jutting pinnacle of rock are the remains of +the feudal castle where a medieval emperor +of Germany was born. The fête amused me +very much. I felt as if I were living in George<span class="pagenum">[225]</span>Barr McCutcheon's <i>Graustark</i>. The Luxembourg +army was drawn up to receive our troops, +all the men being present, 150 sum total. +What they lacked in numbers they made up +in gorgeousness. Never have I seen such +beautiful uniforms, so many colors, so much +gold lace, and such absurdly antiquated rifles. +The populace had a beautiful time. They are +mercantile by temperament. They realized +that a reign of plenty was coming; that the +American goose that lays the golden eggs +would be in their midst and that money would +flow as the changeless current of their own +Moselle River.</p> + +<p>A couple of days' march farther and we +reached the banks of the Moselle. Here we +spent four or five days while the troops cleaned +up and rested in three small towns. The regimental +band played for different units every +day. Everything moved smoothly. The inhabitants +were gentle and kindly. Indeed, +they were so effective in their kindness that +one of the second battalion headquarters cooks, +called "Chops," came to grief. First, he drank<span class="pagenum">[226]</span> +all of their wine he could get, then, in an inspired +spirit of generosity, cooked and turned +over to his new friends the turkey which, with +much labor, had been secured for the officers' +Thanksgiving dinner. His generosity was +sadly misunderstood by his commanding officer, +for he was returned to duty with the mule +train from which he had come.</p> + +<p>On the fifth of December we resumed the +march and crossed the Moselle into conquered +Germany. From this time on a new element +was added to the chances of campaigning. +Our maps were perfectly impossible. You +never could tell where bridges were and where +there were simply ferries. Once we ran our +column directly into a pocket. The map +showed what looked like a bridge. We were +not allowed to scout ahead, and the interpreter's +questions seemed to confirm its existence. +When we got there we found a ferry +that accommodated only sixteen men at a +time and we had to double on our tracks. +On these maps, also, the roads all looked good. +The first day's march in Germany we nearly +lost the supply train on account of this, as a +seemingly good highway ended in a marsh.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p226" id="p226"></a> +<a href="images/i_271f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_271t.jpg" alt="i_271" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">THE RHINE AT COBLENZ<br /> +Drawn by Captain Ernest Peixotto, A. E. F. +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[227]</span>That night we billeted for the first time in +German territory. Regimental headquarters +were in the country house of a German officer. +On the news of our advance he had fled farther +north, but, with the characteristic affectation +of his class, telephoned, on our arrival, saying +he regretted that he would not be there to +receive us and hoped that we would be comfortable. +Next morning he telephoned again, +sending a message to the effect that if any of +his servants had not done everything for our +comfort would we please report the matter to +him immediately in order that he might punish +the offender.</p> + +<p>All the next day we moved up the banks of +the winding Moselle through Treves, where +relics of the old Roman buildings frowned +down on us as we passed. At night we stopped +in another German house, from which the +German officer had not fled. He was a lieutenant +colonel and had waited to receive us, +prepared to be butler or anything we demanded.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[228]</span>A real indication of the character of the +German soldier was given by the terror of the +women at our approach. It was clear that +they expected any outrage. On account of +this, on arriving in each town, when I would +call the burgomaster to give him the instructions +concerning the behavior of the townspeople, +I would finish up by directing him to +announce to all women and children that they +need have no fear concerning the actions of +any American soldier, that we were Americans, +not Germans. I had my interpreter see that +it was given out in this form.</p> + +<p>Day after day we followed the river or made +short cuts inland. As we marched along, on +hilltops on either side, silhouetted against the +sky, austere and dignified, were the crumbling +brown-rock towers of medieval castles. These +castles were destroyed more than two centuries +before by Louis XIV as he marched by +the same route. On either side of the river +the slopes rose abruptly. They were covered +with vineyards, apparently growing from the +brown shale. Once, when we passed through<span class="pagenum">[229]</span> +the city of Berncastle, in the early morning, +when the mist choked the valley, I looked up +and saw on the peak that overhung the town, +touched by the morning sun, the old keep +framed in the white mist like a cameo set in +mother-of-pearl. Time and again some Hun +farmer would stop me and take me through a +cow-shed to see the marble remains of some +Roman bath or villa, the name of whose owner +had long since vanished in the mists of time.</p> + +<p>An odd incident of this march occurred +when Lieutenant Barrett was ordered by me +to go and instruct a German soldier we were +passing concerning certain of our regulations. +When Barrett reported back, he told me the +man had come from his own home town in +Indiana.</p> + +<p>One thing that struck us all as we left France +and reached Germany was the number of children. +In France children are rare. Each community +you passed you felt was composed of +grown people. In Germany the streets were +full of them—healthy-looking little rascals, +pink-cheeked and well-nourished, wearing diminutive<span class="pagenum">[230]</span> +gray-blue uniforms like those of the +German soldier. Little machine gunners, the +men used to call them, for they looked like +so many small replicas of those men we had +been killing and who had killed us. Immediately +upon the proclamation going out that +the children would be in no way molested, +these little rascals swarmed over everything. +Nothing could satisfy their curiosity.</p> + +<p>After weaving our way up the river valley +and over the hills, one early December morning +we found ourselves winding down from the +surrounding hills toward the Rhine. As we +swung around a rocky corner, the whole +panorama lay before us—the gables and +steeples of the town of Boppard with, as a +background, the broad, undisturbed silver +Rhine. On we wound down the rocky slope +into the city, the flag flying at the head of the +column. That night I formed the entire regiment +in line on the terraced water front facing +the river and, with the band playing <i>The Star-Spangled +Banner</i>, stood retreat.</p> + +<p>We waited here a day and then marched<span class="pagenum">[231]</span> +down the river to Coblenz. On this march +we passed through one village, with old gates, +little jutting houses carved and painted in +bright colors, unchanged sixteenth-century +Europe. Next was another village, factory +towers smoking, great brick buildings filled +with machinery, plain little board houses for +the workmen, the epitome of modernism.</p> + +<p>The night of December 12th we billeted at +Coblenz. Next morning, at seven o'clock, +the First Division in two columns crossed the +Rhine, the first of the American troops. As +the head of the column reached the center of +the bridge and I looked at massive Ehrenbreitstein +and up and down the historic river, I +felt this truly marked the end of an era.</p> + +<p>Two days more brought us to the end +of the bridgehead, where we were to take +up our position. Division headquarters were +in quite a large town called Montabaur, a +name supposed to have been brought back with +the early crusaders, <i>i. e.</i>, Mount Tabor. Two +castles overlooked the town, one in ruins, the +other still used as an administrative building<span class="pagenum">[232]</span> +by the town authorities. The regiment was +scattered through the surrounding small +country villages.</p> + +<p>Quarters for the men were good in comparison +with what they had been used to. We +were able to get washing facilities, food came +up regularly, and now, for the first time, proper +equipment. The men really enjoyed themselves +for the first week or so. We had no +trouble with fraternization. Our men had +seen too many of their friends and relations +killed to care to have anything to do with +their late enemies. Like true Americans, +they played with the children and flirted with +the women whenever opportunity offered, but +I never remember seeing any attempt to become +familiar with the men.</p> + +<p>Now that the work of fighting was over, uppermost +in everyone's mind was the thought, +"When do we get home?" The minuteman +wanted to go back to ordinary life and his +family. Time and again when I first returned +to this country people would ask me what I +thought the soldiers thought of this or that<span class="pagenum">[233]</span> +public question. I always replied truthfully +that the men were so busy thinking about +what a good place the United States was, how +much better in their opinion than any of the +European countries they had been to, that all +they were interested in was, when will that +transport leave.</p> + +<p>In January I was ordered to Paris on sick +leave. Shortly after, I sailed for home on the +<i>Mauretania</i> and saw the mass of New York +lift on the horizon, where my three children, +who had practically forgotten me, were waiting. +So ends the active participation of an average +American with average Americans in the war.</p> + +<hr class="chapter" /> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[234]</span></p> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER-XII" id="CHAPTER-XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<p class="h3">AFTERWARDS</p> + +<div class="inset" style="width:18em"> +<p> +"When old John Burns, a practical man,<br /> +Shouldered his rifle, unbent his brows,<br /> +And then went back to his bees and cows." +</p> +<p class="smcap right">Bret Harte. +</p> +</div> + +<p class="dropcap"><b>THE</b> war is important to us in this country +for what it accomplished directly: namely, +it crushed the brutal military power of Germany, +which threatened our ideal of civilization. +We are, however, primarily civilians, +not soldiers, and we are now going back to +our "jobs," whatever they may be. For this +reason I consider more important and more +far-reaching than the military victory the lessons +that it taught us and the effects it had +on our citizens who participated. We must +profit by these lessons and preserve the impulses +that have been given to our people. If +we do this the war will not simply be history,<span class="pagenum">[235]</span> +a past issue, a good job well finished; it will +be a force that will be felt in this country +through the generations to come for righteousness +and a truer Americanism.</p> + +<p>The first and most evident lesson taught +us was the effect of being ill-prepared. We +permitted in the past a policy which substituted +fine words for fine deeds, the pen and +the voice for action. We, in the past, contented +ourselves with sounding platitudes; +we allowed our sloth to approve them under +the misnomer of idealism. We allowed ourselves +to be switched from the hard realities +by glittering phrases. We sowed the wind +and we reaped the whirlwind. As a result +hundreds of millions have been spent to no +purpose and blood has been shed unnecessarily. +Those who were in this country saw daily the +evidences of inefficiency and the coincident +waste of the public moneys. Those who went +to Europe saw blood shed unnecessarily +through lack of supplies, inefficient organization, +and untrained leadership. At no times +did our equipment compare favorably with<span class="pagenum">[236]</span> +that of either of our major Allies. At all times +in Europe we were to a greater or less extent +equipped by them.</p> + +<p>Much as we are to blame for permitting +these conditions to arise in the past, we will +be doubly so if in the future we let half-baked +theorists and sinister demagogues lead us +again into a like neglect. We will be guilty +of bringing down upon the heads of our children +the same punishments that we have suffered. +Indeed, we will probably bring down +more upon them, as we by pure good fortune escaped +the maximum penalties that were due us.</p> + +<p>It was our good fortune that we were permitted, +under the sheltering forces of the Allies, +slowly to prepare ourselves after we had declared +war, until, after about a year, we were +in a condition which enabled us to join in the +conflict. Next time in all probability there +will be neither England nor France standing +between us and the enemy armies and giving +us nearly a year leeway before we have to +fight. I am proud to be an American, I am +proud of the actions of the citizens of the<span class="pagenum">[237]</span> +country, I am proud to be a citizen of a country +which has fought a war, not with the aid +of, but in spite of, its national administration. +My pride in the actions of the rank and file +of the country is offset only by my shame at +being represented in the world by the present +administration.</p> + +<p>As is usually the case, those who are responsible +in a large measure for conditions have +suffered least. The average American man +or woman has borne the brunt and paid the +price. Those nearest and dearest to the men +mostly responsible have been, like the Kaiser's +sons, too valuable to risk near the battle. A +prominent Socialist deputy of France who +had advocated disarmament went with the +first troops. He was wounded, and when +dying said he was thankful it had been permitted +him to atone with his life for his errors +in the past. I admire a man of that type of +honesty and courage.</p> + +<p>Honor where honor is due. Honor to the +people of the United States for their actions +after the beginning of this war.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[238]</span>Blame where blame is due. Blame to the +citizens of the United States for their easy +indolence which permitted them to support +for their high offices men who neither thought +straight nor were manly enough to share in +the penalties for their mistakes.</p> + +<p>We had the lesson of unpreparedness illustrated +so that we all can understand it. We +must not now content ourselves with admitting +we were wrong. That does not get us +any further forward. We must adopt measures +to see that it does not occur again. The +policy that I believe is necessary to this end +is compulsory training. This is not, to my +mind, simply a military question. It is an +educational question, educational in the broadest +sense of the term. The question of most +vital importance to a democracy, and for +which we always work, is to create equal opportunity +for every man and woman; to raise +in every way possible the type of the average +citizen. It is from this point of view that I +believe most strongly in universal training.</p> + +<p>We have adopted in this war the policy of<span class="pagenum">[239]</span> +compulsory military service. We have used +it as a military war-time measure. To get the +peace-time economic value we should have its +complement, compulsory training in time of +peace. One of the obstacles to this, in the +mind of the average citizen, is the creation of +a military caste. This is no doubt a danger, +and a real danger, but it is not an insurmountable +danger. In France and in Switzerland +it has been surmounted. There is no military +caste in either country. There is no desire +for war among the citizens of these countries. +No one can say that France by her aggressive +action drove Germany to the war. No one +can say that on account of military training +Switzerland plunged into the war. The first +country saved herself from the domination of +the German military caste by compulsory +training. The second country by the same +means saved herself entirely from war, for +unquestionably Germany chose Belgium to +rape on account of her defenselessness. Both +France and Switzerland are democracies, real +democracies in deed and thought.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[240]</span>This danger of fostering a military caste, +in my opinion, can be met by a proper handling +of the scheme. The whole matter of +training should be directly under the control +of a general staff. This general staff should +not be composed, as in Germany, simply of +military men. Military training, to my mind, +is only a part of the training necessary. On +the general staff the military should be simply +an element. In addition to them there should +be prominent educators, representatives of +labor, prominent employers of labor, representatives +of the farming interests, and members +of our legislative bodies, the House and +Senate. Such a staff would prohibit once and +for all the question of a military caste. Such +a staff would obtain the correct balance between +the purely military and the obviously +more important educational side. The complicated +adjustments of interests would be +safeguarded. The economic question would +be properly handled.</p> + +<p>Some of the benefits are obvious. First, +when the country is called upon to defend itself, +competent, trained men will step forward +into the ranks. Over and above them will be +a mechanism conserving the sacrifices, making +possible the just reward in victory of gallantry +and self-sacrifice. Your boy will go +out and you will feel that what can be done +will be done. You go yourself and you know +you will get a show for your white alley. You +don't mind sitting into a game where there +is an even break, but you hate to be forced to +draw cards when you know they are stacked +against you.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<a name="p240" id="p240"></a> +<a href="images/i_288f.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/i_288t.jpg" alt="i_288" /> +</a> +</div> +<p class="caption">THREE THEODORE ROOSEVELTS<br /> +Copyright, Walter S. Shinn +</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[241]</span>Second, the physical welfare of our young +men would be immeasurably helped. Let us +face the cold facts. In this war nearly half +of the men of military age were refused admission +to the service for physical defects. They +were below par from the standpoint of the +physician. Compulsory training should be +organized in such a way as to pay particular +attention to just this feature. No man would +be exempt from compulsory training on account +of physical defects. Special organizations +should be created to handle men of this<span class="pagenum">[242]</span> +kind. Specialists should be put in charge. +These specialists year after year would devote +their entire time to working with men of just +this kind and would add enormously to the +country economically by this work.</p> + +<p>Third. The knowledge of sanitation and +simple hygienic rules, to be concrete, the care +of teeth, the feet, the digestion, and a thousand +and one things of this nature, should be taught +to the many men who up to this time would +have had no opportunity to learn. For the +person who lives where every modern convenience +surrounds him it is difficult to believe +the conditions which exist in sections of the +country. Let him go to the poor sections of +any great city, let him go to the mountain +districts of Tennessee or of North Carolina. +He will see at once that the men from these +districts will be infinitely benefited by this +education.</p> + +<p>Fourth. The democratization would be +very beneficial to all alike. All would receive +the same treatment, and all classes, all grades +in society, would be mixed. The educational<span class="pagenum">[243]</span> +value from this alone would be very great. +Everyone would get new ideas, a broader +outlook on life, and a more complete understanding +of this country. Our public schools +do not embrace all classes and do not cover +the situation as generally as they should. It +is a rare thing for the sons of the wealthy to +go to the public schools. Compulsory training +would be a very real benefit to them.</p> + +<p>To sum up, from an economic standpoint +alone, compulsory training would be of untold +benefit. The economic unit of the community +is the individual. By training and developing +the individual you develop the economic +assets. The small loss in time from a money-earning +aspect would be ten times compensated +by the increased efficiency after training. +From a moral standpoint the individual would +be broadened by contact, trained in fundamentals +and self-discipline, and have one of the +surest foundations of clean thought and clean +action, a healthy body. So much for the +lesson of unpreparedness and what I believe +we should do to remedy it.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum">[244]</span>One of the first effects on the men who +served was democratization. By the draft +call all classes and grades of society were +drawn into the service. After reaching the +service, in so far as possible they were advanced +into positions of responsibility without +fear or favor. The effort was directed toward +finding the men most suited for the individual +job. The result was, in most instances, as +close a reproduction of a real democracy as +is possible.</p> + +<p>In my regiment there were many instances +of this fact. One of my lieutenants, a gallant +young fellow, was a waiter in civilian life, a +captain was a chauffeur. On the other hand, +many men serving in the ranks came from +professions ranking high in the scale in civilian +life.</p> + +<p>A lieutenant once spoke to me after an +action saying that when he was leading his +platoon back from the battle one of his privates +asked him a question. The question +was so intelligent and so well thought out +that the lieutenant said to him: "What were<span class="pagenum">[245]</span> +you before the war?" The reply was, "City +editor of the Cleveland <i>Plain Dealer</i>."</p> + +<p>Another private, serving as a runner in one +of the company headquarters, was an ex-state +senator from the State of Washington. These +are isolated instances of what was taking place +the army over—the waiter and chauffeur as +officers and the lawyer and newspaper editor +as privates. Ability to take responsibility +in the present, not previous conditions, was +what they were judged by. Surely associations +of this sort will breed sympathy and +understanding for the future. Surely these +will aid the country to approach its problems +without class bias.</p> + +<p>Another effect was the idea of service to +the country. To most of us, up to the time +of the war, the country was a rather indefinite +affair which had done something for us and +which we expected to do more for us in the +future. We had given but little thought to +what we should do for the country. During +the war every man in the service did something +for his country. He now is in the position<span class="pagenum">[246]</span> +of a man who has bought a share of stock +in a company. He is interested in seeing the +country run right and is willing to give more +service. The idea that we must endeavor to +approach in the United States is to create a +condition where as close to our entire population +as possible has a vested interest in the +country. In a certain way this has been +supplied to the service men by what they +have done for the country.</p> + +<p>The most important effect, to my mind, +was the Americanization. Those who served +became straight Americans, one hundred per +cent. Americans and nothing else.</p> + +<p>The regiment was composed of as good a +cross section of the United States as you could +get. The men came from all sections of the +country and from all walks of life.</p> + +<p>Selected at random from men who one time +or another served at my headquarters are the +following: Sergeants Braun, Schultz, Cramer, +and Corporal Schwarz were born and educated +in Germany, and no gallanter or better +Americans fought in our army. Sergeant<span class="pagenum">[247]</span> +Braun was awarded the Distinguished Service +Cross. Corporal Schwarz gave his life.</p> + +<p>Sergeant Samari and Privates Belacca, +Kalava, and Rano were born in Italy. Samari +particularly distinguished himself by his gallantry, +although all were gallant.</p> + +<p>The Sergeants Murphy, mainstays of their +particular organizations; Hennessy, of gallant +memory; Leonard, Magee, and O'Rourke were, +I believe, born in Ireland. All of the men +reflected credit on this, their country.</p> + +<p>Sergeant Hansrodoc, born in Greece, was +promoted from private and served from beginning +to end.</p> + +<p>Sergeants Masonis, Crapahousky, and +Zablimisky were born in Poland.</p> + +<p>Sergeant Mosleson and Privates Brenner +and Drabkin were of Jewish extraction. One +of them is dead; each of the others has been +twice wounded.</p> + +<p> and Sneaton and +Corporals Brown and Glover were of straight +English extraction. Corporal Le Bœuf is of +French-Canadian extraction. These are only<span class="pagenum">[248]</span> +some of the names that occur to me. In the +regiment at large the range was greater.</p> + +<p>All of these men were straight Americans +and nothing else. All of these men thought +of themselves as Americans. Once I heard one +of the men in conversation outside my headquarters. +He had been born in a foreign +country. He didn't like the way that country +was doing in the war. He alluded to the citizens +of that country, the country of his birth, +as "them cold-footed rascals." It never +even occurred to him that there was anything +funny in this. He thought of himself as an +American, the men to whom he was talking +thought of him as an American.</p> + +<p>An excellent soldier born in Germany was +brought back to me one day as we were advancing +into the lines. The officer in charge +reported that the man had been caught talking +to German prisoners, which was something +strictly forbidden. He appeared before me. +I knew him to be a good sort and said to him, +"What is the matter, how did this come +about?" He said, "Well, sir, I know I should<span class="pagenum">[249]</span> +not have done it and I won't do it again, but +I suddenly saw in that batch of prisoners someone +from the town where I was born." This +man was killed in action shortly afterward +fighting for this country.</p> + +<p>I have been told of a leave train sent to +Italy with American soldiers born in Italy on +it in order that they might see their people. +Doubt was expressed in the minds of the +higher command as to whether it was an advisable +move, inasmuch as it was thought probable +that many of the men would overstay +their leave or possibly try to desert and stay +there. Not one man out of the 1200 did +either. An officer who talked with these men +on their return said that conversations ran +much like this: "Cipiloni, have a fine time on +your leave?" "Yes, sir." "See your family?" +"Yes, sir." "Get back in time all right?" +"Yes, sir, got back to the train fourteen hours +before it left, sir. I was afraid, sir, if I missed +this train, I might get left behind when the +division started for home."</p> + +<p>When replacements came to us, some of<span class="pagenum">[250]</span> +them could not even speak English. After +they had been with the troops two or three +months the same men would not only be +speaking English, but would speak it by +preference. I have seen two Italians, born +in the same district in Italy, laboriously conversing +with one another in English rather +than use the tongue to which they were born, +with which they were naturally much more +familiar.</p> + +<p>From these and many other reasons, the +army is the least of this country's fears as far +as Bolshevism and its kindred anarchies are +concerned. All over the country you will +find the service men keen to put down demonstrations +of this sort. They are keen of their +own accord, not prompted by anyone. The +other day I was in a city where a Bolshevist +meeting had been broken up by some service +men. I knew one of the men who was concerned +in this. I asked him how it occurred. +He said. "Why, sir, it was this way. I was +talking to some of the fellows down at the +W. C. C. S. and a guy says to us, 'They've<span class="pagenum">[251]</span> +got a red-flag meeting on for to-night.' I said +to some of the men, 'That ain't the flag we +know anything about, or fought for. Let's +go down and bust them birds up.'"</p> + +<p>The service man feels that this is his country. +His first and foremost concern is for +the United States. He wants the institutions +of this country to stand. He has given himself, +and where one has given of one's self the +interest is deepest. He has bought a share +of stock of the United States. As a stockholder +he intends to do what he can to see +that the concern is run properly.</p> + +<p>In order to keep alive and active this spirit +of sturdy loyalty, a vested interest of some +type obtained by his own labor should be +aimed at for every one of as many citizens as +possible. This country will have to move +forward with a program of sane, constructive, +carefully thought-out liberalism.</p> + +<p>It may be necessary in doing this to modify +or change certain things in this community +in the future, but the service man, I believe, +intends, as far as he is able, to see that those<span class="pagenum">[252]</span> +changes and modifications are carried out in +such a way as will not destroy or injure the +national fabric and institutions.</p> + +<p>Again, first, last, and always, the service +man is an American!</p> + +<p class="h3">THE END</p> + +<p class="spacer"> </p> + +<p class="h2"><i>A Selection from the<br /> +Catalogue of</i></p> + +<p class="h1">G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS</p> + +<p class="h2">Complete Catalogues sent<br /> +on application</p> + +<div class="topbox"> +<p class="h2">"Wade in, Sanitary!"</p> + +<p class="h4">The Story of a Division Surgeon +in France</p> + +<p class="h4">By</p> + +<p class="h3">Richard Derby</p> + +<p class="h5">Lt.-Col. M. C., U. S. A., Division Surgeon, Second Division</p> + +<p>This is a surgeon's story of the war—of +that life and death humanly dramatic +portion of the war in which the doctors +in khaki played their great part.</p> + +<p>The book is far more than a mere account +of war experiences. It is the first +complete and authoritative picture of the +struggle from the surgeon's side. Though +non-technical in style and thoroughly +popular, it points out many of the lessons +of the war from the medical standpoint +of interest to every physician and every +thinking citizen.</p> + +<p>To <u>after the war</u> literature the book is +a highly valuable addition of absorbing +interest.</p> +</div> + +<div class="topbox"> +<p class="h2">The Yankee in the<br /> +British Zone</p> + +<p class="h3">By</p> + +<p class="h3">Captain Ewen C. MacVeagh<br /> +and<br/> +Lieutenant Lee D. Brown</p> + +<p>How did Tommy Atkins and the Yank +get on? How did they impress each +other? What did they learn about each +other?</p> + +<p>That is what this book answers. It is +<u>not</u> a war book; it is rather a study in +the psychology of the average man, British +and American; and it is the first +intimate story of the Anglo-American +relations.</p> + +<p>Written by two trained observers it +sets forth a wealth of anecdotes, many +grotesquely funny, and illustrative "human +interest" stories and incidents.</p> +</div> + +<div class="topbox"> +<p class="h2">"I WAS THERE"<br /> +WITH THE YANKS<br /> +IN FRANCE</p> + +<p class="h4">By</p> + +<p class="h3">C. Le Roy Baldridge</p> + +<p>300 sketches made on the spot while +the author was a camion driver with the +French Army, and later after he had +joined the A. E. F. He was also the +official artist of <i>The Stars and Stripes</i>. +"Not the least of the paper's achievements," +says the <i>N. Y. Eve. Post</i>, "is +the repute it won for an excellent artist—Mr. +Baldridge."</p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p class="h2">G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS</p> + +<p class="noin"><b>New York<span style="float:right">London</span></b></p> + +</div> + +<div class="topbox"> +<p class="h2">The Story</p> + +<p class="h4">of the</p> + +<p class="h2">American Legion</p> + +<p class="h3">By<br/> +Lieut. George S. Wheat</p> + +<p class="h4"><i>12º, 13 Illustrations</i></p> + +<p>First of a most important series, which +will contain from year to year a complete +record of the "G. A. R. of the Great +War." This first volume treats fully of +the original formation of an organization +that is potentially the most far-reaching +influence in America to-day.</p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p class="h2">G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS</p> + +<p class="noin"><b>New York<span style="float:right">London</span></b></p> + +</div> + +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Average Americans, by Theodore Roosevelt + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AVERAGE AMERICANS *** + +***** This file should be named 36292-h.htm or 36292-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/2/9/36292/ + +Produced by Matthew Wheaton, Greg Bergquist and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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