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A History of 
 Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
cA History^ 
 
 BATTERY F 
 
 323d FIELD ARTILLERY 
 
 BY 
 
 McDonald h. riggs 
 rutherford h. platt, jr. 
 
 PRIVATELY PRINTED BY 
 
 JOHN B. DEMPSEY 
 CLEVELAND, OHIO 
 
T] sn 
 
 ^ 
 
 DEDICATION 
 
 This book is dedicated to the 
 brave men, living and dead, who as 
 Battery F, Three Hundred and 
 Twenty-third Field Artillery, served 
 their country in the World War. 
 
 Gift 
 
 ■ -ubliaher 
 mi 3. |»20 
 
 .0' 
 
 / 
 
ROLL OF SACRIFICE 
 
 KILLED IN ACTION 
 Phillips, George, Nellie, Ohio October 29, 1918 
 
 DIED OF DISEASE 
 
 Colville, Ross L January 12, 1918 
 
 Ralston, Samuel R., Butler, Pa April 7, 1918 
 
 Welch, Robert W April 17, 1918 
 
 Winkle, George A April 21, 1918 
 
 Vanderlin, Victor P., Butler, Pa April 17, 1919 
 
 WOUNDED IN ACTION 
 
 Earnhardt, Raymond E Chicora, Pa. 
 
 Hicks, James South Portsmouth, Ky. 
 
 Koenig, Alfred Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Uhlenbrock, Albert T Columbus, Ohio 
 
Contents 
 
 Foreword XIII 
 
 F Battery 1 
 
 Battery F at the Front 31 
 
 The Great Barrage 38 
 
 The Argonne 48 
 
 Verdun 61 
 
 Brabant Sur Meuse ']^ 
 
 Round Up 97 
 
 Orders 132 
 
 Station List 144 
 
 Rosters 146 
 
List of Illustrations 
 
 The Top ^ 
 
 The American "75" 
 
 "Posts" ^ 
 
 The "Agapenor" 
 
 Vin Blanc ^^ 
 
 "Hommes 40" ^7 
 
 U. S. S. Von Steuben 28 
 
 Tode Dunett ^^ 
 
 Brabant Hill 77 
 
 Lt. Bradford ^^ 
 
 Bois de Montfaucon '^^ 
 
 For the Commander-in-Chief HI 
 
 "Lest Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" 114 
 
 Ecurey (Nov. 11, 1918) 126 
 
Foreword 
 
 WHEN it was determined to publish a regimental his- 
 tory, it was understood that it was to consist of 
 chapters contributed by each battery. For various 
 causes this plan has been abandoned in favor of an account 
 of the accomplishment of the regiment as a whole. The 
 chief reason, therefore, for the printing of this book is to 
 provide each member of Battery F with a permanent record 
 of the part taken by his battery in the World War. 
 
 The opportunity thus afforded to the battery commander 
 to express his personal admiration for the members of his 
 organization, both officers and men, and his appreciation of 
 the service they rendered, is gratifying. Probably no unit 
 in the A. E. F. was more unpromising at its inception. When 
 Bob Simpson introduced his aggregation of "wops" and 
 "hunkies" to the battery officers, it was with despair in their 
 hearts that they attempted the roll-call. The humor of the 
 situation appeared at the initial muster, when Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Morrison was forced to laugh outright at the men 
 who. failing to recognize their names when pronounced in 
 English, stood stolidly in place and did not answer "here" to 
 the roll-call. The foot drill of the newly formed squads on 
 the stubble fields of Camp Sherman seemed ludicrous to the 
 officers, soldiers of all of three months, but the recruit's 
 willingness to learn and his outwardly cheerful acceptance of 
 discipline soon gave confidence to his commanders. Colonel 
 Morrison optimistically insisted that F Battery, because of its 
 diverse membership was sure to render a good account of 
 itself. The battery commander shared his confidence and he 
 was not disappointed. 
 
 A soldier in the National Army had a unique experience. 
 Taken by law from his home, thrown into a barracks with 
 a couple of hundred strangers, many of them from different 
 antecedents and surroundings, he was, in the course of time, 
 given a uniform like unto two million other uniforms; 
 ordered to do many seemingly foolish things, which often 
 enough were foolish; punished for strange misdemeanors; 
 
bossed by officers of little more military experience than he; 
 deprived of all semblance of independence and compelled to 
 perform disagreeable and strange labor for small pay. 
 Drawn from a world where within very wide bounds each 
 man is master of his individual life, he became a cog in a 
 very rigid organization, where by his own will he could be 
 only a good soldier or a poor soldier. 
 
 That this transformation was not accompanied by more 
 friction is due chiefly to the adaptability of the young 
 American. When the first contingents arrived at Camp Sher- 
 man, the newly fledged company commanders were anxious 
 as to the attitude of their men, but hardly a week had passed 
 before it was clearly recognized that there was to be no 
 difficulty in maintaining military discipline, and that the 
 officers could have the ungrudging support of their men, 
 in the effort to mold their units into effective fighting ma- 
 chines. From the first days in Camp Sherman to the last 
 gathering around the wooden boards at Camp Merritt, the 
 entire loyalty of every man, officer, and private of Battery 
 F was felt and relied upon by the battery commander. 
 
 At Camp Sherman this spirit meant great progress. 
 Much was learned during the first few months. Foot drill 
 soon changed from a job to a bore. Cleanliness of quarters and 
 person was axiomatic. Military courtesy, at first irksome, 
 grew to be second nature. Eventually the guns came, and 
 the gunners became so practised that Battery F was chosen 
 to represent the regiment in the brigade exhibition problem 
 when it fired Colonel Ashburn's famous barrage — the barrage 
 which rolled both ways. Here the gun crews abolished the 
 probable error. After the completion of the barrage, General 
 Glenn ordered a salvo fired at the first "enemy" trench. On 
 the original data, two shells landed squarely in the trench, 
 one exploded on the parapet, and one hit the parados. The 
 drivers also brought compliments to the battery by the dashing 
 manner in which they, with the first sergeant in command, 
 brought the limbers to the battery position under the eyes of 
 the division commander, who leaned out of his automobile 
 curious to see what drivers had the skill and the nerve to 
 pass him at the trot in close column with one wheel in the 
 ditch and the other within six inches of his fender. The long 
 hours of equitation during the many weeks of bitterly cold winter 
 
weather had caused some grumbling, but this drill carried on 
 under the watchful and skillful direction of the regimental 
 commander had made excellent horsemen. The battery was 
 to profit by this in France where the drivers of Battery F 
 always successfully maneuvered their teams over most diffi- 
 cult ground. 
 
 For nearly a year the regiment lived and drilled at Camp 
 Sherman. After the first few days it was commanded first by 
 Lt.-Col. William F. Morrison and then by Col. Louis T. 
 Boisseau. Both of these officers held the welfare of their 
 men to be a first consideration. The battery commanders 
 could generally count on a sympathetic reception of all sug- 
 gestions for increasing the comfort of their batteries. When 
 just complaints were received at regimental headquarters, 
 emanating from the batteries, the causes were removed 
 where possible, or the complaints were forwarded to higher 
 authority. Every effort was made to clothe the men and to 
 provide good food, and when shortages occurred it was 
 seldom through neglect by regimental officers. In the 
 spring, night marches became the fashion. Each night as 
 the returning regiment filed past headquarters on the way 
 to the stables, it was inspected by Colonel Boisseau himself, 
 who personally gave each battery commander an order as to 
 the care of the horses and the provisioning of the men with 
 bread and hot coffee. He was the last commanding officer 
 of the 323d F. A. to see his men to bed. 
 
 Finally the great day came and the regiment set out for 
 France. Sixty new recruits had been assigned prior to 
 leaving Camp Sherman, but the battery was able to assimi- 
 late these men. No officer in the division could have been 
 more proud of his outfit or more confident in its ability to 
 face the future than the captain of Battery F. Whatever 
 was ahead, the battery could meet it with the knowledge 
 that it was an organization composed of men who stuck 
 together, who knew how to get things done, and who could 
 learn a new job or a new way to do an old one. More- 
 over, they had mastered the elements of military duty. 
 They obeyed promptly and cheerfully. They knew how to 
 ride a horse and to drive a team. They could shoot a three- 
 inch field piece with speed and accuracy. They could march, 
 they could make and pack their rolls. They knew how to care 
 
for themselves and for their horses when in the field. The 
 battery had able, enthusiastic and well-trained junior officers. 
 I'he first sergeant was botli loved and feared by the men. 
 The sergeants were leaders, the corporals could lay their 
 guns, the cooks could get a meal out of a tin can. And all 
 were aware that we did not know it all. 
 
 The following pages contain two vivid accounts of the 
 work of Battery F in France and Germany and it is not 
 proposed to review here its service in the A. E. F. Never- 
 theless certain events and facts stand out in relief as illustrat- 
 ing the qualities which especially increased the respect and 
 admiration for his men which the B. C. had long before 
 acquired. First of all there came to Maure a new colonel. 
 At the time any change from the indiflPerence of the preceding 
 commanding officer seemed welcome. For the enlisted men of 
 the regiment it was probably amusing to see their officers 
 run off on a fool's errand at the command "Go." Nor did 
 they object to the interruption of a gun drill at the 75's 
 by a wild game of follow the leader. But they, too, felt the 
 effects of a wild man's whims when, after having been 
 crowded into the second story loft of a barn, they were com- 
 manded to jump out, the last man to be court-martialed, or 
 when aroused out of a well-earned sleep by the call to arms, 
 they were ordered to turn the colonel's fourgon around. For 
 the battery commander the four weeks at Coetquidan 
 were filled with anxiety. The control of his battery seemed 
 to be slipping aw^ay from him under the disorganizing 
 authority of an irrational mind. Every principle of good 
 discipline, of organization, of correct instruction was violated 
 and the results in the battery were apparent. It was with 
 thankfulness that the B. C. boarded the train for the front, 
 once more the master of his unit and not likely to be inter- 
 fered with. To his great satisfaction, he found that he still 
 had the same dependable outfit. 
 
 Ignorance or incompetence on the part of higher com- 
 manders, when converted into action through their orders, 
 leads to very great worry and mental distress on the part of 
 subordinate officers, who see their men compelled to endure 
 unnecessary and sometimes very great hardship, dangers, and 
 even death, and yet are themselves unable to alter the situa- 
 tion. Indeed the company officers must usually give the 
 
ultimate order which causes the disaster. In spite of the 
 echelon near Esnes and of the gun position selected for us 
 at Ecure}', F Battery had no casualties on this account, but 
 many irritating incidents occurred which called for the exercise 
 of the utmost patience and self control. At Cote-de-Talou a 
 change in command took place. The new colonel announced 
 to his officers that from henceforth the regiment would cease 
 to be a pink tea and pajama outfit. At this time there were 
 officers and men who were in the saddle sixty continuous 
 hours. It was on Cote-de-Talou that men carrying ammuni- 
 tion fell to the ground exhausted and unconscious and could 
 only be aroused to the essential tasks by kicks on the feet 
 and legs. It v/as a day later that at noon the second battalion 
 was ordered deprived of its only meal in twenty-four hours 
 so that all might be ready to limber up the guns at dusk. 
 Every officer and man in the battalion, except the colonel, 
 knew that half an hour was sufficient time in which to prepare 
 for the movement, yet only the intervention of the ever intelli- 
 gent and energetic battalion commander, Major Fibich, saved 
 the batteries from a night of starving. A week later this same 
 colonel telephoned the second battalion command post several 
 times one busy morning to know why a few Y. M. C. A. 
 cookies had been distributed among the men at the guns while 
 none had been sent to his dugout. Such stories were repeated 
 throughout the regiment and exaggerated in true soldier 
 fashion. They were the cause of much forceful language, but 
 they deserve remembrance for the fact that they did not 
 lessen the ardor and willingness of the men. These things, 
 however, were trivial in comparison to the blunders of 
 higher officers. In war, individuals and great bodies of men 
 must often be sacrificed to attain a military purpose. But 
 this justification can never be made of the conduct of the 
 marches of the 158th F. A. Brigade. There can be no excuse 
 for ordering an entire brigade of field artillery to be prepared 
 to take the same road at nearly the same place at the same 
 moment. There could be no military reason for allowing 
 the necessarily slow moving, road blocking, heavy regiment 
 to lead the column. Yet both of these stupid blunders 
 were committed up to the date of the armistice. The 
 suffering of the men and animals because of the long delays 
 in the rain and cold is beyond description. Their vitality was 
 
greatly impaired and yet Battery F never lost a man by 
 straggling. During the war it never had a straggler and 
 only once thereafter, when two men came into a German 
 village a few minutes behind the column. For the battery 
 this is its proudest boast. No greater test of all soldierly 
 qualities could have been made than by these night marches 
 on the shell-torn, traffic-crowded roads, in the cold and the 
 wet. Yet neither the battery nor any member of it ever 
 faltered by the wayside. The strength of purpose and the 
 unfailing fortitude thus shown are more admirable in a soldier 
 than all else save courage. 
 
 The march into Germany was made in daylight and in 
 the main was well conducted. Errors, such as the omission 
 of the noonday halt and meal, were eventually remedied. 
 But what was saved to the men by more intelligent direc- 
 tion was lost by a brutal conception of discipline. The discipline 
 usually enforced by the officer of the old regular army is 
 based on fear. Punishment is the club by which men are 
 driven to their tasks. In the A. E. F., after the armistice as 
 well as during active military operations, the S. O. S. 
 loomed before every army ofiicer, from the division commander 
 down, wdio incurred the displeasure of his superior. The 
 exercise of this power was summary and arbitrary. The 
 unfortunate officer had not even the benefit of a court 
 martial or a trial l)efore an impartial tribunal. Subsequent 
 incjuiry at the reclassification depot, even if it ended in 
 exoneration, did not remove the disgrace and shame 
 previously suffered. No one can deny that fear as a motive 
 is potent and certainly the enlisted men felt its effects. The 
 fear that some inspector might criticise the appearance of 
 the brigade led to the most outrageous requirements. No 
 one ever justly complained of strict and elaborate care of the 
 animals. Every man knew that the mobility of his battery 
 depended upon the survival of the horses and that the lives 
 of the horses depended upon the attention given them. 
 The ever present want of grooming kits complicated matters 
 and made the chores difficult. All the more vexatious on 
 this account were the orders that before the men could rest 
 after an all day's march every carriage and every strap 
 of harness must be cleaned of mud, although within five 
 minutes of its taking the road they would again be 
 
spattered. The three days' halts, ostensibly for rest, were 
 harder than marching. Under constant threats of the S. O. S., 
 the battery commanders were compelled to tear their harness 
 down, scrape each strap with sticks, wash it in water, 
 although there was seldom any saddle soap or other dress- 
 ing. Incessant inspections w^ere made of the exterior of 
 the men and material, but no inspector ever glanced through 
 the bore of the guns and very seldom was time allotted to 
 the men for bathing themselves or washing their under- 
 clothes and socks. The smearing of the gun carriages and 
 helmets with the precious recoil oil became a joke in Germany 
 when there were comparatively comfortable quarters, good 
 food and plenty of sleep — an expensive joke, to be sure. But 
 on the march these absurd requirements were harsh and 
 morale-destroying. Heretofore the discipline in F Battery had 
 always been based on the principal that fear is a less effec- 
 tive motive than good will ; that men can be led where they 
 cannot be forced; that punishment is seldom desirable, but 
 encouragement always so; and that, when generously treated, 
 men are honest and faithful, loyal and hard-working, and 
 that real discipline is self-imposed. So far these principles 
 had worked in practice. Since abuse transforms good will to 
 resentment, and injustice destroys loyalty, and imposition 
 makes hard-working men loafers, and since angry men, 
 fearing punishment sham work but accomplish nothing, it 
 was not surprising that the entire battery showed the deleteri- 
 ous effect of the "discipline" enforced by the high commanders. 
 But these things were overcome. By the time the battery had 
 occupied Dernbach it had once more regained its esprit. It 
 never had accomplished more than it did during the first week 
 in the new home. There is nothing more praiseworthy in its 
 history. As it had previously overcome physical hardship, it 
 had now recovered its morale, lessened through no fault of 
 its own. 
 
 Of the work done on the firing line, little need be said 
 here. Despite the brief time for training in France, the 
 323d F. A. knew how to perform its task and did it in a 
 manner above criticism. Its skill of course was relative and 
 great improvement was shown as time went on. Had the war 
 continued, it would have reached a perfection unsurpassed by 
 any artillery. As it was, it never failed to lay down satisfac- 
 
torily any fire which was requested of it. When first the shells 
 left the muzzles of the guns on Cote-de-Talou, all felt the 
 elation of having begun the fulfillment of the great purpose 
 for which we had come. Those seven hours were hours of 
 great joy to the gunners. Many who when they came to 
 France had not known why America had entered the war, 
 had long since learned it from what they had seen to the west 
 of the Meuse. The Yank did not see visions. He was not 
 looking into the sky at mirages. He gazed strai<.4it ahead and 
 if he could see further than the first Hun, it was the Rhine 
 and Berlin that he saw. So a few days later on Brabant Hill, 
 in spite of all the weariness of body, the battery was filled 
 with exultation when, in plain sight of the gunners and under 
 the protection of their fire, the line of the attacking dough-boys 
 swept up and over the neighboring crest. For once the bat- 
 tery saw the effect of its shells upon the enemy and it knew 
 its power as an instrument of offense. But that was the last 
 the gunners saw of their own work and the ne::t three weeks 
 tested the stamina of the men. Constant firing strained their 
 fortitude and incessant shelling put their courage to proof. In 
 notliing did they fail. Day and niglit. they ?ent messages of 
 victory in the form of high explosive and gas into the German 
 lines; night and day, they took without flinching the pounding 
 with which the enemy reciprocated. Finally came that morn- 
 ing in Fcurcy, when, in the midst of the hottest half hour of 
 the war, the wires brought the command, "Cease fire. The 
 armistice is signed." Never in all history was there more 
 universal and more profound satisfaction. Peace reigned in 
 the Western Front. The Allies had won the war. 
 
 Of his share in the victory every man of F Battery may 
 be proud. The American Army performed miracles and 
 achieved a tremendous triumph. The part of each unit was 
 very small in relation to the vrhole. But such as it was, if well 
 taken, it called out all that was in the individual of bravery, 
 determination, good humor, and moral and physical endurance. 
 None of us did everything perfectly. Each must be conscious 
 of faults committed. But Battery F, 323d F. A. did its full 
 duty and did it splendidly. That its record was as faultless as 
 was human is due to the character of the men who composed it. 
 
 John B. Dempsey. 
 
F Battery 
 
 HAVING a horror of the idea of performing the duties 
 of an enlisted man in the war that was sure to come, 
 many civilians rushed into the various officers train- 
 ing camps, that were opened to fit men to be officers in the 
 new National Army. After three long months of the hardest 
 training possible, all, with few exceptions, emerged with com- 
 missions, ranking from Majors down to Second Lieutenants. 
 With special order No. 89 Headquarters Citizens Training 
 Camp, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., August 15, 1917, plac- 
 ing them on active duty, and Regimental Special Order No. 1, 
 323rd L. F. A., tucked away in the pocket of their newly 
 acquired uniform. Captain John B. Dempsey, First Lieutenant 
 Herman N. Archer, Second Lieutenants Boyce E. Bradford, 
 Lee W. Breese, Floj^d B. Calhoun, Jefferson Patterson and 
 Willard Wilson became the "last but not least" battery of 
 the regiment, namely "F," reporting for duty with battery 
 August 30, 1917. 
 
 On September 4th, a train loaded with the first contingent 
 of Western Pennsylvania men for Camp Sherman rolled out 
 of the station at Rochester, Pa., and many a fellow started 
 on what he thought would be a short vacation. Pulling into 
 Chillicothe, Ohio, at dusk on September 5th, we were lined 
 up in our first formation while one man, supposedly an officer, 
 looked down our throats, for what, no one ever knew, and 
 another went through our pockets and baggage to see if we 
 had a "quart or a gun." We were then loaded in large 
 trucks and rushed out to Camp Sherman, Section P, where 
 at regimental headquarters we were given a bit of cold supper; 
 then we were issued two O. D. blankets and a bed sack, 
 filling our bed sacks with straw we found a cot and had some 
 "Sergeant" whom we were scared to death of at the time, 
 show us how "we make a bed in the Regulars." 
 
 The next morning about five-thirty we were awakened by 
 an awful noise from the bugler, that noise we have never 
 forgotten. No one stirred until a voice bellowed, "outside, 
 
A History of Battery F J2jd Field Artillery 
 
 everybody." There the roll was called to see if any of us 
 had gotten homesick during the night and decided that the 
 army was no place for us. Everyone being present we were 
 left to wash and eat breakfast. Shortly after breakfast we 
 were all fallen out to pick up the cigarette butts and papers 
 we had thrown out of the window the night before. Then 
 we were sorted out like sheep and assigned to the different 
 batteries. Little was done except police duty until another 
 shipment of "fighters" could be received, so that each battery 
 might have at least a squad. On September 9, 1917, at 8 
 P. M. the second contingent arrived and after going through 
 the preliminaries they were assigned to the different batteries. 
 Battery "F" now had 18 men and on September 12th, headed 
 by Captain Dempsey we took possession of our new home, 
 barracks No. 23 P. Army style we cleaned house and made 
 the place fit to live in. Our family was prophesied to increase 
 by about 175 men within the next few days, so 200 iron cots 
 were arranged in rows and a bed sack filled with straw was 
 placed on each one. 
 
 After drilling for about ten days on the smooth corn 
 stubbled drill fields, with "Society Brand" shoes, which sud- 
 denly became too small for us, and civilian clothes without 
 a change, with the sun at 106° Fahrenheit, the good news came 
 that we would be issued uniforms. First came marching 
 shoes, broad toes and plenty large, what a relief. Next 
 came breeches, if they were large enough in the leg they 
 would go around the waist about twice, and right here was 
 where Sergeant Voemastek's troubles started. Then came 
 the O. D. Shirts. JVool shirts in summer! Only officers would 
 have the heart to make a man wear them, and they had 
 cotton O. D.'s so why should they care. Finally we were 
 all outfitted with the necessary underwear and socks and then 
 came the campaign hat, never did you think there were so 
 many square-heads in the world until you saw the bunch 
 rummaging through a pile of new, stiff service hats, trying 
 to find one that would sit on their dome without covering 
 their ears. Everyone dressed up in the new outfit, was 
 lined up and marched over to Section B, where we were 
 given that never to be forgotten "first shot." After we had 
 
 2 
 
A History of Battery F S^sd Field Artillery 
 
 helped to bring back to life those who had fainted, we 
 staggered back over to the barracks and hit the cot. In an 
 hour or so our shoulders started getting sore, we had an 
 awful headache, if anybody spoke to us we wanted them 
 court-martialed, we couldn't eat any supper and every time 
 we tried to roll over during the night the fellow next to us 
 heard something like this *_*!?"!"*_*_ Next mornins: our 
 
 Crarcion Kaybiim Simpson 
 
 The "Top" 
 
 left arm was sore and swollen and then we happened to 
 remember that while one man was pumping typhoid fever into 
 our backs another was scratching our arm and making it 
 sick with the smallpox. By order, we were given 24 hours 
 off duty, which started many a "Goldbricker's" career. 
 
 Army life, like married life, is one damned thing after 
 another. Having gone through a thorough physical inspection 
 every day for about a week, to see if our heart was strong 
 
 3 
 
A History of Battery F S^sd Field Artillery 
 
 enough to stand the disappointments that were coming, if 
 our lungs were strong enough to stand the gas that was ever 
 present, and if our eyes were good enough to see through 
 everything that we were told, and the medics having decided 
 that everyone was perfectly able to shoulder his share of the 
 burden, we were started to work building dummy three-inch 
 guns out of the scrap lumber that was lying about. This was 
 considered necessary to teach the "recruit" the difference be- 
 tween the Artillery and the Infantry. They also proved to be 
 of great assistance to the officers in establishing prestige. They 
 would gather the recruits about themselves and the dummy 
 guns and explain the uses of all the absent parts, the parts 
 that could not be made from wood, leaving the impression 
 that they had digested three-fourths of the Artillery Manuals 
 ever issued. 
 
 The colonel not being satisfied with the architecture of 
 his home in Section P ordered his official family to move into 
 Section R. Gathering together what few worldly possessions 
 we now had, we took possession of Section R and made ready 
 to receive the third contingent. On the night of September 
 18, 1917, a train pulled up behind the Base Hospital and a 
 mass of muttering, grumbling men rolled out into the dark- 
 ness and lined up for roll-call. The sputtering resembled the 
 hum of a Chop Suey Shop: Vincenzo Colantonio, Guiseppe 
 Jolosyuski, Policronis Pagonachi, Bronislaw Ricinski and 
 Dementrio Sarikake. Each man not only had a name, but, 
 like a box car, had a number, and with no response to the 
 summons by name, Lieutenant Piatt resorted to the numbers 
 and found that most of the men knew their numbers better 
 than their names. All men being present, physically if not 
 mentally, they were assigned to the various batteries and then 
 were put under the charge of the acting non-commissioned 
 officers — those old hands who had served at least ten days 
 in the army. 
 
 These men were put through the mill and assorting 
 process, some were discharged on account of physical ailments, 
 some were alien enemies and then came the great outlet ; all 
 men who were undesirable for this branch of service could 
 be transferred to the Depot Brigade. Captain Dempsey seiz- 
 
 4 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 ing his opportunity, transferred every man whose name he 
 could not pronounce. A few, as is always the case, tried to 
 get exempted even at this late date. For instance, our friend 
 Sullivan Rock, whose leg had been broken between two box 
 cars, years ago, claimed that a man with a box car leg was 
 not fit for a soldier. After pleading for exemption on the 
 ground of a poor, old, dependent mother back home, with no 
 success, he all of a sudden became unable to walk on account 
 of his leg. Upon the recommendation of the medics for light 
 work he was given a job as permanent Latrine Orderly. 
 
 On the evening of October 7th, the regiment was as- 
 sembled in front of Regimental Headquarters for formal 
 retreat. Here the men of the battery saw for the first time 
 a few of their friends come into possession of that which 
 made them non-commissioned officers. 
 
 Many of us fellows will have to dress up a story in some 
 favorable manner in order to explain to those at home "just 
 why we never were made non-com's." But don't be afraid, 
 just tell them that the best men in the battery were "bucks" 
 and they'll let you off easy. Many a Saturday afternoon or 
 Sunday we did kitchen police or stable police, because some- 
 time during the week we had forgotten we were in the army 
 and had told some corporal to go to Hell ! Remember how 
 Captain Dempsey would call us into the orderly room, after 
 the corporal had gone at break-neck speed to tell him how 
 he had been insulted, and stamping his foot on the floor 
 would say "I will not have it, / zvill not have it." Then how 
 we would salute, make an about face and go out, all the time 
 telling him, under our breath of course, just where he could go. 
 
 The shrewdest men in all the battery have tried to dis- 
 cover where Lieutenant Archer conceived the idea of digging 
 the dugout in the back yard. Many a hot summer's afternoon, 
 with the sweat running down our backs and the sand running 
 down our neck we shoveled sand out of that twenty-foot hole, 
 planted 10' x 10' posts and built walls out of 2'x4's, to walk 
 out the next morning and find that there had been a land 
 slide and our board wall was buried under more than two 
 tons of sand. After a few suggestions from the French 
 Captain, Tommy-Martin, the dugout was finished and "F" 
 
 5 
 
A History of Battery F s^jd Field Artillery 
 
 Battery was the sole possessor of a real shell proof dugout, 
 which a few months later we were sorry had not been 
 included in over seas equipment. 
 
 Weird and interesting were the make-shifts by which we 
 learned the drill for cannoneers, mounted and dismounted. 
 We will long remember the splinters we ran into our fingers 
 from the "guns," or the skinned shins we had from falling 
 over them, in changing posts. After an hour of that they 
 would drag us out into the field and try to teach us what 
 
 The American "75" 
 
 No. 2 of the rear rank did in "Squads Right" and just what 
 No. 2 of the front rank did in "Squads Left." Captain 
 would then come out with his notebook and pencil and have 
 some newly-made sergeant take his section out, give com- 
 mands, explain how to execute them, and then have the 
 section do it. 
 
 You were graded and that was given you as an excuse 
 for not being able to get a pass home for Thanksgiving. For 
 many of us, it was the first Thanksgiving away from home, 
 and there seemed to be no occasion for thankfulness until 
 the battery football players came home the victors and we 
 came into a dinner of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cran- 
 
 6 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 berry sauce, radishes, onions, celery, green beans, pie, ice 
 cream and cake, coffee, two good cigars and cigarettes, and 
 all the cider you wanted. After the dinner the battery as- 
 sembled in the annex and had a good time watching Mark Hill 
 clean up on a dozen challengers. After hearing a quartet 
 render some discords. Captain Dempsey gave a short patriotic 
 speech. For the first time since we were innoculated, we 
 did not have to stand retreat. 
 
 We had been so busy learning our General Orders and 
 saying them backwards for everyone from the colonel down 
 to the sergeant of the guard, that we had forgotten to put 
 in for a pass for Christmas. It did not make much difference 
 for as has always been the case, there were a certain few 
 who would go regardless of requests. Well, some of us went 
 home and some of us didn't. Those who did had a big time, 
 and those who didn't had a fine time eating the turkey and 
 things that somehow drifted into camp for that day. Re- 
 member how Captain Dempsey obtained his orders to attend 
 Fort Sill just in time to go to Oklahoma via Cleveland about 
 December 23rd, and how the other officers would argue over 
 who wanted to see "Her" the worst. We were all back by 
 New Years, and reveille an hour late and "no work" 
 except feeding, watering, and grooming the horses was all 
 that marked this as the beginning of a new year. 
 
 By this time we had real American three-inch guns and 
 about 150 horses. With a blast from Sergeant Rayburn's 
 whistle we would grab a grooming kit, stand to heel and "By 
 Detail" commence grooming. After we had groomed for an 
 hour, never saying a word (out loud) and if we had not lost 
 an ear or had any arms or legs kicked off, we went up to 
 the gun park and with such patience as only Captain Archer 
 possessed we were drilled and redrilled in the "School of the 
 Gun Squad" first mounted and then dismounted. While 
 most of us were doing this, there was a group of "Selects" 
 out over the hills learning to talk by signs, dots, dashes, and 
 flags (which later on proved to be a great help in "Cootie 
 Drill") and to talk over the field telephone. Now, anyone 
 can talk over a telephone in "Cewilian" life, but to always 
 
 7 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 remember to say "Mr" while talking to the colonel, or "sixth 
 battery" when you mean "F," was not so easy as you might 
 think. 
 
 During the winter, the battery was visited by two 
 epidemics and for several weeks we were quarantined. As 
 the ambulance rolled up and took away meningitis and pneu- 
 monia victims, we felt for the first time the dangers we 
 were facing. Ross Colville, Samuel Ralston, Robert Welch 
 and George Winkle died in the Base Hospital. These men 
 
 "Posts" 
 
 gave their lives for the uniform they wore as truly as if 
 they had died on the battlefields in France. 
 
 Then came the time when the battery should take its 
 turn with the other batteries of the regiment firing the four 
 American three-inch guns which the regiment possessed at 
 this time, at Stony Creek. Many and interesting were our 
 experiences on the marches to and from and while firing on 
 the range. Do you remember the big Mince Pies at Pride 
 Station store? We will never forget the night practice marches 
 up and down the valley, and such experiences as the Columbus 
 Interurban car dashing through our column, throwing Fur- 
 giuveli from his horse and sending horses with carriages in 
 all directions. Then the divisions started moving over seas 
 
 8 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 and, as usual, last of all came the 158th. One day we were 
 shoeing horses, preparing to stay all summer and the next 
 day we pulled shoes, preparing to leave for France. Working 
 every hour of the day and night for a few days, our sailing 
 orders were rushed to completion and at 1:15 P. M. o'clock 
 June 2, 1918, after many farewells, we boarded the train and 
 started east. At ten o'clock the next morning we detrained 
 and marched through the streets of Hornell, New York, for 
 much needed exercise. Arriving at Port Jarvis, New York, 
 at seven P. M., we were given permission to explore the town 
 until 10:30. Pulling out of the railroad yards at 6 A. M. 
 June 4th, we arrived at New York at 11 o'clock. Every 
 man getting his barracks bag we were loaded on a ferry boat 
 and sent up the East River, passing many ferries loaded with 
 troops ; we semaphored to them finding out where they were 
 from and where they were going, giving our identification 
 at the same time, also seeing, for the first time for many of 
 us, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Woolworth Building and the 
 Metropolitan tower. We landed early in the afternoon in 
 Brooklyn and took a train for Camp Mills. At 4 P. M. we 
 marched with full pack into camp. Here we spent five days 
 sleeping in squad tents and sand. This was like all other 
 "Army" camps that we had experienced, except for the day 
 in New York City, the good eats, which were soon to become 
 a mere memory, the outdoor cold showers and last but by no 
 means least the Bo Koo inspections. After sitting around all 
 night waiting for orders to entrain, we marched to a switch 
 and loaded at 4 A. M., June 10, 1918. Arriving in Philadel- 
 phia, Pa., at 9 A. M. being served hot coffee and Red Cross 
 rolls by the Red Cross women, at the docks, we were carefully 
 checked and filed onto the Good Ship Agapcnor at 10 A. M. 
 Having explored all recesses of the boat, having tried on half 
 the life belts to see if they were all the same, being satisfied 
 that the old boat was able to perform her duty, we pulled 
 out of the harbor at 2:45 P. M. Stopping in New York 
 harbor at 4 P. M. June 12, we again pushed out and arrived 
 in Halifax 11 A. M., Sunday, June 16th. We took on coal 
 
 9 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 and provisions and also mailed a card home. Joining our 
 convoy Monday morning we sailed out to sea at 2 P. M., 
 June 17th. 
 
 Nothing much exciting happening other than one boat 
 of the convoy firing at a "submarine" on June 26th. Everyone 
 seemingly enjoyed the trip except Emery, Irwin, Covert, 
 Samerdyke, and Tompie Young and even they were routed 
 out on deck every day by the aroma from the slum, not to 
 eat, but to the contrary. The canteen run by the "Bally 
 H"engHshman" kept many a poor boy from starving and the 
 
 Thk "Agai-enok' 
 
 ruling that Captain Demj)sey made, making everybody learn 
 and say their General Orders before they could get ofif the 
 boat helped to spend many a long hour for us. On the 
 morning of June 28th, at 8 A. M., we were towed into the 
 docks at Birkenhead, England, and after cleaning up the 
 old tub, Battery "F" style, we unloaded to the music of a 
 Scotch Laddies Band. Marching through the streets, lined 
 with the wretched British cockneys, to the railroad station, we 
 were loaded into a train that none of us will ever forget ; 
 small compartments, eight men to a compartment and more 
 comfortal)le than you would think. After entraining we 
 were served with hot coffee, rolls and cigarettes. 
 
 10 
 
A History of Battery F 3^3d Field Artillery 
 
 Stopping at Birmingham about 7 P. M., we were given 
 hot cotlee by the W. A. A. C.'s and Hell by the first 
 sergeant because we stood out on the platform for a minute 
 longer than he thought we should. At 12 :30 that night we 
 detrained at Winchester, England, and marched through the 
 streets, by the light of a glorious full moon, to Camp Winnal 
 Downs. We were three days at this rest camp and then 
 crossed the channel on an ancient tub and here is where our 
 friend 'Cootie'" was enlisted in the battery. 
 
 On the morning of July 2nd, we landed at Le Havre, 
 France, and spent the day at another so-called "Rest Camp." 
 Here we laid everything out for inspection, and after it was 
 covered with about three inches of sand Captain Dempsey 
 announced the colonel would Jiot inspect. On the morning 
 of July 3rd, we marched to station and entrained, riding all 
 day and night and all of July 4th, in the "8 Chevaux, 40 
 Hommes" style of Classy Slow Freight, living on Corned 
 Willy and hard tack. Early in the evening we detrained 
 at Maure, France, pitched puptents and stayed over night. 
 Here a few "buddies" were picked up for sampling the French 
 wine after taps. 
 
 Next morning the Second Battalion struck tents and 
 marched 8 kilometers to Loheac, which was to be our home 
 for seven weeks. Close order drill, long road hikes, gun 
 drill and "cidre" were the chief events of any importance. 
 The marches to the river swimming, and the back yard 
 parties (where you fried veal steak and eggs and had a 
 bottle of rouge or blanc wine and if it was soon after payday 
 perhaps a bottle of champagne) are memorable good times 
 which stand out in our life at Loheac. The night when "F" 
 guard arrested "D's" first sergeant and put him in the guard 
 house, so that his captain had to come and get him out ; the 
 fight between "E" and ' F" the morning Angert broke his 
 leg; the night the bunch of non-com's slipped by Sergeant 
 Simpson and his guard, whom he had posted all over town to 
 catch them, are episodes in our life at Loheac, not to mention 
 "Spike." 
 
 The bugle blowing at 4 A. M., breakfast at 4:30, we 
 started for Camp Coetquidan at 7 under the command 
 
 11 
 
A History of Battery F S^^d Field Artillery 
 
 of Lieut. Col. McKinlay ; we were rushed at a "mile a 
 minute" speed to Maure, where we rested an hour and 
 finished our march to camp at 3:30, tired, hungry, thirsty, 
 and dirty. 
 
 Here we were placed in barracks and a lot of real work 
 followed. We received our horses and started making daily 
 trips to the firing range. Cleaning and adjusting harness, 
 
 Sm::iy 
 
 ViN Blanc 
 
 cleaning and oiling guns and caissons, pistol practice, schools 
 of all kinds, grooming, watering, feeding and being on the 
 lookout for "Spike" the "when I say go. Go !" Colonel, were 
 among the ever3day routine. Such experiences as the time 
 we fired all day in the range, changed positions, went into 
 the woods pitched shelter tents, and had just gotten to 
 sleep in a nice little pool of water, when the bugle blew 
 and we had to strike tents, make rolls in the dark, harness 
 and hitch and go into camp are what prepared us for such 
 
 12 
 
A History of Battery F 3236 Field Artillery 
 
 happenings as the night "Spike" had Call to Arms blown 
 on the Montfaucon front to have a fire put out in a two by 
 twice dug-out. By the time the batteries had made their 
 appearance the fire was out, so "Spike" had us turn his 
 fourgon around to keep us out in the rain as punishment. 
 
 Saying good-bye to those every evening parades, and 
 also to the "fifty centimes for Rosie" girls in the restaurants 
 near camp, on Sunday morning September 22nd, through a 
 drenching rain, we marched to Guer and entrained for the 
 front. After loading the horses and materiel, we were 
 assigned to a car, part of the train being second and third 
 class coaches and the rest "side door Pullmans." Enjoying 
 the rest and the scenery and also the extra jam and things 
 that had been bought for the occasion, we spent two days 
 and nights on the train. Passing within a few miles of Paris 
 we were able to see the Eiffel tower, arriving at Revigny 
 at 7 A. M. September 24, 1918. After a breakfast of Corned 
 Willy, bread, and coffee, we hurriedly unloaded materiel and 
 horses, harnessed and hitched and at 10:15 started our march 
 to the firing line. At Revigny we saw our first shelled town 
 and marching until 2:30 P. M. we pulled into a field at 
 Villotte-devant-Louppy. Here we had dinner, washed up 
 aifter our long train ride, ate supper and at 8:20 P. M. 
 started on our first night hike on the front. At 3 o'clock 
 the morning of September 25th, we pulled into Waly. 
 Camouflaging carriages, horses and ourselves in a woods 
 near by we "rested" all day. 
 
 We groomed horses, went miles to water them, fed them 
 three times, drew rations, carried forage, cleaned clothes and 
 materiel and then rested. Late in the afternoon word came 
 that we had arrived just in time to take part in the big 
 drive that was to start that night. We made rolls, harnessed 
 and hitched and at 7 o'clock started on a march that will 
 long be remembered as one with thrills and strange sensa- 
 tions. No one was allowed to smoke a cigarette for fear 
 of aeroplane observation. Messenger motorcycles carrying 
 important despatches were going up and down the column, 
 traffic was moving in three columns, two toward the front 
 and one from the front, ambulances were rushing the 
 
 13 
 
A History of Battery F 32^d Field Artillery 
 
 wounded back to the hospitals. No man dare to step outside 
 the line of wheels on the left or he would have been killed 
 by the trafific. The rumbling of carriages, the blasts from the 
 whistles of motor drivers, the hum of aeroplanes above, the 
 roar of the big guns in the hills ahead, the continuous flashes 
 in the sky made a fellow think of home as never before. 
 We were just a little more nervous this night than any time 
 since we ran our finger up and down the line of names of 
 draftees in the home town paper. Many times during our 
 frequent halts, boys could be seen with their heads buried 
 under a raincoat or underneath a caisson pulling at a 
 cigarette. Gradually working our way closer and closer to 
 the drama that was taking place before us, we came into a 
 town. Here everything was excitement, not a light in the 
 town, officers and men running from one building to another 
 despatching messengers here and there, loading and starting 
 to the rear ambulances loaded with wounded and dying. 
 Turning to the left ofif the main road we wound our way 
 through a shell torn field lined with a solid net work of 
 barbed wire. Here the caissons under the command of 
 Lieutenant Bradford joined the caissons from the rest of the 
 regiment and started after ammunition, the guns moving on 
 to go into park at daylight. Filling our caissons with am- 
 munition we parked them along the edge of a woods and 
 rested for two hours. Moving on at 7 o'clock under shell 
 and shrapnel fire we joined the guns at 11 o'clock. Here 
 we saw aeroplanes dropping torches with firing data for the 
 artillery and saw our first air battle. Here, during the after- 
 noon, we saw a German plane bag two Allied observation 
 balloons and saw the observers jump for their lives in 
 parachutes. After watching a thousand or more German 
 prisoners being marched to the rear we moved on and went 
 into position three kilometers north of Parois. Cannoneers 
 dug trail holes and carried ammunition while the drivers 
 took the horses back to Parois to water and then stretched 
 picket lines in the woods on a hill directly back of the 
 guns. The driver left the harness on his horses and slept 
 behind his team so we could move at a moment's notice. 
 Being out of range, unless in a counter attack, the gun crews 
 
 14 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 worked reliefs and were able to snatch a few hours sleep. 
 A few large shells trying to search out a large six-inch 
 naval rifle within a hundred yards of our position kept us 
 awake for a while until weariness got the upper hand of our 
 misgivings. At 8 o'clock, morning of September 27th in 
 a miserable rain we moved forward. We passed through 
 areas where the heaviest fighting had taken place and saw 
 wonderful sights of large guns in position, hundreds of ma- 
 chine gun nests and whole stretches of forest where not 
 a limb was left on a tree. 
 
 Moving along a newly made road which had been 
 severely shelled, word came that the road was unpassable 
 further ahead, due to the heavy shelling. Colonel Hennessy 
 pulled his batteries over into the fields so that trucks loaded 
 with "eats" for the dough boys could go on. These trucks 
 could not get through and so they unloaded along side of 
 the road ; not having had anything to eat but a small amount 
 of corned beef hash for a couple of days we manceuvered 
 around and got a loaf of bread and anything else we could 
 "salvage" before the M. P.'s were put guarding it. Finding 
 no way to get the supplies up to the doughboys the colonel 
 took charge of them and at the word "Go !" they were dis- 
 tributed among the batteries, giving us our first real meal 
 for several days. Making this place our echelon, the guns 
 were moved a kilometer up the road and put in position one- 
 half kilometer west of Esnes. Here we stayed for six days, 
 carrying the mess from the echelon up to the gun squads, 
 and doing the many and odd jobs that "Spike" found for us. 
 Due to the muddy and crowded conditions of the roads the 
 problem of supplying the firing line with ammunition was 
 a serious one, so a call was sent out for someone to bring 
 up ammunition to batteries located on Montfaucon. 
 
 As was ever the spirit of the 323rd, it volunteered to 
 make the trip and on September 30th, at 3 o'clock, a train 
 of caissons filled with shells started for the first line support. 
 Never will we forget that horrible night, pulling through the 
 worst shell torn stretch of woods in the whole Argonne with 
 an engineer every ten yards, shouting out in the coal blackness 
 of the night, "keep to your right, now to your left," passing 
 
 15 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 hundreds of wounded doughboys working their way to the 
 rear and seeing many dead, we reached our goal at midnight, 
 and in a torrent of rain delivered our ammunition to each 
 battery and started back. Not getting far when daylight 
 came we pulled off the road, watered our horses and lined 
 up at an Engineers' kitchen for a cup of hot coffee, and rested 
 for a few hours until we could move on. 
 
 Traffic on main road was so congested that it was impos- 
 sible to move. Continuing our march at noon we pulled out 
 to the main road and waited until 6 P. M., when traffic started 
 to moye for the first time since 6 A. M., permitting us to 
 arrive back at the echelon at 4 A. M. on the morning of 
 October 1st. Gathering with the regiment in park at 6 
 o'clock on evening of October 2nd, we waited until midnight 
 when the order came to move, "F" Battery being the only 
 battery in the regiment to move out without getting a caisson 
 or fourgon in a shell hole. Marching until late the next 
 morning, October 3rd, we pulled into Camp Gallieni, two 
 kilometers east of Nixeville. Establishing this as our echelon, 
 the guns were moved during the night and at daybreak had 
 reached the ruined city of Verdun. Here we stayed until 
 night when the horses came up and moved us on to a 
 position on a hillside near Cote-de-Talou, better remembered 
 as "on the canal." Captain Dempsey taken suddenly sick at 
 Gallieni, Lieutenant Bradford was for two days in command 
 of the battery and very ably put the battery in readiness 
 to fire its first barrage. Here for two nights we carried 
 ammunition to the guns, up a slippery hillside, until almost 
 exhausted, when, on the morning of October 8th, starting 
 at 5 o'clock, we opened up a seven-hour barrage. From the 
 O. P. the B. C. detail men could see our barrage driving the 
 Hun out and could see the doughboys go over the top and 
 bring back prisoners. Here on the afternoon of October 9th, 
 we saw three hundred Allied planes in formation, fly over 
 the German lines and return. 
 
 On the evening of October the 9th, we moved out. 
 Marching all night we went into position at daybreak along 
 the main road, about a kilometer north of the ruined town, 
 Brabant, this position being officially known as Brabant-sur- 
 
 16 
 
A History of Battery F j^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 Meuse. Here the batteries moved in under machine gun 
 range and in plain view of the Germans we put our guns 
 in position. Establishing a brigade echelon back on the canal 
 about three kilometers the entire brigade settled down to a 
 twenty days hammering process. The gun squads having their 
 gun pits and trenches finished, started to work digging shelters 
 for the crews. With Sergeant Rayburn at the echelon, Instru- 
 ment Sergeant Simpson acting first sergeant at the guns, the 
 necessary details were working all hours of the day and night 
 carrying ammunition for Sergeant Riggs or rations for Mess 
 Sergeant Gib Groscost. Along in the "wee" hours of the 
 morning the gas horn would squawk out its warning and 
 everyone slapped on their gas masks, Captain Dempsey send- 
 ing for Gas Sergeant Bob Groscost to see what kind of gas 
 Heiney was serving for breakfast this morning. There are 
 many soldiers wearing the D. S. C., but in the words of 
 Cook Liebler, "if they were given where they were deserved 
 they would be as common among the cooks of the A. E. F. 
 as are the Got Mit Uns buckles." (Cook Liebler having 
 a gross lot of "buckles.") With the kitchen between us 
 and the Boche, the cooks and K. P.'s braved the heavy 
 shelling which was constantly going on in the valley and had 
 the best meals possible out of the rations issued ready and 
 on time every day. Crawling under the kitchen stove for 
 protection while shrapnel balls and fragments of shells punc- 
 tured three fourths of their cooking utensils, the cooks would 
 pass it oflF with a laugh at Cook Dimett, shouting, "Zero, zero, 
 3500." Here in "death valley" the cook force suffered three 
 casualties, Raymond E. Barnhardt, Albert T. Uhlenbrock 
 and Alfred Koenig, and lost our first killed in action, Mascot 
 "Spike," the dog. Any hour of the night you were likely 
 to hear, "Section Chiefs report," and after the sergeants had 
 been given the new barrage we were pulled out of bed and 
 would feed H. E. shell to our gun until morning. 
 
 On the echelon we were grooming horses and burying 
 many, worn out by our hard marches, making trips all over 
 the country for ammunition and dodging of Fritz's "compli- 
 ments," which he sent over at regular intervals. Trying to 
 get enough to eat, taking baths in the river, grazing horses 
 
 17 
 
A History of Battery F J^jJ Field Artillery 
 
 on gassed grass and making trips to the guns with supplies, 
 took up most of our time. We don't want to leave the 
 impression with those at home that we had a cafeteria lunch 
 room up here, but we could drop into Vine Young's trench 
 kitchen any hour up to 10 P. M. and get hot cakes, with butter 
 and molasses, French or German fried potatoes, fried bread 
 and coffee, FREE. All we needed to do was join the salvag- 
 ing detail some day and help bring in the booty. 
 
 After spending three weeks in this position, going 
 through such experiences as losing Phillips, who was killed 
 while carrying ammunition to his gun during a heavy barrage, 
 sending several wounded back to the hospital, and seeing 
 "the ambulance," on the night of October 29th, at midnight, 
 we pulled out. Going back through Brabant we marched 
 all night, stopping at Glorieux at 6 o'clock for hot coffee, 
 taking again the main road and following arrows marked 
 "Rail Head," we were almost sure we were going to Bar-le- 
 Duc as was the rumor. Winding our way around five miles 
 of road we ended up in Camp Gallieni, which we had left 
 one month before. After a good night's sleep we cleaned up 
 and were issued some new clothing and rubber boots. Leav- 
 ing at 6 in the evening of October 31st, we marched all night, 
 going through Bois-de-Bethelainville and Bois-de-Montfaucon. 
 Here we saw a woman giving a speech to a large mob of soldiers 
 and also a column of prisoners being marched to the rear. 
 We pulled into the woods about noon and had some trouble 
 in parking our carriages without getting into a shell hole. 
 Sergeant Groscost getting the kitchen smoking, we had slum 
 in a couple of hours and then tried to rest for a while. 
 Orders came to move at dusk, and we harnessed and were 
 ready to go at 5 o'clock. The 324th, heavy guns, being in the 
 lead and getting hub deep in mud, held up the column 
 for many hours. We had supper while we were waiting 
 and it being wet and cold proceeded to build a fire and to try 
 to be comfortable. One fire going, in a short time dozens 
 could be seen all over the woods. Some of us ventured off 
 and found small dugouts where we could get in out of the rain 
 and were fixed with places for fires. Patiently for a while, 
 then impatiently, we waited in the rain until 1 o'clock in 
 
 18 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 the morning, when our Hne started moving and as was always 
 the case "F" moved out without a hitch. 
 
 On the morning of November 3rd, we pulled into the Ferme 
 de Madeleine, and camouflaging our guns as well as possible 
 we stretched out on the ground to sleep. Word coming that 
 we would stay here for a few days the carriages were parked 
 and a picket line stretched. Our spare time was spent salvag- 
 ing and sight seeing. Word coming some time about noon that 
 we would move, we made rolls and packed them on the car- 
 riages. After standing through a drizzling rain all afternoon, 
 we moved out at 6 o'clock without having eaten supper. 
 Pulling down through the town of Cunel, we marched all 
 night over a shell-torn road and being nearly exhausted 
 we parked our carriages in a valley two kilometers southwest 
 of Haraumont and rested for four hours. We moved on at 
 10 o'clock under the eyes of General Fleming, and here 
 we saw some of the "fruits of our labors" of a few days 
 past, when we were firing into this valley. Dead horses 
 and Germans lined the road on either side for some distance. 
 Passing many wounded on their way to the hospital, we 
 arrived on top of a hill overlooking the town, Ecurey. Here 
 we lay under shrapnel fire until 5 o'clock when we were 
 ordered to go into a position at the outskirts of the town. 
 Moving down the hillside in the face of a heavy German 
 barrage we were halted at the edge of town, and waited for 
 the Germans to lift their barrage from the spot where we 
 later went into position. Laying the battery by the North 
 Star the guns were in position and ready for a barrage at 
 8 o'clock that night. No order to fire came until 6 o'clock 
 on the morning of November 11th, when we fired thirty- 
 two rounds backing the 32nd division when the word of the 
 armistice arrived with command "Cease fire." No one of us 
 will ever forget the feelings we had that morning when we 
 heard the war was over, heard the band playing and saw 
 the Stars and Stripes pulled to the top of many buildings in 
 this shell-wrecked town. After we had made sure that 
 Heiney was not fooling us and that no more G. I.'s were 
 coming over, we policed up our clothes, took baths and found 
 
 19 
 
A History of Battery F J^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 a house that had a roof over it to sleep in. After a six 
 days' stay in Ecurey we started on our memorable "March to 
 the Rhine" at 2 o'clock afternoon of November 16th, 1918. 
 
 Being a part of the advanced guard following the German 
 army in their retreat, we were the first battery of artillery to 
 pull into the town of Jametz. Horses and men sleeping 
 together in some German aeroplane hangars, we rested until 
 4 o'clock next morning, when we resumed our march. Mounted 
 M. P.'s and detachments of cavalry scoured the woods on 
 either flank for "lingering Boche." We put up for the night 
 in some more aeroplane hangars at Noers. Pulling out next 
 morning, November 18th, at daybreak we marched all day 
 arriving at Cosnes late in the afternoon where we were 
 ordered to stay for two days. In history, this stop will be 
 called a "Rest," but no one in this battery considered it such. 
 We washed and oiled carriages and harness for an inspection, 
 drew new clothes, turned in our rubber boots for salvage, just 
 at the time when we needed them the worst, and such other 
 details as the officers could find for us to do. Leaving here 
 as a part of the main body of the advance, on the morning 
 of November 20th, we entered Belgium. All towns were 
 gaily decorated with the colors of the Allies and large arches 
 with the words "Welcome Americans," "Welcome Our Al- 
 lies," decorated the main streets. Arriving at the town 
 Guerlange in the evening and finding that it was not large 
 enough to billet the troops we pitched shelter-halves in a field 
 above the town and camped for the night. Some struck out 
 for themselves and found barns with full hay mows while 
 most of us slept on the wet ground and woke up next morning 
 covered with a heavy frost. 
 
 The next morning after having been given an enthusiastic 
 welcome by all classes of people of Belgium, we marched 
 into a small town in Luxembourg. White fiags were flying 
 from all public buildings and great was the contrast between 
 welcomes. Only a few heads could be seen protruding from 
 windows and no words of greetings were exchanged between 
 Luxembourgers and soldiers. We reached Kopstal. which 
 was an official stop, about 3 o'clock afternoon of November 
 21st, parking our carriages and stretching picket line in an 
 
 20 
 
A History of Battery F J<?jrf Field Artillery 
 
 orchard on the hillside overlooking the town, we billeted in 
 houses and barns and had supper about 8 o'clock. Next 
 morning we pulled up a steep, slippery hill, some horses 
 going down several times, and marched till the middle of the 
 afternoon when we parked our carriages in a field at Im- 
 bringen. No time on our march did we ever have a full 
 ration, but this time we came near having no ration. Lieu- 
 tenant Holz took the old native wagon and went across 
 country to a warehouse where he drew one hundred pounds 
 of German flour, middlings, and brought it back for us to make 
 into "flap-jacks." Whether it was because it was "Hun flour" 
 or because it had been drafted into the American Army, we did 
 not know, but after several hours of hard work next morning 
 we were sure it would not make flap-jacks. With one spoonful 
 of potatoes under our belt we started on toward Beidweiler. 
 
 Arriving at Beidweiler in the afternoon, we parked car- 
 riages and stretched picket line in a meadow field at the edge 
 of the town. We billeted in barns and a school house and had 
 the kitchen in the school house yard. This was the first stop 
 of any length of time we had had with German-speaking people, 
 and we found them to be very friendly and willing to share 
 with us what little they had. Buying a hog for two-hundred 
 dollars we had roast pork for our first Thanksgiving dinner on 
 foreign soil and after a week of cleaning harness and carriages, 
 in the rain, and innumerable inspections, we started for the 
 German border. Pulling into an orchard, parking carriages 
 and getting field kitchen to smoking we took our packs and 
 went a couple of hundred yards down the road to a large barn, 
 where the whole battery slept. Some of the boys went out to 
 see what "Noah" had named the town, and found it to be 
 Alsdorf, Germany, Here we could buy a small bag of lump 
 sugar for five francs and some real German "schnapps." 
 
 Next morning, December 2nd, we started our day's march 
 at 8 o'clock, but to the surprise of all we pulled into a field at 
 the right of the road about 10 o'clock and unhitched and unhar- 
 nessed. Again we cleaned harness and carriages and had an 
 inspection. Going two kilometers down into the valley to a 
 town called Messerich, we watered horses in a stream and 
 stretched picket line just back of an old stone church. The 
 
 21 
 
A History of Battery F ^2^d Field Artillery 
 
 greater part of the battery was billeted in a large barn 
 at the village "Gas House" and the kitchen was put into action 
 directly across the street. A small amount of underwear and 
 socks was issued by Sergeant Lenhoff, and Captain Scarborough 
 gave the battery a foot inspection. Having been marching 
 from daylight until dark every day, and many of the boys 
 having blisters upon blisters on their feet, the doctor told them 
 to bathe their feet five or six times a day in cold water, and 
 never even smiled when he told them. 
 
 Bright and early next morning, December 3rd, we con- 
 tinued our march. Now some one of the high command had 
 a change of heart and decided not to make us march all day 
 without any dinner, so we were issued a can of Corned Willy 
 to every five men and half a box of hard tack per man. We 
 stopped at noon to feed the horses and eat our "issue" and then 
 proceeded on to Ginsdorf. This place was considered large 
 enough to shelter the whole regiment, so in a large pasture field 
 at the far end of town, the regiment went into park. The 
 first battalion on the left hand side of the road and the second 
 battalion, two hundred yards further up and on the right hand 
 side. Going through the usual cleaning proceedings the battery 
 marched up to a German's barn and each man carried back 
 an arm load of hay. Captain Dempsey having quite a time 
 making the German understand that he v/ould get paid for it 
 "some day." Resting here over the 4th we had a chance to 
 shave, police up and get a little rest. Morning of the fifth 
 we started on what was the longest day's march we ever had. 
 Alarching until the moon was up, we came to a town where a 
 band was playing ; we thought surely this was our stop, but 
 upon reaching it, found the 324th was there. Continuing on for 
 eight kilometers we pulled olif the main road into a town called 
 Udc-sdorf, making a total of forty kilometers for that day. 
 Tired and weary, we went down to the crossroads to a forage 
 dump to draw feed for the horses only to find the ammunition 
 train had the road blocked trying to find a place to stay for 
 the night. 
 
 Next morning, December 6th, we pulled by the ammunition 
 train and marched till after dark that night. The horses had 
 become completely exhausted and our line was at extended 
 
 22 
 
A History of Battery F s^jd Field Artillery 
 
 distances, when we pulled into Kelburg under the arch lights 
 to the music of the 323rd band and under the eyes of Colonel 
 Morse. Pulling through town and across a rudely constructed 
 wooden bridge, we parked for the night in a swampy field. 
 Going on the theory that had there been a guard in the Garden 
 of Eden, Adam would not have stolen that apple, the ground 
 floor of the only available building, a school house, was used 
 for the guard house and several weary boys went forth to 
 guard an empty kitchen and a bunch of horses, too tired to 
 stand on their feet. About 10 o'clock, when the boys had 
 just stretched out, about three deep all over the building, a 
 sales commissary truck drove up with a load of Prince Albert 
 chewing tobacco and sardines, and needless to say sleep was 
 soon forgotten. 
 
 December the 7th we made a short march to a village which 
 appeared to date from B. C. and which was called Boos. 
 Arriving here at noon we ate our lunch and prepared for a 
 "Bo Koo" inspection by General Fleming and Colonel Morse. 
 Now the best soldier in the army will get tired of army grub 
 occasionally, so our German-speaking members proceeded to 
 arrange suppers of roast chicken, roast duck and fried rabbit 
 with the German women for groups of men. The thoughts of 
 chicken once again made us forget the cost and soon the Ger- 
 mans took us to be moneyed fools. Five dollars a plate was 
 thought cheap for a piece of chicken, potatoes, apple sauce and 
 milk. 
 
 Having had a day's rest, on the morning of the 9th we 
 started for our first German city, Mayen. Reaching this stop 
 ■about 3 P. M., we stretched picket line on one side of a main 
 street and parked carriages on the other side. We billeted 
 in a fine large apartment house which was so new it had not 
 yet been occupied, and then we started out to see the sights. 
 This town had street cars, electric street lights, jewelry stores 
 and "everything." Next morning, much to our disappointment, 
 we moved on and marching until mid-afternoon we halted 
 in Kruft. Now by this time the rumors were flying thick and 
 fast, about being in Coblenz by December 18th, and going back 
 to the states, and our cry was now changed from "when do we 
 eat?" to "when do we sail?" This was a three days stop, 
 
 23 
 
A History of Battery F s^jd Field Artillery 
 
 supposedly to get our materiel ready to turn in, and much elbow 
 grease was used on that old French harness to get it into good 
 condition. Here we billeted in a theatre and had the kitchen 
 just outside. Everything handy and everyone in good spirits, 
 thinking we would be on our way home. 
 
 On the morning of December 13th, we left Kruft and 
 we supposed we were going to Coblenz, but instead we were 
 to miss the city of Coblenz and were to cross the Rhine between 
 Coblenz and Neuweid. At 1 :45 in the afternoon the battery 
 crossed the Rhine, going over the large steel bridge built by 
 Allied prisoners of war during the war. 
 
 Arriving at Heimbach at dusk we pulled through the 
 town and parked carriages in a field on the right hand side 
 of t)he road, putting the horses in an orchard on the left hand 
 side of the road. Lest we should forget that we were still 
 at war, it was necessary to stay out in the rain for two 
 hours to exchange some ammunition with the first battalion. 
 By the time we were ready to go in we were wringing wet 
 and then had to sleep in barns or two deep on a kitchen floor. 
 
 Next morning December 14th, we moved out and think- 
 ing this to be our last march, we enjoyed the wonderful 
 scenery in winding our way up the steep hills of the Western 
 Wald. Reaching the village of Ruscheid at noon, we parked 
 the carriages in a field, washed them, watered the horses in a 
 small stream and tied them in a woods on top of the hill back 
 of town. We were billeted in houses where it was warm 
 and dry and the next day being Sunday we expected to get 
 to rest once where it was comfortable; but Sunday morning, 
 December 15th, orders came that we were to move out and 
 let the 324th have the town, so we harnessed and hitched and 
 moved over to Urbach-Uberdorf. Making our triumphal 
 entry into this, a typical German "Dorf," about eleven o'clock 
 on Sunday morning, December 15th, we took up a study of 
 German Kultur which lasted until January 25, 1919. The 
 whole village was out to get their first glimpse of an American 
 soldier and as had been the case at all previous stops, we 
 made a favorable impression. 
 
 Lieutenant Breese and Corporal Hage started out to find 
 quarters for the battery, and to the surprise of all, we were 
 
 24 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 all billetted in houses with the Germans. The Germans were, 
 of course, given their orders, and they were ordered to keep 
 clean the rooms occupied by the American soldiers and not 
 to stay in the room when soldiers were there. As would be 
 the case in any country, under such conditions, the Germans 
 were uncertain as to the treatment they would get at the 
 hands of the Americans and so started in at once to treat 
 us kindly and thus encourage good treatment in return. A 
 mother's heart is the same, Avhether she 'be German or other- 
 wise, and being treated courteously (for a true American 
 knew nothing else) these German women soon started favor- 
 ing us with hot waffles, apple cake and an every day invitation 
 to "Coffee Drinking." 
 
 Getting settled in the place, we started to work trying to 
 put meat on our horses' ribs by grooming them for hours 
 every day. The horses were bivouacked in a pine woods 
 about a kilometer back of the town and every morning before 
 breakfast we hiked out there in the dark to feed them. After 
 a light breakfast ourselves we would go back out, groom them, 
 take them out for a couple of hours exercise, bring them back, 
 water them and groom them then until dinner time. The 
 afternoons were spent washing and cleaning harness and 
 then came retreat, when a few more restrictions were made 
 known to us. 
 
 Our slogan had been "Hell, Heaven or Hoboken by 
 Christmas," and soon Christmas overtook us and 'twas neither 
 Heaven nor Hoboken, so you know what it must have been 
 to spend a Christmas over there. Lieutenant Bradford had 
 wandered out hunting one morning and shot a deer, so of 
 course we expected venison for Christmas dinner, but after 
 one look at the deer, the captain ordered two veals so that 
 each man could have a taste of fresh meat and not be dis- 
 appointed. We woke up Christmas morning to find our first 
 heavy snow, making it seem more like a real American 
 Christmas. We spent the day wandering from house to house, 
 looking at the different Christmas trees, gaily decorated, and 
 hearing the German children sing Christmas Carols. The 
 week passed quickly and New Years brought another holiday 
 for us. 
 
 25 
 
A History of Battery F J2^d Field Artillery 
 
 One morning we lined up our horses for a physical in- 
 spection by Doc Gohde and found that four of them had, not 
 cooties,- but glanders. They were killed, of course, and we 
 were then put under quarantine, and no horse was allowed to 
 leave or enter this area until we were ordered to move over 
 to Dernbach on January 25th. Dernbach was a much better 
 place in which to live. Our horses were all in barns and we 
 were not nearly so crowded. We had a mess hall where we 
 could eat our meals and be half-way comfortable; the cooks 
 had an almost real kitchen where they had every modern 
 inconvenience. Going back to the days of Lincoln, a fellow 
 was sentenced to* from one to three days splitting wood in the 
 wood pile at the kitchen for any misconduct, and while no 
 one in "F" Battery was ever guilty of such a thing, many 
 were accused of it and punished accordingly. 
 
 Life was rather slow back here among the hills and the 
 continual preparation for inspections by colonels and generals 
 kept us from getting homesick, and also kept us from enjoy- 
 ing many of the privileges that had been well earned. Home 
 talent minstrels and Vaudeville reached us occasionally and 
 "Little Greer" at the piano gave us a taste of the latest songs 
 from New York. The report was now afloat that we were 
 going to sail soon ; most every one accepted it as being the 
 truth ; even Captain Dempsey, who had moved to Paris after 
 the occupation of Dernbach, heard the news and prepared 
 to return to the boys in Germany, but when he learned the 
 order was canceled he staid in Paris two v/eeks more, and 
 we settled down to await developments. 
 
 In the meantime a few of the battery had a pass back to 
 Paris and Aix-les-Bains, and the rest of us spent the time 
 hoping for one. Finally the order came for us to move with 
 the 32nd Division, and the amount of work to be done in 
 the next few days looked almost impossible. But with the 
 picture of home before us we could do anything and when 
 on Tuesday, April 22, we lined up in front of the schoolhouse 
 everything had been done as ordered, and just a little bit more. 
 
 Marching to the main road we loaded in trucks and were 
 driven several miles to the train. Here we met again our 
 old friends, the box cars, and spent almost four days and 
 
 26 
 
A History of Battery F j^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 nights in them, getting back to Brest. The trip was not so 
 bad as we had expected. We had good eats, considering, and 
 had a good time visiting among ourselves. We arrived at 
 Brest, France, about one o'clock, the morning of April 26, 
 unloaded, piled our packs in groups and lined up at a kitchen 
 for supper. Some kitchen! everything moved like clockwork 
 and before we had time to realize what was up we had our 
 mess kits washed in good hot suds and lined up with our 
 
 Albert! Howarth Wagoner 
 Dobbin Elmer 
 
 "HOMMES 40" 
 
 packs ready to march out to Camp Pontanezen. We can't 
 say anything good of this Camp, so we will just merely 
 mention it. 
 
 To show us how much they appreciated the boys who had 
 gone through the front line and then held down a spot in 
 Germany for months, they detailed us to crack stone in a 
 quarry from 6 P. M. until 6 A. M., and men with rifles and 
 bayonets stood guard over us to see that no one shirked. 
 Well, we only had eight days of this and then we marched 
 
 27 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 down to the pier to load on some ship and start for God's 
 country. Some fellow on the pier would step up and say 
 "What outfit is this? I think I have a brother here some- 
 where," and when we would look at him and just smile he 
 would say, "Oh ! these guys are wise, some one has put them 
 next." Loading us in a good sized ferry we slipped out of 
 the dock to the Good Ship Von Steuben which we boarded 
 about noon, and after being shown to our "state-rooms" we 
 lined up for sauerkraut and wieners. 
 
 Now the "Vonnie" was a real ship and unlike the 
 
 ^ 
 
 U. S. S. Von Steuben 
 
 Agapcnor there was room to move around without rocking 
 the boat. We were scheduled to land in the United States in 
 seven days so we lost no time in putting out to sea. Going 
 at a good rate of speed, and while the water was smooth for 
 the month of May, yet there was considerable motion to the 
 ship and not a few of the boys started to feed the fish the 
 first day out. We were issued overalls and could lie around 
 on deck anywhere without thinking of our uniforms, and sleep 
 to our heart's content. Much to the disappointment of some 
 of our officers, no formations were allowed on the boat, so 
 we were almost free to come and go as we pleased. Rather 
 
 28 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 a peculiar feeling to have, knowing that you are still in the 
 Army! The choice men of the battery were chosen to do 
 guard duty and thereby got to sleep in the center of the 
 boat on the top sleeping deck, and eat with the crew. The 
 soda fountain and ship's canteen gave us a chance to sharpen 
 our appetites on some "nick-nacks" and also to get rid of a 
 large portion of our savings. 
 
 Having sailed from Brest on the afternoon of May 5th we 
 saw the lights from the city of Hoboken, N. J., about two 
 o'clock in the morning on May 13, and dropping anchor we lay 
 here until morning when the ship of Welcome came out and 
 escorted us into the pier. Unloading about noon, we were 
 served dinner by the Red Cross women at the pier, and then 
 loaded on a ferry that took us up the East River to a place 
 just back of Camp Merritt. Here we unloaded and with full 
 pack we marched up the longest and steepest hill in New 
 Jersey, and on into Camp about seven miles. 
 
 We were doomed for the delousing plant again and be- 
 fore any one could go to sleep, he with all his woolens must 
 be sterilized. Now the war had changed the boundary lines 
 in Europe, we knew, but not until we were issued cotton 
 O. D.'s in place of our woolens did we know that Pennsyl- 
 vania was now a southern state, but we were used to surprises 
 by this time and as usual all we did was "moan" about it. 
 After we had moved into another section of Camp, life seemed 
 to hold more for us. We soon found the "Merritt Hall" and 
 that is where many of our dollars rolled away. The 24-hour 
 passes were handed out generously and many more dollars 
 were put back into circulation in New York, New Jersey and 
 Palisade Park. 
 
 Knowing that our battery was soon to break up, Captain 
 Dempsey arranged to have a picture taken of the battery and 
 each man to be given one. A banquet was prepared by our 
 own cooks, who were faithful to the end with the help of 
 some camp cooks, and at 7 o'clock one evening the whole 
 battery sat down together to a chicken supper. This was the 
 first time we had been seated all together in one room since 
 the days of Camp Sherman, and needless to say we all appre- 
 ciated it. After the supper was finished the officers and 
 
 29 
 
A History of Battery F j^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 several members of the battery made interesting speeches; 
 some old favorite songs were sung, and we broke up to meet 
 again some time, somewhere, in the future. That afternoon 
 the battery had been divided up according to states, and the 
 men were to be sent to Camps in their own states. Men of a 
 certain state were put together in barracks, awaiting orders 
 to move to that cherished spot where they should be discharged 
 and set free once more. Many fond farewells were exchanged, 
 and many good friends who had shared, share and share alike, 
 parted and started out again for themselves, never to forget 
 those who had been kind to them and who had unselfishly 
 given their all that it might be easier for "the other fellow." 
 So, ended the life of a battery composed of as fine a set 
 of boys that ever supported the Stars and Stripes, and who 
 at all times worked hard and untiringly to accomplish that 
 which they had set out to do. Having reached the goal and 
 having done their duty, they went back into civil life better 
 men because they had learned to do a thing and do it well, 
 and to remember "the other fellow" while doing it. 
 
 McDonald H. Riggs, 
 
 Battery Historian. 
 
 30 
 
Battery F At The Front 
 
 "/ am actually in the land of military and 
 romantic adventures and it only remains to 
 be seen zvhat will be my share in them." 
 
 THAT part of our trip to the front which was made by 
 rail came to an unexpected end at 5 o'clock in the 
 morning of September 23rd. At Coetquidan the camp 
 commander had given definite hints that the trip would con- 
 sume five days. Therefore we entrained with rations for 
 that length of time, and all the harness was removed from 
 the horses. Each battery had a train to itself. It consisted 
 of fifteen flat cars, one passenger coach, and thirty-two box 
 cars, which made a deliberate and motley appearance in its 
 progress across France. Most of the box cars were occupied 
 by the horses of which we had in the neighborhood of one 
 hundred and thirty ; twelve of them were occupied by the 
 men who indicated their loss of pride by certain neighings 
 and bellowings pertaining to cattle. That showed how green 
 we were. It is certain that troops on their way from the 
 front feel no humility by riding in "Hommes 40 Chevaux 8." 
 It is hard to say whether an original destination of Italy or 
 the Vosges was unexpectedly changed to the Verdun front 
 on account of the impending offensive, or whether the in- 
 dication of a long railroad journey was in conformation with 
 a policy which had for its object the concealment of all 
 troop movements and prospective operations in that sector. 
 In either case the comfortable and settled feeling which we 
 were enjoying on the train was disturbed early on the third 
 morning. We stopped quietly at Revigny and for ten 
 minutes it seemed as though the world, including our train, 
 had gone sound asleep. Then Captain Herrick who had 
 preceded the regiment by some days opened the door of 
 Captain Dempsey's compartment and presented marching 
 orders. A thousand questions might have been asked at that 
 minute for Captain Herrick's few days of precedence at 
 this mysterious place had made him not only a veteran but 
 
 31 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 one who had complete knowledge of what was about to 
 befall us. To the few questions that were asked he returned 
 answers that fairly bristled with significance, the upshot of 
 which was that we had arrived in the zone of "hush-stuff", 
 and that big things were afoot. The last conclusion was 
 drawn from the fact that billets which had been selected for 
 the regiment to occupy, while making a gradual approach to 
 the firing line, had been given up and we were under orders 
 to proceed with all haste by two night marches to a camp 
 in Waly Woods, west of Verdun. 
 
 Detraining was begun at once. The platform was none 
 too wide for one battery to straighten itself out on; and to 
 increase the appearance of confusion a company of En- 
 gineers whose train had pulled in on the opposite side of 
 the platform was unloading itself over most of the available 
 space — they probably held a corresponding opinion of us. 
 By eight o'clock, horses had been fed and watered and 
 harnessed, men had breakfasted and all was ready. We filed 
 across a bridge over a canal which was so glassy in the 
 morning mist and lined with rows of trees so straight that 
 no picture ever looked more peaceful. That thought re- 
 ceived a severe jolt immediately. Revigny is a systematic 
 and complete ruin, which was accomplished by air raids in 
 the first year of the war. No debris lay in the street which 
 was in perfect repair, but beginning at a definite place every 
 house on both sides of the street was blown up in so similar 
 a manner that the regularity of what was left was almost 
 uncanny. The sight struck a new note on our green-horn 
 susceptibilities. Mingled with a feeling of disgust and a 
 momentary sensation of the uselessness of war it inspired 
 a sort of elation, as though present in a moving picture 
 drama. The sight was incontrovertible proof that our ob- 
 ject was the bloody Western Front, a fact which had been 
 scarcely realized during twelve months of training, first at 
 Camp Sherman, Ohio, and then in the Brittany hills so far 
 from the war itself. 
 
 We had the road almost to ourself that morning. We 
 passed a train of twenty-five French auto trucks drawn up 
 alongside the road. They were empty and the fact that they 
 
 32 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 were motionless now seems most extraordinary. The French 
 usually kept their trucks on the "qui vive," going no one 
 knows where. When we resumed the march our column was 
 formed true to the best precepts of Volume Three F. A. D. R. 
 The battery commander and reconaissance officer rode at the 
 head, then came the B. C. Detail in charge of the instrument 
 sergeant. Only six members of the detail were mounted, the 
 remaining twelve being on foot. Behind them came the firing 
 battery with the cannoneers of each section following their 
 respective carriages on "shank's mare," a necessary means of 
 propelling the cannoneers when French materiel is used. Then 
 came what the infinite wisdom of F. A. D. R. never took 
 account of, the rolling kitchen; and, finally, three fourgons 
 loaded with rations and forage constituted our battery supply 
 train. The order of march of the first day is interesting to 
 recall because it was the only time that Battery "F" marched 
 as a separate unit at the front; all other times the unit has 
 been everything from a battalion to a brigade, a condition 
 never before realized in the American Army. 
 
 At Laheycourt we were duly impressed by the motoc 
 car of an American general, and wondered if they all stayed 
 back that far. It was only four kilometers from Laheyecourt 
 to Villotte so at that point the reconaissance officer with a 
 small detail rode ahead to discover the woods which we had 
 been instructed to occupy. They found batteries "D" and 
 "E" with their "puptents" pitched in an open field. Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel McKinlay who was then in command of the 
 second battalion had preceded us, and he indicated with un- 
 characteristic recklessness that we would occupy the field, 
 although a thick woods was close by. Woods are always a 
 difficult place to navigate with carriages pulled by six- 
 horse teams and it was a real relief to have a clear field 
 for the battery when it arrived at the lot. That afternoon 
 we had our first glimpse of German wasps. Two speedy 
 ones flying at great height passed over us headed south. 
 Later an officer of the first battalion which was detraining at 
 Revigny during the afternoon reported that an alert was 
 sounded when the Boclie planes flew over the town, but no 
 bomijs were dropped. One other token from the front was 
 
 33 
 
A History of Battery F ^2^d Field Artillery 
 
 a camouflaged ambulance. It was all stuck about with 
 boughs and green leaves which presented a grimly humorous 
 spectacle as they flapped around over the crazy quilt pat- 
 tern. The peace of a fine summer day was disturbed by no 
 other sights or sounds from the battle tide which had 
 receded many kilometers from Villotte, since the day when 
 ' that town had marked the high water mark of the great 
 drive on Verdun in 1916. We had no opportunity during 
 the afternoon to see the town which was hidden from us 
 by a little orchard ; but when we filed through it after dark 
 we had a sight of the jagged remains left by German 
 artillery. Villotte is only one of the many thousand heaps of 
 debris in France, and during the weeks which followed the 
 battery passed through several score without being capable 
 of a new sensation for each. 
 
 The second battalion comprising batteries "D", "E", 
 "F" and battalion headquarters was now reunited after the 
 railroad trip and was destined to remain intact to the end of 
 the war. Marching orders arrived mysteriously from some- 
 where stating that we would have the use of the road at 
 8 o'clock for an all night march of twenty-five kilometers 
 to Waly Woods. Everything was ready for the march by 
 7 o'clock and eager to get ahead of the game we started 
 to pull out on the road which seemed deserted enough. This 
 manoeuver quickly taught us the meaning of the phrase "the 
 use of the road." The same unseen hand which guided our 
 movements also guided those of other units, and we were 
 gently but firmly jostled out of the way by a column of 
 Engineers which cleared at exactly 8 o'clock. 
 
 The night was fine for marching; a full moon flooded 
 the landscape, the air was just fresh enough to be exhilarat- 
 ing and to stimulate the senses already alert for any new 
 impression. Hours of the night and kilometers of the road 
 passed slowly but deliberately by. The absence of prac- 
 tically all other traffic was astonishing. Except for a few 
 scattered truck trains and an ambulance or two we met no 
 other troops all night. One mistep occurred. At the request 
 of the battery commander, Colonel McKinlay had marked the 
 road on the captain's road map. The colonel with the battalion 
 
 34 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 ^taft and a few wagons from the supply train was in the 
 lead followed by the tiring batteries in order of "F", "E" 
 and "D". Some difficulty with shell holes and soft ground 
 delayed Battery "F" kitchen and the following carriages in 
 starting, so that it was not noticed that Colonel McKinlay 
 with the leading elements had taken a sharp turn to the 
 left, away from the prescribed road. No notice was given 
 to the battery commander following and no marker was left 
 at the cross-roads so that the principal part of the battalion 
 kept straight ahead, a half hour lapsing before the officer 
 in the lead discovered that the column had lost its guide. 
 Up to that time we had proceeded without any lights, even 
 smoking having been forbidden, but now a light was indis- 
 pensible in order to consult the map. All anxiety was re- 
 lieved when it was found that we were on the road indicated 
 on the map. During the night an orderly reported that 
 Colonel McKinlay, having discovered the loss of two and a 
 half batteries, and correctly surmising that we had followed 
 his orders, informed us that he with the balance of the 
 battalion had taken a short cut and that we would meet him 
 at the destination. 
 
 We came to a railroad crossing which was not shown on 
 the French map, being one of the newly-built American roads 
 leading to the front. Those fine railroads, equipped with Bald- 
 win locomotives and American rolling stock are one of the 
 most substantial memorials to America's effort in the war. 
 The guard at the crossing informed us that General Pershing's 
 car had just gone through, and made other remarks relative to 
 a great traffic of artillery and tanks. This increased the feeling 
 that operations were impending on some tremendous scale. 
 During a halt we looked across the rolling fields and saw a 
 train winding its way almost silently in the moonlight. Every- 
 body in the column counted the cars. There were forty flats 
 carrying forty black shapes which could be nothing else 
 but tanks. It seemed like an army of little fates creeping in 
 the night to overtake his imperial arch-fiend majesty, the 
 Kaiser. 
 
 On a rise beyond the railroad there were a number 
 of lights which appeared to mark the site of some peaceful 
 
 35 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 town. This cheerful contrast to the total absence of lights of 
 every other description excited our curiosity. There was only 
 one explanation for that bold display on a treeless hilltop, and 
 that was verified at a road which led toward the lights where 
 a lamp post was marked with the red letters "American Evacu- 
 ation Hospital No. 9." 
 
 The night was nearly over when we reached Waly. A 
 sharp turn to the right led down into dark woods. It was 
 like turning off from the freshness and romance of the trip 
 into a vale of grim reality. No sensation has a more potent 
 effect on a person's thoughts than the sensation of smell. In 
 this case it was a smell new in experience but old in the imag- 
 ination, the flat, musty odor of the trenches. It emanated from 
 a column of infantry which had been relieved but a few hours 
 before and which was evidently on its way to rest billets in 
 Waly. They passed us in column of twos, walking rather 
 fast in broken formation, each man left to his own devices to 
 get over the ground. Some of their number had canes, and a 
 few others, bandages. They carried no rifles. These had been 
 put into a wagon for transportation. The doughboys had packs 
 on their backs and carried their steel helmets in their hands. 
 Scarcely a remark passed ; all their mental energy was relaxed 
 or exhausted, leaving only a mechanical energy sufficient to 
 hasten their steps. The incident made a really deep impres- 
 sion, first because of the smell, and then because of the 
 silence of their passage. It did not seem right to refrain from 
 words of greeting, but we have since learned that a matter 
 of fact frame of mind given to accepting without emotion any 
 situation which may arise is the usual and natural one at the 
 front. It is interesting to think that those doughboys never 
 returned to the monotony of "trench warfare," for the lines on 
 the Verdun front were never stationary after that night. 
 
 We turned into the woods on a road of loose stone which 
 at the time was the roughest in our experience ; but it was a 
 fine, smooth highway in contrast to the mud and shell holes 
 of subsequent days. The officers took great pains to get the 
 battery placed under the thickest branches, conducting each car- 
 riage personally to the spot it would occupy. The sections 
 stretched their own picket lines where the horses would get 
 
 36 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 the best concealment. The horses had to have their rations 
 of hay and oats but when that was done most of us chose to 
 roll up in our blankets rather than wait ten minutes for the 
 breakfast, which was nearly ready. Before going to sleep there 
 might have been only one thought in some minds: Just how 
 much of an explosion would ensue if a bomb should hit a hut 
 filled with Italian machine gun ammunition that was located 
 in our midst, and possibly some indistinct memory of a poem 
 which started "O Waly, Waly!" 
 
 37 
 
The Great Barrage of 
 September 26, 1918 
 
 "I do not fool myself to let imagination jade 
 me." — Malvolio. 
 
 AFTER a few hours of sleep we found ourselves wide 
 awake listening to the intermittent sputter from 
 machine guns. The noise proceeded from the edge 
 of the woods only a couple of hundred yards away. Any- 
 body who has been in a city where steel construction work 
 is going on and has heard the trip hammers will find that 
 machine gun firing sounds familiar, and further, that it in- 
 spires no feeling of danger. We never saw those guns but, 
 without doubt, they were Frenchmen persuading Boche 
 planes to fly high ; it cotild have been nothing else except 
 a wild Irishman practicing. A noon sun was shining down 
 through the trees so as to make our cover seem highly in- 
 adequate. The woods were muddy and the trampled under 
 brush was testimony to the many troops which had sotight 
 cover there before us. In fact, the strategic location of Waly 
 Woods in a little ravine back of the Verdun front made it a 
 gate way wdiere in the past vast numbers of troops must 
 have taken shelter and a last good rest. We could hear 
 faintly and at great distance the reports of big guns, w'hich 
 were up there at the limit of our next night journey. 
 
 About three o'clock in the afternoon a messenger 
 brought word that all officers would report at double time 
 to Colonel Hennessy. This order came suddenly and calling 
 for obedience on the run it was typical of all our actions 
 during the next few days. The colonel was discovered with 
 one foot resting on the motorcycle sidecar which had just 
 brought him. He had a large sandwich in one hand and with 
 the other he was motioning to outsiders to take themselves 
 out of hearing. That motion was the physical expression of 
 the "Go!" A word which belonged peculiarly to the colonel 
 and which he used on every occasion as a means of bringing 
 about sudden and unpremeditated action. It mattered not 
 
 38 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 what confusion might ensue nor how great was the thing to 
 be undertaken; the word "Go!" would bring action and the 
 result could take care of itself. We can recall exactly the 
 tone he was accustomed to use. He would speak rather 
 fast and bite ofif each word emphatically : "Now at the word 
 *go' you go and DO it" then after a pause: "Go!" high and 
 sharp. It was easier than rubbing Aladdin's lamp. Colonel 
 Hennessy is universally, almost officially, known as "Spike." 
 A name which he wished on himself by the favorite expres- 
 sion : "They call me Spike, I nail them to the cross." 
 
 As soon as all the battalion officers were reported to be 
 present the colonel caused them to gather close about him 
 and began his speech. He had just come from army head- 
 quarters, with the latest information. All the guns were in 
 place for what was hoped would be the final drive, the 
 amount of artillery concentration in that part of the Argonne 
 Poorest which lay a few kilometers north of us was prodigi- 
 ous. There were guns of every caliber from naval pieces 
 operated by sailors to "seventy-fives" placed almost wheel to 
 wheel. The drive was scheduled to commence at five o'clock 
 on the following morning under a barrage sixteen kilometers 
 in depth. Our regiment had arrived just too late to take up 
 a position for the barrage, but Colonel Hennessy stated that 
 the 323rd was the luckiest artillery regiment in the army 
 on account of the distinguished mission which had been 
 assigned to it. As soon as darkness should come on we 
 would move forward into the battle line, and take up a posi- 
 tion of readiness. When the German line had been broken 
 our battalion would push through into open warfare. The 
 colonel urged that every precaution be taken to insure the 
 proper working of gas masks inasmuch as our position of 
 readiness would be within a hundred yards of a French 
 battery and we could expect counter-battery fire. Even 
 more impressive was the colonel's admonition that those 
 persons who kept their heads stood a good chance of surviv- 
 ing-. He added the further information that Lieutenant- 
 Colonel McKinlay had been promoted to the rank of full 
 colonel and that he hoped as a result of the battle he would 
 succeed him in the command of our regiment. The officers 
 were not quite sure whether he was talking of becoming a 
 
 39 
 
A History of Battery F s^3d Field Artillery 
 
 casualty or a general, and they were still more perplexed 
 when he turned to a lieutenant who smiled out loud and 
 said: "I don't mean what you mean." As it happened the 
 prophesy of being succeeded came true but in an unforeseen 
 manner. 
 
 It is often a source of reflection on the part of soldiers 
 in training to try to foresee what state of mind they will 
 find themselves in and to what sensations they will be a 
 prey when about to enter battle. Usually such reflections 
 end in acknowledged failure, the question must be settled 
 by circumstances themselves. It was being settled for us 
 during the two hours of preparation which followed the 
 colonel's speech. The deepest emotions had been aroused, 
 and the fact that our part in the battle was to be so small 
 as scarcely to count could not be foreseen and did not enter 
 into our calculations for playing a big part. Feelings, in 
 general, partook of two elements, one similar to stage fright 
 and the other a sort of elation at being actually present in 
 a great adventure. It all resulted from the dramatic cir- 
 cumstances of the colonel's speech, and the promise of 
 activity. Waiting would have been a harder virtue so it was 
 just as the colonel said, we were a lucky regiment. 
 
 We pulled out of Waly Woods at 7 o'clock and 
 formed a battalion column in order of batteries "D", "E", 
 and "F." In the town of Waly we turned north on the 
 main road and headed in the direction of distant flashes 
 which resembled little imitations of heat lightning. For a 
 few hundred yards we were reminded of the peaceful march 
 of the night before, but a total contrast was in store for us. 
 The column had not fairly cleared Waly when it came to 
 a halt. Some machine gun companies which had bivouacked 
 in the woods beside the road suddenly decided to take the road 
 and in the opposite direction to ourselves. They were having an 
 awful time getting straightened out. There was much 
 shouting on the part of officers and men to locate units. 
 The following conversation which was bellowed through the 
 darkness may be recalled. Captain X up ahead: "Major 
 Y, Oh, Major Y, what company has gone first?" Major Y far 
 behind, "What?" Captain X "What company has gone 
 
 40 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 first?" Major Y finally understood the question and bellowed 
 "B." Captain X misunderstood the answer and questioned at 
 the top of his lungs "E?" The rest of the conversation was 
 drowned out by swearing on the part of Sergeant Z who was 
 half-way between the disputants. At length the machine gun 
 battalion and a period of time passed and we moved forward 
 a few hundred yards only to halt again. This time the 
 wait seemed interminable and if that was to be a criterion 
 of the rate of our progress daylight would find us several 
 miles from the goal. It would be hard on the colonel and 
 his wrecked ambitions. He had gone ahead to the lines and 
 in the morning would be waiting for the crucial moment 
 when he would turn to his regiment and say "Go!" Alas, 
 if the regiment were not at hand to react to that abridged 
 field order! 
 
 Meanwhile the traffic on the left of the road increased 
 and its mobility decreased in inverse proportion. It con- 
 sisted chiefly of motor trucks headed in both directions. Be- 
 side the dark hulks of those huge trucks our carriages looked 
 insignificant and the horses puny. We were forced to pull so 
 far to the side in order to avoid locking wheels with our 
 giant neighbors that the pieces and caissons came pre- 
 cariously near to slipping oft' and burying themselves in mud 
 which flanked the solid roadbed. But the horses were pre- 
 vented from such a mishap by pushing against a still lesser 
 part of the traffic, namely, some burrows and donkey wagons 
 which had pulled off to give the artillery the right of way. 
 Finally even the left side of the road had to give it up, and 
 with a few worthless jerks the big trucks came to a stand- 
 still. When traffic is at a standstill the usual course is 
 simply to wait patiently for the head of the column to find 
 its way out. Truck drivers sit quietly on their seats and let 
 the motor purr gently until offered a chance to grind its 
 teeth and follow again in column. Artillery drivers are 
 accustomed to dismount and stamp cold feet or perhaps 
 catch a nap while the horses heads droop and the column 
 waits. There is something philosophical in traffic that can- 
 not budge but must wait patiently through long hours for 
 the spirit to move it. 
 
 That night the congestion was different from the usual. 
 
 41 
 
 \ 
 
A History of Battery F ^2jd Field Artillery 
 
 In the first place it was heterogeneous ; there were the 
 trucks of two nations, touring cars belonging to French and 
 American colonels, motorcycles of supply officers, burrows 
 with engineers tools and a whole battalion of artillery, horses 
 and materiel. In the second place, according to "Spike," the 
 greatest barrage of the war would commence in two hours ; 
 trucks had to get through with ammunition and artillery 
 must move ahead. The worst feature was that the trucks 
 and motor cars had nosed their way into our column which 
 was to have been kept closed up at all costs. Probably at 
 that moment battery "D" was many kilometers ahead leav- 
 ing the rest of us not only engulfed and stalled but without 
 a guide. It was just a dovetailed jam and the ability of 
 the head of the column to move freely oflfered no solution. 
 Each officer exerted the most strenuous efforts to disentangle 
 that part of the congestion in which he found himself. He 
 gave orders in French, swore in English, coined new words, 
 insulted colonels and worked up a big perspiration. Gradually 
 the French trucks were shuffled so as to rescue a few yards 
 of road for one carriage at a time "Allez ! a gauche, restez — 
 vous," — a voice from the driver's seat replied "What in Hell 
 do you want?" We "carried on" that way for about an 
 hour, fighting the battle for freedom. When at length the 
 knot was untied traffic disappeared in a remarkable manner. 
 It melted completely away and for the rest of the night we 
 had the road practically to ourselves. 
 
 Before we reached Froidos an officer from regimental 
 headquarters rode back along the line and imparted the in- 
 formation that our road had been under heavy shell fire 
 only a few hours before. W'e thought what exceedingly 
 hard luck it would be after so much training for the battery 
 to be shot-up before it had fired a gun. A cannoneer was 
 appointed to go to the head of each off horse in case of trouble. 
 The march continued undisturbed through Froidos to 
 Anzeville. The country was rolling and we seemed to be 
 elevated above the battle line which was momentarily grow- 
 ing nearer. As we got deeper into the salient the flashes of 
 the guns flared up on three sides of us. They were still too 
 far away to be heard except during a halt, when the deep 
 
 42 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 intermittent sounds of explosions reached us distinctly. 
 Every now and then a star rocket would shoot up and then 
 float slowly away casting a weird light on our column; the 
 luster in its immediate vicinity must have been intense. An- 
 other rocket which attracted our attention consisted of three 
 stars continually shot into the air in rapid succession fol- 
 lowed by three more. That signal went up from the same 
 point in the horizon at regular five minute intervals throughout 
 the night. We wondered why it did not invite an enemy 
 shell on a point the location of which was so repeatedly 
 betrayed. 
 
 In Anzeville there was a ten minute halt. A high moon 
 illuminated the white and jagged ruins of a large church. 
 This was the town which had been shelled during the after- 
 noon, not because it was possible to inflict any more damage 
 on what had long since become only a pile of stones and 
 plaster, but because the Germans had left a remnant of the 
 church tower on which to range when "strafing" the important 
 road that ran beneath. Stopping in a spot so ill-chosen was 
 the subject for considerable dry humor, exceedingly dry. 
 Afterwards the delay was attributed to a short debate at 
 the head of the column on the choice of roads. Clermont 
 lay deeper in the valley to our left ; it was reported to be full 
 of gas and the regiment had been warned to that effect. The 
 question was whether we should climb a steep grade on an 
 unimproved road which continued straight north, or follow a 
 highway around the hill to the right. It was decided in favor 
 of the direct road. After a hard pull with the cannoneers 
 working at the wheels we found ourselves on a broad hilltop, 
 treeless and desolate in the moonlight. The elevation com- 
 manded a view of all the surrounding country, and at the 
 moment we reached the top of the hill that country woke up 
 and roared from every quarter. We had climbed the obstacle 
 which had intervened d^uring the preceeding hours and rendered 
 faint and distant the sights and sounds of battle. Moreover, 
 we had gained the summit at exactly one o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, the hour at which the barrage of September 26th com- 
 menced. The transformation from travelers who looked on 
 at a safe distance to combatants who found themselves actually 
 
 43 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 present in the offensive was sudden and complete. A barrage, 
 like Niagara Falls, cannot be described, although the parallel 
 ends with that expression. Contrary to popular ideas the 
 noise of a barrage is not a continuous and unbroken roar. 
 It is a succession of irregular explosions emanating from the 
 guns in the immediate vicinity. Sometimes these explosions 
 occur together, or roll in rapid succession, this is followed by 
 a few seconds of comparative silence broken only by isolated 
 reports and followed by fresh burst of fire. From a distance 
 the noise is more continuous when the sound of each gun 
 blends itself with every other gun in one grand roar. Unless 
 one is standing within a few yards of a piece there is no 
 S'hock in a big gun barrage, but the roar transcends every 
 sound and sense. The great vibrations are rendered less 
 annoying by the law of opposing forces ; the air is torn apart 
 in so many different directions at once that big vibrations are 
 broken by other big vibrations and the result is a confusion 
 not unpleasant. 
 
 Indeed there was one feature of that barrage which 
 approached, in a sense, pleasantness. But this feature was not 
 discovered until after we had recovered from our initial 
 wonder at so great a thing, and found ourselves halted and 
 exposed in the brilliant flashes of the guns. One of the 
 first sounds was a moan and then a noise as if somebody 
 had dropped a heavy load of lumber several hundred yards 
 away to the left. It was the only enemy shell we heard come 
 over that night. It took some time to realize the fact that 
 the show was all one-sided, which was the pleasant feature. 
 Nevertheless, during that strange bombardment the element 
 of suspense was always present, because we did not know 
 until afterwards that what the high command had hoped to 
 accomplish in a few hours had been accomplished almost 
 immediately, namely, the complete smothering of the German 
 artillery. 
 
 The situations on the hilltop was hardly a grandstand 
 seat from which to watch the caged lion roar without a 
 
 44 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 thought of danger. There was food for thought in several 
 of the precepts of Volume Three. "A battery seen is a 
 battery lost." "Artillery is extremely vulnerable in the open 
 when limbered." We were on the wrong road and should 
 have kept in the valley; all the German artillery within range 
 had observation on our hill. Colonel McKinlay who was 
 commanding the column ordered us to turn around imme- 
 diately. Although barbed wire entanglements and shell holes 
 and trenches were on every hand the turn might have been 
 successfully accomplished in the combined radiance of the 
 moon and the barrage. At that moment Colonel Hennessy 
 arrived on the scene and quickly canceled the order to turn 
 around. And in the face of remonstrance on the part of the 
 liaison ofificer "Spike" assumed full responsibility for pushing 
 on. He ordered the caissons ahead to an ammunition dump 
 (we had come that far without a single round) and the firing 
 batteries to wait further instructions. The road down which 
 the caissons disappeared lead straight into a spot where every 
 few seconds a flame of fire darted up followed by an explo- 
 sion. Some of us who waited on the hill bad serious mis- 
 givings for our friends with the caissons, our ears were not 
 yet accustomed to discriminate between giving and receiving. 
 We did not see the caissons again for twelve hours. Conver- 
 sation on the hill was scant although a few who stood close 
 together attempted to bawl a few scraps of language into each 
 others ears. A good many strenuous hours had passed since 
 the hot supper in Waly Woods and we had inside information 
 to that effect. 
 
 At length the battalion resumed its march in the track of 
 the caissons and when we descended the hill it was no 
 small measure of relief to find that the road-crossing was 
 not shell torn, but that two big American howitzers were in 
 full blast there. We picked up the highway again and turning 
 west marched for a kilometer under a cliff so steep that it 
 rendered that part of the road safe from enemy fire. A full 
 gauge railroad ran along on the left, and at the moment when 
 the attention of the drivers was diverted a tremendous crash 
 
 45 
 
A History of Battery F S2^d Field Artillery 
 
 almost blew them out of the saddles. One might have ex- 
 pected to see the horses become unmanageable but either the 
 noise was too great for horse-sense to comprehend or the 
 beasts w^re too terrified even to shy. Blasted wits having 
 been collected we preceived six huge railroad guns arranged 
 in groups of twos, one of which had fired directly over us. 
 When we approached the farthest gun a man had the grace 
 to shout in pure Yankee "Hurry up she's going to fire," and 
 then for the first time since the drill field the command was 
 given "trot — march!" 
 
 At the first chance beyond the cliff we turned north again 
 on a small one-way road, and mounted up into open country 
 that bristled with howitzers. Those batteries were hidden 
 in clumps of bushes or on the edge of an orchard, and some 
 finding no natural concealment had set up a flimsy screen of 
 camouflage which was thrown aside for the action. After 
 perhaps one kilometer more signs of life, other than the great 
 machinery, appeared. A number of troops gathered beside 
 the road and a pile of scattered ammunition boxes marked a 
 dump. It was there that we turned off the road to the right 
 and started down a hill full of shell craters. The two colonels 
 shouted contradictory directions to us and eventually the 
 battery was parked in a field without the slightest semblance 
 of order. It was after five o'clock. The din was terrific, but 
 a heavy mist shut off everything except the sharp yellow 
 flashes that cut it in quick succession. The flashes, however, 
 were becoming less brilliant in the overwhelming daylight. Just 
 back of the field on a wooded hillside was a battery of French 
 "155 Longs" in full blast. There is no gun, unless it be a ten- 
 inch railroad rifle, which makes a more ear splitting crack 
 than a "155 Long"; but nevertheless the grove immediately 
 surrounding that battery was the place designated for our 
 picket line. The poor horses nearly went crazy that morning 
 until they went deaf. 
 
 A good chance was now afforded for drawing a long 
 breath, and for ruminating on the amazing absence of enemy 
 fire. We cast about for something to eat, and, after bellowing 
 into each others ears whether it should be beans or tomatoes 
 we decided on both with "willy" to boot, and when we got 
 
 46 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 through there was nothing to eat and nothing to wash except 
 hands. The sun was up and thinned the mist taking the 
 chill out of it. Some of us lay down in the grass and for 
 the space of an hour lost all consciousness of the fact that 
 the greatest barrage in history was engaged not only in making 
 the world safe for democracy but also a pitted battlefield safe 
 for sleeping. 
 
 47 
 
The Argonne 
 
 "When the blast of zvar blozvs in our ears." — ■ 
 King Henry V. 
 
 FOR nine hours on the morning of September 26th the 
 hills and valleys of the Argonne belched out their fire 
 and hurled a frenzy of righteous indignation against the 
 German strong points around Montfaucon. The overwhelming 
 nature of the barrage was not fairly realized until five weeks 
 later when we returned to the sector and crossed the waste 
 land which had once been the proud Kriemhilde Stellung. We 
 had a grandstand ticket on the 26th, a day which turned out so 
 clear as to disprove the theory that a big cannonading brings 
 rain. Toward noon most of the neighboring batteries became 
 silent, and only a few scattered guns kept up a desultory firing 
 during the rest of the day. Out in front of us was a little rise 
 of ground, and a hundred meters beyond that, the higher 
 wooded ridge from which the assault had been launched. We 
 had no idea of what was taking place out there, the absence 
 of enemy shelling was more a mystery than anything else. 
 Many aeroplanes flew back and forth over our beach !)ut at a 
 height too great to distinguish whether they bore a circle or 
 a cross. Frequently a plane was pursued by little puft's of 
 white smoke which appeared many seconds before the faint 
 "pom, pom, pom" of the bursting shrapnel could be heard. 
 The hell which the anti-aircraft artillery projected toward 
 heaven seemed miniature and harmless in comparison to that 
 on earth. Bombardments of the sky were a commonplace sight 
 for us after that day ; but we seldom saw or heard of a plane 
 brought down by the "archies" whose principal function was 
 to keep the enemy observers flying high. Even while we 
 exalted in the Allied supremacy of the air, for nresumal)ly the 
 Hun planes were outnumbered, two incidents occurred which 
 proved that the foe still existed. French observation balloons 
 had risen, one pair of them some distance to the rear and 
 another pa'ir on our left. Suddenly we looked to see only a 
 curtain of black smoke where one of the rear balloons had 
 
 48 
 
A History of Battery F ^2^d Field Artillery 
 
 been and away from that smoke there floated a speck of a para- 
 chute containing the pilot. At the same moment the thing 
 was repeated to the left, only this time there was no sign 
 of the pilot making his escape. The two balloons which sur- 
 vived looked ridiculously lonely with their companions puffed 
 out like candles. The act was so concerted and so swiftly done 
 in a quiet blue sky that it seemed like a dream. It was later 
 reported that the Huns who did the trick had slipped in by 
 virtue of small high-powered machines, the wings of which 
 bore the red, white and blue circle of the Allies. 
 
 About 2 o'clock in the afternoon orders were received to 
 move ahead. It was a much easier proposition to navigate 
 among the craters of the field in daylight than it had been in 
 the uncertain lights of the early morning. After half an hour 
 the road was reached and we pulled along it for several hundred 
 yards to the foot of the wooded ridge. A battalion of '75's" 
 had just pulled out and abandoned for our use its hastily 
 prepared position about one hundred meters from the edge of 
 the Bois de Hesse. This was our first gun position. It was 
 evident that no fire could be delivered from there. We were 
 the only light batteries in the vicinity and moreover it was 
 rumored that an advance of seven kilometers had been made 
 that day, a situation which justified the boldness with which 
 we had taken up the position in broad daylight. Even Colonel 
 McKinlay admitted that it was a reserve position and that 
 we were laid in preparation for counter attack. The battery 
 detail tried to orient themselves and point the guns on "Y" 
 north. To do this it was necessary to set the compass gonio- 
 meter directly in front and within a few yards of a pair of 
 six-inch American rifles in action. The tremendous concussion 
 was very disturbing to the accuracy of the first laying, but 
 fortunately we never fired from that position. 
 
 Meanwhile a long gray line of German prisoners passed by : 
 there must have been more than three hundred. The sight was 
 cheery, for it was a tangible proof of what had been accom- 
 plished by the great efforts we had witnessed. We regarded 
 those prisoners with curiosity and looked for signs of the poor 
 conditions of food and clothing which were reported to exist 
 in the German army. But their appearance was hardly 
 
 49 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 wretched. They were well shod with black leather boots, and 
 their clothing was in good condition. Most of them had thrown 
 away their heavy steel helmets and wore the familiar round 
 cloth cap with a button on the front. A few had received 
 wounds, but only one was carried on a stretcher by his com- 
 panions. Their faces were white, which was natural consider- 
 ing the hell from which these devils had been pulled, and, while 
 some were expressionless, others were smiling and looked alto- 
 gether satisfied with the situation. 
 
 Late in the afternoon the caissons turned up from some- 
 where and unloaded a pile of shells at each gun, after which 
 they joined the limbers and horses which had taken shelter 
 in a corner of the woods to the left. Telephone lines were 
 stretched from our position to the battalion observation post 
 (O.P.) which occupied a knoll behind us and from which 
 nothing could have been observed except the close defense of 
 the guns. The most profitable work was performed by the 
 cannoneers, who improved the depth of the short and narrow 
 trenches which were found at the position. When everything 
 had been set in readiness to open fire on any target which 
 might be designated in the direction of "Y" north we found 
 that the first excitement of approaching the front was giving 
 place to great drowsiness. All the men, except a squad at 
 each gun, were sent over to the picket line in the woods. 
 
 We made up lost sleep at double time that night, and the 
 next morning felt only a vague recollection that the ground 
 had been shaking periodically for some hours. Daylight and 
 a consciousness of the real nature of the stunning explosions 
 around us dawned pari passu. The night before the crash- 
 ing of the long guns across the road had been a most satisfying 
 disturbance, a sort of "give 'em hell" sensation, but those guns 
 were silent now and had lowered their long noses into the 
 bushes. Fifty yards to the right, the road, which passed 
 back of our position, swung north and disappeared into the 
 woods. It was at that turn of the road that the battery of 
 heavies had been operating, and now the spot was the center 
 of dispersion for the German shells that were coming over. 
 The shells were of large calibre, and, judging by the low 
 pitch of the whine which preceeded the arrival of each, they 
 
 50 
 
A History of Battery F ^2jd Field Artillery 
 
 were firing at extreme range. The long whine was followed by a 
 swish and then a geyser of dirt, bushes, smoke and flame fol- 
 lowed immediately by a sharp crash. There was a second or 
 two for ducking before the hot metal fragments reached us, 
 and after it was all over and we had started to listen for the 
 next contribution, a few stones and sticks that had traveled high, 
 came pattering down. Big shells are always a demoralizing 
 experience, there is too much time to think when you hear 
 them coming. Between the moan and the crash a man can 
 review his past life, can speculate on how small an amount of 
 deviation from the last shot would be necessary to jar the gun 
 in his direction and can realize that no power on earth is 
 now able to alter in the slightest degree the course of the pro- 
 jectile which is at that instant — almost — kerflop CRASH!!! 
 The ground a few yards off is torn to shreds, now that one is 
 over with, where is the next going to land? and so it goes 
 over and over again. That morning the shells kept fairly con- 
 stant at the bend in the road, with now and then a "short" 
 plumping down into the woods just in front of us. The guards 
 on our guns stated that the show had been going on most of 
 the night, although doubtless an hour of this new experience 
 could prolong itself indefinitely on the feelings. Corporal Deveny 
 picked up a piece of hot metal which stung his foot, and fum- 
 bhng it from hand to hand, said: "If ever I get back to Beaver 
 County I sure would like to have this to show the folks." 
 But we guess he thought his chances were so slim that the 
 splinter wasn't worth keeping. The bombardment kept up for 
 nearly an hour after daylight and then suddenly ceased. None 
 of the heavy guns at the bend in the road had been struck, and 
 the enemy had thrown over a bunch of expensive ammunition to 
 no account. 
 
 The battalion commander turned up about 7 o'clock and 
 Avithout any hint of our destination we took the road which led 
 north into the Bois de Hesse, penetrating the eastern reaches of 
 the Argonne forest. For the first kilometer there was no inter- 
 ruption. On every hand were signs of the drive which had 
 been so recently organized in those woods. A board nailed to 
 a tree marked the "regulating station" where troops and vehicles 
 which approached the front line trenches before the drive, had 
 
 51 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 been inspected. There were signs announcing the "gas alert 
 zone," and numerous "dressing stations." All these things were 
 rendered obsolete by the magnificent successes of the last few 
 hours. We turned to the right on a narrow, unimproved road, 
 and thereupon progress became slow. We halted several hours 
 until the head of the column could nose a way through the 
 congestion at some cross roads. The fine weather overhead 
 was no reflection of the mud underfoot. The halt on that nar- 
 row road recalls to mind what a mire it was, because during the 
 long delays there was no dry spot to sit down on. No matter 
 how bright the sun it had little effect on the eternal mud that 
 was churned up by heavy traffic. The road ran along the 
 reverse slope of a ridge where the big trees had either been 
 shot down or cut down to build dug-outs so that what was left 
 was only a tangle of underbrush and saplings not at all charac- 
 teristic of the straight, clean forests of peaceful France. It 
 made excellent concealment for guns and the bushes on the left 
 of the road were "lousy" with big artillery. On the right the 
 hill fell away sharply and the road was lined with barbed wire 
 as a reminder to keep in the track and not to disturb the appear- 
 ance of the bushes on the hillside lest the gun positions be be- 
 trayed to enemy aviators — a sample of camouflage discipline. 
 The batteries represented every sort of heavy piece from six- 
 inch rifles and howitzers to twelve-inch naval guns manned by 
 French sailors. The numbers of French and American artil- 
 lerymen were about equal, although all the infantry in the sector 
 was American. 
 
 While the secrets of the Argonne forest were thus dis- 
 closing themselves it was an interesting speculation how so 
 many unwieldy pieces of machinery could have been brought 
 up that narrow muddy road and concealed in position without the 
 knowledge of a shrewd enemy. To bring up one such gun in 
 broad daylight would have been an accomplishment in itself. 
 
 The middle of the afternoon we emerged from the eastern 
 edge of the woods, picked up a hard road and swung north 
 on a high barren ridge. There suddenly unfolded a panorama 
 of the battle field, the most conspicuous of which was a 
 commanding hill that could be seen to the north across six 
 kilometers of lowlands. The white ruins of a city on the 
 
 52 
 
A History of Battery F j^jd Field Artillery 
 
 hill shone conspicuously in the rays of the setting sun. Ignorant 
 of our geographical whereabouts we guessed that the town might 
 be Verdun, but in reality it was our first glimpse of Montfaucon, 
 which was at that moment being captured by the Americans. 
 West of the town the intervening lowland ascended gradually, 
 covered by the shattered remnants of the Bois de Montfaucon 
 which had concealed most of the opposing German artillery. 
 To the east the country rolled up into the hills which overlooked 
 the Meuse River. 
 
 Any reflections which might have been indulged in, concern- 
 ing the battle that stretched out before us, were cut short 
 by the voice of Colonel Hennessy. He stood in the middle of 
 the road and, having taken complete charge of the traffic, 
 was giving rapid orders to everybody in sight. Perchance he 
 had uttered the magic "Go !" but the traffic would not go and 
 it was necessary to "do something quick" in accordance with 
 his policy. He was saying, "Captain, turn off here. Only the 
 four guns will go ahead on this road (indicating a muddy lane). 
 Give me an officer.^' The officer was instructed to allow no 
 vehicle except those of the 323rd to enter that field. Our 
 caissons and supply wagons were turned off but it was evident 
 enough that no other vehicles in all the vicinity had the slightest 
 desire to follow our example and park themselves on a bare 
 hilltop in full view of all the hostile world. The guns pushed 
 laboriously through mud that was rough and treacherous with 
 shell holes. The lane descended along the back of the ridge 
 so that the further they went the better became the defilade. 
 About five hundred meters beyond our famous, or rather 
 infamous, echelon we met Colonel McKinlay, who indicated the 
 battalion position on the reverse slope below the right of the road. 
 The location was an excellent one with good defilade, a broad 
 field of fire, and dugouts which afforded maximum protection 
 by virtue of the covering slope of the hill. It was a place 
 which had evidently been used for several years by batteries 
 of "75's", and it had only that day been quitted by an American 
 battalion which had moved forward into the Bois de Mont- 
 faucon. Our caissons had been left back at the echelon but 
 we appropriated several piles of abandoned shrapnel and shell. 
 One thing was missing which in most positions would have been 
 
 53 
 
A History of Battery F s^jd Field Artillery 
 
 highly desirable. There was not a tree or a bush on the entire 
 ridge, but camouflage was easy under the principle of multiply- 
 ing that which cannot be concealed. The hillside had been a 
 scene of action for so long that it was mottled with dugouts, 
 shell craters, and emplacements, and the overturned earth at 
 our position was only a part of the general aspect. The books 
 dictate that camouflage nets be spread over each piece in order 
 to conceal the outline of the gun, but here the result was to 
 create little green patches which were more conspicuous than 
 the bare emplacements. The fact did not alter the determina- 
 tion of Colonel McKinlay to "hide" his guns by spreading 
 over them the flags of chicken-wire and raffia. The most strict 
 camouflage discipline for escaping discovery at the hands of 
 enemy aviators and subsequent destruction was maintained. The 
 men were not allowed to smoke or have lights of any kind 
 after dark, nor were they permitted to dry clothes in the open. 
 All that in the face of an echelon where the band played, and 
 which stuck up on a bare hilltop like a sore thumb, and of a 
 battery of six-inch guns which was operating without a vestige 
 of concealment only two hundred yards away. The battle was 
 anything but practice out in front where Fritz was being kept 
 so busy that he had neither time nor ammunition for troops 
 in reserve. 
 
 The country in which we found ourselves was perhaps 
 as desolate as any on the Eastern Front. The remains of the 
 town of Esnes lay half a kilometer further down the road, 
 and beyond were the first heights of the Verdun defences 
 of which our own ridge was a bloody outpost. The German 
 onslaught against Verdun in 1916 had seethed around Esnes, 
 just to the west of which was the famous Dead Man's Hill. 
 A French officer pointed the place out to us and repeated the 
 consecrated expression "On ne passe pas." The ground about 
 was so pitted with shell holes that there was scarcely a square 
 foot unscarred by the blast of high-explosive. The shell holes 
 were for the most part nearly two years old, but their sides 
 were still lined with upturned gravel in defiance of nature's 
 attempts to cover her disfigurement with grass. When the 
 farmers return to cultivate those hillsides they will find no 
 lack of barbed wire for their fences. Indeed, it will be a 
 
 54 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 marvel if they ever reclaim the ground from under the fearful 
 tangles. In front of our position there were two parallel 
 barriers of wire which ran the length of the ridge and which 
 had been built with great care. Each barrier was about thirty 
 feet wide of heavy wire with long barbs placed so close that it 
 could not be handled. The tangle stood about three feet high 
 and was supported by hundreds of iron and wooden stakes. 
 The distance between the two entanglements was sufficient 
 to prevent a bursting shell from tearing the wire in more than 
 one barrier at a time. A little valley behind us was fortified 
 in the same way as far as the eye could see. 
 
 The position was held by us for six days against all 
 attempts to dislodge us. The attempts were those of our own 
 command who would gladly have moved any artillery forward 
 that could get through the congestion on the roads. It has 
 lately been reported that the position which should have been 
 occupied at that time was north instead of west of Esnes, but 
 the blockade on the roads made it necessary for Colonel Hen- 
 nessy to put us where he did. Our light guns were out of 
 range with common shell and, since no semisteel was available, 
 not a shot was fired by the regiment on the west side of the 
 Meuse. Everybody was anxious to perform some service to 
 justify our presence on the scene of action and an opportunity 
 was afiforded to carry ammunition to the batteries which were 
 engaged in the Bois de Montfaucon to the northwest. Every 
 morning before daylight we could hear the barrages which 
 sounded as though somebody had set off a bunch of giant 
 fire-crackers. Every night therefore an expedition of caissons 
 was sent out from the regiment in order to get as many 
 precious rounds as possible through to the guns which could 
 use them. The expeditions were usually away for twenty-four 
 hours, and required the greatest exertions on the part of the 
 men and horses. On the second night of our stay the caissons 
 of battery "F" struggled through in care of Lieutenant Breese, 
 Sergeant Crawford, and Sergeant Riggs. On their return they 
 reported that the assistance had arrived in the nick of time, 
 and that our ammunitioti had been put to immediate use. Re- 
 ports were current that the Infantry which had swept over 
 the intervening lowland and captured Montfaucon so rapidly 
 
 55 
 
A History of Battery F jj^d Field Artillery 
 
 were hard pressed by lack of artillery support. But whatever 
 the difficulties which were experienced it was evident that the 
 Germans were kept so busy that they did not have time to 
 molest the long helpless lines of traffic which stretched from 
 Esnes to the battle line. Hostile artillery was not silent. 
 Every day w^e could see the white puffs of shrapnel bursting 
 over the ruins of Montfaucon, and could hear the dull plunk, 
 plunk of big s'hells which were constantly landing in the woods 
 around the base of the prominence. On the nights of October 
 1st and 2nd the enemy threw a few "G. I. cans" further back, 
 but by that time the opportunity had passed for wrecking the 
 traffic, and the shells had no more effect than to upheave a 
 few fresh craters on the forward slope of our ridge. 
 
 When the guns had been put in their emplacements we 
 had time to consider the food problem. There had been no 
 issue of rations to the regiment since we entrained for the 
 front, and nothing to indicate that the subject was being given 
 a thought. The truth was that our supply company was lost 
 in the Argonne Woods and Colonel Hennessy could not find it. 
 To feast on the fruits of victory is a grand thing, but unsub- 
 stantial when the canned "willy" is gone. Having had no 
 refreshment during the all day march through the Bois de Hesse 
 it was decided to pool what still remained of the reserve rations 
 and to make a final and equal distribution for immediate con- 
 sumption. That decision eliminated all envy of another's lot. 
 The following morning Colonel Hennessy solved the predica- 
 ment in true "Spike" style. A runner from regimental head- 
 quarters brought an order which summoned a detail from the 
 battery to reT)ort to the echelon on the run. The colonel was 
 engaged in conversation with an infantry major, and beside 
 them was a ration dump which contained "bokoo" fresh beef, 
 canned vegetables, a large pile of bread loaves, and forage for 
 the horses into the bargain. 
 
 A colonel who had the foresight and a supply company 
 wdiich had the ability to collect such provisions in that place 
 certainly deserved to have their names blest. But charitable 
 thoughts were prevented from starting at home by the intelli- 
 gence that the rations belonged to an infantry regiment on 
 the firing line. However "Spike" had determined to help him- 
 
 56 
 
A History of Battery F S2^d Field Artillery 
 
 self. Any fears which the infantry major entertained concerning 
 his rations were dispelled by the assurances of our colonel that 
 everything taken would be replaced, and moreover that the food 
 would spoil before it could ever reach the "doughboys." But 
 whatever the intention, no return was ever made. The meat 
 did not spoil. A detail of harpies from each organization was 
 on hand and the distribution which ensuea was completely 
 satisfactory from a mess-sergeant's viewpoint. One of the 
 articles of booty was a barrel which stood by itself and had 
 not attracted much attention. Colonel Hennessy said: "There 
 is a barrel of watermelons — GO !" Restraint in the presence 
 of the colonel was thrown aside at such an invitation, and in 
 the scramble which ensued the barrel was demolished and some 
 of the eggplant which it contained was secured in good con- 
 dition. 
 
 An incident of an altogether different nature marked the 
 foraging expedition. Just to the left of Montfaucon there was 
 an observation balloon which attracted our attention on account 
 of the boldness of its forward position. Suddenly two little 
 parachutes left the basket and floated away, for a few seconds 
 it was a mystery why the balloon had been abandoned, it hung 
 there as lazy and natural as ever. Then without warning the 
 giant bag became a mass of flames and crashed to the ground 
 leaving only the black column of smoke. Although this was 
 the third balloon whose destruction we had witnessed there 
 was no doubt that the Allies held the air supremacy in that 
 sector. No balloons were ever visible behind the enemy's lines. 
 On a fair day Allied planes could be seen in all directions, and 
 the appearance of a "boche" Avas always heralded by machine 
 guns which rattled over the whole landscape from Montfaucon 
 to the Bois de Hesse. Several thrilling fights were staged 
 right over our heads, but the swift machines darted about at so 
 great a height that it was impossible to distinguish friend from 
 foe. The evening before we left the position a Hun plane flew 
 low over our heads, it was pursued by two French machines 
 which poured a stream of lead all around the luckless Boche. 
 The course of each bullet could easily be followed by the 
 bright light which the tracer ammunition emitted. Fritz ducked 
 
 57 
 
A History of Battery F J^jd Field Artillery 
 
 and swerved, and although outnumbered, he showed consider- 
 able pluck and ability so that the battle disappeared over the 
 hill behind us before any fatal decision. 
 
 The appearance of the ground around our gun position 
 with its myriad shell holes and barbed wire entanglements 
 gave an impression so desolate that we had a feeling of being 
 alone in the vicinity. This impression was speedily dispelled by 
 a ten minute walk to Esnes. The town was so completely 
 demolished that it could ^hardly be called a ruin. Stone and 
 plaster lay in heaps that had lost all outline of the houses that 
 they had once been; only here and there a jagged corner or a 
 door-sill remained standing, while the church was marked by 
 only a corner of its tower with a remnant of roof clinging to 
 it. A number of big guns had taken up positions in the erst- 
 while parlors and shops. They were painted a dusty gray to 
 conform with the color of the debris, and that was accom- 
 plished so successfully that one was startled to discover a gun. 
 The main road which ran through Esnes was a spectacle. 
 French and American three-ton trucks and ammunition quads 
 occupied most of the road, with "flivvers," caterpillar tractors, 
 and smoothly running ambulances sandwiched in between. 
 Whenever the traffic halted men on foot and mounted officers 
 appeared unexpectedly from its midst and continued their way 
 along the sides of the road. Just above the town there w^as 
 an important four corners which acted as a sort of safety valve 
 for the relief of congestion out in front and at which the traffic 
 that came from three directions was controlled. A captain 
 was usually on duty there as traffic cop and his favorite occu- 
 pation was to steer the heterogeneous stream around a huge 
 ten-inch gun which had turned too sharply and become stalled, 
 forming an effective and seemingly permanent dam. 
 
 But there was little opportunity for being away from the 
 guns. An hour after arrival the position was organized for 
 defense. Telephone communication was installed which con- 
 nected each of the batteries and battalion headquarters through 
 a central with a line run beyond the echelon into a hollow in 
 the edge of the woods where regimental headquarters were 
 located. A barrage was figured from battle maps on a scale 
 of one to twenty-thousand, and the guns layed accordingly. 
 
 58 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 It is an invariable rule that batteries layed on a barrage shall 
 mount a guard on each piece day and night. It is such sentinel's 
 duty to fire his gun instantly if he receives the command 
 "barrage!" That guard duty was no hardship at Esnes since 
 the gun squad had little else to do ; but if a guard had taken 
 it upon himself to lire his gun not even our own infantry would 
 have been hit — they were too far ahead. On the second night 
 a curious thing happened which showed how disorganized com- 
 munications had become by the rapid advances of our men. 
 From the valley out in front came a hue and cry "artillery is 
 firing short!" It was relayed from the vicinity of Montfaucon 
 and caught up by every man who heard it, resounding from 
 near and far. A good deal of cannonading had been going 
 on from the heavies in the Bois de Hesse and the cry was 
 evidently meant for their ears. We strained lung power col- 
 lectively and individually in attempts to pass back the word. 
 Sergeant Nord got out a flashlight and projected it by the 
 Morse code. But Whether the improvised communication was 
 effective or the big guns ceased firing in their natural course 
 will never be known. 
 
 Compared to the strenuous nights which followed, these 
 were exceedingly restful but they were not without disturbance 
 which chiefly took the form of gas-alarms. Most everybody 
 has a healthy respect for gas, and we had come to the front 
 with a solemn resolve to use our masks with the greatest pos- 
 sible celerity should the occasion arise. It was wise to act 
 first and reason afterwards whenever the gas alarm sounded. 
 The common or garden variety of alarm was a claxon horn 
 operated by hand or compressed air, the improvised variety was 
 an empty shell case suspended by a wire and struck with a 
 monkey wrench. The latter was the kind which our sentinels 
 employed vigorously on several midnight occasions in the fresh 
 clear air of Esnes Hills. The commotion always originated 
 on a claxon in the vicinity of Montfaucon, the alarm was caught 
 up on the alert throughout the valley, and passed back as far 
 as our own shell cases. The whole neighborhood resounded 
 with a noise of claxon horns and beaten brass, augmented by 
 the discharge of pistols which added to the general effect. 
 Down in the dugouts we were mindful that gas being heavier 
 
 59 
 
A History of Battery F J2^d Field Artillery 
 
 than air seeks low levels. So after poking a neighbor in the ribs 
 to make sure that he was awake, there was nothing to do but 
 adjust the mask and await developments. The battalion gas 
 officer then passed along the battery positions and tested the 
 atmosphere by a good sniff here and there. If the coast was 
 clear he would announce "You have permission to remove face 
 pieces," whereupon each soldier took a local sniff and acted 
 accordingly. Such a performance took place on several nights 
 until it was decided that the sentinels should call the gas officer 
 before repeating the alarm. 
 
 The ec'helon also was not without its excitement. One 
 night the men were startled by the clear blast of "call to 
 arms." They crawled out from their various shelters. Their 
 pup tents were pulled down, the blanket rolls made in the 
 drenching downpour, and the batteries were formed without 
 delay in order if necessary to defend the echelon. Colonel 
 Hennessy had taken up sleeping quarters in a fourgon, and 
 it so happened that a storm coming up suddenly drove the 
 rain in upon him. The services of the command were there- 
 fore most urgently required to turn the fourgon around. 
 Incidentally a detail was sent to put out a fire smouldering in 
 an underground dugout. 
 
 60 
 
Verdun 
 
 "Three sleepless nights I passed in sounding 
 on a dim and perilous zvay." — The Borderers. 
 
 ON THE afternoon of October third, Colonel Hennessy 
 assembled the battery commanders and imparted the 
 information that we were a part of "the greatest single 
 movement of troops." That cryptic remark held vast possi- 
 bilities, one of which was a drive on Metz. There had been 
 considerable talk of an American offensive in that sector, but, 
 until the colonel's remark, wa had been planning to go forward 
 instead of back. It had been the official intention for us to 
 abandon our guns and take over those of a battalion supporting 
 the 33rd Division in the Bois de Montfaucon. Both col- 
 onels of our regiment had made a reconnaissance with that 
 end in view and returned with the cheerful news that the 
 battalion we were about to relieve had lost its major and most 
 of its personnel by direct fire from the Germans. From all 
 reports it was not an enviable inheritance and one easily for- 
 gotten when we got the unexpected order to move back. 
 
 Daylight assisted in the making of rolls and getting 
 the guns out of their emplacements, but it was dark by the 
 time the regiment assembled at the echelon. At that time 
 Major Fibich, recently assigned to the regiment, issued hi? 
 first order as our new battalion commander. It was to 
 stretch the picket line, pitch tents and get what rest we 
 could since the powers that be had indicated that our march 
 would probably be delayed until the next day. When the 
 tents were pitched we proceeded to crawl between our blankets 
 and accompanied the settling-down process with grunts of the 
 most complete satisfaction. Such a piece of mind as is cust- 
 omarily enjoyed by a bug in a rug lasted for us about three 
 minutes, when the voice of some luckless orderly from bat- 
 talion headquarters cried into our semi-consciousness. We would 
 prepare to take the road immediately. There were no two 
 ways about it. The first sergeant blew his whistle, and the 
 little canvas sleeping apartments disappeared like a happy dream 
 
 61 
 
A History of Battery F J2^d Field Artillery 
 
 and were rolled up and put back on the gun carriages. In 
 half an hour we stood in the field with the column formed. 
 An hour more and still we stood waiting for the first bat- 
 talion to move out ahead but it had taken root on the road. 
 The hilltop was comparatively still with the rumbling of gun 
 fire a long way oft'. Once our airplane whirred back and forth 
 over our heads. The air was growing chilly and the drivers 
 leaned against the leaward flank of their horses wondering 
 in a dull way if that airplane would drop any bombs. At 
 length we mounted, kicked the horses back into consciousness, 
 and moved away in ignorance of our destination. We traveled 
 back through the Bois de Hesse over an excellent road with 
 many turns. To all appearances we were alone in the woods 
 and for several hours progress was so rapid that it was only 
 by leaving markers at the turns that we could feel sure that 
 the whole battalion was following. As Colonel McKinlay 
 put it, the carriages were strung out "from here to hell and 
 gone." It was therefore with some measure of relief that 
 we cleared the woods and found that a halt had been called. 
 The carriages in rear which had been racing along by them- 
 selves were able to close up on those in front. Fifteen 
 minutes and the feeling of relief passed, but the "rest" had 
 just begun. 
 
 The night was clear but a sharp wind swept the exposed 
 hillside where we were halted. There was nothing to do but 
 stamp around briskly and make a few weak remarks about 
 some searchlights that were sweeping back and forth across 
 the sky toward the east. But as time passed the wind cut 
 deeper and the whole column congealed into immobility. 
 Some of us sat down on a pile of crushed stone by the road- 
 side and although not aware of being asleep lost all con- 
 sciousness immediately. This was disturbed by the sound of 
 a motorcycle coming down the hill ; that stirred a vague 
 sensation of a foot being in the road and a dumb wondering 
 if it was possible to muster the energy to withdraw that 
 foot before the motorcycle would get there and cut it off. 
 More fortunate were the several men who had perched them- 
 selves on the spigots of the water-cart. The horses looked 
 as though they were going to drop in their traces, and let 
 
 62 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6, Field Artillery 
 
 their heads droop lower and lower. How long we waited in 
 that condition is a question, it must have been several hours 
 before the column moved again. Then we pressed forward by 
 jerks and halts. Presently we came to a cross-roads. The 
 explanation of the long delay was evident. The 322nd F. A. 
 and the 323d had met at the road junction, their startings hav- 
 ing been badly timed. Colonel Warfield, being senior, had the 
 right of way, but after a time Spike had become impatient and 
 sandwiched our batteries into the column as opportunity offered 
 There are few impressions of the remainder of that night. 
 The drivers and the cannoneers took turns at walking due to 
 the cold. When a man had mounted his horse with great effort 
 he saw nothing, except the horse's head bobbing monotonously 
 up and down, and sometimes the drivers fell asleep in their 
 saddles. In Recicourt we turned east and followed a fine 
 national road through Blercourt where daylight was turning 
 the night mist to gray. No matter how weary a person may 
 be during the night, daylight usually revives the spirits. We 
 were passing through a long valley flanked by steep ridges. The 
 air resounded with an early morning barrage from heavy guns 
 located along the ridge on our left. It was the most western of 
 the great Verdun forts in action. At a point where the valley 
 widened a fork of the road swung back toward the south. 
 There were two big signs, one marked "VERDUN" with an 
 arrow straight ahead, and the other "BAR-LE-DUC." Under 
 the arrow of the latter we swung sharply to the right and 
 thought that the die was cast for the Metz front. The 
 theory, however, was permanently banished when, after one 
 kilometer, we turned to the left up a long grade into Gallieni 
 woods. The name recalls a picture of the most trying "rest 
 camp" and stickiest mud hole in France. 
 
 For four years those extensive woods in the middle of 
 the active Verdun salient had sheltered rest billets and 
 echelons for the P'rench army. The shacks were rife with 
 "galloping dandruff" and the stables full of filth. Outside 
 under the trees the ground was torn up into treacherous bogs 
 of mud. Into these woods whose dreary appearance was any- 
 thing but cheerful we pulled laboriously about ten o'clock 
 in the morning. The horses had been in draft during four- 
 
 63 
 
A History of Battery F s^3d Pi^ld Artillery 
 
 teen continuous hours without water or eats, and if they could 
 have spoken their minds would probably have said to the 
 cannoneers "you and me both." After tending to the needs 
 of the horses the battery was soon sprawled out around the 
 bases of the trees where the ground was firm over the roots 
 and less muddy. 
 
 Our ideas of Gallieni Woods would be very different if 
 we remembered it by the several hours of undisturbed sleep 
 which were enjoyed while the sun was shining at high noon. 
 But the "rest camp" had just the opposite experience in 
 store for us. Everybody aroused themselves early in the 
 afternoon and steered a determined course toward the rolling 
 kitchen where beef, tomatoes, and coffee had put in a happy 
 appearance. 
 
 The difficulties which would be met if it became neces- 
 sary to harness and pull out of the mud in the dark were 
 evident enough, and so the captain proposed to get all ready 
 while the daylight lasted. Rolls w^ere made and strapped 
 on the carriages ; the horses were harnessed and the whole 
 battery turned around with the leading carriage on the edge 
 of the road. If "Spike" had only come along then and said 
 "Go!" we would have gone. There was no hint of what to 
 expect, and so we waited. An hour after darkness had come 
 on the command was ordered to unhitch and turn in for the 
 night. That wasn't bad news, it was easy to change our 
 intentions from a hike to a rest. Battalion headquarters were 
 perplexed and admitted that orders to move might still come. 
 A fine drenching rain had set in and the night was pitch black. 
 The men inserted themselves between the blankets with a 
 few gay remarks wdiich implied "Now let them try to rout 
 us out." 
 
 That challenge was answered immediately. A voice was 
 heard from the direction of Battery "D" calling for all bat- 
 teries to prepare to move. The colonel had returned in an 
 impatient mood, and, although the night was already half 
 spent, he was ordered to put his regiment into a firing posi- 
 tion before daylight. A trying struggle ensued. Practically 
 everybody was sick and some men had been carried in the 
 fourgons on the night before ; the battalion surgeon was busy 
 
 64 
 
A History of Battery F S2jd Field Artillery 
 
 dolling out quantities of camphor and opium. A mitigating 
 feature of the situation was that the firing batteries alone were 
 called for which meant only the guns with a caisson for each 
 and one fourgon with the orienting instruments. Extra can- 
 noneers and drivers who were not called upon to tear up 
 their tents helped get the firing battery ready. Under the 
 circumstances morale was at a low ebb, but everybody 
 turned out and did his share of the black work. Time passed 
 until by the combined senses of hearing, feeling, and swearing 
 the battery was made ready and the drivers of the leading 
 carriage roused their horses into action. The gun lurched 
 forward a few feet, then plunged down over the axles in 
 mud where it stopped so utterly as if to say "You may all go 
 off and leave me I refuse to stir again." Nobody thought of 
 aeroplanes then, everybody thought of a light ; that gun must 
 be forced out and on. Somebody produced a flashlight and 
 with its help four more horses were added to the six 
 already on the gun. The cannoneers wallowed in the mud 
 braced themselves at the wheels, and turned the trick. When 
 the column at length found itself on the road we felt as 
 though we had done some of the hardest fighting of the war. 
 It was a kind of fighting seldom considered except by the 
 men who have been in it, no shells had screamed into the 
 woods, but the most trying of all. 
 
 The route was the same by which we had entered, but 
 we were not ''out of the woods" until the main road was 
 reached. Several horses in the battery preferred to lie down 
 and die and the slippery condition of the wet clay road as- 
 sisted them in that decision. Every time a horse went down 
 the whole column behind had to come to a halt while the 
 carriages in front slid off into the darkness and disappeared, 
 but neither traces nor legs of drivers were broken, so that 
 such delays were only a matter of a few minutes. On the 
 Bar-Ie-Duc road we turned to the right toward Verdun. A 
 French truck train was plunging albng at great speed so that 
 it was a miracle that none of our gun wheels were clipped 
 off, as each truck driver seemed determined to contribute 
 his share in trimming the artillery, and when that didn't suc- 
 ceed they jammed themselves into a blockade that stopped 
 
 65 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 everything for a while. When traffic finally got started again 
 it moved at the rate of two hours per mile, but neither the 
 night or its difficulties could last forever. The fetters fell 
 away during the last hour of darkness and we had a clear 
 level road leading straight into Verdun. The approach of 
 dawn brought the usual heavy mist, we could see little of the 
 surrounding country, but it was evident that our march lay 
 through a deep and narrow valley. The highway was flanked 
 by rows or tall trees, and parallel to it ran a double-track 
 railroad ; it was the main approach to Verdun from the west. 
 Some huge howitzers and their tractors were drawn up beside 
 the road, but our column was the only sign of life. The forts 
 on the surrounding ridges were silent, and the impressions 
 which the early morning mist afforded were those of an 
 approach to a peaceful city. Although no railroad trains 
 passed, the railroad was in operation, protected by the covering 
 crests, and its red and green lights were a cheerful and an 
 unusual sight. 
 
 It was indeed true that we were too far from our posi- 
 tions on the battle line to be able to reach them before broad 
 dayligiht should catch us on the road. The absolute secrecy 
 of American troop movements in that sector was imperative. 
 We crossed the railroad, and found ourselves on a city pave- 
 ment under some fine overspreading trees of a little park 
 which bordered an exceedingly wide deep moat. Crossing 
 the moat by a stone bridge we passed through a gate in the 
 great wall of the city, and came to a halt in another little 
 park just inside the gate, and like the American who visited 
 Paris exclamied "So this is Verdun!" The teams were un- 
 hitched, and sent back over tlie long straight road to our 
 echelon in Gallieni Woods. Great pains were then taken to 
 push the carriages among the park bushes and under the 
 thickest trees. The place had one attraction which surpassed 
 all others, it oft'ered a prospect for breakfast and a much 
 needed sleeo. The three ihours rest at noon on the previous 
 day counted for nothing in the face of the forty-eight hours 
 of exertion just ended. Most of the battery took full ad- 
 vantage of its opportunities for a rest, but the instrument 
 'let^il in command of Lieutenant Bradford who was acting 
 
 66 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 battery commander was enjoined by the Colonel to go out 
 immediately and make a reconnaissance of our proposed posi- 
 tion. Major Fibich assembled the reconnaissance parties of 
 his battalion and they filed out of the gate in a mood wihich 
 was not hilarious but at least resigned to banish all thought 
 both of rest and nourishment. The advance party on that 
 morning followed the same route which the firing battery 
 took to reach its position the following night. A fork of the 
 road swung north at the grade crossing, it was possible to 
 see only a few hundred yards through the mist which still 
 persisted. The substantial suburb of Thierville constituted 
 the northwestern outskirts of the city where the ihouses were 
 built in soHd blocks with handsome facades. The town however 
 was nothing but an empty skeleton of its former self. Shells 
 had torn gaping holes in the walls and roofs and wrecked the 
 interiors from which not one house had escaped. There was 
 one group of large buildings enclosed within a high iron 
 fence; it resembled a fine military barracks but the map ex- 
 plained that it was a large girls' school called the Jardin- 
 Fontaine. A few French poilus were straggling toward 
 Verdun, and three or four mounted French officers, but the 
 atmosphere of the place was lonely and deserted. The im- 
 pression was exactly the one which our command desired 
 to create in that sector. The front north of Verdun had 
 been held by the French and for many months it had been 
 inactive. Both sides, settled into what they considered im- 
 pregnable positions, were content to apologize for their 
 presence by the exchange of a few shells at regular hours 
 each day. Now that the enemy was so busily engaged in the 
 Argonne Forest it was desired to spring a surprise in the 
 height on the east bank of the Meuse, the American Army 
 v/as taking over the sector so quietly that even we could 
 hardly realize the fact. It was in Thierville that the party 
 stopped at a rolling kitchen to beg some hot coffee, so greatly 
 desired and badly needed. None bad eaten for nearly twenty- 
 four hours and there was no food in prospect. As the cofifee 
 was being served by the good-natured cook. Colonel Hennessy 
 appeared in his Dodge car. "What the hell are you doing 
 here? Pour that coffee in the road and go," was the greeting 
 
 67 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 to Major Fibich. Military discipline does not permit the retort 
 courteous and the party did as it was ordered. 
 
 Beyond Thierville the road crossed flat and open country, 
 but the shell holes which covered the fields and the little 
 patches of crushed stone where the road had been repaired 
 showed that the vicinity was a favorite target for artillery. 
 When the ruins of Charny showed up in the fog there was a 
 sharp turn to the left, and a sign at the corner announced 
 in French that the road was for light traffic only and all 
 vehicles must proceed at intervals of fifty meters. The enemy 
 was prepared to shell the road if he saw his targets, but in 
 the mist it would have been easy to bring the batteries up 
 in daylight without anyone being the wiser. For several miles 
 the road was camouflaged by saplings, branches, and long 
 grass loosely woven into a screen twenty feet high. The 
 screen was torn in a number of places and corresponding to 
 each tear was a newly-made shell hole in the road. It was 
 easy to see through such a screen when close to it but at a 
 little distance its transparency helped to blend it with the 
 surrounding fields ; the idea was not to conceal the presence 
 of the road, the location of which must have been accurately 
 known by the enemy, but to obstruct observation of what 
 took place along the road. Where the fields became marsh- 
 land and the road a viaduct there was a wooden bridge over 
 a little river and beyond that a similar bridge over a canal 
 which was almost as large as the river itself. Such was the 
 unpretentious appearance of the Meuse on which the w^ole 
 world had its eyes. Beyond the canal rose the steep and 
 barren ridge of the Cote-de-Talou. It was a commanding 
 barrier north of Verdun, and a strong point for artil- 
 lery on the line of the canal. A boat-landing on the canal 
 at the foot of the ridge was a unique sight, there was 
 a small group of poilus with tb.eir little round packs and 
 canteens already to go away on a "permission." Presently 
 a barge propelled by a gasoline engine came along filled with 
 other "permissionaires" who had been picked up enroute ; the 
 men who were waiting crowded in and they all started ofif on 
 a vacation. The great ridge which rose out of the canal pro- 
 tected the excursion boats from direct observation, but it 
 
 68 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 did not prevent big shells from crashing into the water every 
 day, several shell-craters looked very fresh and showed why 
 the bridge was made of new lumber. The road ran diagonally 
 up the hill behind a number of old emplacements, shacks, and 
 dugouts. Somebody spotted a "cantine militaire" in one of 
 the shacks, a very dirty little hole, where an old soldier served 
 sugarless hot chocolate in rusty tin cans and where a piece 
 of bread and butter was obtainable for a few coppers. The 
 humble appointments of the restaurant did not prevent its 
 being the acme of good cheer, and a "sine qua non" for the 
 reconnaissance party. 
 
 The French battalion which we were to relieve was lo- 
 cated at the western end of an irregular line of emplacements 
 along the upper half of the ridge, the slope was so steep that 
 low-angled guns had to be placed well up in order to clear 
 the crest. The dugouts in the line of the guns were small 
 and only designed to shelter battery personnel from flying 
 splinters but about half way down the slope to the canal the 
 French had built protection from the heaviest kind of shelling. 
 Long flights of steps descended thirty feet into the ground 
 where narrow dugouts resembled a mine shaft. There were 
 double tiers of shelves for bunks, and a hole in the wall that 
 led into a room with tables, chairs, and a stove. These com- 
 partments were lined with heavy timbers six to eight inches 
 in diameter which supported the roofs and walls so as to 
 prevent a cave-in from shocks overhead ; and to complete the 
 security there were at least three exits to every dugout so 
 that a single shell could not seal up the occupants by bursting 
 at the top of the steps. One dugout, somewhat grander than 
 the others, had a concrete entrance, which the regimental 
 adjutant had labeled with a paper and pencil ''Hennessy P. C." 
 That was the last time that Colonel Hennessy's name played 
 an official part with our regiment, for the colonel never saw 
 his headquarters on the Cote-de-Talou. He was relieved of 
 command that afternoon, October 5th, and for the next four 
 weeks we were under the consciencious direction of Colonel 
 McKinlay. 
 
 Fortunately for the tired limbs which the reconnaissance 
 party dragged around, the work was made comparatively 
 
 69 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 simple by the courtesy of the Frenchmen. They offered maps, 
 services, and information, not excepting dinner. But these 
 Americans they have money, they have food, they have every- 
 thing — yes, but that day they were damm hungry. "Les 
 troupes" were more than generous with their boiled potatoes 
 and their wine, a sour red variety which went by the name 
 "Vin de cantine." One difficulty was that we were bring- 
 ing up a regiment to replace a battalion, twenty-four guns 
 were trying to move into twelve emplacements. In the as- 
 signment of areas only one French emplacement fell to the 
 lot of battery "F," and when the battery arrived at midnight 
 three gun crews had to dig themselves in during the remain- 
 ing hours of darkness. Half of the French guns had been 
 removed the previous night and the other half were left layed 
 on the defensive barrage until ours arrived, when they were 
 withdrawn and all the French artillery disappeared from the 
 Cote-de-Talou. When a careful inspection of the routes of 
 approach had been made the reconnaissance was considered 
 complete and the instrument detail settled itself for a few 
 hours of "shut-eye." That was interrupted by a swish and 
 a sizzle which sounded directly overhead. It brought the 
 French out of their dugouts like a lot of prairie-dogs, one of 
 them remarked simply "loin," and everybody looked on calmly 
 while geysers of dirt were thrown up a couple of hundred 
 yards to the west. They told us that it was a most usual 
 occurrence, every afternoon at 4 o'clock the boche was 
 in the habit of throwing over a fixed number of shells always 
 in the same spot. Nobody was ever disturbed or injured, 
 but everybody enjoyed an opportunity of getting out of the 
 dugouts for an airing. According to custom also there was a 
 shelling of the bridge at the canal at eleven o'clock every 
 night. That intelligence was disquieting with the regiment 
 expecting to come up at precisely that hour, but when the 
 time came our guns had already gained the hill and in the 
 airfxiety to get them placed it was not noticed whether or 
 not the ceremony of the bridge was performed. 
 
 October 6th was a quiet day on the Cote de Talou, and 
 a good one for aerial observation. Since it was essential to 
 conceal the presence of American artillery we were ordered 
 
 70 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 to keep ourselves and paraphernalia carefully under the camou- 
 flaged nets. But those instructions were not long in force, 
 the tactical situation demanded that we prepare for the big 
 attack. The first three days were by no means idle ones, 
 A battalion O. P. was established on the crest of the hill 
 about three hundred yards in front of the guns ; it was 
 reached by a path which started from the eastern end of the 
 regiment and wound up through barbed wire and a con- 
 
 TODE DiMETT 
 
 fusing tangle of muddy trenches. Over such a path it took 
 several trips in daylight to be able to find the way at night. 
 The idea of approaching through the trenches was to avoid 
 showing a head above the sky fine on which the enemy had 
 direct observation. At first the O. P. was nothing but an 
 especially muddy place in a trench but the battery sent out a 
 daily detail of men to excavate the sides of the trench and 
 cover the excavation with iron rails and plates which were 
 
 71 
 
A History of Battery F 223d Field Artillery 
 
 easily salvaged in the vicinity, the result was protection 
 from the weather at least. A good view of the Gennan lines 
 was had from there, but without reference to a map it would 
 have been impossible to distinguish what hills were held by 
 the Germans and what by the Allies. Away to the left front 
 stretched the valley of the Meuse River beyond which the 
 Argonne offensive was in full swing. In the distance several 
 balloons could be seen and we judged them to be the same 
 ones which we had seen before near Montfaucon. On the 
 near side of the river the enemy held all of the opposing 
 slopes, where no signs of life were visible althoug'h the lines 
 of trenches and a few roads were easy to distinguish on the 
 face of the bare hills. From a deep valley the ground rolled 
 up higher and higher and in the background were dominating 
 heights, densely wooded, which was the region of the Bois de 
 Grande Montague. The strategic location of the Cote de 
 Talou had made it a target for the heaviest artillery which 
 the Germans had brought to the assault on Verdun, the ground 
 showed every trace of that hard usage, but it is possible 
 that some of the craters had been made by the guns of Fort 
 Douaumont or other of the powerful forts in the rear. Inas- 
 much as the Germans had stormed and taken the ridge in 
 1916, and the Meuse canal at that point was described by 
 the press as running with blood and choked with bodies. 
 
 The horses and limbers which had brought the guns into 
 position had been sent back to a wooded hillside between the 
 Cote de Talou and Verdun. We therefore had two echelons, 
 since the baggage wagons, kitchens, and extra caissons had 
 been left back in Gallieni Woods. For the first day or two 
 the wolf was at the door of the batteries on the hill, until 
 one kitchen per battalion was brought up under cover of 
 darkness and placed in a shelter along the line of deep dug- 
 outs. So-called hot coffee was the principle output from that 
 kitchen and the most appreciated. Corporal Moorehouse was 
 reminded of a can of salmon, alias "goldfish," wbich he had 
 brought with him the first day and concealed under a promi- 
 nent stone, but alas, it was never found again, and is prob- 
 ably to this day lying under one of the many prominent stones 
 on the Cote. If fare was light conversely the work was 
 
 72 
 
A History of Battery F 22^d Field Artillery 
 
 heavy, an unfortunate combination, but as Sergeant Gib said: 
 "I could carry ammunition day and night if I knew that each 
 shell was going across." And we did carry ammunition day 
 and night, with a lingering memory of how the caissons had 
 been loaded under distressing conditions at Esnes, only to 
 have the shells straightway unloaded and left in the mud. 
 The French had abandoned a number of shrapnel and gas 
 shells for our use, but in the drive for which we were pre- 
 paring it was necessary to use common shell and semi-steel. 
 This ammunition was brought up in trucks at night, but the 
 trucks could not leave the road on account of the mud and 
 shell holes, and therefore had to unload at the eastern limit 
 of the regimental area. Then began the weary trips back and 
 forth in the dark, when a rain rendered the clay path so 
 slippery that it was a stunt to navigate only a few steps 
 without going head over heels. The real trouble, however, 
 was empty stomachs. With a hot plate of chow, the job 
 could have been done in half the time. 
 
 On the third day the distant echelon in Gallieni was 
 moved up and combined with the horse line five kilometers 
 to our rear. About eight o'clock in the evening written in- 
 structions were surreptitiously received to the effect that the 
 drive would be launched at H hour the following morning. 
 The officers met Major Fibich in one of the deep dugouts 
 and held a council of war which would have done justice 
 to any cinema picture where candles, maps, cigar smoke, and 
 a crowded room compose the scene. No conversation on 
 the subject was permitted over the phones on account of the 
 German listening-in service ; neither were we notified of the 
 exact time for the drive until shortly before the hour which 
 was quietly passed around as being 5:30 A. M. The line of 
 the attack and the limits of the front on which our guns 
 would operate were passed down from the infantry, and time- 
 tables were turned over to the gunners, which would enable 
 them to drop shells in front of our infantry increasing the 
 range when the infantry advanced, and standing pat when the 
 infantry rested. We had been on the front long enough to 
 learn what hard work was, and to see something of bloodshed 
 and destruction, but now at last we had an opportunity to 
 
 7Z 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 put into practice the very thing for which the battery had 
 come into existence. We worked all night oiling the guns 
 and ammunition, and carrying up every round of additional 
 ammunition which arrived on the hill, as well as quantities 
 of grease and other supplies brought up from the echelon in 
 all haste. At 4 o'clock the guns were checked for paral- 
 lelism by means of lights no brighter than the ash on a 
 cigar — the laying was accurate. At 5 o'clock the seconds 
 were counted over the telephone and the watches of the 
 chiefs of sections synchronized. 
 
 The guns of the Verdun forts led of¥, their watches 
 must have been five minutes ahead of ours. They were fol- 
 lowed by the heavy artillery of the 324th which was below 
 us and to the left ; and H hour struck when Sergeant 
 Beligoy's piece boomed forth putting out the candles and 
 spattering down the dirt in our little dugouts. The entire 
 regiment was in full operation, and the noise and flashing 
 compared to that on our first night in the Argonne. On 
 every hilltop the forts roared, and down in the valley across 
 the Meuse some American railroad artillery was in full 
 blast; on the Cote de Talou the sharp cracking of the French 
 fortress guns sounded high above the artillery of our own 
 brigade. Up at the O. P. there was assembled a group of 
 instrument and telephone operators and observers. It was 
 still too early for observation, so the instruments were set up 
 and directed on the stakes and strands of barbed wire a few 
 feet in front. Swarms of shells from our own guns screamed 
 close overhead, the whiz of the shell and the report of the 
 gim arrived at the same time, and down in the depths of 
 the trench it sounded like a shot-gun fired close at hand. 
 The slow swish, swish of the heavies and the sharp hissing of 
 the "seventy-fives" were easily distinguished. The doughboys 
 of the 29th Division went over the top at half-past fi.ve but 
 it was still too dark to observe their movements, and the time 
 was only marked by momentary lull in the barrage when the 
 gunners were increasing their range. Suddenly a new note 
 struck into the sound of battle. It was a moan at first faint 
 but increasing faster than a person can think and splashed 
 over the O. P. into a crescendo explosion just behind. The 
 
 74 
 
A History of Battery F ^2^d Field Artillery 
 
 wonder was that the enemy had withheld its fire so long. 
 The shells seemed to be landing among the batteries of the 
 first battalion, but they were coming over only one at a time 
 which made it a very one-sided duel, but withal an uncom- 
 fortable one since the boche knew the exact location of the 
 emplacements on the Cote de Talou while for us his guns 
 were anywhere in the dim and distant hills. About six 
 o'clock the observers picked up with their glasses the faint 
 outline of the crest along which our shells were bursting, 
 but their goose was nearly cooked when a huge shell crashed 
 into the parado of the trench covering the O. P. with dirt 
 and stones. When another sent up a geyser from the trenches 
 a few yards to the right it looked as though the enemy had 
 their bracket, and the instrument detail began to look for a 
 hole in the ground. After an hour of that game the enemy 
 shelling ceased altogether. 
 
 With daylight the mist cleared away and disclosed a 
 view of the entire operations. Small groups of infantry in 
 squads and platoons were advancing up a steep bare slope. 
 The ground was broken by craters and barbed wire, but 
 the advancing parties picked their way without hesitation. 
 Sometimes a number were observed running together at one 
 spot which was probably the mouth of a dugout choked with 
 Huns. Now and then when a shell from German light artil- 
 lery exploded the puff of smoke was seen between the groups 
 of men, but enemy resistance was comparatively desultory. 
 The fire of our barrage was easily observed as it burst along 
 the opposite crest, and the attack progressed so perfectly 
 that the picture seemed almost unreal. The barrage rested 
 half an hour on the crest and then stepped forward and dis- 
 appeared from view. The left elements of the infantry were 
 the first to gain the summit, but they were observed to fall 
 back quickly, probably having run into a machine gun nest, 
 or ventured too near to the protecting barrage. The ridge 
 was approached from the right and enfiladed, for a few 
 moments the men completely disappeared taking breath in the 
 shelter of some trench and shell holes, then the squad re- 
 appeared as if by magic and gaining the crest, they passed 
 over it. The creeping barrage could be followed with watches 
 
 75 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 and a map until it re-appeared at greatly increased range 
 just below the edge of the Avoods that crowned the high 
 hills in the distance ; one more step, and nothing could be 
 observed except smoke rising fro^m the trees. Then the 
 gunners started on the semi-steel ammunition and the rushing 
 shells changed their pitch to a high shrill whine. Our fire 
 (Slowed up on account of a scarcity of shells of the long 
 range variety, and in the breathing spell it was a relief to 
 find that the regiment had suffered almost nothing from tlie 
 counter bombardment. The enemy's range had been accurate, 
 but all the shells landed between the fortress guns and our 
 right battery, one man in Battery "A" was slightly wounded 
 by flying stone and that was all. 
 
 During the rest of the day long lines of prisoners filed 
 back over the ridge. They bore eloquent witness not only 
 to the success of the operation but to the demoralization of 
 the German alliance. They were all Austrians and presented 
 a sharp contrast to the Prussian captives which we had seen 
 on the west bank of the Meuse. Clad in rags and under- 
 nourished these Austrians were nothing but filthy, emaciated, 
 and ignorant creaters from whom all ambition had long since 
 fled. The fact that the German command was content to 
 leave the defense of that sector to such troops showed how 
 complete was the surprise with which the operation had been 
 launched. The strategic importance of the movement was 
 not so much to gain control of the almost impregnable hills 
 north of Verdun but to cause the Germans to withdraw 
 troops from the west for the defense of these hills so vital 
 to their cause. Developments of the month which followed 
 accomplished this purpose with unmitigated success. 
 
 70 
 
Brabant Sur Meuse 
 
 "Feats of Broil and Battle." — Othello. 
 
 OCTOBER 8th was a red letter day for the 323rd. It 
 had launched the barrage of its first enterprise in such a 
 manner that the 29th Division achieved all its objec- 
 tives. The infantry commanders bestowed no end of praise 
 on the accuracy and aflrects of our barrage. But the work 
 had onlv commenced. 
 
 F"-^!i'r Novak Iiia'v; M.r:;ll:san Caldwell 
 
 Brabant Hill 
 
 The regiment was informed that it could expect to 
 move forward immediately, but that order was amended so 
 that the first battalion went forward on the afternoon of 
 the eighth and the second battalion one day later. We 
 therefore set to work to clean guns and assemble ammuni- 
 tion. The prospect was good for a quiet night, and the 
 making up of lost sleep was an even more attractive thought 
 
 77 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 than a square meal. The battery was layed on the line of 
 a defensive barrage which covered not only our own sector 
 but that of the first battalion as well. Then, everybody realized 
 their ambition for sleep except a detail of telephone men 
 and observers who were sent out from each battery to the 
 O. P. to be on the lookout for signal rockets calling for the 
 defensive barrage. There were too many observers out there 
 to be accommodated in the O. P., and the men swarmed and 
 swore in the trench and on the parapet. Fifty yards away 
 the heavy artillery had established an O, P. for a similar 
 purpose. It was manned by one corporal and two privates 
 who took turns staying awake, but misery loves company 
 and our B. C. detail had plenty of both. The early part of 
 the night was clear and it was possible to use the Great 
 Dipper for a pointer to determine our sector on the dark 
 outlines of the hills. By far the greatest trouble was in 
 staying awake during the vigil, the coldness of the night 
 seemed to numb rather than stimulate the senses. Before 
 midnight the damp cold became so penetrating that action 
 was necessary. The opening at the front of the O. P. was 
 filled with dirt and a shelter-half ; then, some timbers from 
 the trenches and a few loose stakes from the barbed wire 
 out in front were chopped up as fuel for a fire. Six men at a 
 time could crowd in around the fire, and three of those had 
 to be telephone operators on the lines to the three batteries 
 of the battalion, the rest of the men took turns upon the roof. 
 A cramped position by the fire did not prevent dozing, the 
 detail could have gone to sleep standing on their heads. It 
 made no difference to the men on guard that a heavy mist 
 shut ofif any chance of observation, the effort to keep awake 
 was none the less painful. A very amusing game was in- 
 vented that night. It consisted in waiting ten minutes before 
 glancing at a watch, then, after twenty minutes had surely 
 passed and some more for good measure, to look at the time 
 and find it was eight minutes later! That was no fun at all, 
 it takes two to play a game. By seven o'clock it was day- 
 light and the outpost was recalled. 
 
 During the morning we were notified to be ready to 
 move at four o'clock in the afternoon. The preparation to 
 move would consume at least ten minutes for the making 
 
 78 
 
A History of Battery F j^jd Field Artillery 
 
 of rolls, but the regimental commander in view of such a 
 vast amount of work ordered the kitchen to close and serve 
 no hot coffee or "goldfish." Most kitchens which have the 
 nerve to serve coffee and "goldfish" such as that one did, 
 ought to be ordered to close, but under the circumstances 
 there could have been no worse way to prepare for the 
 march. Perhaps the order was obeyed in spirit but evaded 
 in practice because no man was seen to go without his noon- 
 day meal. 
 
 When Battery "D" started to pull out to the road which 
 led forward over the Cote de Talou it was seen that real 
 trouble was in store. A rain had rendered the hillside soft 
 and so muddy that the horses were helpless, but fortunately 
 it was still daylight or the shell craters would have finished 
 the business. By hitching ten horses to a carriage at one 
 time we reached the road after four hours' of work. 
 
 Just at sunset on a clear quiet evening we came to a halt 
 on the forward slope of the Cote de Talou, and looked 
 overhead to see one of the grandest and most fantastic 
 spectacles of the war. There had been a number of air- 
 planes back and forth over our heads, but the majority 
 wore the Hun cross which was the center of an uninterrupted 
 group of shrapnel pufts. There was nothing unusual in that 
 and we only followed their courses casually while leaning up 
 against a caisson wheel waiting for the column to move. 
 Then for a time the sky was almost deserted, it was the 
 lull before the storm. Up from the south there came a flock 
 of planes in a V shaped formation headed north. We 
 noticed the perfect alignment which was kept by the twenty 
 planes in the group. Then there appeared behind them, to 
 the right, and to the left other similar formations; they 
 sprang unexpectedly into sight on all sides, as if our eyes 
 had just been opened to the mysterious things which the sky 
 held. Over our heads the airplanes dotted the sky at various 
 altitudes, and they came up from the west in black swarms 
 against the red sunset. Some of the battery mathemati- 
 cians started in to count the number of planes seen in the 
 air at one time, but after counting two hundred and fifty 
 there was no place to start and no place to stop. One plane, 
 faster and smaller than the others, darted around by itself, 
 
 79 
 
A History of Battery F J^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 and acted as guide for the multitude. The German "archies" 
 set up a fierce fire, their target was the sky which they could 
 not miss, but we only observed two planes brought down. 
 They flew over the wooded hills to the north, and out of 
 the midst of those woods there mounted a column of smoke 
 followed by a dull roar of a gigantic explosion. But that was 
 all. The host swung around in unbroken formation and dis- 
 appeared to the southwest. Whence they came, or whither 
 they went is a mystery, but the majesty of the spectacle was 
 as inspiring for us as it must have been dumfounding to the 
 enemy. The incident was not recalled during the night 
 which followed, however. 
 
 Our column moved down hill and through a ruined town 
 filthy with dead horses, which had been shelled and were 
 lying along the road in a most disgusting condition. Our 
 own horses were tired and some of them refused to pull 
 so that it was a relief to reach the hard level road along the 
 bank of the river. There was much traffic on the road and 
 progress was slow with many halts ; it was merely a ques- 
 tion of following the leader, who had no idea where we were 
 goihg and nobody could exert the energy to care. About 
 midnight we halted with the Meuse River on the left and a 
 pile of debris called Brabant on the right. Turning away 
 from the river in the direction of a hill which rose beyond 
 Brabant to the northeast we endeavored to ascend among 
 the shell holes and debris. But the place was teeming with 
 doughboys, engineers, machine gun trains and rolling kitchens, 
 and in the pitch blackness the battery was hopelessly blocked. 
 
 The situation afforded an opportunity for the B. C. detail 
 to ride ahead and make a reconnaissance of the hill on which 
 our positions were located. Out on the hillside everything 
 was deserted and desolate, it was necessary to ride in single 
 column, and with Major Fibich in the lead we took up a fast 
 trot over a trail torn with fresh shell holes, where it w^as a 
 foregone conclusion that the horses would speedily tumble 
 and break their legs. It being impossible to see the pitfalls 
 and guide the horses the only thing to do was to give them 
 their heads and confine our efforts to staying awake and on 
 their backs so long as they remained upright. Once there 
 
 80 
 
A History of Battery F 3^sd Field Artillery 
 
 was a sudden stop when the horses in the rear bunched up 
 on to those in front before they could check their automatic 
 trotting. The reason proved to be a barbed wire entangle- 
 ment which stretched across the path and off into the dark- 
 ness on each side. 
 
 After a little investigation a loose section was found 
 which could be pushed aside enough to allow the horses to 
 pass. Just beyond the barbed-wire a body lay across the 
 road, it was that of an infantry lieutenant who had been hit 
 squarely in the forehead by a machine gun bullet and lay 
 where he fell. The top of the hill was desolate and barren, 
 and only one bent sappling stood out against the sky. The 
 silence was ominous. No artillery action could be heard ex- 
 cept at some distant part of the battlefield, and the only 
 sound was an intermittent sputter from machine guns a few 
 hundred yards away which increased the feeling of the 
 enemy's proximity. Below and a little distance to the north 
 the dim shadow of a woods was just discernible. Major 
 Fibich was anything but content with the area within which 
 he must locate his batteries. It was on the forward slope of 
 the hill, in full view of all the battlefield, and the prospect 
 for enduring in action on such an exposed spot was about 
 five minutes. At least there was a clear field of fire for 
 the shells which the "doughboys" sorely needed. The only 
 shelter which the place afforded was part of the German 
 trench system which ran parallel to the road ; but to make 
 that accommodate the guns would require considerable re- 
 modeling, and the alternative was to place them in the 
 open. It was therefore decided to put the guns into posi- 
 tion along the road with a line of fire directly north into the 
 woods. The German trenches were part of the powerful 
 Hunding Stellung, and at least three lines beyond those trenches 
 which we had seen from the Cote de Talou. The dugouts were 
 numerous and so deep that although their entrances faced the 
 wrong way, they afforded good protection. The reconnaissance 
 party investigated the capacity of the dugouts with some trepi- 
 dation, since there was no telling what desperate Boche might 
 not be cornered in the filthy depths. 
 
 The biggest problem of the entire night was still un- 
 
 81 
 
A History of Battery F S^^d Field Artillery 
 
 solved. It was three o'clock in the morning and not a gun 
 had put in an appearance on the hillside. The strength of 
 men and horses was practically exhausted when they stood 
 in the blockade in Brabant; but to get the three batteries dis- 
 entangled and into position before there was any chance for 
 rest a new standard of endurance had to be set. The can- 
 noneers were equipped with picks and shovels and sent 
 ahead to clear the barbed-wire and fill in shell-holes, and 
 to stand as markers to warn the drivers to keep clear when 
 the holes were too deep to be mended. One at a time the 
 carriages pushed and strained a way through the conges- 
 tion in Brabant only to find the horses refusing to work on 
 the hill. When one gun of the battery ahead fell into a hole 
 the horses preferred to die rather than stay in the army, so 
 the gun had to be lifted out by hand before anything could 
 budge an inch. It was a long kilometer to the position on 
 the hill, but by relaying eight or ten horses to a carriage 
 somehow or other the deed was done, and the last limber 
 of Battery F rattled back down the hill to the echelon by the 
 river just as broad daylight came on. We knew there was 
 to be an attack in the morning but daylight found us still 
 without information from the infantry so we crowded to- 
 gether in the dugouts and abris with the intention of relaxing 
 and opening a can of "Willy." Suddenly a stinging chemical 
 odor penetrated from the outside world — GAS ! It was a 
 gloomy way to start operations in our new position when 
 all conversation, eating and sleeping was smothered under 
 the masks so we just sat in silence and glared at each other 
 through the glass eye pieces. At last when we came out 
 into the clear air we were able to correct the imperfect im- 
 pression of the surrounding country gained during the night's 
 work on the hill. Our guns faced north and covered a 
 heavily wooded ridge that rose out of a hollow about five 
 hundred yards in front. The woods extended east and 
 north into higher ground, where was the famous Bois de 
 Grande Montagne. The trees stopped abruptly on the left 
 front and the rest of the ground in that direction was bare 
 and shell torn like our own hill. It rolled down into the 
 Meuse valley where the course of the river could be followed 
 with the eye for several miles as it twisted its way among 
 
 82 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 the hills to the north. A few shattered walls and the 
 remnant of a church marked the site of Consenvoye-sur- 
 Meuse. To the east and south all view was shut ofif by the 
 bulk of the hill on which we found ourselves. The road 
 which ran through the position followed the contour of the 
 ground and bending north it disappeared into the woods 
 toward Molleville Farm to the northeast. 
 
 Early on that first morning the infantry of the 29th 
 Division launched an attack to drive the Germans out of 
 the woods just in front of us and over the ridge. We made 
 a rough adjustment of fire against the ridge by direct obser- 
 vation of bursts, where the bursting shells were visible to 
 the cannoneers. It was the nearest we ever got to open 
 warfare methods. Fortunately for our health on that first 
 day the Boche was hustled so that he had little artillery in 
 position against our exposed hillside and it was not until 
 a week later that his guns became dangerously active but 
 then the chance for direct observation had passed. 
 
 It is hard to punctuate the three weeks of time which we 
 spent on Brabant hill. The days were full of events pertain- 
 ing to a lively sector, but they left practically no impression 
 of time on our minds which were deadened by irregular 
 hours and hard work. The last sleep worthy of the name 
 dated back five days to the Cote-de-Talou, so that our condi- 
 tion closely resembled that of the proverbial bump on a log. 
 Down in the woods the fighting was desperate. The enemy 
 at first held two wooded ridges behind which was the Grand 
 Montagne, higher than the rest and dominating the country 
 for miles on both sides; it was there that the Germans pro- 
 posed to fall back if the mad Yankees should take the vicious 
 machine-gun nests which were thickly planted in that rough 
 and tangled country. For two weeks our guns prepared 
 and supported the attack of the 29th and 33rd Divisions operat- 
 ing in the Bois de Grande Montagne to the north and in 
 Bois de Estraye to the east. A rectangular field containing 
 the orchard and farm buildings of Molleville Farm was the 
 only break in the woods. The southeast corner of the place 
 was easily identified both on the terrain and on the map so 
 that it was there that we adjusted fire, and, even after our 
 
 83 
 
A History of Battery F 32 jd Field Artillery 
 
 troops had gained possession of the farm, which they did on 
 the third day, we continued to use it as a hase point, and 
 fire was directed on every part of the sector by measurements 
 made east and west of Molleville. 
 
 Enemy lire came upon us from an unexpected quarter, 
 showing that we were on the forward edge of a sahent. While 
 our lire was directed into the woods toward the north the 
 hostile shells came screaming over Brabant Kill from the east. 
 The enfilade fire was unpleasant especially since many of the 
 shells were of small calibre and we could easily hear the 
 reports of the guns that sent them. But for many days the 
 glaring disadvantages of the position seemed to render it safe. 
 The Hun who had occupied the place for four years knew 
 the lay of the land better than we and it never occurred 
 to his sense that guns would ever be placed where ours were 
 placed. They shelled the hollow just in front, an ideal 
 place for artillery defilade ; they shelled the high ground 
 just behind, a first-class location for observers ; they shelled 
 the bend in the road one lumdred yards east where traffic 
 ought to be caught in swarms ; and they shelled the little 
 clump of trees half-way down the road toward Brabant, 
 where was good concealment for an echelon. But in all 
 that shelling of the first two weeks only a few erratics 
 landed squarely among our guns. Even with balloon and air- 
 plane observation, which the enemy continually maintained 
 without interference from our air service, it took two weeks 
 to penetrate his stubborn ideas on the rightness of things 
 that what he saw along the road was not Engineers, who 
 could dive quickly under cover when the shells came, but 
 Yankee artillery in the open in defiance of all custom. The 
 Germans had aerial observation all their own way on the 
 east side of the Meuse. The great display of Allied air power 
 which we had seen during the march to Brabant had completely 
 vanished. Occasionally an Allied plane appeared but the tables 
 were reversed in the matter of shrapnel greetings. One day 
 a sudden burst of machine gun fire was heard over the bene/ 
 in the road. There was nothing unusual in that, machine guns 
 were continually popping at aeroplanes, and the aeroplanes used 
 them not only to fight but also to signal to one another when 
 
 84 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 on a scouting expedition. But this time we looked up to see 
 five black-cross machines flying low as though about to 
 pounce on the road which was filled with troops ; the 
 situation was made clear by the "zip-zip" of bullets that stung 
 the ground on every hand. The place was cleared quicker 
 than it takes to say "Jack Robinson," every soldier flopped 
 down into the trench along the road. The aeroplanes flew 
 straight down the length of the trench and reaching its western 
 limit they circled off and made the same trip all over again. By 
 the grace of God, nobody was hit except a man in Battery D, 
 who got a bullet in his hand. The incident aroused much 
 ire, and we were in a mood to prop the guns straight upward 
 and blast the pests out of the air. We expected an aftermath 
 of shells accurately placed but the aviators must have been 
 too busy with the sights on their machine guns to notice the 
 obvious patches of green camouflage which concealed the 
 battery, and they evidently took us for transient troops or 
 Engineers working on the road. 
 
 After the first few days of activity, there was a time 
 of comparative quiet when the infantry rested and refilled 
 their shattered ranks. We decided to take the opportunity 
 to build ourselves shelters back of the guns where we could 
 live in the society of our own personal cooties instead ol 
 thirty feet under the ground in the filthy German holes. 
 Soon the whole parapet of the trench which bordered the road 
 was punctured by a line of tiny dugouts; the entrances faced 
 toward the north which could not be helped under the cir- 
 cumstances where all the works and even the slope of the hill 
 faced the wrong way. The chance of flying splinters entering was 
 reduced by making the entrance very narrow for several feet 
 and then widening out the excavation just enough to accommo- 
 date the men who were digging it; the whole thing was then 
 roofed over with several sheets of iron supported by rails 
 and covered with a few inches of dirt and branches for 
 camouflage. The mansions on Beaver Avenue were scarcely 
 splinter-roof but their chief advantage lay in their small 
 size. Each man felt as though he occupied only a speck which 
 could remain untouched even if all the area around were 
 shelled. 
 
 85 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 We did not keep union hours on Brabant hill; the days 
 were twenty-four hours long. There was something vicious 
 in the way the telephone buzzed in our P. C. and upset things 
 at any hour of the night. The day's work usually commenced 
 late in the evening, when battalion headquarters called "Boon," 
 the code name for Battery F, and gave us the missions for 
 the next twenty-four hours. That consisted in several kinds 
 of barrage: normal, contingent, reinforcing, reprisal fires, 
 and an O.C.P. (offensive counter preparation). When our 
 troops were pushing and being pushed in the thickets between 
 us and the Grande Montague the data had to be changed 
 every night. If conditions were normal, "breakfast" was 
 served at 7 o'clock. The first week it was called breakfast 
 only out of courtesy to that established institution, when 
 one piece of bacon per man was an equal distribution of the 
 ration, and it served more as an appetizer than anything else. 
 There was a time when we would have relished shoe-soup ; 
 but Willy, dessicated vegetables, syrup and bread turned up 
 in increasing quantities. During the last week nothing inter- 
 fered with fairly respectable meals except shells and gas. 
 The normal business of the day consisted in keeping the guns 
 going at so many rounds per minute on some prescribed area 
 behind the enemy's lines, a slow fire which generally kept 
 up for six or more hours at a stretch. The supplying of 
 ammunition was always strenuous work, because we were 
 supposed to keep a fixed number of rounds on hand at each 
 gun, generally not less than a hundred rounds of shell. The 
 ammunition train brought these up at night and placed them 
 in a battalion dump below the left flank of Battery F, from 
 where they had to be carried by hand to the guns and placed 
 in small piles camouflaged with green branches. In the 
 frequent event of a rolling barrage to support an early morning 
 attack we were up all night bringing the ammunition to the 
 battery reserve. Even then the work was never finished. In 
 addition to everything else, there was a constant need for 
 better protection. The gim pits had to be deepened and 
 splinter-proof trenches built on each side of the trails, from 
 which shelter the gunners were required to fire their pieces 
 with a long lanyard when the fire was not too rapid. On 
 
 86 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 the other hand in the heat of a barrage the cannoneers were 
 capable of disposing in a few minutes of all the ammuni- 
 tion which it had taken several nights to accumulate. 
 
 It was at such a time that the guns roared on for hoiir 
 after hour, throwing a line of shells that crept up through 
 the woods in search of the deadly machine-gun nests. A gun 
 which was not firing was always laid on the line of the 
 defensive barrage and had a fused shell leaning against the 
 breech, and a man on the alert to shove home the shell and pull 
 the lanyard in the event of a signal rocket appearing above 
 the trees in front. But quiet guns were the exception on 
 Brabant Hill, because if there was nothing else on the slate 
 we indulged in "harassing fire." That was directed on some 
 crossroad or other important point behind the enemy's lines, 
 where scattered volleys would be planted at irregular inter- 
 vals of five or ten minutes. The efifect was contemplated to 
 be demoralizing, with a burst of fire at unexpected moments. 
 The favorite time for such a pastime was between midnight 
 and daylight because it was then that the most traffic could be 
 caught on the roads. Retaliation fire was a trump which we 
 used on certain occasions with great satisfaction. The chiefs 
 of sections carried in their pockets the deflections and eleva- 
 tions for a couple of ammunition dumps and towns where 
 troops were billeted back of the enemy's lines. When the 
 Huns "strafifed" the road near the position, a burst of fire 
 would be returned against the vital spot at a maximum rate, 
 usually six rounds per gun per minute for three minutes. 
 It was a language of the battlefield which said "very well, 
 then, take that!" delivered in a dialect of poison gas which 
 Fritz understood perfectly. 
 
 During the three weeks when the battery was operating 
 on Brabant Hill we sent a detail of observers and liaison men 
 into the woods with the infantry : Corporal Hicks, Corporal 
 Vanderlin, Hastings and Rennie have a different story to tell 
 of the operations in front of the Grande Montagne. Access 
 to the woods was gained most easily by avoiding the barbed 
 wire and trenches in the hollow and following the road which 
 swung northeast from our position. Just before entering 
 the woods there was a spot where several infantry kitchens 
 
 87 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 had been bold enough to push so far forward and locate near 
 a spring of clear water. The Germans, who had probably 
 been making a similar use of the place only a few days before, 
 were mindful of it and let no day pass without shelling 
 strenuously the kitchens and the road. Several horses had 
 been struck and lay there horribly mangled beside a pile of 
 bread, but to doughboy appetites the combination "max nix 
 
 r 
 
 Lieut. Br.vtiford 
 
 aus." A hundred yards further among the trees was the P. C. 
 of the 115th infantry regiment with which we maintained 
 telephone connection. The Germans had built for themselves 
 a little cottage not unattractive with a veranda and protected 
 on one side with a huge shell-proof screen of heavy timbers 
 and matting. Beside the cottage there was a preposterous 
 beer garden, which was not completely built when the prop- 
 erty changed hands. Since then this P. C. was a favorite 
 
 88 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 target, and judging by the number of direct hits which had 
 been registered on the cottage it was well that the colonel, 
 his staff and our own operators had found shelter thirty 
 feet underground in concrete dugouts. It was difficult to 
 navigate through the woods where the paths were ankle deep 
 with filthy black mud except where the fierce shelling had 
 left parts of the German corduroy paths. The underbrush 
 was not only thick but full of shell holes and pitfalls and the 
 bodies of Americans and Germans lay in hopelessly equal num- 
 bers. Most of those had been gathered together along the 
 road where they would be buried in a long grave, but in the 
 heat of battle many were overlooked. A crossroad and a nar- 
 row gauge railroad divided the Bois d' Estraye from the Bois 
 de Grande Montague just west of Molleville Farm. In there 
 the front lines were very close; the remains of machine gun 
 nests, or pests, were on every hand but there was no sympathy 
 to waste on the young Germans whose corpses lay beside their 
 guns where they had evidently died game when deserted -by 
 their retreating comrades. One had to look lively in those 
 woods even when there was the terrible suspense of silence. 
 There was no warning shriek from the shells which tore 
 through the underbrush every . now and then. For protec- 
 tion from such an incident a strong "abri" constituted a sort 
 of half-way station between the road and the front line. 
 It was occupied by some stoical members of the medical 
 corps who maintained a first aid station marked at the entrance 
 by a couple of bloody stretchers and five or six grim bodies. 
 
 The front line was not a line at all. It was an irregular 
 series of small trenches, none of which was large enough to hold 
 more than eight men, and most of them accommodated only 
 two or three men. Machine guns placed at intervals formed 
 the connecting links in that temporary system of defense. 
 If we had relinquished the offensive and prepared to dig in for 
 the winter those scattered holes would have been enlarged 
 and connected, barbed wire would have been installed out in 
 front of the unbroken front line fortifications which had been 
 characteristic of the Avar for four years. Where the hill fell 
 away more steeply there was an opening in the trees through 
 which could be seen the opposing slope of the Grande Mon- 
 
 89 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 tagne only a few hundred yards away. That was all enemy 
 territory, and any observer who showed himself to it was 
 subject to an immediate visitation. We'll have to hand it to 
 the boys down in those woods. They lived in an atmosphere 
 that was never pure, the underbrush caught and held the gas 
 almost indefinitely. It seems possible that in the future (months 
 after the last shell has loosed its poison) some curious 
 tourist will go nosing around among the bushes and find his 
 eyes begin to smart. 
 
 The men at the echelon have still a different story. The 
 river bottom along the Consenvoy road had been selected 
 as the place for the horses. The spot was well pro- 
 tected by a high bluff. German shells frequently hurtled 
 over and exploded in the canal beyond, but none ever 
 fell on the crowded horse lines. Unfortunately, however, 
 the loss in horses at this place was very heavy. Many causes 
 contributed. The horses had performed much hard work under 
 very trying conditions; the forage was scarce; it was impossi- 
 ble to properly care for the animals without grooming kits, 
 which had been lost with all our freight from America, and 
 had never been replaced. The prime cause, however, was 
 the situation of the echelon. The ground upon which the 
 horses stood was below the level of the Meuse canal which 
 was held in by dykes. Rain and lack of drainage made the 
 picket lines seas of cold mud. Horses stood in water and 
 mud above the crown of the hoof and when a horse lay down 
 he was chilled and stiffened ; it was often impossible to 
 get him up. Pneumonia took a high toll among the weak- 
 ened animals. No one who knew anything about horses was 
 surprised at the heavy mortality and the battery commanders 
 often considered how long we could stay in Brabant and yet 
 be able to move away. It was in such conditions that the 
 drivers lived and worked. Without the excitement of the 
 front, they labored day and night hauling ammunition, rubbing, 
 feeding, watering, grazing and burying their horses. Their 
 faithfulness was not without avail, for First Sergeant Ray- 
 burn who for most of the time was in charge of the Bat- 
 tery "F" horse lines, was cited in brigade orders for the 
 good condition of horses and materiel left in his charge. 
 
 90 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 During the last half of our stay in Brabant changes 
 were evident in the several situations. The Germans did 
 not have unchallenged control of the air. There had been 
 days when their aeroplanes flew back and forth unmolested 
 Now the red, white and blue circle could be seen patrolling 
 the sky at intervals. One fine afternoon when the planes 
 were so numerous that we had ceased to notice them, somebody 
 said, "look there!" We looked, to see one of the machines 
 in flames and entirely out of control. Probably the aviator 
 was killed at the first explosion of the gasohne tank. It was 
 falling from a great height but with slow, steep spirals, until 
 about two hundred feet from the ground it collapsed and 
 plunged to the ground near the edge of the woods in front 
 of us. We have always indulged the theory that it was a 
 Hun who was the victim of that spectacle, but we never took 
 an opportunity to verify that theory by an examination of 
 the wreckage. 
 
 The prisoners who came passed our guns were a testi- 
 mony to the type of troops that faced us. They were 
 young and well equipped. Germany had thrown in her best 
 soldiers to protect this sector after the initial disaster to the 
 wretched Austrians. Thus the defense was weakened on the 
 west bank of the Meuse to such an extent that the American 
 victory at Stenay in the first week of November was made 
 possible. From our narrow viewpoint the German defense 
 was tremendously stiffened. Little progress was made down 
 in the woods, and few prisoners were taken. Several times 
 the enemy counter-attacked and gained some local success. 
 But the tide of battle was against them and during one* of 
 those enemy counters they ran into their own barrage which 
 was so effective that our men followed by gaining consider- 
 able ground. 
 
 Corporal Hage used to question the prisoners that came 
 by our P. C. They knew more than we did about what the 
 near future had in store. The Huns were sick and tired 
 of the war; they spoke of revolution at home, and stated 
 that the Kaiser was "persona non grata." They were unani- 
 mous that the war would be over within a month. One day 
 
 91 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 a doughboy came by escorting a single German captive. 
 "Where did you get that, Bill?" The answer was, "Oh, he 
 just got tired and walked over to us last night." 
 
 The first battalion of the 323rd came up one night to 
 share the honors on Brabant Hill. They moved past the 
 positions of the second battalion and placed their guns about 
 four hundred yards to the northeast where a little depression 
 afforded an inviting defilade. We pitied them for the spot 
 was a catch-all for shells. They got their share. It was a 
 daily occurrence to watch them scampering to their dugouts. 
 
 Once an enormous gas shell exploded on the slope out 
 in front. The poisonous fumes were emitted in a heavy yel- 
 low-green cloud that tumbled about at first in all directions 
 and then collecting itself it roiled down hill. Out in front 
 of that cloud a man was running at top speed. We felt like 
 shouting advice to him to turn off to the right or left; but he 
 kept on down ihe hill with the blight at his heels. Appar- 
 ently he ran faster than fate. 
 
 The least brutal but a highly effective weapon used in 
 our sector was propaganda. Toward the close the Allies 
 indulged more in propaganda on the front lines than did 
 our enemies who initiated it. They were beaten at their own 
 game. 
 
 Allied planes were never so commonplace over the Brabant 
 sector but that we usually watched them with great satisfac- 
 tion. One afternoon six planes flew overhead at a great 
 height. They were seeking neither observations nor a fight. 
 Every now and then a little puff of what looked like smoke 
 issued from them, and it looked as though they would presently 
 come hurtling to the ground, but the puffs did not disappear ; 
 they simply became a silvery dust that floated down over the 
 enemy lines. Hundreds of illustrated leaflets had been dropped 
 which told the German soldiers a few pertinent facts about what 
 they were up against. 
 
 In the closing days of October we overstayed our welcome 
 on Brabant Hill. It began to dawn on enemy intelligence that 
 the troops which they observed so often on the exposed slope 
 were not transient passers-by but a battalion of guns in position. 
 They looked us over from an observation balloon beyond the 
 
 92 
 
A History of Battery F J2jd Field Artillery 
 
 woods. They scrutinized us from aeroplanes and dropped 
 rockets to indicate their findings. Once a big black cross 
 swooped down so low we thought he was going to make a 
 landing. We could see the goggles of the aviator peering over 
 his fusilage, after which aggravating stare he went his way. 
 
 The shells arrived in bunches from the east. They doted 
 on the small hours of the morning and also in the late after- 
 noon. The last week it was a regular thing to be wakened up 
 by a rapid succession of whizz — cracks ! It usually started 
 down in Battery D and walked along the line of shelters. It 
 was when they were bursting around our little shelters that we 
 began figuring on the relative chances of a direct hit on our 
 roof to those of the hits all around us. And then the whistle 
 became longer and the cracks duller as the shells went on their 
 way over Battery F and down the hill beyond. The wonder 
 of the whole thing is the number of hits that were beside, 
 around and between everything, and the comparatively few 
 casualties that were suffered in the battalion. 
 
 The saddest and most frightful happening of all our stay 
 occurred one morning after an attack. An ambulance loaded 
 with wounded came out of the woods and followed the road 
 which led behind our guns. Just to the east of Battery D 
 a shell tore ofl:' the rear end of the ambulance. The driver, 
 stunned and desperate, opened up the throttle, and the ambu- 
 lance came plunging along at a terrific speed. Back of 
 Battery F a wheel came off, the wreck was complete. Three 
 of the occupants had been killed outright and four others 
 were so horribly mangled that they must surely have died 
 within a few hours. A lieutenant who was riding on the 
 front seat had suffered shell shock and was out of his head. 
 It was such a fearful catastrophe to happen to those men 
 who were on their way to peace and safety that those of us 
 who saw it will never forget the sight. 
 
 About October 20th, Lieutenant Colonel Hopkins was 
 placed in command of the regiment, vice Colonel McKinlay 
 transferred. He took charge of us under auspicious circum- 
 stances. It was the day that we received a paper which told 
 of President Wilson's decision to turn over the determination 
 of armistice terms to Marshal Foch. But if there was some 
 
 93 
 
A History of Battery F ^2^d Field Artillery 
 
 talk of a cessation of hostilities it was confined to government 
 circles. We received orders to prepare winter quarters back 
 of the hill. Digging in for the winter was not a pleasant 
 prospect, but it was about time to move back of the hill. 
 
 I'he new positions were located in an extensive Boche 
 trench system. Portions of a large trench were assigned to 
 each battery, and substantial improvements were contemplated. 
 It was intended to dig gun emplacements as c[uickly as possi- 
 ble by excavating the walls of the trench. The gtms could 
 then be moved, and the work of improving the dugouts and 
 covering the position would follow. Considerable work was 
 done on the winter quarters. W^e left just enough men at 
 the guns to serve them, and the others got busy with picks 
 and shovels. It was beginning to look as though we might 
 move over after one more day, when the inevitable happened. 
 The locations were shifted arotmd, and we had to get busy 
 witli the compass gomioneter and picks and shovels all over 
 again. W^e were on the west slope of the hill, down below 
 us was the town of Brabant. About half way to the town 
 was a little war-torn orchard in which a battery from the 
 101st artillery was located. Big shells went swishing over- 
 head at irregular intervals. They had a lazy sort of sound 
 as they waddled through the air, but so great was the 
 explosion which followed that we always watched to see 
 where they would land. We had just put in a stake to mark 
 No. 4 gun, which was farthest down the hill and only a 
 couple of hundred yards from the other battery, when a 
 swish was heard overhead, followed by a momentary pause, 
 and then a crackling roar. The projectile had struck right 
 on top of one of the "75's" where nothing was left except 
 burning camouflage. 
 
 There was such a rush to move into the position latest 
 projected that we were ordered to push the v/ork day and 
 night. Accordingly a detail was sent back during the evening 
 to "carry on" in the darkness. It had no sooner set otit 
 to work than the whole proceeding was called off. The 
 "powers that be" liad decreed that the 158th Brigade would 
 withdraw and go to a rest camp. Accordingly a battalion 
 of New York artillery was moving into a depression on 
 
 <34 
 
A History of Battery F j^jd Field Artillery 
 
 the left front for the purpose of taking over our sector and 
 mission. It was a delightful turn of events, but the one day 
 left to us on Brabant Hill was to be the most strenuous 
 of all from the point of view of enemy fire. 
 
 Shells from "seventy-sevens" started coming over in 
 the early morning, and kept it up intermittently until 11 
 o'clock, when a furious burst of fire descended upon us. 
 Major Fibich ordered a reprisal fire, and all the guns of the 
 battalion were concentrated on "Solferino" with gas shells. 
 The gas shells were kept across the road from the guns 
 and it was necessary to carry them up during the fire. We 
 shall always bear in memory the picture of poor Phillips, as 
 he plodded back and forth between his gun and the pile of 
 shells. The fact that hell was torn loose in his path seemed 
 to have no effect on Phillips or cause him to turn the slightest 
 from the calm pursuit of his duty. And then a shell came 
 and blew out his life, and his mangled body was thrown 
 fifty feet. 
 
 When the bombardment burst upon us most furiously 
 there was a transport wagon coming up the hill. The driver 
 was prompted by the instinct of self preservation and aband- 
 oned his team. Then the horses became crazed and dashed 
 around among our guns, dragging the wagon even down in 
 front of the muzzles. Finally a shell put an end to the evolu- 
 tions, and two fine horses lay dead in harness. The driver has 
 never been heard from to this day. 
 
 A doughboy had stopped to rest and was sitting beside 
 the road. He was probably a colonel's orderly because he had 
 in his possession a colonel's dinner. We hardly noticed the 
 poor fellow until his body or half of it, because there were 
 no legs, lay thirty yards from the scattered provisions. A 
 shell had made a direct hit, yet there in the road lay unbroken 
 eggs. 
 
 After that there was a lull in the firing which seemed 
 like profound quietness. We ate our lunch of tomatoes and 
 corn-willy, and wondered how we could. Some of the men 
 at the colonel's luckless meal of eggs. During the afternoon 
 some graves were dug beside those of the ambulance victims. 
 
 95 
 
A History of Battery F J2^d Field Artillery 
 
 As for the horses, we never did get a hole large enough to 
 bury them and when we left they were just where they had 
 fallen. 
 
 Supper that evening was no social collation. We were 
 interrupted so much by the gas-alarms that everybody resolved 
 that they would not be thwarted. So that at each alarm the 
 mess line waited patiently in their masks, and when the coast 
 was clear the serving proceeded from the point where it had 
 left off. That occurred three times and only those who had 
 a French mask handy for just such an occasion were spared 
 the unpleasant necessity of spitting out a mouthful of food 
 suddenly in order to insert the mouthpiece. 
 
 During the evening we waited rather impatiently for 
 the 104th F. A. to report that their guns were laid on our 
 barrage lines, and that they were supplied with ammunition. 
 We could not move from the position until that condition 
 existed. They requested more ammunition and we detailed 
 some men to help them expedite matters. All evening high 
 explosives burst in front of our guns with unremitting regu- 
 larity. They seemed particularly vicious on that night. Per- 
 haps it Avas because we were so near to leaving it all that it 
 was especially annoying to senses which were about to relax. 
 Bu*- more likely the enemy was using instantaneous fuses which 
 caused a hideous scattering of the fragments. They went hiss- 
 ing in every direction after the shell had exploded. It was as 
 though they said, "you think the worst is over, but we'll — zip — 
 get you. whee plunk, yet." 
 
 By 2 o'clock in the evening the bombardment quieted 
 down, the limbers came up f.rom their mud beside the river, 
 and we quietly took the road toward Verdun. 
 
 96 
 
Round Up 
 
 ''Silence is t/ie pcrfectest herald of joy. 
 Much Ado. 
 
 THE abandonment of plans for digging into winter 
 quarters, and the withdrawal from Brabant Hill were 
 
 the first events in the changed affairs of the Three 
 Twenty-third Light. The war took on a new aspect from 
 
 f :n 
 
 <f 
 
 BOIS DE MONTFAUCON 
 
 that date and each circumstance of the last two weeks was 
 as welcome as it was unexpected. 
 
 The outlook of the war at large didn't change so sud- 
 denly, only our knowledge of it. The perspective from Bra- 
 bant Hill had been confined within the narrow limits of the 
 Meuse River on the west and Molleville Farm on the east. 
 
 97 
 
A History of Battery F S2^d Field Artillery 
 
 Rumors of peace talk reached us, it is true, but they were 
 never in more stable guise than rumors, and they were always 
 punctuated by enemy machine guns or the whir of a Hun 
 plane. When we read press reports of Allied victories in the 
 north, it was by the light of bursting shells. And so the 
 limits defined, only threw a red glare on our outlook. But 
 once away from that sector, we began to see what the last 
 war-maps have now proven to be true. That we had been 
 knocking at the hinge of the Western Front, and that the 
 hinge, which was the strongest part, would not break vmtil 
 the great door had swung back from Brabant to the Belgian 
 coast. This it did one week later when the door swung back 
 so sharply that it not only wrenched loose the hinge north of 
 Verdun, but tore out the bolts of Metz as well. 
 
 About 10 o'clock in the evening, the limbers and horses 
 appeared on the hill from their echelon by the river. Whereas, 
 we had left training camp with 130 horses, the mud along 
 the Meuse and the nightly ammunition orgies had decimated 
 the animals so that there were only about 70 remaining. 
 And for that reason a caisson and a fourgon had to be aban- 
 doned. It was no secret this time that our destination was 
 the Bois de Vilie, back of Verdun, which is better identified 
 as being just across the road from the nightmare headquar- 
 ters in Gallieni. After a night so dull that it hurt, when the 
 brigade unintelligently marched again behind the slowly mov- 
 ing heavies, we arrived in the woods about noon of the follow- 
 ing day. The fact that we were there for a rest implied 
 a stay of from three days to a week; but what a mistake! 
 
 The first and last night in rest camp was everything that 
 the name implies. We had arrived in the middle of the after- 
 noon and so had several hours of daylight in which to put our 
 house in order. There were long frame buildings for the men 
 and little huts for the officers. After the filth had been pushed 
 out of the door, they seemed like palatial quarters in compari- 
 son with the dugouts back at Brabant. The sound of distant 
 firing could be easily heard, but we rested secure in the thought 
 that we were well out of range. At 7 o'clock in the evening, 
 the entire regiment was sound asleep, and at 7 o'clock in the 
 morning it was just beginning to wake up. 
 
 98 
 
A History of Battery F S-Sd Field Artillery 
 
 It was the last day of October. Another one of those 
 bright days so unusual for that time of year in France. 
 Undoubtedly the fine weather which was experienced on the 
 Western Front in October contributed to hasten the day of the 
 armistice, at least it made possible the final great military opera- 
 tions of the Allies. The weather had effected some improve- 
 ment in the fiendish mire that engulfed us on the former 
 visit to those woods. There was plenty of mud, that was eter- 
 nal. But this time, it was possible to traverse the mud by 
 a series of detours and broad-jumps on what in general terms 
 could be called a path. 
 
 The supply officer received a consignment of new clothing 
 for the men. We were badly in need of it. At the same time, 
 orders came that we would be on the road ready to march 
 by 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It seemed as though the spirit 
 of unrest that haunted Gallieni was getting the upper hand. 
 The one night of untrammelled sleep could not atone for the 
 disturbance that had first given that place its reputation. Three 
 nights in rest camp might have, but that was denied us. 
 The rest of the day until the middle of the afternoon was 
 spent in issuing breeches and rubber boots. The boots were partic- 
 ularly welcome for many of the men had worn out their shoes. 
 The oceans of mud rendered worn shoes uncomfortable and 
 unhealthy. But our pleasure was short lived. The equipment 
 majiual for artillery regiments did not provide for an issue of 
 rubber boots so that a high commander was legally justified 
 in ordering the boots turned in because he objected to the 
 appearance of the men's rolls with the boots strapped to 
 them. 
 
 It was just getting dusk when we took the road. The 
 usual circumstances prevailed in which we were in total 
 ignorance of where we were going or what adventure would 
 be the next. It was simply a case of follow the leader. One 
 always had the same feeling during the night marches. A 
 sense of resignation and of doing the thing immediately at 
 hand without a thought to waste on expectations. The outlook 
 was all confined to the vehicle immediately in front. That might 
 be the leading carriage or it might be behind four miles of 
 other carriages, but nevertheless, it controlled without a word 
 
 99 
 
A History of Battery F 32 ^d Field Artillery 
 
 the lives and movements of those who stared at it from behind. 
 We learned to know the details of the carriage in front just as 
 a sick man knows the spots and lines on the ceiling over his 
 head. 
 
 That frame of mind prevailed when it was discovered that 
 the column had passed three kilometers toward the west and 
 was in Nixeville. A church bell struck the hour — 7 o'clock. 
 It was an impressive and wonderful sound — a prophecy of the 
 peace which was eleven days ofT. Many miles back of the 
 German lines there was another town and another church bell 
 striking the hour. But between Nixeville and Marville, there 
 stretched the hideous tract of the Western Front, in which no 
 peaceful citizen had an abode. Our column turned north, and 
 we heard no more church bells until nearly three weeks later 
 when the barrier had been crossed and we heard a bell in 
 Marville ring out the tidings of deliverance of the latter 
 town from the German yoke. 
 
 Our march was in the same general direction from which 
 we had come when withdrawing from the Argonne. But the 
 road was up on the heights to the east of the narrow \alley 
 which led toward Verdun. There were no trees, and in the 
 dull gray light it seemed as though w^e could look ofif into infi- 
 nite distances. The only thing to divert attention from the 
 carriage in front was a flashing, which illuminated the sky at 
 regular intervals. It proceeded from the plateau ahead of us. 
 At first we took it for a signal projector, and tried to read 
 the message. Dot dash dot, dot dash dot, over and over again 
 by the hour, it never changed. At length, we passed right by 
 the source. It proved to be a battery of six searchlights which 
 illuminated a level area, the landing place of night bombing 
 planes. The signal flash was intended to act as a candle in 
 the window, when the aviators, who were probably soaring 
 over the Rhine should return home. We wondered why such 
 a display did not invite immediate destruction from Hun fliers. 
 
 In the wee small hours, we descended into the woods and 
 pulled up along the side of the road to spend what was left 
 of the night. At the time it did not concern our thoughts 
 
 100 
 
A History of Battery F ^2jd Field Artillery 
 
 where we were on that morning. Recent inquiries proves the 
 place to have been the Bois de Bethelainville, a part of the 
 Argonne. 
 
 At zero hour on the morning of November 1st, a powerful 
 offensive was commenced by the American First Army operat- 
 ing on the west bank of the Meuse. The attack was destined 
 to be the knock-out punch of the war. The three-twenty-third 
 was so sound asleep after its march from Verdun that our 
 knowledge of what was going on would have been the same 
 if we had been in Timbuctoo instead of in reserve just behind 
 the lines. The first intimation that big game was afoot, came 
 when we received orders to take the road at 8 o'clock. That 
 was the first time since we had joined the ''active list" that a 
 march started in the full light of morning. It was contrary 
 to all precepts of secrecy and safety. We knew then, that 
 somebody was on the run, and with a justified optimism, guessed 
 who that somebody might be. 
 
 The column was quickly formed and started out at a 
 rapid pace over a good road. The woods were deserted and 
 desolate. Discarded equipment and debris of troops, together 
 with numerous dugouts, showed how recently the vicinity had 
 been the scene of fighting. But the tide of battle had swept 
 on toward the north and left us to overtake it as best we 
 could. 
 
 The sun was bright, the road was dry and we felt very 
 cheerful on that victorious march over the hilly road in the 
 Argonne. It was a policy to rest ten minutes out of every 
 hour. During one such rest, we heard a rumor of those good 
 tidings which were exulting the whole civilized world. An 
 officer from the 32nd Division headquarters rode bv and reined 
 in his horse long enough to tell us that Austria was begging 
 for immediate peace. Such news accomplished everything which 
 could be expected toward raising our spirits, and about noon 
 we cleared the woods and found ourselves on the scarred fields 
 back of Montfaucon. The vicinity was familiar although we 
 were further to the west than on our previous visit. Among 
 all the destruction which we had seen there was nothing to 
 equal that landscape. The illimitable stretches of barbed wire 
 and trench systems had almost lost their outline. Large trees 
 
 101 
 
A History of Battery F J^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 had been sheared off and then their stumps uprooted. The 
 ground on every hand was overturned by the bombardment 
 of huge shells so that it was as rough as the ocean during a 
 storm in the deep sea. In fact the whole face of nature had 
 been changed by the great barrage of September 26th. The 
 road which crossed that wilderness was only passable by 
 virtue of feats of repairing accomplished by American engi- 
 neers. The memory of the great barrage which had been the 
 experience of our first night on the front made the spectacle 
 of its effect very interesting. We observed plain evidence of 
 the rapid German withdrawal on that front. 
 
 The spirit of victory was in the air. A group of several 
 hundred engineers and doughboys suddenly set up a shout and 
 started pell-mell in one direction. They ran like a crowd might 
 run after a victorious football game. The cause for so unusual 
 an outburst was an order to form a lane through which a hun- 
 dred and fifty German prisoners passed on their way to the 
 rerr. U -wa- the o:!'" f.ntbreak of exuberant spirits that we ever 
 saw on the front. And it was a rare contrast to the implacable 
 and philosophical attitude which was usually maintained on 
 every occasion by the soldiers in France. 
 
 Everybody was devoured by a great curiosity to know just 
 what was taking place ahead of us ; all sorts of rumors were 
 afloat. They said that forty thousand prisoners were taken 
 and that the German armies were in full retreat. It was later 
 established by official communiques that eight thousand had been 
 taken, and that the First Army was meeting with so little resist- 
 ance that difficulties of transportation were the only things in 
 the way of sweeping through to Sedan. 
 
 Later in the afternoon, the gray sky which had dimmed 
 the morning sunlight, now obscured it altogether. The air was 
 raw and damp. The exertions of the march were beginning to 
 tell. It felt as though we had left the rest camp in the Bois 
 de Ville a week before, instead of the day before, inasmuch 
 as there had been only a few hours rest, and one scanty meal 
 since that time. It began to be hard for us to appreciate the 
 qood news of the day as we had appreciated it in the morning. 
 
 The column passed through Avocourt, which was the name 
 given to a field strewn with bricks, plaster and debris. It was 
 
 102 
 
A History of Battery F S^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 a total demolition, where not one stone was left standing upon 
 another. Doubtless the few corners which remained standing 
 after the barrage tottered so dangerously that the engineers 
 had pulled them down to use the stone for repairing the roads. 
 Near the site of Avocourt, there were two large tents which 
 showed we were still a long way behind the fight. Just as we 
 passed the tents, a line of about 25 naked men suddenly rushed 
 out of one tent and into the other ! That was an unexpected 
 sight. Evidently, the place was a delousing station, and it had 
 a certain appeal to a good many of our men. Capt. Dempsey 
 resolved if we halted near there, to make the best of his 
 opportunities. 
 
 But it seemed as though we would never halt until the time 
 when the horses were ready to lie down and die. We reached 
 the seared remnants of the Bois de Montfaucon just before 
 dark. The 322nd Field Artillery whicli had been ahead of i^, 
 all day, was pulled off into the mud beside the road. We 
 passed them with great difficulty over the rough ground, and 
 pulled into the woods. Battery F was near the head of the 
 regiment and in order that all the l^atteries miQ^ht stow 
 themselves in the designated area it was necessary for us to 
 go deep into the woods. The trees were no hindrance. So 
 many of them had been shot away or cut down for the construc- 
 tion of dugouts and "abris" that the woods were very sparse. 
 But it was a fine feat of driving to steer six horses and a car- 
 riage around the shell-holes. The latter were so deep and 
 numerous that they invited destruction at every step. It was 
 a great relief when the battery had plunged sufficiently forward 
 without mishap, and the shout "thatle do" was heard. 
 
 It spite of fatigue and surpassing hunger, it was necessary 
 to put immediately into practice the maxim of "horses first." 
 The animals had had no water for more than twenty-four hours, 
 and since none was to be seen in the Bois de Montfaucon, it 
 looked as though we would be shortly immobilized. But some 
 engineers who had a camp nearby, knew of a spring about a 
 mile away, so that with buckets the horses were watered after 
 considerable difficulty in the dark during the course of several 
 hours. The night was raw and a cold drizzle had set in. We 
 had need of a Tom Collins or at least a drink of hot coffee. 
 
 103 
 
A History of Battery F S-jd Field Artillery 
 
 Great was the disappointment when the water-cart was declared 
 to be empty. Contributions of water from every man's canteen 
 were requested in order that coffee might be forthcoming. 
 Again the engineers who looked so comfortable in their pup 
 tents came to the rescue, and gave us water from their kitchen. 
 The dinner which the cooks prepared was too good; it con- 
 sisted of a fresh quarter of beef, which we had brought from 
 the "rest camp." The beef had to be cut up and stewed and 
 the cravings of the battery could hardly brook the delay. Some 
 men fell asleep before they had eaten. 
 
 It was necessary to find some protection from the cold rain. 
 Most of the men pitched their tents or crawled under a paulin. 
 A few privileged persons found shelter under the fourgons. 
 They had been left near the road where we had turned in. It 
 was worth all that it cost to stumble through the blackness and 
 shell-holes to where the fourgons were standing. 
 
 The next morning everybody expected to resume the march, 
 so of course, the march was not resumed. During the morning 
 it was learned that a French ordnance inspector was in the 
 neighborhood. A message was sent requesting him to look at 
 Sergeant BeHgoy's piece which had a suspicious scratch in the 
 bore. The inspection of the bore of this gun made by the 
 French officer was the only one of the kind ever made in 
 Battery F after Coetquidan by any officer of higher rank 
 than the battery and battalion commanders. After the armis- 
 tice, inspections by officers from brigade, division, corps, army 
 or A. E. F. headquarters ranking from major to major general 
 were of nearly daily occurrence. It was considered of the 
 greatest importance that the outside of the painted gun car- 
 riage should be smeared over with the priceless mineral oil 
 used in the recoil mechanism, to impress the Germans 
 with our efficiency, but it never occurred to an inspector 
 to open the breech to see if the gun was in a condition 
 to fire. Early in the afternoon Major Fibich declared 
 that we might as well start to get comfortable. 
 It then became a choice between occupying Boche 
 dugouts so filthy that the rats in them must have felt a sense 
 of shame, or erecting some sort of shelter in the drenched 
 outdoors. That debate was cut short by a courier who brought 
 
 104 
 
A History of Battery F S^jd Field Artillery 
 
 an order to harness and hitch immediately. It seemed as 
 though the "nemesis" of GalHeni was on our heels. But we 
 were just as well pleased to move out of so homeless a place. 
 Besides, there was no telling how far the battle had gone while 
 we lingered. 
 
 The work of breaking camp was easy since there was 
 no camp to break. The horses were harnessed and hitched in. 
 One of them had to be shot and his carcas left to help raise 
 a new forest. That brought the supply of horses to such a 
 low figure that it was impossible to move all the carriages. 
 A caisson was therefore abandoned. The battery was now 
 reduced to four gun sections, three fourgons, a rolling 
 kitchen, a water cart and a ration cart. Our route of march 
 from Brabant Hill was marked by the extra caissons, horses 
 and harness, which had been abandoned. Some of this 
 property was subsequently restored to the battery when a 
 new supply of horses enabled us to send back for caissons. 
 
 By half-past two in the afternoon, we had started to 
 pull out of the thickets and shell-holes. It was too good to 
 be true that the pulling out of the woods, which is the hard- 
 est part of a march, would be accomplished in broad daylight. 
 We came to a halt behind Battery A. The drivers dis- 
 mounted and stood ready to drive on when our turn should 
 come. Just below us in the woods we could see the big 
 guns of 324th standing in like predicament waiting their turn. 
 An hour passed and still the movement was held up. The 
 men stamped their feet, the heads of the horses drooped. 
 The afternoon was damp and chilly. Time which has never 
 stopped since the Creation Day did not stop then, but it 
 felt like it. The hours dragged by without a word of 
 explanation or any order to do anything than just to stand 
 and wait. Then came darkness, and we knew what it would 
 mean to get out of there without a wreck. We took our 
 mess kits to the kitchen and had supper. Fires were built 
 and nobody who shivered in the night rain had the heart to 
 order them to be put out. In fact, a few warm bombs would 
 have been welcome. At last when 11 o'clock at night came, 
 there was a stir in Battery A. Men and horses shook out 
 the kinks and silently put in operation the almost forgotten 
 
 105 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 powers of propulsion and that gave us cheer. But we did 
 not realize the difficulty of reaching the road ; and we again 
 revised our ideas of what could be accomplished when it 
 had to be. There is a figure of speech which talks of not 
 being able to see the woods for the trees. We could not see 
 the woods for the shell craters and could not see those for 
 the blackness of the night. We pulled ahead a few yards 
 and then stopped to wait for Battery A to make progress. 
 They were having a time of it. Some lanterns were jerked 
 around in the woods ahead and then we heard the old familiar 
 war cry "All cannoneers report." Somebody called for shov- 
 els and picks. There was a great straining and grunting and 
 a "now altogether." Battery F dismounted and waited while 
 the first battalion struggled into and out of shell holes and 
 finally after a long delay cleared the woods. 
 
 When we moved again every precaution was taken to 
 steer the guns and the sick, worn horses on the bent and 
 narrow way. The cannoneers were saved any amount of 
 toil and swearing by being placed on the lip of every pit fall. 
 It was their duty to shout to the drivers which way to swing 
 their teams. Wherever the path was straight a lantern was 
 held at the end of it with instructions to drive straight for it. 
 Then one carriage at a time was started. This scheme, 
 devised by Major Fibich, worked so well that it is certain 
 that those teams could have passed through the eye of the 
 needle where the camel failed. It is a great credit to the driv- 
 ers of Battery F that they drove the guns and caissons from 
 the depth of the woods without dropping one carriage into a 
 shell hole and that the entire battery was on the road 20 
 minutes from the time the final movement began. All other 
 batteries were not so fortunate. One gun fell to the bottom 
 of an exceptionally large hole dragging a horse with it. 
 The animal looked ludicrously content with his ears sticking 
 out above the ground and a little grass to chew at the level 
 of his nose. 
 
 The explanation for that deplorable delay was that the 
 brigade was to march as a unit and since Colonel Ashburn, 
 in command of the heavy regiment, was ranking colonel, his 
 outfit was designated to take the lead. The drivers of this 
 
 106 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 regiment had been trained to drive automobiles and trucks 
 and had had no experience with horses until they were issued 
 to them a few days before the brigade left for the front. 
 The inexperience of the men, the inadequacy of the horse 
 flesh, and the great weight of 155 Howitzers, always made 
 the progress of the 324th on the road very slow. But in 
 spite of this, and although the 324th often started from posi- 
 tions in the rear of those occupied by the light regiments 
 and moved to positions behind those to be occupied by them, 
 it was the invariable custom for the 324th to be ordered to 
 move out ahead of the 322nd and 323rd. Many long delay? 
 on the cold night marches had hitherto occurred on this 
 account, causing very great hardship to men and animals in 
 the stalled light regiments and undoubtedly aggravating, to 
 a very great degree, the losses in horses. On this particular 
 night, rain had rendered the rough ground of the woods so 
 impassable that some guns of the 324th did not take the road 
 at all. We had yet one more night march to make and it 
 was made under similar conditions. 
 
 Once out of the woods, the road on which we found 
 ourselves was good, and the battery rattled along to make 
 up lost time. Montfaucon was close by. We started to ascend 
 the slope toward the town. There was some question whether 
 the horses could make the hill after their hours of harnessed 
 idleness followed by exhausting efforts to get out of the woods. 
 But the road was hard, and the several inches of watery mud 
 on its surface caused little resistance. Before the steepest 
 part of the ascent was reached, we swung to the left and 
 climbed over the west slope of the hill. Once we were held 
 up by a blockade of empty trucks which were trying to pass 
 in the opposite direction. While we waited for a chance to 
 move ahead, a battalion fourgon which was just ahead of the 
 battery, wanted something to do and backed itself into a 
 concrete culvert. We thereupon, had some road clearing to 
 do on our own score. The fourgon was completely unloaded 
 of its valuable instruments, which were layed in the mud, 
 there t)eing no other place to put them. Then with the 
 assistance of battery cannoneers, the pesky wagon was lifted 
 back onto the road. 
 
 107 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 In the wee small hours, a damp chill penetrated to the 
 marrow and it was expedient to travel most of the time on 
 foot. The drivers and the cannoneers spelled each other on 
 the teams. Through the sloppy gray mud, which covered the 
 hard surface of the road, all sensations were simplified into 
 one monotonous plodding, measured only by the long duration 
 of the night. 
 
 When the first gray light began to penetrate the black 
 mist so that one could see, the sides of the road and then the 
 fields beyond, we perceived that we were passing through open 
 country where the road was screened by long nets of camoU' 
 flage. The realization that day had dawned came suddenly 
 when we stopped at a cross road and looked around. Some- 
 body said, "Why, it's daylight." Several military policemen 
 on duty at the cross roads were the companions of the new 
 day. The dormant faculties of thought and curiosity awoke 
 and we asked the M. P. what the news was. And he con- 
 firmed the reports of rapid successes on that front. Artillery 
 had been going forward in great numbers, and infantry rein- 
 forcements had been rushed forward in trucks. In the wisdom 
 of the M. P. we could not have stood so exposed at that 
 cross road the day before. The spot was one, subject to a 
 prodigous shelling and it was a cause for great wonder why 
 we were undestroyed at that very moment. Perhaps he 
 thought it a chance to play on green imaginations ; but 
 more likely a shell had arrived in the memory of that M. P. 
 and it had been multiplied in the telling until each fragment 
 had become a projectile. 
 
 A little further on and we passed through the town of 
 Nantillois. One of the buildings which was rather less 
 dilapidated than the others, had a German sign on it, indicat- 
 ing that there used to be an officer's club. Only a few weeks 
 before, it had evidently been so far behind the lines that it 
 constituted a sort of Boche S. O. S. where officers might come 
 for rest and recuperation. But times had changed. It was 
 now so far behind the lines in the opposite sense that Nantil- 
 lois was an American watering place. There were signs up 
 with big arrows pointing to "water for men and animals." 
 
 Beyond the town, there was a long steep hill, but the 
 
 108 
 
A History of Battery F J^jrf Field Artillery 
 
 horses seemed to share the sense of stimulation which always 
 came with daylight, no matter how hard had been the pre- 
 ceding night. We climbed it slowly but without hesitation. 
 At the top there was a large dump of water-soaked bread. 
 It made a very certain appeal. But a nearby soldier, when 
 questioned on the subject, said that a gas bomb had exploded 
 so near to the bread that morning as to render it dangerous 
 to touch. That sounded like a convenient argument but when 
 a man says that bread has been gassed, it isn't worth while to 
 debate the question. 
 
 On the right of the road, there was a crowded German 
 cemetery. It was well built and judging by the weather- 
 stained tombstones and crosses, it had been in use since the 
 first year of the war. A testimony of German short-sighted 
 foresightedness, was the gate. It was a stone monument with 
 an inscription; such a thing as might grace German soil 
 forever! Only fifty yards beyond that German construction 
 was the first large American cemetery that we had seen 
 on the battlefield. It was simpler and infinitely nobler than 
 the other. In contrast to the ornate stones, were the rows 
 of little wood crosses newly made ; on each was fastened 
 the identification tag of the soldier whose grave it marked. 
 
 As we progressed, the signs of recent desperate fighting 
 increased. There had been a stretch where shell-holes were 
 peculiarly scarce. But now we were approaching a new line 
 of resistance. A number of dead mules lay around in weird 
 postures. There were perhaps a half dozen ruined tanks 
 scattered here and there. They were of both the large and 
 small type. Most of them, sadly enough, were French 
 tanks. They had their sides mashed in probably by shells 
 from a "77" which must have killed all the occupants. One 
 German tank was faced by a French only fifty yards away. 
 By their positions it was easy to imagine the titantic duel 
 that must have been waged by those two iron monsters. 
 Perhaps the shells that finished them had been fired simul- 
 taneously, so that neither was left to claim a victory. 
 
 It was bankers' hours when we finally pulled off the 
 road, crossed a field and penetrated the mud and bushes of 
 Madeleine Farm. The colonel's orders carried us that far, 
 
 109 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6 Field Artillery 
 
 and nobody could say how long we might expect to stay 
 there. Subsequent events kept us there six days, so that the 
 place became more like a rest-camp than any of our stops 
 before the armistice. 
 
 It was in reaHty not a farm at all, as French farms go. 
 It will always be thought of as no special place two and one- 
 half kilometers southeast of Cunel. Not until several months 
 later, did we hear that those bushes were called Madeleine 
 Farm. We were on a rise of land, covered by a rough 
 space of bushes, and a scrawny grove of trees, the surround- 
 ing country was open and rolling. The Germans had built 
 a number of small frame shacks and a couple of square 
 pavilions, which might have been modified forms of beer 
 gardens. Speaking most colloquially the place might have 
 been called a "summer resort," and even in its dilapidated 
 condition, it was a pleasant contrast to the ruins and earth- 
 works we had seen. The real purpose of the establishment 
 was betrayed by a number of long strips of blueprint paper, 
 which were picked up. They were sound-ranging prints. 
 A record of the operation of some Allied gun was :.nven by 
 white lines which ran along smoothly for a space and then 
 went into contortions when the gun fired and again when 
 the shell burst. Thus the time of flight of the projectile 
 was registered and its range discovered when such a record 
 was made from two diiTerent stations the range arcs could 
 be plotted and their intersection would be the location of 
 the gun. It is said that the Germans perfected the sound- 
 ranging to such an extent that they could locate a gun within 
 thirty yards. 
 
 Tokens were not lacking of a recent housewarming at 
 Madeleine Farm. Parts of the shacks were demolished by 
 shell-fire. One of the larger houses was half blown 
 away, but there was plenty of loose lumber with which 
 to make crude repairs. An American rolling kitchen had 
 been rendered hors de combat and abandoned. It was spat- 
 tered with blood, and in the oven was a man's hand. When 
 a few days of rest had stimulated the ingenuity of our men, 
 they took the iron plates ofif the side of that grewsome 
 kitchen and used them to make pancakes. 
 
 110 
 
A History of Battery F s^sd Field Artillery 
 
 We settled down to repeat our previous experience when 
 we waited in reserve before Montfaucon. There were six 
 days of waiting with the constant expectation of orders and 
 and the more than constant arrival of rumors. The grand 
 finale of the war was being waged around us, but the 323d 
 was not destined to fire a gun until the curtain was about to 
 ring down. 
 
 The preparations which we made for our accommoda- 
 tion were entirely temporary. At first, it was a case of getting 
 a maximum amount of sleep before ordered to vacate the 
 
 For the Commander-in-Chief 
 
 property. After the first day, we thought we had been there 
 so long that it was only a question of hours. Most of the 
 men pitched their shelter tents out in an open field, where the 
 ground was the consistency of mush. But they were in 
 full sight of the battery kitchen where nothing was done 
 without their presence being felt. Some of the privileged 
 tribes, like Battalion Detail, found luxurious spots in one of 
 the shacks where the allotment of space was two by six per 
 man. 
 
 The mud was the most prominent feature of Madeleine 
 Farm. Not because of the immense and unavoidable quantity, 
 not because it oozed and gurgled and acted like a persistent 
 boot-jack at every step; but, because of the pungent, musty 
 
 111 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6, Field Artillery 
 
 vile stench that emanated therefrom. We have smelled worse 
 smells, and had more awful whiffs, but there was something 
 about that mud which permeated and sickened the sensi- 
 bilities. 
 
 Meantime, the headlong withdrawal of the enemy toward 
 the north, continued. We were back in the S. O. S. as far 
 as shelling from that quarter was concerned. But the cross- 
 ing of the Meuse at Dun was not yet accomplished, and the 
 Germans still clung to the heights on the east bank. A 
 battery of American "55" rifles was located behind us a few 
 hundred yards away. During the night that battery hurled 
 ear-splitting volleys across the river. Then, when the silence 
 seemed deep in contrast we heard the ominous whir and crash 
 of Boche shells bursting in the vicinity of the bread dump. 
 So, perhaps, the soldier who proclaimed the bread polluted 
 by gas had been honestly mindful of our health. 
 
 Then came the day, I think it was November 6th, when 
 we heard that one brigade of the Fifth Division had crossed 
 the river. Dun was occupied and then the heights 
 behind the town. The Germans were withdrawing in 
 earnest. Of course, from that time, no more flower-pots 
 were hurled back and forth from south of Dun, so that we 
 rested in peace. It was on the next day, November 7th, that 
 American troops entered the outskirts of Sedan and cut the 
 Sedan-Merzieres Railroad, which was the principal objective 
 of the entire operation. That great event sealed irredeemably 
 the fate of German arms in France. From that hour, our 
 successes developed so swiftly and the enemy withdrew with 
 such precipitation that division headquarters of the American 
 army were at a loss to keep in touch with their own opera- 
 tions. There was a time when the location of advance units 
 in the line became guess work. 
 
 In such a situation, reserves were not called upon, nor 
 was it possible to throw them in where the phases of the 
 action were so insufficiently known. Our regiment was attached 
 to the 32nd Division which was waiting to relieve the 5th, after 
 the crossing of the river had been forced. The difficulties which 
 that crossing might entail were appreciated, and during the stay 
 at Madeleine Farm, our field officers made frequent reconnais- 
 
 112 
 
A History of Battery F sz^d Field Artillery 
 
 sance for positions covering the river nea*- Dun. They were 
 positions which we were never to occupy. Then there came a 
 change, and the Brigade was given the broad designation of 
 "Pursuit Brigade." By the way the Germans were going that 
 meant that we would have to "gird up our loins." This Colonel 
 Hopkins proceeded to do. Battery B was declared immobilized, 
 and when the pursuit started that battery would have to remain 
 behind and take care of the sick horses. Thus we got rid of 
 unserviceable beasts by transfer, and the motive power of B 
 was apportioned off to the rest of the regiment. 
 
 The main road toward the north, passed within fifty 
 yards of our camp. Over it the rush of traffic which backed 
 up the sweeping army, passed night and day. There was no 
 longer any time nor necessity for confining travel to the dark 
 hours. The bulk of the traffic was motor trucks loaded with 
 rations and munitions. Those which carried corn-willy and 
 hard-tack were piled up until the canvas tops bulged. The 
 trucks with shells always looked empty in comparison, be- 
 cause their load was too heavy and too delicate to permit 
 more than a couple of layers of boxes. Between those truck 
 trains, the small fry passed in rapid succession. Ambulances, 
 motorcycles, small cars of colonels, large cars of generals, 
 K. of C. flivers and occasionally a Y. M. C. A. ditto. Our 
 horses looked out from their picket line in the bushes and 
 thought they wouldn't have a look in on such a road. The 
 rumors which sprung from that motley traffic, were as varied 
 as their source. We heard all things, imagined all things, 
 and believed some things. The result was, that on No- 
 vember 5th, there was considerable betting in the command 
 on whether or not we would ever fire another shot. 
 
 One afternoon, one of the men accumulated enough sur- 
 plus energy to walk to Cunel, 2^^ kilometers away. The 
 town was sufficiently demolished to satisfy even a barbarian 
 constitution; but there were buildings standing in happy con- 
 trast to some of the towns which had vanished except for 
 strewn debris. Here was an interesting church, the interior 
 of which, had been robbed, burned and destroyed. The 
 Huns had added insult to sacrilege and used the church for 
 a movie show. There was a sign "Kino" over the door and 
 
 U3 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 part of a German poster beside it. The Red Cross flag, which 
 the Americans had erected on tlie church was emblematic of 
 the restoration, which was taking place in that outraged land. 
 A glance through the door gave an impression of many white 
 cots, in the midst of broken cold stone walls. 
 
 An armistice commission had actually been appointed 
 and was even then, on its way to confer with Marshal Foch. 
 It was presumed that they would pass the lines somewhere 
 
 Potter Stailb Aley Sommers 
 
 "Lest Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot" 
 
 in our vicinity. But the next day, November 8th, a curious 
 thing happened. It taught us that we were more credulouf 
 than sensible, but it entirely cured us of any idea which 
 prevailed, that a cessation of fighting was near. All day the 
 appetite for reliable news had been growing, and because 
 we w«^:re in ignorance of what to expect, the suspense was 
 even more intense. Major Fibich and the members of his 
 battalion party had gone north on a reconnaissance, during 
 the afternoon. If it was true that the enemy had run away 
 
 114 
 
A History of Battery F s^sd Field Artillery 
 
 from the fight, we would soon know about it from the 
 major. When it got dark, we took the usual precautions 
 against letting the light of our candles shine outdoors. There- 
 fore, the scenes on the road were shut out by shelter-halves, 
 paulins and the walls of the cottages. Suddenly, a shout was 
 heard from the direction of the road, and it was followed 
 by a whoop and a holler. Somebody stuck their head into 
 the room and said that the armistice had been signed. Au- 
 thority for such a radical statement was that of the military 
 policeman on the road, reliable liars ! They claimed that all 
 vehicles on the road were then and there permitted and 
 ordered to display a light. That was easily verified. We 
 looked out, and sure enough the road was a long and winding 
 line of lights. It looked like the road from New Haven 
 to Bridgeport on the evening after a big game. It was the 
 {first time that such a bold, unusual sight had ever been 
 seen on the Western Front. In the face of that proof the 
 323d Regiment of Field Artillery proceeded to believe that 
 the armistice was signed ; but the guns which had not been 
 silent for four years were not silent then. We heard the 
 roar of artillery distinctly, and saw the usual signal rockets 
 and flares. An extra edition of rumors was issued from the 
 road to explain the apparent disinclination of the front lines 
 to cease firing. Major so-and-so on the front seat of an 
 ambulance was just back from Stenay where he had seen 
 the guns pointed into the air. A great celebration of shooting 
 guns and fireworks was going on. Then we had a very 
 splendid half-hour, when we smoked cigars and hoped for 
 something oflicial on the subject. When Major Fibich came 
 back from his reconnaissance, there was a clamor for first 
 hand information. Our hopes received quite a jolt. He had 
 left the vicinity of Dun-sur-Meuse about four o'clock, and the 
 fight was still on. He couldn't understand why they called 
 it an armistice when there were American soldiers up there 
 being shot to pieces. The lights on the road were an 
 extraordinary development, still unexplained. What was a 
 man to think? 
 
 Sometime after that unhappy mistake of November 8th, 
 we learned that the news of an armistice was published in 
 
 lis 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 America and that the whole country celebrated the false 
 report on the same date. It would be an interesting discovery 
 to know just what relation, if any, existed between the news 
 which gladdened the hearts of Americans along the Meuse 
 River, and the report which electrified their homes across 
 the ocean. It is probable that the simultaneous occurrence 
 of the two large scale disappointments was a vicious coinci- 
 dence. The dispatch from Admiral Wilson which was the 
 source of the report in America could probably not have 
 bounded over official wires and been caught up so innocently 
 along the Meuse. It would have received official recognition 
 and been denied long before it could reach the troops along 
 that remote road. The lighting of the road on that night 
 was the cause and proof of what was said. Such a radical 
 departure was authorized for a portion of the road only. It 
 was one of the strenuous measures which were taken at the 
 end to expedite the movement of our troops in their final 
 victorious pursuit of the retreating foe. 
 
 On the afternoon of November 9th, the 32nd Division, 
 which had been waiting impatiently in reserve, re- 
 ceived orders to move and with it, the 158th Brigade. The 
 field which we had been occupying was nothing short of a 
 bog after the heavy rains. Fortunately it was higher than 
 the road, so that the materiel, wagons, and kitchens were 
 able to splash their way down hill without much trouble. 
 Once on the road, there was no delay. We struck northward 
 on a hard stone surface that ran like a black ribbon through 
 the rolling water-soaked country. It was just dark when 
 we cleared the first rise beyond Madeleine Farm. Looking 
 back, the sky was lighted by a red glow. An officer who 
 stayed behind until the last, told us later that the shack 
 occupied by the officers of Battery F, and the one next door 
 had burned up. We have always felt sure that the cause of 
 the fire was a defective flue — for some of our last days had 
 been spent in building a fireplace and chimney deluxe out 
 of the bricks which lay around. The incident was a small 
 but sentimental one in that ravaged country. 
 
 The dusk faded into a dark gray mist which in turn was 
 gradually absorbed by a cold, clear night. The first stop 
 
 116 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 which arose from some unknown cause at the head of the 
 long column found us on a bend of the road at the entrance 
 to Cunel. A congestion of trucks in the town ahead, gave 
 it the complexion of a long halt, and Captain Dempsey ordered 
 the kitchen to serve supper, which was in progress when the 
 command to "move forward immediately" was received. Be- 
 yond Cunel there began that series of hahs, which made the 
 last march of the war seem the most trying one of all. We 
 were still eight kilometers from Dun-sur-Meuse and, although, 
 as always, our destination was unknown, it was a fair guess 
 that we would cross the river at that place. Such proved 
 to be the case, but only after those eight kilometers had been 
 accomplished by an exasperating series of a few yards 
 progress, between countless halts. The entire brigade was 
 on the road with the 324th heavies in the lead as usual. It 
 didn't seem possible even for the 324th would have a horse 
 down or a wheel off every two minutes. The 32nd Divi- 
 sion was on the move and we envied the rapid progress 
 which the long files of doughboys made as they passed us 
 who were the lame and halt, chiefly halt. At four corners, 
 we turned sharply toward the east, and just then the word 
 was passed along quickly to put out all cigarettes. There was 
 a whirring close overhead, which seemed to hang there while 
 our tense feelings urged it to move on. Even against the 
 starry sky, not a trace of the plane was visible; only the 
 ominous hum of its motor could be heard. Then there was 
 a flash and an explosion on our rig'ht, followed by several 
 more behind us. Doubtless the target was the crossroads we 
 had just passed. That was the first time that the regiment 
 had been bombed while on the march. There were no dis- 
 astrous results. Probably the actual populated condition 
 of the road was as obscure to the airman as his machine 
 was to us. It was surprising that the bombs did not create 
 a greater explosion. They were evidently small-sized, and 
 their effect was no greater than that of a shell from a "77." 
 In Ancreville, we stopped near a building where Lieu- 
 tenant Johnson, formerly of the 323rd, was engaged in work 
 with division headquarters. There was plenty of time for a 
 visit. At the rate the batteries were moving, there would 
 
 117 
 
A History of Battery F ss^d Field Artillery 
 
 have been time for a shampoo and a haircut. Johnson had 
 maps showing the latest information about the front hues. 
 The German army was still intact and we had a day and 
 night job to defeat it. Indeed, any trace of thought which 
 might have existed concerning an armistice had been blown 
 \nto fragments by the bombs ten minutes before. 
 
 From Ancreville, the road led down hill along one side 
 of a broad, deep valley. There was evidence that the route 
 had once been a picturesque French highway. Characteristic, 
 straight rows of trees bordered the road, or rather half of them 
 did. The Huns had cut down many and left only the stumps. 
 Near the foot of the grade was the town of Doulcon. The 
 exhilarating glimpse of buildings standing almost intact showed 
 how precipitately the tide of battle had twice rushed over that 
 area. 
 
 Since we had halted every 100 yards on the way to 
 Doulcon, it was no wonder that we also halted in the town. 
 Somebody mentioned the name of the place, but that added 
 nothing to the knowledge or absence of knowledge of our 
 whereabouts. As usual, the outlook on geography was confined 
 between the back of the carriage in front and the heads 
 of the horses in the rear. The night was getting extremely cold 
 and it was necessary to stamp up and down on the road to 
 keep up a reminiscence of circulation in toes that were nearly 
 frozen. There was a railroad a few steps ahead and across 
 that lay the explanation of the unfortunate jerks by which 
 our portion of the column had arrived there. The road led on 
 to a newly built bridge over which a guard was permitting 
 only three vehicles to pass at one time. Each time that three 
 teams went ahead the whole colmn moved up so as to bring the 
 next carriages to the starting point. The procedure must have 
 been going on for hours in order to get the entire brigade 
 across, and with Battery F the last in line, it is no wonder 
 we started the hesitation waltz back as far as Cunel. 
 
 The bridge, which had been built under shell fire, was 
 a splendid tribute to the efficiency of American engineers. The 
 river at that point divided and flowed around a steep island 
 which was outlined against the sky by tall trees and a hand- 
 some stone building. At first we wondered if that really 
 
 118 
 
A History of Battery F J2jd Field Artillery 
 
 was the Meuse, there seemed to be so Httle water in the dark 
 river bed; but beyond the island the second instaUment of that 
 magical bridge spanned a deep, swiftly rushing river. On the 
 far side, we entered the substantial town of Dun-sur-Meuse. 
 The crossing of the Meuse at that point was the fulfillment 
 of what had long been the ambition and resolute purpose of the 
 First Army operating under Lieutenant-General Hunter Lig- 
 gett. It was an event of the greatest importance from the point 
 of V' iew of military strategy. The movement flanked and almost 
 surrounded the enemy forces which occupied the strongholds 
 north of Verdun in the vicinity of the Grande Montague. All 
 that country was therefore liberated at a stroke without the 
 prolonged and bloody assaults which would have been necessary 
 to drive the enemy back by frontal operation. But the results 
 were more far-reaching than that, for with an army operating 
 east of the Meuse the Sedan-Longuyon railroad could no longer 
 be of use to the enemy, and with that artery of supply cut they 
 must necessarily withdraw from northeastern France. Such 
 a withdrawal had begun, when the high command designated 
 certain units, the 32nd Division among them, as pursuit units. 
 It was the purpose to catch and destroy the German army 
 before it had time to escape intact beyond the frontier. The 
 operation was planned and strenuously pushed without, of 
 course, the slightest consideration of the fact that German 
 delegates were even then conferring with Marshal Foch to 
 bring about an armistice. 
 
 The picture at Dun-sur-Meuse on the night of Nov. 9th 
 was in keeping with the significance of the occasion. The river 
 looked very small as it wound a swift course between the 
 heights of the surrounding country. Toward the west the 
 land ascended gradually, but several miles back from the river, 
 the rolling farm lands rose to a considerable height above the 
 valley. All that night, the unending columns of infantry, ma- 
 chine guns and artillery descended slowly but surely, the several 
 roads which converged at the little white bridge at the bottom. 
 And the bridge was white even on that moonless night because 
 a heavy frost outlined every timber. The town of Dun nestled 
 on a narrow ledge between the river and a steep cliff which rose 
 up abruptly, dominating the town and all the surrounding coun- 
 
 119 
 
A History of Battery F j^jd Field Artillery 
 
 try. In Dun, the slender line of countless soldiers turned 
 to the right and started their gradual ascent into the highland 
 region of northern France. It was like a triumphal entry into 
 a new country. 
 
 When the men saw the overshadowing cliff, there were 
 many expressions of surprise that such a place could ever 
 have been wrested from the hands of even a half-hearted foe. 
 But the secret of the silence which those high shadows pre- 
 served while the army marched beneath them, was to be found 
 further north. It was the crossing in the vicinity of Stenay 
 which had forced the Germans to withdraw from the heights 
 back of Dun. 
 
 The bridge was crossed about midnight, but it seemed 
 later. The unsteady gait had worn out both horses and men. 
 We turned south and started to climb up the face of the hills 
 which overlooked the river. The job of urging the heavily load- 
 ed carriages to the top seemed formidable under the circum- 
 stances. But situated at the summit of that three-kilometer 
 grade was the town of Liny, where it was understood the regi- 
 ment would halt for the remainder of the night. Encouraged 
 by that thought, the drivers kept their horses in the harness 
 and we proceeded. 
 
 The air became more bitterly cold at every step. Each 
 man who was not taking a turn on the teams stamped along 
 on foot, and did everything possible to encourage the circulation 
 not to fail. After an interminable effort. Liny was reached. 
 The houses were dark and desolate, but they held distinct 
 attractions when viewed from the exposed road. Alas, if the 
 intention ever existed that we should tarry it was changed by 
 events of the night. We pushed through the town without 
 a pause, even accelerating the gait with the assistance of a level 
 stretch in the road. On the far edge of Liny, the ascent was 
 steeper than ever. The forlorn horses stopped many times 
 without the slightest persuasion, and started again only after 
 the most strenuous punishment. Here and there along the 
 road were vehicles which had fallen out of their place in the 
 column. They were pulled or rather not pulled, by horses 
 which refused to take another step, undoubtedly members of 
 the "no oats, no work" gang. The most conspicuous in point 
 
 120 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 of size was a huge overloaded park chariot. It was piled 
 higher than a house with equipment of the 324th heavies. The 
 six horses undergoing punishment plunged around in a most 
 helpless manner, and manoeuvered athwart the road so as to 
 leave us the smallest possible loophole for slipping by. The 
 most conspicuous delinquent in point of noise was the ration 
 cart of Battery E whose one lone horse was being told in un- 
 mistakable terms just where to go and just what the driver 
 thought of him. 
 
 When the top of the ridge was reached, we inclined 
 to the east and left the vicinity of the river. The road 
 entered a deep narrow valley and there around us was a 
 strange sight. Camp fires dotted with points of light, the 
 dark hills on both sides of the valley. It was the first time 
 that the "watchfires of a thousand circling camps" had been 
 seen at the front. We looked on it with increased surprise 
 having in mind the bombs which had been dropped earlier 
 in the night. But even as we looked some official, who was 
 either more warm blooded or more cautious than the others 
 must have arrived because a voice bellowed in the distance, 
 "all fires out immediately." Then we passed the guns and 
 caissons of the "heavies" parked beside the road. It was 
 their bivouacks which occupied the valley. They were in the 
 act of unhitching their horses and created a nice mess by 
 trying to lead them to water against our column. 
 
 The fact that part of the brigade had halted, w^as a 
 fair indication that the long cold hours of the dreary night 
 were nearly ended. Just how far we had come was a ques- 
 tion that would have stumped the warmest participant. It 
 was so far that the night's performance had proved beyond 
 doubt the proposition that man and stupid horses do not 
 play out, but that they have a reserve strength which can 
 carry them always a little farther. The gray light of early 
 morning was just creeping over the country when we pulled 
 into a field of weeds and shell holes. The command was 
 given "unhitch — feed oats." 
 
 It was half past five on the morning of November 10th, 
 they told us to be ready to march again at seven o'clock. 
 The most vital concern of all was not sleep, nobody ex- 
 
 121 
 
A History of Battery F 3236 Field Artillery 
 
 pected anything like that, but it was the corn-willy and 
 coffee which the cooks were exceedingly busy preparing. 
 The advent of daylight eliminated any objection to fires and 
 no time was lost in reducing an old wooden shed to a con- 
 dition of fuel. Then the early sun slanted through the 
 valley and began to dispose of the white frost. Things be- 
 gan to look up. 
 
 We took our bearings in a hazy sort of way, but got 
 no further than that the regiment was halted in a hollow 
 between rough hill-sides. The dirt road and a straggling 
 orchard beyond made it appear more like a corner of good 
 old Connecticut than any landscape in France. To be sure, 
 there was a German narrow gauge railroad and plenty of 
 shell holes, but nature had covered up those tokens of the 
 first Hun invasion with weeds and grass. And then came 
 the doughboys, who had not been seen since the bridge at 
 Dun had been crossed, so long ago. They streamed by, a 
 whole regiment in single file, and with them were the com- 
 pany burros pulling two wheeled carts containing rifle am- 
 munition. It was just such a picture as has often been seen 
 near the training camps in America. When the infantry 
 with full pack and rifle have gone out over the hills for 
 manoeuvers under an early morning sun. Only there was 
 a dift'erence for these men were more rugged and more 
 solemn and their clothes and steel helmets were stained 
 with the mud of stinking trenches. They had a great work 
 to do in the next 24 hours and for some of them the final 
 sacrifice lay just over the hill where the enemy had turned 
 at bay. But of all that we knew nothing while waiting for 
 a chance to take the road. 
 
 It was ten o'clock before our turn came to advance 
 with the rest of the division. And then for a change, the 
 light regiment preceded the 324th. Signs of the rapid and 
 recent withdrawal of the Germans were not lacking. Dead 
 horses frequently off'ended the olefactory nerve, but for the 
 most part they had been carved for juicy steaks and only 
 the bones were left. Occasionally long flights of steps ran 
 up the hillside on the left to gun emplacements at the top. 
 Those steps were well built and even had railings just like 
 
 122 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 national parks might build for an easy approach to some fine 
 outlook for tourists. About noon a stop was made to water 
 the horses in Haraumont. The name of the town was 
 familiar, and we knew immediately where we were. After a 
 circuitous march of a hundred kilometers and nearly two 
 weeks' time we had arrived back again almost at the starting 
 point. Brabant Hill and Death Valley lay eight kilometers 
 to the south and the very spot on which we were engaged 
 in peacefully watering the horses, had been a target for our 
 own concentration fire in the enemy's back area two weeks 
 before. The discovery stimulated everybody's curiosity. 
 We were eager to see the sights and know the secrets of the 
 country which had been the direct object of our efforts. It 
 was like a glimpse behind the scenes, so rapidly had cir- 
 cumstances changed to bring us there. 
 
 On the bare plateau which stretched away to the east from 
 Haraumont, the Huns had begun the preparation of the third 
 and most formidable line in the great Kriemhilde defense sys- 
 tem. Big trenches, with here and there a concrete "pill-box", 
 were left half built. The unfinished defenses were marked by 
 stakes or partly excavated trenches. Extensive barbed wire 
 entanglements had been under construction but the enemy 
 had run away and left huge coils of brand new wire. 
 The road by which we traveled the length of the plateau 
 in full view of all the world was also part of the im- 
 proved system. It had been ditched and drained prepara- 
 tory to make of it a military asset and the far end had 
 in fact been macadamized into as fine a road as any in France. 
 The most inspiring sight was the light batteries, which had 
 been captured "in toto," the guns were left peeking out of their 
 emplacements, and undoubtedly still trained on the position of 
 Battery F at Brabant. What wouldn't we have given to know 
 their location two weeks before! Shell craters, large and small, 
 were sprinkled around although the ground was by no means a 
 sieve like some we had seen. It was a point of controversy 
 just which battery of the 2nd Battalion could claim the credit 
 for those shell holes which were nearest to the "77" batteries. 
 The whole spectacle of construction so suddenly abandoned 
 surely proved that the German army was not without some 
 
 123 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 resources nor without the intention to employ those resources 
 with efficiency. It strengthens the contention that superior 
 military strategy and power of the Allies was after all the 
 vital factor in the German defeat. 
 
 Those rays of the sun which still penetrated the gathering 
 mists slanted from the west by the time the far end of the 
 plateau was reached. Then the road wound down a steep de- 
 scent into a beautifully wooded valley. Far below in the bottom 
 of the valley lay the town of Ecurey. From that distance it 
 appeared untouched by the ravages of war, and the houses 
 which gathered around the ubiquitous church might to all ap- 
 pearances have been inhabited by townsfolk in the quiet pur- 
 suits of peace. We were told by an officer of the brigade staff 
 that Ecurey was our destination for that day, and that the 
 regiment would wait there in reserve for a short time. The 
 fact that it might be our final destination for the World War 
 was a suspicion as remote as that the peaceful village would 
 presently be the scene of a violent bombardment. The 
 column came to a halt with the head of the brigade 
 at the bottom of the steep descent and the rest of it 
 twisting up behind like the coils of a big snake. We 
 waited that way for a long time, so it seemed. Some- 
 thing had gone wrong, else why did they keep us from 
 the resting place while the sun was sinking behind the brow 
 of the hills? The picture of that halt is recalled very clearly. 
 Our carriages were drawn up on the outer edge of the road, 
 with only a wooden railing separating them from the tree-clad 
 hillside which dropped away almost perpendicularly. On the 
 opposite side was a crumbling stone cliflF, where the hill had 
 been cut away to build the road. Part of the battery above was 
 hidden by a protruding shoulder of the hill and then it reap- 
 peared and the fourgon which brought up the rear could be 
 seen just above where the road doubled on itself. But the 
 circumstance which stands out above all others is the recollec- 
 tion that as we waited there beside the road, the more we 
 thought of horse-steaks and boot-stew, the more palatable the 
 idea became. One meal of coffee and willy was a minimum 
 for preservation during the last twenty-four hours of exertion 
 and when a French rolling kitchen passed up along the line, 
 
 124 
 
A History of Battery F 3236 Field Artillery 
 
 it was one too much. Hand-outs were requested in starved and 
 pleading tones and the good natured Frenchmen compHed by 
 fining with hot soup the cups that were passed up to them. 
 Although their horses were pulling at a lively gait, there wasn't 
 a drop of soup left for the "frogs" by the time they got to 
 the top of the hill; it had been given away to a needy cause. 
 That diversion put us in mind of something to eat more than 
 ever, and the way a man can feel hungry is something awful. 
 
 And then, while we hemmed and hawed on that road above 
 Ecurey, all of a sudden the curtain went up for the climax. 
 It came without warning but not a whit more sudden than the 
 way in which it ended the next morning, Nov. 11th. Somebody 
 was in the middle of a sentence, when — whirr, swish, swish, 
 swish — CRASH ! Wheee ! ! ! It had landed on the hill below us. 
 And then came another and another. It was great to have 
 the protection of that rocky wall across the road, but it was 
 an awful disappointment to see that the Huns had planned 
 an evening's entertainment for us in Ecurey. 
 
 Things moved rapidly from that moment. Reflections were 
 cut short by the arrival of a messenger with orders that the 
 firing batteries of the Three Twenty-Third would proceed for- 
 ward with all haste on the left of the road, where there was 
 free passage. At the same time it was stated that an enemy 
 counter-attack had driven our own lines back four kilometers. 
 
 Later, inquiries showed that the estimated distance of 
 four kilometers was a slight exaggeration. It was however, 
 true that our infantry were attacked near Ecurey and driven 
 back late in the afternoon of Nov. 10th. The American 
 advance had been so rapid that it had outstripped the artil- 
 lery support. Advance detachments of the Fifth Division found 
 themselves dangerously isolated, in their attempts to keep 
 contact with the enemy. It was to support that thin front 
 line and to continue the offensive on the right flank of the 
 tired-out Fifth that the 32nd had made the forced march of 
 the preceding twenty-four hours. The enemy after with- 
 drawing from the heights around Haraumont, had crossed the 
 rolling valley beyond Ecurey and established himself on a 
 ridge of hills, six kilometers east of that town. His artillery, 
 although reduced in quantity by the retreat, was still formid- 
 
 125 
 
A History of Battery F 32^6, Field Artillery 
 
 able and from new positions on the hills to the east, it was 
 able to cover the entire valley at the entrance to which Ecurey 
 was situated. The Thirty-second Division poured into that 
 valley in broad daylight. The infantry, exulting in the open 
 warfare for which American temperament was so well adapted, 
 pushed ahead leaving the artillery behind. It was then, that 
 the Germans attacked, and before our lines could be con- 
 solidated severe losses were suffered. The spectacle of the 
 wounded being evacuated the next day along an open road 
 after the guns were silent, was a sad one indeed. 
 
 Dempsey Piatt Iloltz Breese 
 
 Ecurey (Nov. 11, 1918) 
 
 There was not the sHghtest indication that the appeal for 
 immediate artillery action was to be the final tragic scene in 
 the world's hideous drama. We undertook it with the idea 
 that the war was going stronger than ever. The fourgon 
 which carried maps and orienting equipment, was summoned 
 from the rear of the battery; guns and caissons were pulled 
 out of their places in the column and we advanced as rapidly 
 as the steep grade would permit. 
 
 The main street of Ecurey was swarming with newly 
 arrived troops of Engineers, infantry, and headquarters de- 
 tachments. The fact that division and brigade had intended 
 
 126 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 to locate their headquarters in the town, showed how unex- 
 pected was the attack which at that moment was heaving G. I. 
 cans into our midst. The air was growing misty and observa- 
 tion was impossible which accounted for the fact that the 
 enemy could not observe his bursts and correct the range. 
 The results would have been disastrous in that seething town. 
 We stopped for a few moments and at the same time, there 
 was a pause in the bombardment, which was going over our 
 heads. It was the calm before the storm. The next minute 
 there was a rush through the air, and a tremendous smashing 
 and crashing just to the left. This new outburst was of the 
 "77" variety. The range was correct but the direction was a 
 little wrong because the shells were harmlessly tearing up an 
 orchard and a meadow situated at the northeast corner of 
 town. The bombardment was violent and sufficiently close to 
 be disconcerting. In the midst of the din and shrieking, Major- 
 General Haan, who commanded the Division, rode by wearing 
 a cloth barrack cap as a dignified emblem of his rank, while 
 everybody else felt like snuggling up under their steel helmets. 
 To be sure, the General did employ spurs on his horse to good 
 advantage which caused him to set off at a handy clip. 
 
 Major Baldwin, First Battalion commander, looked much 
 concerned. He kept glancing over to where the dirt was flying 
 in the orchard, while he rode along the column as if to bid 
 us all farewell. When asked where our positions were, the 
 Major pointed toward the corner of the town, and stated that 
 we had no choice; our positions must be in that orchard and 
 its vicinity. At least there would be no trouble to find depres- 
 sions for the trail spades — crash ! — number one piece was all 
 fixed up, and smash! bang! there were trail holes enough for 
 all the regiment. We proceeded straight through town, and 
 near the further end, a road ran off to the left toward Lissey 
 where it was seen to pass right by our orchard. We turned 
 on that road, which was lucky, because an M. P. at the cor- 
 ner said the shells were falling just ahead. It was a choice 
 between Scylla and Charybdis, and we were constrained by 
 orders to choose the spot where there was the most shelling. 
 
 But "the Lord had the regiment by the hand" and we were 
 no sooner headed straight for that fateful field than the bom- 
 
 127 
 
A History of Battery F 3^sd Field Artillery 
 
 bardment suddenly ceased. The Boche who had lived there 
 four years knew the ground far better than we, and he must 
 have shelled the orchard on well founded suspicions. But 
 without observation he could not see the object of his hate slip 
 in just after the punishment has ceased. 
 
 When we turned off the road to take up position, it was 
 like creeping on thin ice. Nothing was more certain than that 
 a battery of "77" was at that moment so adjusted that it 
 could heave up craters tmder our feet without the slightest 
 warning, and blow off our heads in the process. The fact 
 created a feeling of suspense, to say the least. 
 
 With a consciousness of treading on forbidden ground, 
 Battery F pulled up into the forward edge of the orchard. 
 There were a few flimsy shacks and outhouses and it was a 
 matter of the most careful driving to manipulate six horses 
 so as to bring each gun to its place. Then came the command 
 "action right." This was open warfare in its purest form 
 and would have brought joy to the hearts of Fort Sill in- 
 structors. Had they not predicted that open methods would 
 ultimately solve the Kriemhilde riddle? The manoeuver in 
 question would hardly serve as a model because it was finished 
 with the guns ten meters apart. A nice little bunched-up 
 target for the elimination of which the Huns would need only 
 two well placed shells. That was contrary to all the prin- 
 ciples, even for a decoy battery which it looked as though we 
 were intended to be. But we were so placed by higher 
 orders. 
 
 Darkness marked the end of the attack which demanded 
 our fire. The mist which had been so much to our advantage 
 lay heavily oxer the face of the country, but overhead the 
 sky was clear. A bright star could be seen above the enemy 
 positions, and it w-as by means of that star, and the needle 
 of the goniometer that the guns were laved for direction. A 
 man was then left on the alert at each gun -which is an invari- 
 able rule especially when the situation is so precarious as it was 
 that night. The rest of the cannoneers found shelter on the 
 floor of one of those structures which I have dignified by the 
 name of shacks. The officers and instrument details of Bat- 
 teries E and F shared together a room in the farmhouse which 
 
 128 
 
A History of Battery F 3236 Field Artillery 
 
 lay on the edge of Ecurey, only a hundred yards from the guns. 
 It was the eve of the greatest day in history but out there 
 on that chilled and solemn line there was nothing to awaken 
 any suspicion of what the morrow had in store. 
 
 The question of supper, which had been forgotten in the 
 excitement, had increased in importance ten fold, since the halt 
 in the afternoon. The kitchen was doing business more than 
 a kilometer away on the far side of the town. A detail was 
 sent back but what they found in the way of eats and at what 
 time they returned with the same will have to be told by some- 
 one who stayed awake. 
 
 It was the morning of November 11th. Few, if any of 
 those who held the suburbs of Ecurey knew or cared what 
 morning it was. The wee hours had passed and dawn was 
 about to be announced by its herald, the cock, or more accu- 
 rately by his successor for four years, the cockroach. We were 
 only conscious of that sublime moment by virtue of being 
 rudely shaken and exhorted to get busy. There was no hesi- 
 tation, habit made the response mechanical. A messenger from 
 battalion headquarters called on all the guns of the regiment 
 to open up with a barrage to accompany an attack which would 
 start at 7 o'clock. The map co-ordinates were given to desig- 
 nate the location for the barrage. 
 
 Facilities for the work were not so handy in that trash- 
 filled room as in the little dugout on Brabant Hill. First a stub 
 of a candle, then a pencil, map ruler, protractor and orienting 
 board were assembled on the floor, and the work commenced. 
 It is much better to stay up all night on a barrage than to be 
 summoned from sleep and immediately try to concentrate the 
 scattered senses on the acute computation of a problem. But 
 that morning, the demands of an emergency assisted momentum 
 and at ten minutes before seven the data were being passed over 
 the wire. "From present laying right twenty, open eight, four 
 rounds sweeping, shell, normal, short fuse, ten degrees forty- 
 two minutes." 
 
 When the action began, it was immediately answered. We 
 received four shells for every one. The duel was at short 
 range and the hot iron shrieked and crashed among us like 
 swift bolts of lightning. There was not a second to lose. So 
 
 129 
 
A History of Battery F 3236 Field Artillery 
 
 long as our guns could fire they must do so on schedule time. 
 The room in which we worked and the window which 
 faced the enemy must have been the center of impact for those 
 Boche gunners. It was never struck although the shells that 
 would have gone through it like paper rained over the whole 
 vicinity. One swooped into a barn behind where it wounded 
 two men and killed three horses. They blew up the house 
 across the street — a very narrow street; and dirt from the 
 orchard flew in at the window. What idiot ever said there 
 would be an armistice! But the operator in the corner was 
 trying to hear something in his telephone receiver. It sounded 
 like "cease firing;" such a thing had never happened before in 
 the midst of a creeping barrage. What would become of the 
 infantry? But the man repeated "CEASE FIRING." Those 
 who were working on the schedules seized the opportunity to 
 catch up. The operator tried to call the batteries but the lines 
 were shot out. Somebody shouted out the window to cease fir- 
 ing and somebody else ran out the door to give the same com- 
 mand. Our guns were suddenly tamed but the cessation was 
 not mutual. For a time, the sharp hate burst over Ecurey ; and 
 cooled ofT only gradually just as the hot tubes of the "75's" were 
 cooling. 
 
 The transition out of hell was too abrupt to be easily com- 
 prehended. It was some time and after many skeptical expres- 
 sions before the truth was realized. Attempts were made to 
 complete the schedules that would never be required. Lieu- 
 tenant Middleton representing the special extra edition of the 
 morning paper entered the room and announced that it was said 
 that the armistice had been signed. He would not shoulder 
 the responsibility for such momentous news. A little later it 
 was passed from mouth to mouth that the signal corps was 
 wirelessing to all the front that the armistice was signed. We 
 began to babble at that. By nine o'clock, the proposition was 
 fully accepted when some Frenchmen on the hill said that 
 Marshal Foch had actually called for a cessation of hostilities 
 at 11 o'clock. 
 
 There was no confetti, helmet tossing, nor cutting of 
 capers. We felt dazed with a satisfying, comfortable bewilder- 
 ment. A cold, thick mist shut ofT the surrounding country, and 
 
 130 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery ^ 1 
 
 in that mist the men who had unburdened their great strain, 
 built themselves bonfires and went to sleep. All firing in the 
 vicinity had ceased, but now and then a gun went oflf from 
 the French batteries on the hill. It was the privilege of those 
 who had fought the Hun before us to send to him the final 
 tokens. 
 
 Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. 
 
 131 
 
A History of Battery F J^Jc? Field Artillery 
 
 17° Corps d'Armee 
 Artillerie 
 
 ORDRE DE LA BRIGADE 
 
 Le General GASCOUIN, Commandant I'Artillerie due 17° 
 Corps d'Armee, cite a I'ordre de la Brigade. 
 
 Soldat de I ere classe JAMES C. WALKER. 
 
 "Au fait preuve d'un grand courage, en allant comme volon- 
 taire, pour ravitailler la compagnie, ce qui necessitait un par- 
 cours de 300 meters sous un bombardement intense, pres de 
 BRABANT S/I\Ieuse 27 Octobre et 29 Octobre, 1918. 
 
 Le 31 Octobre, 1918. Gascouin. 
 
 Le General Gascouin, Commandant, 
 
 I'Artillerie du 17° Corps d'Armee. 
 
 158 F. A. BRIGADE, A. E. F. 
 General Order, 
 No. 53. 
 
 12th December, 1918. 
 
 1. In the period of less than three months that has 
 elapsed since the Brigade has left its training camp for the 
 front it has traversed France ; fought in four divisions and 
 three corps ; borne its full share of the great offensive, first west 
 of the Meuse, then north of Verdun, then again west of the 
 Meuse, which it once more crossed in pursuit of the vanquished 
 enemy. 
 
 And on every occasion the guns of the Brigade have 
 responded fully to all the needs of the infantry. This has 
 been rendered possible only by the untiring labor and the devo- 
 tion of its personnel, both commissioned and enlisted. 
 
 2. Since the signing of the armistice the Brigade has 
 marched through part of Belgium, crossed Luxembourg and 
 all of Germany west of the Rhine. During the march to the 
 Rhine there has been a marked and constant improvement in 
 the march discipline and march efficiency of the units of the 
 Brigade. The conditions under which this march was under- 
 
 132 
 
A History of Battery F ^2sd Field Artillery 
 
 taken and has been conducted have afforded no adequate oppor- 
 tunity for the re-equipment of troops; yet by their continued 
 efforts the organizations of the Brigade have done much to 
 rehabihtate their war-worn equipment. 
 
 3. The Brigade Commander, who is surely its severest 
 critic, feels great pride in these achievements of the Brigade, 
 and congratulates all officers and men, who have contributed 
 to them, on the results obtained. 
 
 4. The high standard which has been insisted upon by 
 the Brigade Commander is within reach, but the price of its 
 attainment and maintenance is unceasing and unremitting 
 efforts by every member of the Brigade. 
 
 By Command of Brigadier General Fleming. 
 
 S. R. Hopkins, 
 Lieut.-Col. F. A. Adjutant. 
 
 158th F. A. BRIGADE, A. E. F. 
 General Order 
 No. 54 
 
 13th December, 1918. 
 I. The following letter has been received: 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. 
 
 Bassenhein, Germany 
 11 December, 1918. 
 From Commanding General, 32nd Division, American E. F. 
 To Commanding General, 158th Field Artillery Brigade. 
 Subject: Commendation. 
 
 1. I have noted, especially during the latter part of the 
 march of your Brigade to the Rhine, the excellent march 
 discipline maintained by the Brigade. This excellence has also 
 been commented upon by various officers of the Corps and 
 Army. I request that you express to the officers of the Brigade 
 my appreciation of the good work thus done. 
 
 2. It has likewise been my impression that the animals 
 of the Brigade have been well cared for during the march, 
 
 133 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd Field Artillery 
 
 and that they begin to show signs of improvement in condition. 
 3. It now devolves upon the Brigade to improve the 
 appearance of material and equipment of all kinds and of the 
 clothing and equipment of the men. 
 
 Signed : Wm. Lassiter^ 
 
 Major General, U. S. Army, 
 
 II. It is with much gratification that the Brigade Com- 
 mander has received for the Brigade, the commendation of 
 the Division Commander as expressed in paragraphs 1 and 2 
 of the above letter, and it is with keen pleasure that he trans- 
 mits them to the officers of the Brigade, who have so well 
 merited them by arduous and effective work. 
 
 III. While not unmindful of the marked improvement that 
 has been made in the appearance of material, equipment and 
 clothing — all of which have been subjected to the wear and 
 tear of months of warfare — in fact because of this very im- 
 provement, the Brigade Commander calls for increased efforts 
 by all officers and enlisted men, in order that the expectations 
 of the Division Commander, expressed in paragraph 3 of the 
 above letter may be fully realized. 
 
 By Command of Brigadier-General Fleming. 
 
 G. H. Q. 
 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES 
 General Order 
 No. 232 France, December 19, 1918. 
 
 It is with a sense of gratitude for its splendid accom- 
 plishment, which will live through all history, that I record in 
 General Orders a tribute to the victory of the First Army in 
 the Meuse-Argonne battle. 
 
 Tested and strengthened by the reduction of the St. Mihiel 
 salient, for more than six weeks you battered against the pivot 
 of the enemy line on the Western Front. It was a position of 
 imposing natural strength, stretching on both sides of the 
 Meuse River from the bitterly contested hills of Verdun to 
 the almost impenetrable forest of the Argonne ; a position, 
 moreover, fortified by four years of labor designed to render 
 it impregnable; a position held with the fullest resources of 
 
 134 
 
A History of Battery F s^Sd P^^^d Artillery 
 
 the enemy. That position you broke utterly, and thereby 
 hastened the collapse of the enemy's military power. 
 
 Soldiers of all of the divisions engaged under the First, 
 Third and Fifth American Corps and the Second Colonial and 
 Seventeenth French Corps— the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 26th, 
 28th, 29th, 32nd, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 42nd, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 
 81st, 82nd, 89th, 90th and 91st American divisions, the 18th 
 and 26th French divisions, and the 10th and 15th French 
 Colonial divisions — you will be long remembered for the stub- 
 born persistence of your progress, your storming of obstinately 
 defended machine gun nests, your penetration, yard by yard, 
 of woods and ravines, your heroic resistance in the face of 
 counterattacks supported by powerful artillery fire. For more 
 than a month from the initial attack of September 26th, you 
 fought your way slowly through the Argonne, through the 
 woods and over the hills west of the Meuse; you slowly 
 enlarged your hold on the Cotes de Meuse to the east, and 
 then, on the 1st of November your attack forced the enemy 
 into flight. Pressing its retreat, you cleared the entire left 
 bank of the Meuse south of Sedan, and then stormed the 
 heights on the right bank and drove him into the plain beyond. 
 Soldiers of all army and corps troops engaged — to you 
 no less credit is due; your steadfast adherence to duty and 
 your dogged determination in the face of all obstacles made 
 possible the heroic deeds cited above. 
 
 The achievement of the First Army which is scarcely to 
 be equalled in American history, must remain a source of 
 proud satisfaction to the troops who participated in the last 
 campaign of the war. The American people will remember 
 it as the realization of the hitherto potential strength of the 
 American contribution toward the cause to which they had 
 sworn allegiance. There can be no greater reward for a 
 soldier or for a soldier's memory. 
 
 This order will be read to all organizations at the first 
 assembly formation after its receipt. 
 
 John J. Pershing, 
 General Commander-in-Chief 
 Official: American Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 Robert C. Davis, Adjutant General. 
 
 135 
 
A History of Battery F 32jd Field Artillery 
 
 158TH F. A. BRIGADE 
 A. E. F. 
 General Order 15th March, 1919. 
 
 No. 17 
 
 1. The Commanding General of the Third Army Corps, 
 Major General Hines has directed the Brigade Commander 
 to convey to the commanding ol^cers, officers and men of the 
 158th F. A. Brigade, his congratulations upon the splendid 
 appearance presented by the Brigade in today's review and 
 inspection before the Commander-in-Chief, General John J. 
 Pershing. He has also directed me to convey his appreciation 
 of the splendid spirit which has enabled the Brigade to accom- 
 plish such gratifying results under the present conditions. 
 
 2. In conveying these sentiments of the Commanding 
 General Third Army Corps to the officers and men of this 
 Brigade, the Brigade Commander desires to express his pro- 
 found gratitude for the willing spirit of co-operation and over- 
 coming of difficulties which has characterized this Brigade 
 from its inception, and it is a matter of great pride to him to 
 feel that he has the honor of organizing a brigade capable 
 of winning such commendation from the Corps Commander, 
 
 3. The Brigade Commander directs that this order be 
 published to every officer and man of this Brigade in order 
 that they may feel that their efforts toward making the best 
 brigade possible has won such commendation from such mili- 
 tary authority as the Corps Commander. 
 
 By Order of Colonel Ashburn : S. R. Hopkins, 
 
 Lieut. -Col. F. A., Adjutant. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. 
 Rengsdorf, Germany. 
 General Order 16th March, 1919. 
 
 No. 18 
 
 1. It is a great pleasure to the Division Commander to 
 inform the Division that the Commander-in-Chief commended 
 most highly the line and soldierly appearance made by the 
 Divisions at the review and inspection yesterday. 
 
 The Corps Commander and visiting officers likewise com- 
 
 136 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 plimented the Division in strong terms. There was not a 
 discordant note; each corps and arm of service came up to 
 the high standard set for it. 
 
 The Division Commander expresses his appreciation of 
 the excellent way in which officers and men rose to this occa- 
 sion, and he congratulates the Division on once more meeting 
 the expectations of those who have watched its career in 
 France and Germany, 
 
 By Command of Major-General Lassiter: 
 
 R. M. Beck, Jr., 
 Colonel, General Staff, Chief of Staff. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. 
 201. 1 (Commendations), 
 
 From: Commanding General, 32nd Division, American E. F. 
 To: Commanding Officer, 158th F, A. Brigade, American 
 
 E. F. 
 Subject: Commendation. 
 
 1. A general order issues today from division headquar- 
 ters informing the division of the high commendation which 
 the Commander-in-Chief passed upon the division as a result 
 of his review and inspection of yesterday. 
 
 I wish, however, to express to you in this more personal 
 way my very high appreciation of the fine spirit which so 
 obviously animated the troops under your command. The 322d 
 Field Artillery, the 323d Field Artillery and the 324th Field 
 Artillery, in their soldierly bearing, in the appearance of the 
 mounts, of their tractors and of their equipment generally, 
 made a showing of which they may well be proud. The light 
 regiments in passing in review stirred to enthusiasm all who 
 watched them. The 324th Regiment reached all the expecta- 
 tions of the Commander-in-Chief and of the Division Com- 
 mander in that so soon after being motorized and under such 
 unfavorable conditions they had their tractors and guns on the 
 reviewing ground ready for inspection and brought to such a 
 high standard of cleanliness and obvious efficiency. 
 
 Signed: Wm. Lassiter, 
 Major General, U. S. Army. 
 137 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. 
 
 Rengsdorf, Germany. 
 
 24th March, 1919. 
 General Order 
 No. 22. 
 
 The following letter is published for the information of all 
 concerned : 
 
 ARMY OF OCCUPATION 
 THIRD U. S. ARMY 
 
 OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF. 
 
 Coblenz, Germany, March 19th, 1919. 
 From: Chief of Staff, Third Army, American E. F. 
 To : Commanding General, Third Army Corps, American E. F. 
 Subject : Commendation. 
 
 1. The Army Commander desires me to congratulate the 
 Commanding General of the Third Corps on the very satisfac- 
 tory condition of the Third Corps troops and the Divisions oi 
 the Corps during the recent inspection of the Commander-in- 
 Chief. 
 
 2. The condition of your troops voices far more strongly 
 than can be accomplished by any other means, the intelligent and 
 successful labor which has been expended by all concerned in 
 training and instruction since the occupation of the bridgehead. 
 
 By command of Major General Dickman. 
 Malik Craig, 
 Brigadier General, U. S. A. 
 
 Chief of Staff. 
 1st Ind. 
 Hq. Third Army Corps, American E. F., March 21, 1919. 
 To Commanding General, 32nd Division, American E. F. 
 
 1. For his information. 
 
 2. The Corps Commander desires to express his keen 
 
 138 
 
A History of Battery F ^^jd Field Artillery 
 
 appreciation of the high compliment paid the Third Corps 
 
 troops and the Divisions of the Corps by the Army Commander. 
 
 By Command of Major General Hines: 
 
 Campbell King 
 
 Chief of Staff. 
 
 By Command of Major General Lassiter: 
 
 R. M. Beck, Jr., 
 
 Colonel, General Staff, 
 
 Chief of Staff. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, 
 Rengsdorf, Germany. 
 General Order 28th March, 1919. 
 
 No. 23. 
 
 1. It is with sincere pleasure that the Division Com- 
 mander publishes to the command the following letter from 
 the Commander-in-Chief : 
 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, 
 
 Office of the Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 France, March 24, 1919. 
 "Major-General William Lassiter, 
 
 "Commanding 32d Division, American E. F. 
 "My Dear General Lassiter: 
 
 "Please extend to the officers and men of the 32d Division, 
 my sincere compliments upon their appearance and upon the 
 splendid condition of the artillery and transportation at the 
 review and inspection on March 15th. In fact the condition 
 of your command was what would be expected of a division 
 with such a splendid fighting record. 
 
 "After training for several months following its arrival 
 in February, 1918, it entered the line in Alsace and held this 
 sector until the time of the Aisne-Marne offensive, when it 
 moved to that active front. On July 30th, it entered the line 
 on the Ourcq, and in the course of its action captured Cierges, 
 Bellevue Farm and the Bois de la Planchette. The attack was 
 
 139 
 
A History of Battery F J^jd Field Artillcr^' 
 
 resumed on August 1st, the division pushing ahead until it 
 crossed the Vesle, and captured the town of Fismes. On 
 August 28th it again entered the Hne and launched attacks 
 which resulted in the capture of Juvigny at the cost of severe 
 casualties. During the Meuse-Argonne offensive the 32d Divi- 
 sion entered the line on September 30th, and by its persistence 
 in that sector it penetrated the Kremhilde Stellung, taking 
 Romagne and following the enemy to the northeastern edge 
 of the Bois de Bantheville. On November 8th the division 
 took up the pursuit of the enemy east of the Meuse until the 
 time when hostilities were suspended. 
 
 "Since the signing of the Armistice the 32d Division 
 has had the honor to act as a part of the Army of Occupation* 
 For the way in which all ranks have performed their duties 
 in this capacity, I have only the warmest praise and approval. 
 The pride of your officers and men, justified by such a record, 
 will insure the same high morale which has been present in 
 the division during its stay in France. I want each man to 
 know my appreciation of the work he has done and of the 
 admiration in which he is held by the rest of his comrades 
 in the American Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 "Sincerely Yours, "(Signed) John J. Persuing." 
 
 2. This order w^ill be read to the troops at the first 
 formation following its receipt and w'ill be posted upon bulletin 
 boards. William Lassiter, Major-General, Commanding. 
 
 158TH F. A. BRIGADE 
 MEMORANDUM: A. E. F. 11th April, 1919. 
 
 1. The following letter received by the Brigade Com- 
 mander from Brigadier General A. S. Fleming, is published 
 for the information of the Brigade: 
 
 Headquarters, 5th F. A. Brigade, 
 American E. F., A. P. O. 745, 4th April, 1919. 
 From: Brigadier General A. S. Fleming, U. S. A. 
 To: Commanding General, 158th F. A. Brigade, 
 Subject: Commendation of Officers and Men of the 158th 
 F. A. Brigade. 
 1. Because of my relief from duty with the 158th F. A. 
 
 140 
 
A History of Battery F 32^d Field Artillery 
 
 Brigade, during my absence therefrom I was unable to publish 
 an order relinquishing command of that Brigade. 
 
 2. Will you therefore please convey to all the members of 
 the Brigade my great appreciation of their work and their 
 accomplishments while I had the honor to command the 
 Brigade. 
 
 3. In the training area the Brigade strove to complete 
 its mastery of the technical details that would fit it to take 
 its place at the front. According to the statements of the 
 authorities of the training camp at Camp Coetquidan the 
 Brigade surpassed all previous standards attained by the eight 
 Brigades which had preceded it there, and established new 
 records which have not since been equalled. 
 
 The Brigade received its baptism of fire on the 26th of 
 September, 1918, in the Meuse-Argonne offensive and acquitted 
 itself with entire credit. From the 8th to the 29th of October, 
 1918, the Brigade participated in all the engagements of the 
 17th French Army Corps of Verdun, and there earned the 
 reputation of being one of the best fighting artillery Brigades 
 in the A. E. F. 
 
 Upon the cessation of the activities of the 17th French 
 Army Corps the Brigade was again attached to the 32d Divi- 
 sion, and with the latter crossed the Meuse at Dun-sur-Meuse 
 in pursuit of the retreating enemy. On the morning of the 
 11th of November, 1918, when news of the Armistice reached 
 it, all the regiments of the Brigade were in action, closer to 
 the German frontier than any other artillery of the Allied 
 armies north of Verdun. 
 
 On the march to the Rhine the Brigade earned the 
 approbation of all and the commendations of the Corps and 
 Division Commanders for its excellent marching, march dis- 
 cipline and care of its animals. In the Coblenz Bridgehead, as 
 part of the American Army of Occupation, the Brigade at- 
 tained standards which later resulted in the high commendation 
 of the Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 These accomplishments resulted from a zeal and a devo- 
 tion to duty which are beyond all praise, and would have been 
 
 141 
 
A History of Battery F s^sd Field Artillery 
 
 impossible without the loyal co-operation and untiring effort 
 of both officers and enlisted men. 
 
 (Signed) A. S. Fleming, Brigadier General, U. S. A. 
 
 By command of Brigadier General Craig: 
 
 A. L. Richmond, Major F. A., Acting Adjutant. 
 
 158TH F. A. BRIGADE 
 A. E. F. 
 General Order 17th April, 1919. 
 
 No. 20. 
 
 1. The following letter of the Division Commander is, 
 by his express desire, published to the Regimental Commanders 
 and to the Regiments of the Brigade: 
 
 HEADQUARTERS THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, 
 AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES. 
 
 Rengsdorf, Germany, 17th April, 1919. 
 Brigadier General Adrian S. Fleming, Commanding, 
 158th Field Artillery Brigade, 
 
 American Expeditionary Forces. 
 
 My dear General Fleming: 
 
 Before the 158th F. A. Brigade starts on its way home, 
 I desire to express to you and the Brigade in what high esti- 
 mation I hold the services which the Brigade has rendered 
 while in France and in Germany. 
 
 The Brigade came under my command as a part of the 
 32nd Division, when I took over the command of that division 
 for the march to the Rhine. On this long and arduous march, 
 so trying on men and animals, the artillery always showed up 
 to advantage. Its good discipline and high spirit carried it 
 successfully through all the obstacles and difficulties to be over- 
 come. Since we have been in the Coblenz Bridgehead I have 
 always felt that I could rely upon the artillery to meet any 
 new development which might arise. Their situation has not 
 always been easy, in that they have been transferred from 
 Division to Division during the active operations, and so have 
 had to get established in each new organization; but I can 
 
 142 
 
A History of Battery F s^sd Field Artillery 
 
 testify that with the 32nd Division their capabihties have been 
 recognized and relied upon. The regiments of the Brigade, 
 the 322nd Field Artillery, the 323rd Field Artillery and the 
 324th Field Artillery have the right to take back with them to 
 the United States the consciousness of work well done. 
 
 I would ask you to convey to the regimental commanders 
 and to the regiments of the Brigade my congratulations on 
 their fine accomplishments. 
 
 Sincerely Yours, 
 
 (Signed) Wm. Lassiter, 
 Major General, U. S. Army, 
 Commanding 32nd Division. 
 
 2. This letter is a tribute to the loyalty, devotion to 
 duty, and patriotism of every officer and enlisted man who 
 contributed to the results which earned it. 
 
 Previously, during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the 
 Brigade supported, in battle, the 91st, 18th (French), 29th 
 and 32nd Divisions; and with all these Divisions this work of 
 all of its units was of the same standard as that to which the 
 Division Commander bears testimony. 
 
 "The right to take back with them the consciousness of 
 work well done" is an achievement of the highest order and 
 an honor second to none. They have earned this right and 
 are entitled to the pride and distinction of its possession. 
 
 By Command of Brigadier-General Fleming: 
 
 A. L. Richmond, 
 Major F. A. Acting Adjutant. 
 
 143 
 
Station List of Unit Since Arrival 
 in the American E. F. 
 
 Unit 323rd F. A. Battery F, Sailed from Philadelphia, June 
 10th, 1918, Arrived in England June 28th, 1918, on Transport 
 
 "Agapenor," at Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool, England. 
 
 STATION ARRIVED LEFT 
 ENGLAND 
 
 Camp Winnal-Down Winchester 28 June '18. 1 July '18. 
 
 South Hampton 1 July 1 July 
 FRANCE 
 
 Le-Havre 2 July 3 July 
 
 Maure 4 July 5 July 
 
 Loheac 5 July 17 Aug. 
 
 Camp-De-Coetquidan, Guer 17 Aug. 22 Sept. 
 
 Revigny 24 Sept. 24 Sept. 
 
 Vilotte-devont-Louppy 24 Sept. 24 Sept. 
 
 Waly 25 Sept. 25 Sept. 
 
 3 Kilo's North of Parois 26 Sept. 27 Sept. 
 
 V2 Kilo West of Esnes 27 Sept. 3 Oct. 
 
 Camp-Gallieni, 2 Kilo's East of Nixeville 4 Oct. 4 Oct. 
 
 Verdun 5 Oct. 5 Oct. 
 
 Cotc-de-Talou 5 Oct. 9 Oct. 
 
 Brabant-Sur-lMeuse 10 Oct. 29 Oct. 
 
 Bois-de-Vil!e 30 Oct. 31 Oct. 
 
 Bois-de-Bethelanville 1 Nov. 1 Nov. 
 
 Bois-de-Montfaucon 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 
 
 Madeleine Farm — Cunel 3 Nov. 9 Nov. 
 
 2 Kilo's S. W. of Haraumont 10 Nov. 10 Nov. 
 
 Ecurey 10 Nov. 16 Nov. 
 
 Jametz 16 Nov. 17 Nov. 
 
 Noers 17 Nov, 18 Nov. 
 
 Cosnes 18 Nov. 20 Nov. 
 
 BELGIUM 
 
 Guerlange 20 Nov. 21 Nov. 
 
 LUXEMBOURG 
 
 Kopstal 21 Nov. 22 Nov. 
 
 Imbringen 22 Nov. 23 Nov. 
 
 Beidweiler 23 Nov. 1 Dec. 
 
 144 
 
A History of Battery F J3jd Field Artillery 
 
 GERMANY 
 
 Alsdorf 
 
 Messerich 
 
 Ginsdorf 
 
 Udersdorf 
 
 Kelberg 
 
 Boos 
 
 Mayen 
 
 Kruft 
 
 Heimbach 
 
 Ruscheid 
 
 Urbach-Uberdorf 
 
 Dernbach 25 Jan. 22 April 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND 
 
 U. S. S. Von Steuben. 
 
 FRANCE 
 
 Brest 26 April 5 May 
 
 Hoboken, N. J. 13 May Camp Merritt 
 
 1 Dec. 
 
 2 
 
 Dec. 
 
 2 Dec. 
 
 3 
 
 Dec. 
 
 3 Dec. 
 
 5 
 
 Dec. 
 
 5 Dec. 
 
 6 
 
 Dec. 
 
 6 Dec. 
 
 7 
 
 Dec. 
 
 7 Dec. 
 
 9 
 
 Dec. 
 
 9 Dec. 
 
 10 
 
 Dec. 
 
 10 Dec. 
 
 13 
 
 Dec. 
 
 13 Dec. 
 
 14 
 
 Dec. 
 
 14 Dec. 
 
 15 
 
 Dec. 
 
 15 Dec. 
 
 25 
 
 Jan. '19. 
 
 145 
 
Roster of F Battery 323d L. F. A 
 
 Rank Address 
 Captain Dempsey, John B 
 
 1201 Leader News Bldg., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 First Lieutenant Piatt, Rutherford H 
 
 115 Fifth St., Garden City, N. Y. 
 
 First Lieutenant Bradford, Boyce E New Concord, Ohio 
 
 Second Lieutenant Breese, Lee W Batavia, N. Y. 
 
 Second Lieutenant Holtz, William E Leetonia, Ohio 
 
 First Sergeant Rayburn, Fred R.F.D. No. 1, Fort Gay, W. Va. 
 
 Mess Sergeant Patterson, Martin M Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Stable Sergeant Voemastek, Charles J Rib Lake, Wis. 
 
 Supply Sergeant Simpson, Robert C Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Riggs, McDonald H 532 Park Road, Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Binder, Milton 686 Franklin St., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Beligoy, John 1104 E. 77th St., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Sergeant Potter, John B 612 Washington Ave., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Nord, John A R.F.D. No. 23, Limesville, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Staub, Charles J R.F.D. No. 2, Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Groscost, Gilbert 2009 5th Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Groscost, Robert R Beaver, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Crawford, Harry E R.F.D. No. 2, Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Lenhoff, James E 1383 S. 3rd St., Columbus, Ohio 
 
 Corporal Jinaros, John G 202 Station St., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Torrance, Alac S R.F.D. No. 2, Murdocksville, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Dobbin, Charles A Beaver, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Elmer, Edward M Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Stjernquist, Gust E. .20th St. and 8th Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Smiley, William D Koppel, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Christie, Herbert H Parker Township, Butler, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Sommcrs, Frederick F New Brighton, Pa. 
 
 Corporal McCann, Leo R 2211 13th Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Cantwell, Dennis A Cannelton, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Moorehouse, William A 
 
 1027 Washington Ave., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Waite, Lowell O Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Deveny, Joseph M Beaver St., Colona, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Jackson, Dewitt L Bruin, Pa. 
 
 CoTporal Hanson, George 2022 W. 50th St., Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
 Corporal Aley, Clifford S 716 8th St., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Woodfield, Charles 242 Ohio Ave., Colona, Pa. 
 
 Corporal McVey, Howard B Butte, Mont 
 
 146 
 
A History of Battery F 3236, Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Corporal Hage, Oscar H 1324 Washington Ave., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Hicks, James South Portsmouth, Ky. 
 
 Corporal Patterson, James C 140 Mercer St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Brother, Jefferson D Owingsville, Ky. 
 
 Cook Leibler, John R 535 Mifflin St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 Cook Dimett, Tode 3rd St., Midland, Pa. 
 
 Cook Rich, Ellwyn E West Park, Ohio 
 
 Cook Young, James V 138 American Ave., Butler, Pa. 
 
 Horseshoer Irwin, Elwin L R.F.D. No. 2, New Sheffield, Pa* 
 
 Horseshoer Davis, Gilbert H South Heights, Pa. 
 
 Horseshoer Covert, Horace L Slippery Rock, Pa. 
 
 Ch. Mechanic Koehler, Howard R Beaver, Pa. 
 
 Mechanic Kanchat, Oliver W Beaver, Pa. 
 
 Mechanic Marshall, John B 219 4th Ave., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Sadler Hauber, Alfred Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Bugler Furgiuveli, Ernest 1120 Pacific Ave., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Bugler Rossi, Frank 240 Station St., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Bugler Chiocchio, Pelino 345 Allegheny Ave., Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Brown, Alfred S Shippingport, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Brown, Claude G Chicora, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Calhoun, Roily L Glasgow, Ky, 
 
 First Class Private Bryant, Robert E Hicksville, Ky. 
 
 First Class Private Christy, John M West Sunbury, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Flannery, George E 
 
 1605 Linwood Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Fry, Clarence H.431 E. Jefferson St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Fry, Wilfred M New Castle, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Hastings, James T 
 
 226 Winn Ave., Winchester, Ky. 
 
 First Class Private Kelly, William H 
 
 416 Southern Ave., Springfield, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Krampe, Paul E 
 
 3104 Woodbridge Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Liston, Thomas G 
 
 1200 Washington Ave., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Loche, Jay L Toledo, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Martin, James W Darlington, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private McCalligan, John A Box 24, Wicklifif, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Novak, Andrew J 
 
 2438 Marion Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Papa, Patsy Midland, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Rhein, Joseph A R.F.D. No. 1, Beaver, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Roberts, Joseph A.. R.F.D. No. 1, Sausalito, Cal. 
 First Class Private Stevenson, James B 
 
 101 South St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Stull, Harvey M Howard, Ohio 
 
 147 
 
A History of Battery F s^^d Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 First Class Private Thomas, Bruce E 
 
 1310 Offnare St., Portsmouth, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Toomey, John... 301 W. Fulton St., Butler, Pa. 
 First Class Private Wagoner, Frank E 
 
 R.F.D. No. 4, Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Walker, James C Bruin, Pa. 
 
 First Class Sergeant Williams, Dana Bartlett, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Wolford, Harry L Keister, Pa. 
 
 First Class Private Wright, Franklin E 
 
 722 Deck St., Steubenville, Ohio 
 
 Private Adams, Tom Wallard, Ky. 
 
 Private Alberti, Battista 2414 9th Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Alvey, Harry R R.F.D. No. 2, Munsey, Ind. 
 
 Private Andrews, Howard M 7055 Central Ave., Pavis, 111. 
 
 Private Andrews, Orrin J Hickman, Ky. 
 
 Private Aurilio, Frank 2117 Collingwood Ave., Swissvale, Pa. 
 
 Private Baker, John Forks of Elkhorn, Ky 
 
 Private Barbour, Robert G Hickman, Ky. 
 
 Private Bivin, Veachede Star Route, Carl, Ky. 
 
 Private Blackburn, Crit Endicott, Ky. 
 
 Private Boles. Alfred L R.F.D. No. 4, Glasgow, Ky. 
 
 Private Bonzo, Jake South Portsmouth, Ky. 
 
 Private Buckley, Joe 414 West 2nd St., Hopkinsville, Ky. 
 
 Private Burchett, George Prestonburg, Ky. 
 
 Private Butcher, Isaac A Plumbers Landing, Ky. 
 
 Private Caldwell, Orville Portsmouth, Ohio 
 
 Private Carrington, Earl A El Paso, Texas 
 
 Private Cassin, James W 2419 W. Market St., Louisville, Ky. 
 
 Private Celletti, Domenico Scottsdale, Pa. 
 
 Private Chapman, William H Racine, Pa. 
 
 Private Chenot, Lucien G 328 Hickory St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Chism, Charles 165 Winn Ave., Winchester, Ky. 
 
 Private Chi vers, James G Homesassa, Ky. 
 
 Private Clark, Alex Pals Grove, Ky. 
 
 Private Clark, Orval Star Route No. 3, Mt. Sterling, Ky. 
 
 Private Clinkenbeard, Granville Bethel, Ky. 
 
 Private Collins, Flem Brainard, Ky. 
 
 Private Conley, George 7070 Franklin Ave., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Crisp, Lee Dock, Ky. 
 
 Private Dawkins, John S 169 Spring St., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private De Roon, Ornie 167 Carbon St., Paterson, N. J. 
 
 Private Didelow, Denver D White Mills, Ky. 
 
 Private Di Guilio, Luigi 133 Miner St., Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Private Fisher, Wilbur H 305 W. Diamond St., Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Fletcher, Tom K Bays, Ky. 
 
 148 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 ^^^^ Address 
 
 Private Forrest, Swale 1584 W. 25th St., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Foster, Clinton S 2532 Gallia St., Portsmouth, Ohio 
 
 Private Fowlkes, Burley Oakton, Ky. 
 
 Private Frogue, Elijah 614 W. 8th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 Private Greer, Arthur M 35 Montrose Ave., Delaware, Ohio 
 
 Private Griffith, Murray C 247 S. 2nd St., Newark, Ohio 
 
 Private Gross, George Q 967 McKinley St., Toledo, Ohio 
 
 Private Gruchala, Leo R 246 Detroit St., Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 Private Gusler, Ollie Sonora, Ky. 
 
 Private Hagood, Vernon E 301 W. 109th St., New York, N. Y. 
 
 Private Harrod, Campbell 322 Park Ave., Frankfort, Ky. 
 
 Private Haynes, Joseph C Ralston, Ky. 
 
 Private Hendricks, Arthur R R.F.D. No. 3, Richwood, Ohio 
 
 Private Herndon, Alfred A Fair Grove, Missouri 
 
 Private Hessey, Wilson J 1010 W. Main St., Fostoria, Ohio 
 
 Private Hill, Mark 208 5th St., Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Private Hopper, Walter C 2825 Sth Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Howarth, John W 1511 5th Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Howell. Ben Glenwood, Ky. 
 
 Private Huff, Allen E Persimmon, Ky. 
 
 Private Hutchinson, William Route No. 2, Wadsworth, Ohio 
 
 Private Hughes, Richmond P Bee Log, N. C. 
 
 Private Jicha, Louis 3578 Independence St., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Keifer, Smith R.F.D. No. 2, Hookstown, Pa. 
 
 Private Kresiclny, Andrew 2334 Elston Ave., Chicago, 111. 
 
 Private Kruta, Miller Thief River Falls, Minn. 
 
 Private Kurkowski, Walter E. 63rd St., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Landgraff, John R.F.D. No. 1, Fennelton, Pa. 
 
 Private Lane, Andrew D Tulsa, Okla. 
 
 Private Lolli, Emilio 1st Ave., Woodlawn, Pa! 
 
 Private Lutkehaus, Louis F 1315 Lane St., Hamilton, Ohio 
 
 Private McDermott, Patrick Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Miller, Francis H 516 Market Ave., Canton, Ohio 
 
 Private Miller, Leslie P 131 Baley St., Zanesville, Ohio 
 
 Private Nelson, Arthur Leadwood, Missouri 
 
 Private Newbaur, Herman A 572 East Ave., Akron, Ohio 
 
 Private Neal, Percy A No. 9 Chestnut St., Farmingham, Mass. 
 
 Private Parker, Tracy O Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Rabinovitz, Joseph.. 418 Neshannock Ave., New Castle, Pa. 
 
 Private Reed, Frank *. Congo, Ohio 
 
 Private Reilley, Donald 150 E. 5th South, Salt Lake City, Utah 
 
 Private Rennie, John Third Ave. and 8th St., Freedom, Pa. 
 
 Private Robbins, Leo 29 Afton Ave., Grafton, Pa. 
 
 Private Samerdyke, Frank E 1914 Indiana Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Sanchez, Ezequias Solomonville, Arizona 
 
 149 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Private Saxton, Benjamin 805 Arlington Ave., Canton, Ohio 
 
 Private Sherbiniski, Joseph 15 Monroe Ave., Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Shillady, Harry J 17 Ford St., Rochester, N. Y. 
 
 Private Slutsky, Mayer 3 Le Roy Court, Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 Private Snyder, Carl R R.F.D. No. 3, Harrisville, Pa. 
 
 Private Szkutt, Ignacz Bessemer St., Lyndora, Pa. 
 
 Private Troyanowski, Harry J 1604 2nd Ave., Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Tyler, Louis 76 Loraine Ave., Columbus, Ohio 
 
 Private Vance, Horace E R.F.D. No. 2, New Castle, Pa. 
 
 Private Vanryckeghem, Jules Metamora, Ohio 
 
 Private Vermeullen, Alphonso R.F.D. No. 17, Metamora, Ohio 
 
 Private Weinstein, Alex Middle St., Midland, Pa. 
 
 Private Whitehead, Stephen H 
 
 1640 Crawford Road, Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Wiley, Johnson J St. Clairsville, Ohio 
 
 Private Winkle, Lawrence Hopewell Ave., Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Private Yoakum, Charles Leipsic, Ohio 
 
 Private Young, Tompie Glasgow, Ky. 
 
 Private Zigarevich, Sergey Bessemer St., Lyndora, Pa. 
 
 150 
 
Roster of Former Members of 
 Battery F 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Captain Archer, Herman N San Francisco, Cal. 
 
 Captain Middleton, Henry A Toledo, Ohio 
 
 First Lieutenant Dempsey, Ernest C Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 First Lieutenant Bacon, Louis A Indianapolis, Ind. 
 
 First Lieutenant Colyer, Charles M 
 
 Union Commerce Bldg., Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Second Lieutenant Calhoun, Floyd B Akron, Ohio 
 
 Second Lieutenant Patterson, Jefferson Dayton, Ohio 
 
 Second Lieutenant Wilson, Willard W Hillsboro, Ohio 
 
 Sergeant Emery, Thomas W Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Manuszak, Casimier Columbus, Ohio 
 
 Sergeant McEntee, William E Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Stewart, Edward L Amtridge Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Rea, William Ross Baden Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Small, Phillip L Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Sergeant Kappler, Norman G Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Sergeant Frazier, Max Rochester, Pa. 
 
 Sergeant Shriver, Louis M Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Corporal McCabe, William S Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Kennedy, Lynn H Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Corporal Reese, Frank Aliquippa' Pa. 
 
 Corporal Wolman, Henry J Butler Pa. 
 
 Corporal Wright, Lewis F Beaver Pa. 
 
 Cook Fetzer, John Allen Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Mechanic Koenig, Alfred Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 First Class Private Bell, Clayton S Butler Pa. 
 
 Private Angert, Clarence Butler Pa. 
 
 Private Burns, Ralph L Colona Pa 
 
 Private Brooks, Irving Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Private Barnhart, Raymond E Butler Pa 
 
 Private Black, Braden M Butler Pa 
 
 Private Brandon, Allen Butler Pa 
 
 Private Brigdon, Frank Butler Pa. 
 
 Private Bartley, Roy Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Cain, John S Aliquippa, Pa! 
 
 Private Cantwell, John B Cannelton, Pa. 
 
 Private Cochran, Elmer J Woodlawn, Pa 
 
 Private Cox, Harry Beaver, Pa 
 
 Private Culmer, Howard Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 151 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Private Chappell, Frank H Fulton, Ky. 
 
 Private Cobb, Hubert H 
 
 Private Colvin, Edward J Cambridge, Ohio 
 
 Private Claypool, Curtis M Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Corliss, Roy L 
 
 Private Davis, William McK New Sheffield, Pa. 
 
 Private Del Signore, Attilio Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Dimmer, John Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Devine, Charles T Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Donahy, William J Cumberland, Md. 
 
 Private Dinello, Carlo Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Private Denton, James H Atlanta, Ga. 
 
 Private Elk, Frank C Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Evans, Charles Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Garber, Harry E Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Gentile, Seme Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Private George, John Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Gilbert, Emmit Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Gordon, Isaac E New Brighton, Pa. 
 
 Private Grim, Addie H. R Beaver, Pa. 
 
 Private Goldrick, Osborn Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Glicker, Gus Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Fassold, Everett L Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Fitzsimmons, Thomas G Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Hinzman, James T Industry, Pa. 
 
 Private Huffman, Charles Homewood, Pa. 
 
 Private Hull, Joseph E Darlington, Pa. 
 
 Private Hulmes, Seth L Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Hunter, Joe Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Hockenberry, George C Slippery Rock, Pa. 
 
 Private Hagany, William Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Hartman, Russell A Canton, Ohio 
 
 Private Hawkins, Robert L Moores Ferry, Ky. 
 
 Private Hill, Pearl R Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Humm, William J Toledo, Ohio 
 
 Private Haas, Arthur E Cleveland, Ohio 
 
 Private Handleman, William Ottumwa, Iowa 
 
 Private Harp, Rufus Checotah, Okla. 
 
 Private Jordan, Domcnico Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Private Jordan, Ralph Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Private Johnson, Roy E Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Kewbef er, Mike Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Kitson, George E Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Kline, Melvin F Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Knott, Fred J Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 152 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Private Kelly, Richard J Bruin, Pa. 
 
 Private Kuisch, Af anasy Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Keck, Herman E Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Knesebeck, Edward Toledo, Ohio 
 
 Private Laff erty, John Darlinton, Pa. 
 
 Private Lyons, Walter Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Lepley, William Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Logan, Glenn B Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Leimpach, Benjamin 
 
 Private Le Roy, George Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Le Roy, Frank J Los Angeles, Cal. 
 
 Private McGuckin, William L 
 
 Private McKenzie, John B Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private McQuistion, Samuel Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Menetis, Nick Weirton, W. Va. 
 
 Private Miller, Howard Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Miller, Arthur P Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Moran, Joseph M Colona, Pa. 
 
 Private Muntean, Eli Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Myers, James W Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Private Mueller, Theodore E Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Murtland, Budd A Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Peroli, Domenico Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Peterman, Clyde E Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Pettit, Daniel B Shippingport, Pa. 
 
 Private Popciak, Jacob P Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Poskanny, Nikifor Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Primatic, August Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Phillips, Lee Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Parsons, Everett Toronto, Ohio 
 
 Private Rhodes, Charles F Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Riscinski, Bronselaw Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private I^ock, Sullivan Aliquippa, Pa. 
 
 Private Ritzert, Charles F Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Robinson, Clifford J Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Rodgers, Thomas Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Roessing, Howard L Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Robinson, Samuel E Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Raof sky, Samuel 
 
 Private Sakutt, Pawel Lyndora, Pa. 
 
 Private Sarakaka, Demetric 
 
 Private Schell, Carl A Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Sconty, Rocco Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Shamp, Raymond E Shippingport, Pa. 
 
 Private Springer, Harry A Shippingport, Pa. 
 
 153 
 
A History of Battery F 323d Field Artillery 
 
 Rank Address 
 
 Private Stoffel, Alvin H Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Private Snyder, John Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Sintz, Mathias Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Slater, Edmund Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Spohn, Daniel M Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Shea, Frank Lima, Ohio 
 
 Private Simonson, Claude L Wellington, Ohio 
 
 Private Snyder, Henry A Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Schoaf, Elmer S New Brighton, Pa. 
 
 Private Shultz, James A Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Taylor, John P Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Urwin, David Monaca, Pa. 
 
 Private Uhlenbrock, Albert Cincinnati, Ohio 
 
 Private Veltry, Charles Woodlawn, Pa. 
 
 Private Veri, Guiseppi 
 
 Private Vindero, Libcrato Columbus, Ohio 
 
 Private Van Meter, William C Ambridge, Pa. 
 
 Private Walton, William Van Port, Pa. 
 
 Private Weitz, Raymond Beaver Falls, Pa. 
 
 Private Whitt, Wayne Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Wilson, Charles F 
 
 Private Waltman, Albert F Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Wagner, Charles W Butler, Pa. 
 
 Private Yoho, Roy A Homevvood, Pa. 
 
 154 
 
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