Puderbash, Germany
Jan. 21, 1919
Dear Sir:
This is a history of the first battle in which the Baraboo boys took a very actave (sic) part. And also won considerable fame.
Yours Truly,
Corp. Vaughn R. Gibbons
Co. A 128 Inf.
Am. Ex. Forces
France
A.P.O. 734
The Baraboo boys at Chateau Thierry
On the first of August a day never to be forgotten by any man in the company, and as I remember it the most beautiful day any member of the company had saw since there (sic) arrivel (sic) in France. The birds were singing in the tree tops as we passed through the woods, it seemed as though we might be a great many miles from this war stricken country that lay a matter of yards beyond us.
Little did the men realiaze (sic) that in a very few moments they would be face to face with the great dragon that was trying to rule the world.
“The zero hour,” or rather the hour set for us to go over was two pm at that hour every man was ready, waiting restlessly for the command. When the command finaly (sic) came they started forward like a company of brave veterans, never a man fell back but steadly (sic) pressed forward until hill two hundred and thirty lay just before them. While assending (sic) this hill where they earned every honor that was given them, the gates of hell were thrown open and it seemed to those present as though every gun in the Chateau Thierry sector were being fired upon there (sic) arrivel(sic).
But all this confusion put no fear in these men of only one thought. The thought of going forward no matter what might confront them, and forward they did go until they reached the summet (sic) of this, “neir (sic) to be forgotten hill,” and on until they reached a gravel pit that lay at the highest point of the hill. At this point one presant (sic) might have thought the war near an end by the number of Germans occupying this same pit. But after a few minutes hard battle, found most of them prisoners of war and the advance again proceeded tword (sic) Ready farm. The final objective for our first days (sic) battle.
But there was something lay between this pit and Ready farm that this little band of brave fighting men knew nothing of. It was a strong point the Hun had taken much pains to establish and after trying three times to break the same, and three times met with
complete failure, they decided to hold the line between the pit and Ready farm for the night of the first and again try to advance in the early hours on the morning of the second.
It must also be remembered that on starting this day’s work the men numbered two hundred and fifty. And know that the time had come to hold the line for the night, there were but twenty left. Never the less those twenty men swore they would hold until the last one was taken.
As it was somewhat early at the time we dug our selves in, we were not bothered in the least but never the less we had a many troubles yet to come before our nights work finished. After digging in we placed our selves in positions that would give us the upper hand in case of an attact. (sic)
When this work was complete it was considerable late and to lay all the jokes aside our trouble did begin. First our own artillery threw a barage on us which lasted some where in the neighborhood of an hour. But this was through some mistake which we never learned the real cause. “Well,”(sic) that was just a portion of our trouble. As the roar of our own guns died away the German artillery opened fire, and the barage that was now covering every inch of the woods we were holding, or at least that is how it seemed. Raged on for about forty minutes.
I believe I could safe in saying there was not a man in this groupe (sic) of twenty that did not some time through the night get down on his knees and pray to his Heavenly Father to guide him safe through this night of peral (sic). At least I know I did.
Although we were under a great deal of shell fire through the night we held our positions without a single loss and the dawn of the following morning found us with reinforcements enough to carry us through such day. But for some reason luck favored us more or less on this second day as we advanced to Ready farm with out the least portion of struggle.
It may be that the Hun lost his courage during the wee hours of the night and packed up to start for Berlin. I don’t know as I can blame him if he did, for he sure must have saw what took place the day before.
At the farm we took a rest of two or three hours after which we again started advancing, meeting no resistance what so ever. We advanced a distance of about three or four miles, which brought us to the spot where Quentin Roosevelt meet (sic) his death. We at once set to work digging in and the most favorable spot available was the mound where a portion of Roosevelt’s plane still lay, and not more than twenty-five yards away was his grave which the Germans had roughly made.
As I remember we received a light lunch at this point which was a rare occasion in these days of little or no eats. But most of the time no eats as it was a hard task for the soup wagon to keep up. I remember at one place in the very thickest of the battle of one of the boys crying out in a joking way, “When do we eat?” But remarks such as that were to be heard at any time.
After spending what we could call a rather quiet night and also rather short as we started forward again the next morning at three thirty and continued going forward until four o’clock that same afternoon. Covering a distance of twelve miles. But I need not take time to describe this advance as you have all heard of it before. The finish of this advance found us at St. Gillis in a valley that won for itself the name of “Death valley,” in less than a half hour after our arrivel. (sic) At this point we again dug in, and lucky for us we did for we were not to meet the German infantry. But their aeroplanes, and when
they fly over a group of men, and turn nose down then open up with those machine guns, a man has no chance for a come back what so ever. There was also a great of artillery work which the Germans we must admit are very clever at. They were never known to make but one mistake and that time they ment (sic) to kill eight men and instead killed twenty three. At least that is the way it was explaned (sic) to me by a Frenchman.
After undergoing more or less hard luck at this unpleasant location for an hour or more we received the news we had looked forward for. The news that we were to be relieved. We were relieved shortly after the news reached us. But just for a short time as the Battalion that took our place at the front was overtaken by considerable misfortune and they were compelled to call on us for assistance. The result was up and at ‘em boys, and over we went again.
As we reached the top of this terrible valley the German eyes were watching every move we made. As right before us were twenty eight observation balloons directing there (sic) artillery fire. They were also getting along very nicely as they could place there shells at most any spot they desired, and they did not seem to be at all saving with them.
Our advance from this location was very short owning to the conditions we were in. I don’t think it was over a Quarter of a mile before we again stopped to dig in. This time at the main road leading into St. Gillis, and after spending three or four of the most miserable hours of our four day’s work we were relieved but just to go back into the valley and wait until morning. During this wate (sic) they tried to fill the valley with gas as the weather was very favorable for such as it was raining and in these days with a rain storm you could also expect a gas storm.
But with the early hours of morning we started back for Cohn (sic) where we found our kitchen and plenty of beef steak. This was sure a welcome sight as we had been without eats for a number of hours. What men were left in the company ate more like animals than any thing else. But they sure earned all they received. After eating all they could, one by one they would look for the most cozy corner they could find in some barn that had stood through the shelling and would afford enough shelter for a sleeping place.
These boys are now located on what is known as the front line some where in Germany. To see that these not to be trusted Huns keep all promises they made through the signing of the Armistice.
Corp. Vaughn R. Gibbons
A.P.O. 734
Co. A, 128th. Inf.,
Am. Ex. Forces.
France