Allegheny County PAGenWeb Military

A History of Pittsburg and Western Pennsylvania Troops in the War
By John V. Hanlon (Copyright 1919 by The Pittsburg Press)

Names in this chapter: Thompson, Brown, Morgan, Sweeney, Hagerling, Price, Corry, Shoup, Dubb, Ryan, Muir, Boal, Hoopes, McDonald, Mader, Conatry, Strickler, Johnson, Meletis, Walter, Mirahan, Kieth, Frederick

THE ARGONNE-MEUSE OFFENSIVE, SOMETIMES CALLED THE BATTLE OF THE MEUSE IN WHICH BOTH THE TWENTY-EIGHTH AND EIGHTIETH DIVISIONS PARTICIPATED, WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST DRIVES OF THE ENTIRE WAR AND IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, FOR UPON ITS SUCCESS HINGED THE QUESTION OF FORCING THE ENEMY TO SUE FOR PEACE AT AN EARLY DATE. THE WORK OF THE PITTSBURG AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIANS WAS MAGNIFICENT AND OF SUCH A CHARACTER AS TO BRAND THEM AS SUPERMEN. THEY RESTED NEITHER DAY NOR NIGHT, FOR WHEN THE INFANTRY WAS NOT ADVANCING THE ARTILLERY WAS SHOWERING A HURRICANE OF STEEL INTO THE GERMAN DEFENCES AND THEIR PERSISTENCE AND VALOR DID MUCH TO CARRY THE AMERICAN FIRST ARMY TOWARDS THE FINAL GOAL OF VICTORY.

The Argonne battle is noted for the large number of “clean” wounds sustained by the allied forces. A “clean” wound is one in which the bullet goes clear through the body. Such wounds are usually not vitally serious. A “clean” wound closes rapidly, and external as well as internal hemorrhage ceases in a very short time. This fact in the Argonne battle is attributed to the ineffectiveness of the enemy artillery fire. It is the shrapnel and big shells that tear men to pieces. This weakness of the enemy artillery was a surprise to the American doughboys, and in view of the great number of men struck during this campaign, it is extremely fortunate, for had the German fire been as effective as it had been in previous battles, the American casualty lists would have been appalling.

When the infantry came to the second line trenches, a great number of Germans appeared from their dugouts, yelling “Kamerad” and offering absolutely no resistance. Some of them inquired the way back to American prison cages in the rear, stating that they were tired of war, and wanted to quit. They testified to the havoc wrought by the artillery brigade. What few Germans offered resistance in the second line trench, were quickly killed off by the “wipers” up, with hand grenades and rifle fire.

Across the second line trenches which were just south of Grand Boureuilles and Petite Boureuilles flanking the Aire river, German resistance began to stiffen. Our own infantry had now passed beyond the area in which the artillery and trench mortars had wiped out all barbed wire, and hence encountered much trouble from this sort of defensive preparation, which was woven around and between trees.

The wire is a maze, laced through the forest from tree to tree, and interwoven so thickly that many hours were consumed in making a distance, that otherwise would have been accomplished in a few minutes. The doughboys had to literally cut and hack their way through yard by yard. Their clothing was torn to shreds.

It was a common boast of the Germans that the Argonne forest was such a great wooded fortress that it could never be taken. The Pennsylvania soldiers who participated in the fight are proud they had a share in displaying the vanity of this boast. But they went through an inferno to do it, and lost hundreds of men.

The Pennsylvania infantry was advancing in two columns. The Fifty-fifth brigade, including the One Hundred and Ninth and One Hundred and Tenth infantry regiments was pushing along the Aire river, and the Fifty-sixth brigade made up of the One Hundred and Eleventh and One Hundred and Twelfth regiments advanced through the forest on the west of the river. On the right of the Twenty-eighth division was the Thirty-fifth division, while on the left was the Seventy-seventh division consisting of selected New York state troops.

The towns of Boureuilles, great and small, were taken and cleaned up, after severe fighting, and the advance was continued up the valley of the river in the direction of Varennes, which stands in a bowl-shaped valley and is rich in historic significance, for it was here that Louis XVI was captured when fleeing from France. When our troops entered it, it was gorgeous in autumnal coloring.

The “Iron Division” coming up from the south in the enveloping movement on Varennes forged ahead faster than the troops in the forest could advance. This fact became noticeable to the Pennsylvania commander when the enemy began pouring in a hot fire from pill boxes on the flanks of the advancing men. Liason [sic] men discovered this movement too late to apprise the marching division of its predicament. Ordinarily it would have been held up until the other section of the army had caught up, but under the circumstances it was allowed to continue onward, while an effort was made to hurry up the lagging divisions.

Maj. Thompson was dispatched to the east with a battalion from the One Hundred and Tenth regiment to quell the flanking fire of the enemy. Shortly after he entered the woods with four companies of troops, increase in the sound of gun firing indicated they were hard at work. In a little over an hour the troops returned after silencing the enemy machine gunners. The division then had easier going.

The battalion discovered that German pill boxes were like a great many other German contrivances of the war – largely bluff. In instance after instance, where intensity of the fire from these places had led the Pennsylvania troops to believe that a small garrison of men was manning the pill box, a single solitary soldier was found in charge. The German commanders, however, had placed at his disposal several guns so it would appear there were many men in the pill box. Soldiers captured when a number of these pill boxes were taken, stated their instructions had been to fire as rapidly and as long as possible, without thought of surrender.

At length the Pennsylvanians forced their way to the ridge at the south of Varennes, from which they could see the village spread out below them. A number of officers of the division stepped out into the open to determine the next movement of the division. Among the officers was Gen. Muir, in command of the division. German snipers still lined the edge of the Argonne on the right, and shortly after the officers had stepped into the open, got busy. Several bullets zipped overhead and a number struck the ground in close proximity to the general. Gen. Muir remained in the open until he had finished his calculations, and then turned to two of his aides, Lieut. Raymond A. Brown, Meadville, Pa., and Capt. William A. Morgan, Beverly, Mass., said: “Get me an idea of what is over in that wood.” It was a risky mission. Lieut. Brown borrowed a rifle and a cartridge belt from a private soldier, and the two out on their mission.

Three hours elapsed before their return, but they brought important information, which changed the course of action somewhat, from that Gen. Muir had at first decided upon. They told nothing of their experiences, but Lieut. Brown had added a German wrist watch to his possessions, while Capt. Morgan displayed a German shoulder strap, showing the Germans in the forest were Brandenburgers.

The troops were switched slightly to the south, well spread out, and the advance down the hill into Varennes was begun. Very little difficulty was encountered. The painstaking efforts of the Germans to make their dugouts and trenches as attractive as possible were seen. The entire slope was terraced off with great care, and the dugouts were arranged in tiers. Officer’s shelters were fitted out with porticos and arbors.

German trenches were evacuated quickly as the Americans advanced. The Huns had not dreamed the Americans could advance so fast through the wooded fortress of Argonne. As evidence, members of the Twenty-eighth found a luncheon set out on a table in the officer’s dugout. It had not been touched and the coffee substitute was still warm.

In another dugout a piano was found. It had evidently been looted from the town below, and moved up the hill at the expense of much labor. It was in perfect playing condition. American soldiers who took the dugout gasped in astonishment when they saw real American ragtime sheet music on the piano. Peculiar enough, this music was published long after America entered the war, as shown by the publishers name and date on each copy. How the music got into the German hands was a puzzle to men and officers alike. No definite information concerning its presence could be secured.

A number of crates of live rabbits and a few chickens were left behind by the retreating Germans. These were all collected and when mess call was blown that evening, an officer’s mess was laden with fried chicken and rabbit a la Varennes, for the table was set in the open square of the little town, in the shadow of the gaping sides of its ruined church.

Only a few of the buildings of Varennes were intact. The terrific cross artillery, fire which was so hot that the Germans evacuated the town long before the infantry arrived, had cut off most of the structures near the second story. An electric light plant, which the fleeing Germans had attempted to wreck before leaving was one of the few buildings left intact. Its machinery was repaired by mechanics and engineers and while the Pennsylvania boys were in the old town, electric light was enjoyed.

German occupants of the village had planted a large number of pretty little gardens, in which vegetables of different varieties were plentiful. Cabbage, radishes, turnips, cauliflower, potatoes, and other vegetables were added to the daily mess menu for quite a few days.

As dusk fell on the evening of the memorable 26th of September, the Iron Division rested safely in and around the once beautiful village of Varennes. Now it is ruined. Time nor modern industry will never be able to wholly blot out its mark of war.

Despite its dilapidated appearance, the Pennsylvanians during their brief stay in Varennes, found the shelter of the half ruined houses of much advantage. Of course, the town was not large enough to shelter all of the boys of the “Iron Division,” and those who were within the confines of the little city were envied by those who had had to pitch their “pup” tents in the surrounding fields, amid shell craters and greater desolation. But they were all happy, and although tired, elated over their success in the big drive. They were commended by their officers. The first day of the campaign did not have Varennes for its objective. The boys of the Twenty-eighth had exceeded the expectations of the commander-in-chief, and gone far in advance of the designated point, at which they were supposed to have stopped. This was permitted for the infantry was going ahead in such orderly shape, that to have stopped them, in all doubt, would have injured the morale of the division.
The feelings of the infantrymen when they went over the top in waves, on the morning of that first day of the advance, were now forgotten. The heat of battle, and the encouragement of success had strengthened them. They were hopeful, bright, and happy, over the prospect of the engagements to follow. As one of them expressed it, “I was scared to death when we first started but now I can hardly wait until the next attack. You know the sooner we reach Berlin, the sooner this d____ thing will be over, and the sooner I’ll get back home to the wife and kids.”

Quite a number of amusing incidents occurred while the Pennsylvania troops were in Varennes, even if their stay was brief. During the night, enemy airmen dropped a number of bombs on Varennes. A few of the members of a squad which had found shelter in an old kitchen, got badly frightened. An old stove that was still intact was roaring with a healthy fire when the raid broke. Two of them jumped from beneath their blankets on the floor, and lost no time in crawling under the stove, feeling that the steel above them would aid in protection. Whether they considered the heat of the stove previous to the act is not known. They stuck it out until the raid was over, but for some time following, cronies noted that they rarely sat or lay down unless they could find a soft spot.

On another occasion, shortly after the boys had entered Varennes, and to be exact on the evening of the first day, just following mess, a big car rolled along the main road of the village, dodging debris here and there and finally came to a stop where a number of soldiers were lying about in a group upon the ground. No sooner had the car stopped, than they were all on their feet standing at the most rigid “attention.”

“What town is this” said a tall, handsome looking man, as he returned the salutes of the soldiers.

“Varennes, sir,” remarked a private after a short silence in which all of them had tried to say something, but couldn’t because the words got mixed up. They were grateful to their comrade for the reply. With a wave of his hand, and another salute, the big car rolled on while the parting words of Gen. Jack Pershing, for it was he, rang in their ears, “You boys of the Twenty-eighth are fortunate. I’d like to lunch with your division today and enjoy your enviable reputation.” He left a bunch of red-faced privates behind.

A great deal of credit is due the One Hundred and Third ammunition train which kept all the men supplied, without a break with the necessary powder, hand grenades, cartridges and shells. The One Hundred and Third engineers again covered themselves with glory in the Argonne battles. Many times they were sent out to repair those roads which existed after the heavy shell fire, and build new ones. Often times they worked right under the heels of the advancing infantry. It was only after they had performed their work that supplies could be brought up to the fighting troops, and the artillery maintain their changing positions to continue the barrage ahead of the advancing soldiers. To the machine gun battalion supporting the infantry considerable praise is due. While their work is more dangerous when a division is retreating, it is one of the greatest factors in the advance. To some of them falls the duty of advancing immediately behind the infantry and throwing a time barrage just a few feet ahead of the first wave of advancing troops. Great care must be exercised to time these barrages accurately, lest the men run into the barrage and be subject to the direct fire of their own guns. To others of the machine gun companies, fall the privilege of advancing in the first line with the troops. A group of the enemy, which otherwise might sorely harass the troops from one of the sides, can easily be put out of action by one of these guns correctly manned.
The One Hundred and Third supply train creditably maintained its work in the face of almost insurmountable difficulties. Doughboys rarely thought to give a word of praise to the men who handled the big camions and motor lorries. More often they said “You fellows have a soft job riding around, while we have to walk in the mud.” But these men were continually subject to trying night drives over perilous roads, very often under enemy shell fire. Some times the roads were almost indistinguishable, so pitted were they with shell craters. Many times these drivers were subject to long and continued work without thought of food, drink or sleep for themselves. Their duty was to bring food to the hungry soldiers, who were fighting, and they did it in a manner well deserving of praise. If the doughboys didn’t get their “chow” when they were enjoying a breathing spell, then the supply train came in for no end of knocks.

Men of the four field hospitals supporting the Twenty-eighth, oftentimes found themselves nearer the front than they were required to go. So well had the opening attack been planned that is was realized the hospitals would have to be close to the front, in order to prevent too long a carry for the wounded after the first rush had been made, and the men beyond the “jumping off place.”

The hospitals took their positions in the night, so they would not be subject to air bombing before the attack commenced, and so they would not betray the place of concentration of forces. French officers who passed along the front previous to the opening of the assault were greatly amazed to see the hospitals so far in advance. The hospital men themselves were amazed, for when the bombardment started, they discovered they had been squeezed in between the first line of infantry and the support. They were far ahead of the big guns, with whom they were usually stationed. The position was well, for after the advance was started it went forward so rapidly, that a great number of wounded men would never have reached the hospitals had they been at their regular station in the rear.

Throughout the Argonne campaign they performed their duties in a well deserving manner, and found their chief source of recompense in the gratitude expressed by wounded and suffering men who passed through them, on their way to permanent hospitals in the rear, and who had been given the best of first aid treatment.

After a short time in Varennes and its immediate vicinity, the Pennsylvanians again started forward. A double liason [sic] service was maintained between the two divisions, by means of patrols of men, and also by telephonic communication, which was established by the engineers. The liason service was under the direct supervision of Col. Walter c. Sweeney, chief of the divisional staff, formerly of Philadelphia.

The circuit of communication was not broken once, largely due to the efforts of the One Hundred and Third field signal battalion, and Lieut. Col. Sydney A. Hagerling of Pittsburg, divisional signal officer, who was untiring in his efforts. Lieut. Col. Hagerling has said that many times the communication threatened to break, due to the stiff fight the Germans were making, but that is maintenance was the result of constant vigilance and work. He has been officially commended for his good work.

Each brigade commander, was always kept informed how far the other had advanced. Both of these were regular army men, and they united in giving credit for the remarkably successful advance of the troops to the “unexcelled” team work of officers and men, and to Brigadier-General Price of the artillery, for the superb handling of his men.

Beyond Varennes the infantry found advancing a tougher proposition than they had experienced of the first day of the attack. The Germans had their backs to the famous Brunhilde line, and fought with desperation to hold off the American troops, until the vast Hun armies in the North would have time to extricate themselves from the cunning trap which Marshal Foch had devised. The great jaws of the pincer-like movement were threatening to close rapidly on the retreating armies, and if the Americans in the center could not be held, the retreat would be cut off, the jaws closed, and the Hun divisions surrounded and either captured or annihilated by enfilade or criss-cross fire.

The advance now law in the direction of Apremont. Flushed with victory the troops easily took Baulny and Montblaineville, two towns situated on the route to their objective. Apremont was located on the Brunhilde line, and it was here that the Yanks, with hard work, and after they had been partially checked by heavy opposition, broke through the line, and played an important part, in the second great German retreat to the northward which ended with the armistice.

When the artillery reached Varennes, they encountered a severe shelling from the enemy positions on the hills to the south. The artillery had previously cut a path in the Argonne forest advance two miles wide. Through it they gradually advanced right into Varennes. The effect of their fire upon the green fields beyond the forest was noticed only when they came close enough to use powerful field glasses, when it could be seen that practically every few feet, a great hole had been torn in the earth’s surface. There were blackened mounds of dirt, beside each shell hole, covered with bits of burned foliage and brush torn from the trees as the heavy shells mowed through the forest. The ground appeared as if it had been visited by a forest fire.

In the course of the advance the artillery went forward in echelons, that is, batteries from the rear kept moving up and taking position in advance of the other batteries, which in turn moved up in advance when the farthest battery had taken up the fire. This method of artillery advance was greatly effective during the war, mainly for the reason that at no time was the firing ceased. The German armies had no relapse from the deadly fire of the Pennsylvania gunners, for it was incessant day and night, the men working in shifts.

Not only were the various separate units of the Keystone division officially cited for their work in the great Argonne campaign, but many individuals received official decorations for valor and bravery on the fields of action. The courage manifested by officers and men of the ranks alike, was of the sterling quality. A few of the instances are of not and are herewith recorded. Among the heroes are several from Pittsburg and Allegheny county.

Thomas Corry of Pittsburg, has a string of Hun prisoners tied to his record. A German sniper shot and killed his “Bunkie,” and Private Corry, being of a revengeful nature, started out to get the man who did the deed. He was gone all day. In the evening he came back with six German snipers. He had killed 10 others who would not submit to capture. He has every reason to believe that he got the one who shot his pal, for he covered much territory and battled with every German sniper in the immediate vicinity.

Color Sergeant Miles Shoup of Braddock, had a reputation of being a “remarkable soldier.” He was extremely fortunate on a number of occasions, and anything dare-devilish was in his line. One day Col. Dubb of his regiment, the One Hundred and Twelfth infantry, became lost from the company. Shoup volunteered to look for him. He passed through terrible artillery and machine gun fire, located the colonel, and directed him back to the company.

An officer of the One Hundred and Twelfth noticed that every time he called for a runner, from any one of the three companies under his command, it was always the same man who responded and performed the difficult and dangerous duty. He made an investigation and discovered that Private Charles J. Ryan of Warren, a member of Co. I, had requested that the other runners permit him to do all of the work. Those assigned to the duty from each company, should have taken turns in fulfilling the dangerous task. Ryan, himself, confirmed the information the officer gleaned from the other runners. He put a stop to the agreement. Ryan said “he wanted to do it all, because he liked it.”

As an example of the remarkable spirit within the division Maj. Gen. Muir, head of the division, appeared in the trenches on day, just as the first wave of infantry was going over the top to take a machine gun nest. Three companies were to participate in the capture, and after standing around for a few minutes, talking to the commander of the engagement and acting in a rather fidgety manner, the general said, “I guess I’ll command one of these companies myself.”

And to the utter amazement of his men and officers alike, he did, the commander of the chosen company, becoming second in command. He leaped out over the parapet with the men of the company, and despite the fusillade of shells kept right on. Several shells fell near him, and grave doubts were entertained concerning his safety. One shell alighted about 25 feet from him but fortunately it was a “dud” and did not explode. The machine gun fire from the nest under assault, as well as the surrounding nests was terrific. In a few minutes the general’s company played an important part in the short battle with the enemy machine gunners. The guns were captured and brought back to the trenches amid the cheers of those remaining. The general was a little more flushed of face on his return, but he remarked in glee, that “it took him back to old days in the Phillipines.” [sic]

A few days later the general was out again among the troops accompanied by Col. Sweeney, Capt. Theodore D. Boal of Boalsburg, Pa., Lieut. Edward Hoopes of West Chester and Corp. Olin McDonald of Sunbury, members of his staff.

A group of German airplanes were hovering over the neighborhood, one of which suddenly swerved from its course and swooped down to within a hundred feet of the little group, and began to spit machine gun bullets at them. Several of them landed close by. A rifle leaning against a nearby tree, served the purpose of Gen. Muir. He picked it up, and placing it to his shoulder, fired several shots at the German aviator. Whether he scored a hit is not known, at any rate the flyer, fled after the second shot.

When the artillery was at Varennes Sergt. T. O. Mader, of Audenreid, Luzerne Co., a member of Battery A of the One Hundred and Ninth artillery, performed the feats that won for him official citation for bravery and the distinguished service cross.

A section of the battery was making its way over a shell torn road, under shell fire. Eight men of the section and ten horses had been killed. One of the horses was being ridden by the sergeant himself when it dropped under him. A swing team was unruly under fire, and Sergt. Mader dismissed the driver and took charge himself. In the course of the procedure he was so badly wounded that he was no longer able to control the fractious team. After refusing to have his wounds treated, he continued to direct the gun carriages to place of safety. The, disregarding his own injuries he directed medical officers to take care of the wounds of his comrades first. The official citation stated that “the sergeant’s conduct was an inspiration to men of his battery.”

One night the Germans suddenly and unexpectedly opened up on the One Hundred and Twelfth infantry with a sharp barrage. In the excitement of seeking cover the men became separated. Lieut. Smith got them together after considerable effort, and affected their complete reorganization. On another occasion, Lieut. Smith was repairing a line of communication, with a detail of Headquarters company men. He ran out of telephone wire, but so persistent was he that he crawled though the German lines and cut sufficient wire from one of their lines to complete his own job. The men including Lieut. Smith were working with gas masks on, for the boche was mixing up the shells and occasionally sent over one filled with mustard gas.

Most of the men who distinguished themselves of the second day of the Argonne fight were those who had performed good work during the opening attack along the Vesle, Ourcq, Marne, and Aisne, but they were emulated by many men, inspired by their deeds, whose names previously had not figured in the “Iron Division’s” record of honor.

Men of the Trench Mortar platoons vied with the members of the Trench Mortar brigade. They carried their heavy weapons through almost fathomless depts. [sic] of mud, in and out of shell craters. Throughout the heat of the day, and the chill of night, the Trench Mortar platoons, despite their heavy burdens were always at hand, when the infantry became stalled by an entanglement of barbed wire or embankment of brush, and called for the men to open the way with shells from their short, stocky guns. These shells were called “flying pigs,” because they were cumbersome in their flight, and looked for all the world like a huge pig, waddling through the air. They seldom failed to do the work. Some of them were of the contact variety, and when their nose pushed into the wire, they exploded with a loud retort, completely destroying the entanglement, and making a path through which the infantry could push forward.

In the United States army, men of the cloth are exempt from actual military duty, but they are offered an opportunity to serve their country and humanity, as well as their calling, by acting as chaplains to the fighting men. France puts her clergy in the field as fighting men, on the same basis as other fighting men.

On the second day of the Argonne drive, all the officers of the One Hundred and Eleventh infantry were incapacitated. Lieut. Charles G. Conaty of Boston, a Catholic chaplain, was the only commissioned officer remaining with the battalion. Although he had recently been gassed in the Marne-Vesle drive, and had not fully recovered he immediately jumped to the breech, assumed temporary command, and led the men in a victorious charge.

An incident worthy of note befell Capt. Burke Strickler of Colombia, Pa., when he and a handful of men separated from his battalion. They were acting as runners, and had been sent out from the One Hundred and Eleventh infantry to ask for aid from the One Hundred and Ninth Machine Gun battalion. A guide was sent with them. They followed the guide over one hill and saw no signs of the enemy. Capt. Strickler then asked the guide if the machine gun battalion was far away, and he replied not more than 100 years, and started up the hill alone to make sure, but was riddled by machine gun bullets from the enemy, a nest of which opened fire from a masked position a short distance away on the left. The guide had not traveled more than 20 feet. Capt. Strickler immediately realizing the danger he and his men were in, ascertained the location of the infantry line from a wounded soldier who happened along on his way to the rear, and started for them. In the meantime the infantry which had been having a tough time, had ceased fighting for a short period while the artillery was permitted to lay down a barrage fire. Unaware of this Capt. Strickler led his men up the hill toward the infantry line, and ran into the edge of our own barrage. He immediately returned to his former position and waited until the barrage had advanced, when he finally reached the infantry lines. Fortunately none of his command was injured or killed.

While advancing around Apremont, the One Hundred and Eleventh ran into difficulties and was delayed. Runners carried the word to the Fifty-fifth brigade and Capt. Meehan with a battalion of the One Hundred and Ninth, was sent over to assist. They cleaned out the Bois de la T’Aibbe, which was garrisoned so strongly that it offered an almost impregnable front. Many men were lost in the capture of this woods, but it enabled the One Hundred and Eleventh to move up in line with the rest of the regiments which were likewise engaged in the enveloping movement of Apremont, the fall of which was pre-eminent.
The effect of the American pressure was now being felt far behind the German lines of defense, back of the Brunhilde line, this was evidenced by great sheets of flame by night, and heavy clouds of smoke by day. It signaled the burning of large heaps of stores, and the explosion of ammunition dumps far to the north, as well as the application of the torch to little French towns which they were evacuating. The knowledge of this only increased the ardor of the Pennsylvanians. They realized that they were breaking the backs of the German resistance, and it had a heartening effect upon them.

Romer Johnson

Pittsburg, 111th

Sgt. Christ A. Meletis

Pittsburgh, 111th

Leslie H. Walter

Braddock, 111th

Daniel L. Mirahan

Pittsburgh, 111th

1st Lt. Michael Kieth

Chaplain, 111th

Sgt. William B. Frederick

Sharpsburg, 111th