Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II Death, Misfortune And Hardship HAVING reached Northern Russia, where our beleaguered Allies and our own handful of sailors were driving back the Bolsheviki against heavy odds, the Americans were not long to remain in the city of Archangel. In fact, it was only a matter of days until they were fighting actual battles with the Red Army. The story of this strange warfare throughout the long x ctic winter and extending far into the spring--long after the signing of the armistice-- should not be undertaken without consideration of the difficulties that beset us from the start. While we did not know early in September why we had been sent there, the story current in our camps was that the expedition had been decreed direct by the Supreme Allied Council, of which Marshal Foch was the head. Gen. Poole, our British Commander in Chief, so the story ran, had been before the council after having been designated by the British War Office for the leadership. He was an experienced soldier and regarded as an adept in Russian affairs. In Russia nothing was American. Even with American units fighting, they had taken away our American weapons. When we arrived in Russia they had redressed the soldiers of our unit until one couldn't tell whether they were English, Russian, Lithuanian or Polish. Our command was quickly scattered. The rushing off of the troops down the Vologda railroad and the River Dvina began almost as soon as we arrived in Archangel. September 7 our boats were moved across the Dvina to Bakharitza, the Brooklyn of Archangel, and the first to debark was the 3d Battalion under Major Charles G. Young. It was composed of Companies I, K, L and M. The men were then loaded onto a train of Russian boxcars, hauled by a queer looking wood...