The Project Gutenberg Ebook of the History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki, by Joel R
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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki, by Joel R. Moore and Harry H. Mead and Lewis E. Jahns This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki Campaigning in North Russia 1918-1919 Author: Joel R. Moore Harry H. Mead Lewis E. Jahns Release Date: September 5, 2007 [EBook #22523] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIGHTING THE BOLSHEVIKI *** Produced by Don Kostuch [Transcriber's Notes] Here are the definitions of several unfamiliar (to me) words. batmen Soldier assigned to an officer as a servant. batushka Village priest. drosky Cart felcher Second-rate medical student or anyone with some medical knowledge. hors de combat Out of the fight; disabled; not able to fight. junker Aristocratic Prussian landholder devoted to militarism and authoritarianism, providing the German military forces with many of its officers. knout Whip with a lash of leather thongs, formerly used in Russia for flogging criminals. To flog with the knout. mashie nib Mashie-Niblick (mah-she nib-lik) - Wood shafted golf club with about the same loft and length as today's seven iron. poilus French common soldier, especially in World War I. verst Russian measure of distance; 3500 feet, 0.6629 mile, 1.067 km. viand Choice or delicate food. volplane Glide in an airplane without power. I (Don Kostuch) am the son of John Kostuch, then from Detroit, who was a Mechanic in the 339th, Company M. He saw some action in the fall of 1918 but due to flu, exposure and a dislocated joint, was evacuated to England on December 1, 1918 before the gruesome winter described in the book. {sources: "M" Company 339th records and Golden C. Bahr papers, 1918-1919.} Fort Snelling, Minnesota The following text is copied from a newspaper clipping in the book. The Declaration of War is on one side and an incomplete local news item is on the other side. From The Indianapolis News, Monday, April 9, 1917 U. S. Declaration of War Sixty-fifth Congress of the United States of America At the First Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the second day of April, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen JOINT RESOLUTION Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government of the people of the United States and making provision to the same. Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America, Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States. ?? Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas R. Marshall Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate Approved 6 April, 1917 Woodrow Wilson From The Indianapolis News, Monday, April 9, 1917 COUNTY PLEDGES AID FOR FOOD MOVEMENT RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED, AT COURTHOUSE MEETING. APPEAL MADE TO PEOPLE The movement to make the state of Indiana economically and agriculturally prepared for war, as recommended by Governor James P, Goodrich, had its beginning in Marion county at a meeting of farmers and those interested in soil cultivation held Saturday afternoon in the criminal courtroom. The necessity for the efficient utilization of all the soil resources of Indiana were emphasized in addresses at the meeting, which was the beginning of a plan to create a county-wide interest in the movement. Another Meeting Monday. The general idea of the need for greater food production, as outlined at the meeting, will be crystallized into definite plans for meeting the situation at a meeting called for Monday night, to be held in the criminal court room. Representatives of commercial, labor and civic bodies and organizations of all kinds are invited and requested to attend the meeting Monday night and assist in the work. Stirring appeals to the people of Indianapolis and the county to respond to the agricultural need which this country faces in the present war period were made by speakers, including: Charles V. Fairbanks, formerly Vice-president of the United States; the Rev. Frank L. Loveland, pastor of the Meridian Street M. E. Church; H. Orme, president of the Better Farming Association, and Ralph M. Gilbert, county agricultural agent. Resolutions Adopted. Resolutions were adopted at the meeting pledging the support of the citizens of Marion county in all measures taken for the defense of the nation and urging the people to respond to the resolutions prepared for greater and efficient food production. The resolutions prepared by a committee composed of Mord Gardner, Ralph C. Avery, Fred L., Smock, John E. Shearer, C. C. Osborn, Grace May Stutsman, Charles P. Wright and Leo Fesler were as follows: "Whereas, By joint resolution of congress and the proclamation of the President, war has been declared on Germany, and "'Whereas, The President has earnestly appealed to all citizens to support the government in every possible way, and our Governor has called, for meetings in each county to plan preparedness in every occupation. "Resolved, That we, the citizens of Marion county, assembled in meetings at the courthouse do loyally pledge the support…. [torn] The following map was provide by Mike Grobbel (http://grobbel.org) who photographed it from the Frederick C. O'Dell Map Collection, Folder Number 9, Map Number 1, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Mr. Grobbel is the grandson of "CORP. C. A. GROBBELL, "I" Co." mentioned on page 284 as a recipient of the French Croix de Guerre. The correct spelling is "Grobbel". Corp. Grobbel received the Distinguished Service Cross, not mentioned in this book. [End of Transcriber's notes] Hundreds of Miles Through Solid Forests of Pine and Spruce. The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki Campaigning in North Russia 1918-1919 Compiled and Edited by CAPT. JOEL R. MOORE, 339th U. S. Infantry LIEUT. HARRY H. MEAD, 339th U. S. Infantry LIEUT. LEWIS E. JAHNS, 339th U. S. Infantry Published by The Polar Bear Publishing Co. Detroit, Mich. COPYRIGHT 1920 BY JOEL R. MOORE PRESS OF TOPPING-SANDERS COMPANY DETROIT To the men who in North Russia died in battle and of wounds, or of sickness due directly to hardship and exposure, this book is reverently dedicated. To Our Comrades and Friends To our comrades and friends we address these prefatory words. The book is about to go to the printers and binders. Constantly while writing the historical account of the American expedition, which fought the Bolsheviki in North Russia, we have had our comrades in mind. You are the ones most interested in getting a complete historical account. It is a wonderful story of your own fighting and hardships, of your own fortitude and valor. It is a story that will make the eyes of the home folks shine with pride. Probably you never could have known how remarkably good is the record of your outfits in that strange campaign if you had not commissioned three of your comrades to write the book for you. In the national army, we happened to be officers; in civil life we are respectively, college professor, lawyer, and public accountant, in the order in which our names appear on the title page. But we prefer to come to you now with the finished product merely as comrades who request you to take the book at its actual value to you-- a faithful description of our part in the great world war. We are proud of the record the Americans made in the expedition. We think that nothing of importance has been omitted. Some sources of information were not open to us--will be to no one for years. But from some copies of official reports, from company and individual diaries, and from special contributions written for us, we have been able to write a complete narrative of the expedition. In all cases except a few where the modesty of the writer impelled him to ask us not to mention his name, we have referred to individuals who have contributed to the book. To these contributors all, we here make acknowledgment of our debt to them for their cordial co-operation. For the wealth of photo-engravures which the book carries, we have given acknowledgment along with each individual engraving, for furnishing us with the photographic views of the war scenes and folk scenes of North Russia. Most of them are, of course, from the official United States Signal Corps war pictures. When we started the book, we had no idea that it would develop into the big book it is, a de luxe edition, of fine materials and fine workmanship. We have not been able to risk a large edition. Only two thousand copies are being printed.