the police came rushing in and commanded all to leave the theater. I called to one of them to take charge of the lady, which he did. Two persons were hoisted over the heads of those who were on the stage into the President's box whether the gentleman who had been seated in front of me was one of them I do not know.

The audience seemed to linger as if to learn if the President had been fatally wounded, but the police insisted on clearing the house. I went out with the crowd, but remained on the sidewalk until the President was carried down and across the street to the house where he died. I then made my way to the police office, and, being acquainted with the chief, I told him where I had been. He said: "Morris, it is reduced to a dot that the assassin is Wilkes Booth, but say nothing about it until you hear it from other sources." This was the first intimation I had who the assassin was. While in the chief's office other detectives came hurriedly in and told the chief that Secretary Seward had been assassinated. I left the chief and made my way back to the square where the tragedy occurred, but no one was permitted to pass the place.

Early next morning I went to inquire if the President still lived, and was told that he was still living but failing fast. On the early morning train my friend and I started for home, and when we reached the Relay House, nine miles from Baltimore, the train stopped and we were not permitted to leave there until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The President had died after we left Washington and before our arrival at the Relay House. Very Respectfully Yours,

JAS. R. MORRIS.

THEBATTLE OF PICARDY

HEROIC SERVICE OF THREE OHIO SOLDIERS

In an article of absorbing interest Frank H. Simonds in the Review of Reviews, for March, 1920, describes the great German offensive which began March 21, 1918. The Germans called this "the Kaiser's Battle," the English have named it the "Second Battle of the Somme," but it will probably be more generally and permanently known as the "Battle of Picardy."

In the number of men engaged and the losses it was the greatest battle in all-recorded time. In fifteen days Germany poured over 1,000,000 men into this crucible. of war. The English alone lost 175,000 men, "a num-. ber equal to the combined forces of Meade and Lee at Gettysburg." In the issue at stake it was pivotal and momentous. Upon the results hung the fate of Europe and the world. The British, French and German generals who led in this mighty combat had recorded their testimony and this enabled Simonds to write with added. authority of "those terrible and magnificent days,' which may well be characterized as "the Armageddon of history."

The German advance, which for days swept everything before it, was halted in front of Amiens, where "the last convulsions" of the gigantic struggle ended. The Germans failed to reach the channel ports or Paris - their two prime objectives. The climax of their striving and sacrifice was in vain.

After describing the prodigies of heroism and endurance exhibited by the British and the French, Simonds pays tribute to the little band of American engineers who were caught in this red whirlwind of war:

"Memorable amidst the crowd of unforgettable incidents is the exploit of Sanderman Carey, in command of a force

gathered from all ranks and conditions.

* * and including

a detachment belonging to that regiment of American Engineers who volunteered when Marwitz broke the British line at Cambrai in the previous year. With this 'scratch' force Carey barred the road to Amiens when it lay open to the German advance. He not only held the gate, but by a despairing counter attack actually threw the enemy back."

Only 2200 American soldiers were caught in the great German drive. They were the Twelfth Regiment of Engineers and a detachment of two companies of the Sixth Engineers. The Twelfth were at Cambrai in 1917 but it is to the detachment of the Sixth that Simonds refers especially in the above, though all were engaged at about the same place in the "Somme defensive."

Our readers will be interested to know that among these engineers were Sergeant E. Gray Swingle of Newark and Private Frank J. Goldcamp of Ironton who were among the very first of the expeditionary troops from Ohio to give their lives for the Allied cause. With them in their last hours was Wagoner Carl G. Duncan, at present a student in college at Cedarville, Ohio, who lives to tell the story of their service. He has consented to do this at the special request of the Editor of the QUARTERLY and his straight-forward, modest statement is now a part of the archives of our Society with thousands of other letters and manuscripts relating to the World War. We present the following:

NARRATIVE OF WAGONER DUNCAN

On the night of March 27, 1918, the Sixth Regiment, U. S. Engineers took over a section of the front line trenches near Hamel and Warfusee-Abancourt in the Somme district. Nearly all of the Headquarters Company and also nearly all of Company B. and Company D. took over these trenches. The rest of the regiment was still in the Marne district. It was about midnight when we reached the line.

Patrols were sent out to locate the enemy. Sergeant E. Gray Swingle of Newark, Ohio, led a patrol out about two or three o'clock, ran onto a German patrol and was shot down in the skirmish. I heard later that Corporal Sweebe who lived near Toledo, Ohio, and a Private Dennis were in Swingle's patrol.

I was never able to learn who the others were. His patrol fled and came back to our lines without him. I was told that as Swingle was leading his patrol along he heard something over to the right.

He challenged, "Who is there?"

Receiving no reply he turned to his men and said, "There's something over there and we must know what it is."

His men cautioned him but he said, "You fellows can stay here if you wish but I am going to find out what it is."

He started but was immediately shot down. His patrol came back and reported that Swingle was missing.

seemed to have the idea that he was captured.

They

The next morning as soon as the fog had cleared away Captain Harris of Company B. "spotted" Swingle lying out in a wheat field in No Man's Land. He was five or six hundred yards out from our lines and apparently near the German lines. He was headed toward us and trying to crawl back but could not make any

progress. He had been shot thru both thighs. They were both broken. Captain Harris and our First Sergeant Brundage of Elmira, New York, waved to him. Swingle signaled back.

A few minutes later Sergeant Brundage came to a group of about twenty of us who were digging rifle pits near by. He told us that they had located Swingle out about fifty yards from the

German lines and they wanted two big huskies to bring him in. I believe every man in the entire group volunteered. I know Goldcamp volunteered first.

Sergeant Brundage said, "Duncan, you and Goldcamp go."

We started at once. We were in our shirt sleeves, took no weapons of any kind as we intended to drag Swingle in with us. There was no mention of a stretcher, at least I did not hear it.

Three men with rifles had gone out ahead of Goldcamp and me. Pri

FRANK J. GOLDCAMP.

If

vate Frank J. Goldcamp was from Ironton, Ohio. the Germans should try to capture us, the riflemen were to keep them away.

Swingle was lying on top of a slight elevation of ground. As we began to go up this slope we saw Germans over on the right digging trenches. Our riflemen. stopped. Goldcamp and I began to crawl the last hundred yards or so. When we reached Swingle we were