LETTERS FROM THE FRONT TO THE FOLKS AT

HOME.

"Remember McKenna" is a battle-cry famous on the FrancoAmerican line, though the major who inspired it now lies buried in the military cemetery at Château-Thierry. A practising attorney in New York City, James A. McKenna, Jr., enlisted in the old Seventh Regiment as a private, but sailed for France a captain in the Sixty-ninth Regiment of the Rainbow Division under Major "Bill" Donovan. Among the first to cross the River Ourcq, the turning-point of the German offensive, he was soon after raised to the rank of major on the battlefield. Before his last fight Major McKenna unbosomed himself to a correspondent of the New York Sun with the American Army in France, as follows:

"Before the regiment to which I am attached loses its IrishAmerican complexion by the infusion of other racial replacements it is my dearest wish that we have a chance to uphold the traditions of this great Celtic military organization."

When Chaplain Francis P. Duffy urged that he be not impatient, that the boys of the Sixty-ninth would surely have their innings, McKenna was silent for a moment and then replied: "We must show the whole world where Irishmen stand, Father. We must show that we are in this fight for liberty with heart and soul." Exactly ten days later, the Sun correspondent relates, this "superb leader of men and out-and-out American" was killed by shell-concussion at the head of his troops. His soul went marching on with his men as they cried, "Remember McKenna," we read, and they fought like demons, charging into machine-gun emplacements, advancing through artillery-barrages, and rolling the enemy back from ridge to ridge. That Major McKenna saw clearly what was ahead of him is plain from a statement credited to him at Camp Mills when the regiment, under command of Major "Bill" Donovan, was waiting for the word to sail :

"Bill has promised us that if the chance comes, and we think it will, of getting into action he'll let the officers go to the front instead of holding us back in the trenches, as we understand they are doing over there now. We are going over the top with the

boys. Bill has given me his personal assurance of this and I am going to France happy in the knowledge that I am going to get a crack at the Germans.

"I firmly believe that I am not coming back. There are a lot of boys here in Camp Mills who will never see old New York again. We are going into the fiercest kind of fighting the world has ever known and the boys of the Sixty-ninth are bound to live up to the traditions of the regiment, which means they will be in the thick of the scrimmage and court death over and over again for their country's flag.

"All I ask is a chance to get six Germans. I am entitled to it. I can lick six Germans in a stand-up fight, one after the other or all in a bunch. This isn't boasting. I can name dozens of men in the regiment who can do the same thing. We're their superiors in every way in fighting. The American soldier thinks as well as fights. He is a natural born fighter, and the average soldier is a general in any kind of a mix-up."

In another letter to his father, Major McKenna gave certain counsel that should be reassuring to all those who have loved ones in the service. He speaks of the possibility of wild rumors spread about the regiment even before it got into any kind of action, and, urging his father not to listen to any such tales, proceeds:

"The War Department and the papers will give the facts long before any one could write them, and you may always feel sure that the next of kin is notified of any mishap within a day or two. This is to quiet any misgiving. In order to calm any one who may inquire at the office, I may tell you that to date there has not been a death in my company, and my wounded are doing well— hoping to get back into the game again as soon as possible.

"One incident: I saw a German shell hit a place in which there were several men. The explosion was like all the rest, but not a sign of confusion among my men. Soon the shelling passed that point, but not until it had passed did the men who were hit have a word to say, and when the first man spoke all he said was: 'Boys, I think I'm wounded.' I'll never forget that piece of calm Irish grit-wonderful. That fellow was painfully wounded, but he never groaned-not a sound. You will be glad to know he will recover.

"Another day while a group of men were out on a patrol they were shelled by what we call the 'Dolly Sisters.' The men had

never been fired at before in their lives, and you can not imagine what an experience it was, but they kept cool, never dreamed of retiring, but just obeyed orders as though they were moving over a parade-ground on practise attack. They went through the fire, accomplished their mission, and came back in perfect order and not a man wounded. That was another case of sheer courage.

"I saw one of the shells land where a man had been just an instant before and as the lumps shot upward I said to myself: 'Too bad that's your finish.' But it was not, for my man was using his head, and will use it again and again before the Germans get him.

"These instances are not news to you, but I recount them to illustrate the type of man America has sent here, not in any one regiment, but in all, and to assure you all that you can depend upon us if you just feed us with supplies. Have no fear, dad, for if my turn or Billy's comes to take the trip you need not apologize for the manner of our going. We will give our best, and the count will not be against us. If the Germans get us they must pay the bill in men either to us or our pals. That is as it should be.

"Every man is working hard and doing well. As for me, there is nothing I like better than just what I am doing, and truth compels me to confess that, although I feel sorry that my folks must worry about me, I love the life and am actually glad to be herepartly because it is interesting, instructive, marvelous, partly because I would hate to think my parents would have to apologize for me.

"I am glad I am here, glad to be in the war, glad there are no glass eyes or conscientious objections in my system, glad there will never be a time in after life when the man who is making the money by staying home can afford to look me in the eye even if I should be a soldier all my life and never do another thing. But most of all I am glad because I feel that, way down in your hearts, you, father and mother, take pride in my being here."

The last letter of Major McKenna reached his father only after the death of the son had been announced by the War Department and in the press:

"Billy and I came through the big scrap O. K. I got a little gas, but beyond a little discomfort did not suffer-and did not have to leave the scrap.

"Of course you have read all about the fight and I can add

little at this writing. I will say, however, that we licked the Germans and licked them badly. They had everything prepared and had a time-table to a city well behind us-but their train was stalled on our line. We not only licked them, but we took a lot of prisoners, killed an enormous number, annihilated one whole battalion, wiped out a division, and wrecked several others. The Kaiser watched our part of the fight from an observation-tower about fifteen kilometers away. Sorry we did. not know at the time that he was there, but at that we give him a good show.

"We are not crowing, but we are hopeful and confident. I've often told you we could lick the Germans in a square fight. Now we've done it. All is not velvet, but from now on the odds will turn more and more in our favor.

"As for our regiment-well, we thought we were the best, but as we look the facts in the face we are bound to admit there is no best-all are wonderful and what one does depends solely on the opportunity. Bravery is taken for granted, and the greatest acts of heroism are looked upon as 'in line of duty.' Maybe we are not great soldiers, but I guess nobody will deny that the American is brave, strong, aggressive, and versatile.

"When we leave the chalk of Champagne we shall leave behind us some good comrades, but they died nobly and the Germans paid at least five times the price.

"Tom Blake and Bingham are O. K. So are all the boys you know.

"Shall write a longer letter, descriptive of the fight, if time permits and if I get through the next one.

"JIM."

-Maj. James A. McKenna, Jr., Literary Digest, August 31, 1918.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Oct. 29, 1918.

Major James A. McKenna, Jr.:

This office has been advised by cablegram by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, that he has awarded a Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Major James A. McKenna, for "extraordinary heroism in action near Villers-Sur-Fere, July 28th, 1918. He was killed while successfully leading a most difficult and trying attack across the river Ourcq, and against the strongly prepared positions on the heights beyond."

HISTORICAL NOTES OF INTEREST.

BY GEORGE FRANCIS O'DWYER.

Here is an interesting petition of an Irish soldier of the war between France and England, in 1757, found in the Massachusetts Archives: "A Petition of Patrick Bulkley (Buckley) Setting forth That in the Year 1757 he served as a Soldier in the pay of the Province (of Mass.) and was at Fort William Henry when taken by the Enemy where he underwent great Hardships: that upon. his return from that Campaign he inlisted aboard the Province Snow Prince of Wales Capt Dowse in which he was taken and afterwards sent to France and remain'd a Prisoner there 'till March 1758 and returned home in December last And Praying an Allowance."

The Massachusetts Provincial House of Representatives ordered at their session January 18, 1761, "that the Sum of eight pounds ($40) be allowed and paid out of the publick Treasury to the Pet' in full consideration for his sufferings in captivity mentioned."

Maj. John Burk, of Bernardston, Mass., rendered efficient service in Brigadier Ruggle's Regiment of Massachusetts Provincial troops during the siege of Quebec and Louisburg in the FrenchEnglish war. He was the paymaster of the regiment.

Joseph Butler of Leominster, Mass., was one of the petitioners in 1761-1762 to divide that town into two precincts.

Joseph Carnes (Kearns?) was one of nine clerks in 1762 employed by the state of Massachusetts to compute the valuation of estates in the province.

James Ball, Wm. Robinson, Abel Dean, Richard Carol (Carroll), Bowden Camell (Campbell) were Irish soldiers in the pay of the province of Massachusetts 1755-1760, who, on attempting to return home after the campaign against the French in the maritime provinces were driven by northerly gales from Halifax to Bermuda. At the latter place they took passage for Maryland and returned home by way of Newport, R. I.

William Perry and Timothy Clark were soldiers in Capt. Moses