Foster V. Brown received a shower of letters from his son,
Lieut. Foster V. Brown Jr., yesterday—some written while he was in the hospital
after he received the wound which caused widespread report of his death, and
some written after he had recovered. The young soldier has apparently sobered
very much during his almost full year in active fighting with the famous 28th
Infantry. It is also apparent from his letters that the Regiment has suffered
severely in casualties, altho’ Lieutenant Brown does not specify how many were
fatalities.
In one place he describes how officers he knew best fell
during the wonderful drive on the Marne when the tide of battle was turned. He
says that he was the only officer of his battalion who escaped injury the first
day of that fight.
He tells of being lonesome at the absence of men he had
learned to love, but seemed to be resigned to a fate of war that removes one’s
comrades all in a day.
One of the most significant descriptions was that of a
German girl, 18 years old, who proved to be the fiercest operator of a machine
gun encountered during the entire fight. It became necessary, he wrote, to tear
this girl away from the gun before the weapon could be silenced. Lieutenant
Brown sent his sister a souvenir of grim significance. It was an epaulet from
the shoulder of a major’s uniform. The German who wore it evidently paid the
price, for Lieut. Brown intimates that he carried out his father’s injunction
to “send every Boche to hell.” The young officer confesses ignorance of the
kind of life led by the now dead German leader.
The people of Badin were happy to hear the report that the
death of Lieut. Brown was erroneous. He is well known in Badin, having been
employed by the Company for a considerable time. Lieut. Brown is a brother of
Mrs. J.E.S. Thorpe.
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