NEWS: Lieutenant Charles ROWAN and the 110th, 1918, of Altoona, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _______________________________________________ LIEUT. ROWAN DIED AS HERO, LEADER STATES Young Altoona Officer Led the 110th Regiment Over Ground Near Argonne Forest LT. COLONEL MARTIN TELLS STORY With quaking voice and tear-dimmed eyes, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Martin, of Waynesburg, Pa., late commander of the 110th Pennsylvania infantry, told the story of Lieutenant Charles Rowan's death on September 29, before the Argonne Forest, when the returned colonel addressed the Johnstown Kiwanis clubmen Thursday night. Eight Altoonans - R. C. Lepley, R. H. Muntz, Walter G. Thompson, Fred C. Sutter, Lawrence J. Ryan, H. L. Wilson, Otto Klein, L. E. Frey and Paul V. Tillard - were present at the Victory night function staged at the Ft. Stanwix hotel by their Johnstown brethren, and heard the army raconteur cite heroic incidents presaging their fellow citizen's death. Colonel Martin related activities of the fighting 110th regiment, of which company G, Blair county, was a unit. He said on the evening of September 29 a conference of officers was held. It continued until 2 a.m. Plans for an attack were formulated. A German stronghold had been chosen as the objective. ROWAN KNEW GROUND. Because Lieutenant Rowan had been over the ground several days previously and was acquainted with it in detail, the young officer was summoned to the conference by the regimental leaders. He was informed his own company would not participate but it was desired that he lead the attack, serving as a guide. "What time shall I report?" asked the lieutenant, standing at salute. He was instructed and departed. The advance was scheduled for 6 a.m. In some manner the boches were apprised or picked up the information. They attacked the Americans at 5:40, or twenty minutes prior to the scheduled attack by the 110th men, hoping to surprise the Pennsylvanians. But the latter were under arms, ready and waiting at 5 a.m. Two full regiments of Germans were engaged against the Yankees, whose men did not number half as many as the enemy forces. DIES AFTER VICTORY. Thirty minutes of the sort of fighting that the Keystone state boys have perpetuated proved sufficient for the grey-coats. They were repulsed, thrown back and left 400 dead and as many prisoners. Lieutenant Rowan was mortally wounded in the course of the fray. He fell after leading the active companies toward the advancing troops, with his face turned to the enemy trenches. The officer died a short time later, when victory was assured, and his last work was shown as being successful. Colonel Martin paid a great tribute to the dead officer and his heroism. The former regimental commander declared Rowan was always ready to take chance and was one of the most esteemed men in that command. IN TRENCHES JULY 4. Prefacing his story of the Altoona hero-officer, the colonel told the Johnstown clubmen and their guests about the departure, arrival and baptism of fire as experienced by the 110th. He said the regiment went over in a convoy of fifteen ships and 30,000 men, reaching Liverpool in fourteen days after sailing from New York, May 1, 1918. Despite some of the tales of the boys, he emphasized, no submarines were sighted. "Our regiment was taken across England, over the channel and we landed at Calais, France, on May 17. At that time the British were hard pressed by the Germans and we were brigaded with the British. Because we had different rifles and ammunition, it was decided to exchange our Springfields for the Lee-Enfield and British machine guns. "Three weeks later our regiment was sent south and encamped eight miles north of Paris, being brigaded with the French. On the Fourth of July we were in the trenches for the first time. Companies B and C were on outpost duty. PARIS SAVED BY YANKS. "July 14, the great French holiday celebrating the fall of the Batille [sic], the Germans launched an attack and came across the Marne, confident of victory, so confident in fact, that __ from dead Germans, it was ___ picked troops were ready to march to Paris after its expected capture. "It was thought at that time, although it was not made known until after the signing of the armistice, that it was impossible to hold Paris and during July 1,000,000 left the city, expecting its fall. The second day of the fight Americans checked the Germans, who would not retreat but stood firm and Paris was saved. TWO COMPANIES HIT HARD. __ July 18th, American counter __ed the drive the Germans over ___ arne. In this fighting, we had __ casualties in Companies B and __ and could account for only 38 __ men. We captured eight officers and 325 men in this battle. "Our regiment remained until July 22nd, when we dropped back to a strongly- prepared position. In front of us was a woods held by Germans in great force. It was the luck of the 110th to hit that point. We launched six attacks, starting July 28th and were repulsed each time until the afternoon of the 30th, when after terrible artillery preparations, we captured the objective. There were four hundred German dead left on the field and in these six attacks, our own regiment suffered 1,100 casualties. While the regiment was encamped in a stretch of woods sleeping, a German airplane dropped five bombs, killing 22 and wounding 80. "It was impossible to strike a match. Physicians, nurses and ambulance drivers had to work in the dark, but the splendid discipline of the boys was marvelous. Next morning, August 2nd, we moved up to the Vesle and remained until September 8, being under constant artillery fire and gas attacks. FOUGHT FULL FORTNIGHT "After September 8th, we went to near the Argonne forest, held by Germans, four years. This battle was the greatest in which Americans participated, more than 1,000,000 troops being engaged, making a line thirty miles long. General Pershing declared if Americans drove through at this point, the war would end in 1918. "Over 3,600 guns of six inches in diameter and over were engaged and put down a three-hour barrage. At 5:30 a.m. September 26th, infantry and machine guns moved forward and the 110th captured the fifth objective. Our casualties were very heavy the second day; of 1,800 men on the fighting line, 1,200 were hit. We were in this battle fourteen days and nights. "After that engagement, our regiment was relieved and sent south on October 11th, occupying a position near the great fortress of Metz, where we were until the signing of the armistice." 110TH HAD 600 SLAIN. In conclusion, Colonel Martin told of the enormity of the scale on which the armistice was conducted, and the size and general make-up of his regiment. Of 600 men killed while serving with the 110th regiment, all but five of them were laid to rest in identified and properly marked graves. The late commander explained that this difficult work was accomplished by the method of records maintained for each soldier. He also pointed out how France was wholly unprepared for the influx of Americans sent over to her ports. It was necessary to build docks, railway systems, telephone and telegraph [lines]. To house sufficient munitions ___ million men for three months, a building twenty feet in height, fifty feet wide and 250 miles long, would have been required, and when the conflict ended, facilities for an army of four million were ready. Altoona Tribune, Saturday, January 4, 1919, pages 1, 10 NOTE: Edges of page crumbled away, hence the blanks in the copy.