History of the 151st field artillery, Rainbow Division, by Louis L. Collins, lieutenant governor of Minnesota. Edited by Wayne E. Stevens, PH. D. Pub. by the Minnesota War records commission.

INA THE LORRA ANE LINE

57

The Commanding General of the 6th Army Corps expresses his
deepest gratitude to the 42nd Division for its precious collaboration; he
particularly thanks the distinguished Commander of this Division,
General MENOHER, the Officers under his orders and his Staff so brilliantly directed by Colonel MACARTHUR.
It is with a sincere regret that the entire 6th Army Corps sees the
42nd Division depart. But the bonds of affectionate comradeship
which have been formed here will not be broken; for us, in faithful
memory, are united the living and the dead of the Rainbow Division,
those who are leaving for hard combats and those who, after having
nobly sacrificed their lives on the land of the East, now rest there,
guarded over piously by FRANCE.
These sentiments of warm esteem will be still more deeply affirmed during the impending struggles where the fate of Free Peoples
is to be decided.
May our units, side by side, contribute valiantly to the triumph of
JUSTICE and of RIGHT.22
About forty kilometers west of Baccarat, in a beautiful valley
on the Moselle River, is the French city of Charmes. Just outside
the zone of the German advance in 1914, its direct contact with
war had been limited to aerial bombing from German planes which
fortunately had not been extensive enough to damage greatly the
quaint little manufacturing community. On all sides Charmes is
surrounded by little towns, centers of agricultural districts; it was
to these villages, possibly with the idea that it might be given a
rest, that the Rainbow Division was sent after its withdrawal from
the Lorraine front.
The bad weather which the 151st had encountered on all of
its marches continued to accompany it on the journey of two days
and one night from the echelons near Baccarat to the towns near
Charmes. Most of the time it rained and the haymows of the
French barns were welcome even though some of them did leak.
The 2nd Battalion was billeted in Langley, the 1st Battalion
and regimental headquarters in Portieux. For five days the regiment remained in these towns in the Moselle valley. Then came
orders to entrain at Charmes for the northwest. The five days

22General Orders, No. 50, June 15, 1918, published in Tompkins, Rainbow
Division, 250.