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.

ON THE RHINE

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real doubt that one was going to make the next hill, and the next,
and others beyond. "6 One feature of the march to the Rhine redeemed all unpleasantness, however. For the first time in many
months the men had comfortable sleeping quarters. The billets,
selected by officers who entered the towns in advance of the commands, were the best to be obtained. The German inhabitants,
fearful of the anger of the victorious troops and eager to create a
favorable impression, were as friendly as orders permitted and
seldom protested against the use of spare bedrooms by American
soldiers.
December 4, another disagreeable day, was spent at Niederstaden. Bitberg and Malberg were entered on the fifth. At the
latter place the Headquarters Company billeted in a castle several
hundred years old which afforded a wonderful view of the surrounding country. Kyllburg and Densborn were reached on the
sixth, Hillesheim, where the officers of the 1st Battalion entertained,
on the eighth, and Nohn on the ninth. Here, in a beautiful, hilly,
wooded country the regiment remained for five days, enjoying a
much-needed rest.
Two days more and the regiment was on the Rhine. On the
thirteenth of December, at seven o'clock in the morning, the 3rd
Corps, now composed of the 1st, 32nd, and 2nd divisions, sent its
advance troops across the Rhine, and by the sixteenth garrisons
had been established along the entire circumference of the bridgehead. On the left bank of the river the 4th Corps, under command
of Major General Charles H. Muir, to which the 42nd Division had
been transferred, supported the 3rd; corps headquarters were established at Cochem on the Moselle. Further to the rear the 7th Corps,
its headquarters at Grevenmacher, was stationed in reserve near
Treves. Army headquarters were now transferred to Coblenz.
On the fourteenth the 151st left Nohn and marched to Diimpelfeld.
On Sunday, December 15, the men marched from Diimpelfeld
through the beautiful country bordering the banks of the Ahr
River to Heppingen, their final destination. Vine-clad mountains
in the distance furnished a picturesque background for the many

6Tompkins, Rainbow Division, 187.