he "H" men repulsed with
severe losses. Our wounded in the action were two; none killed.
Horseshoes again. The enemy dead and wounded were over fifty. The enemy
continued firing at long range next day, New Years of 1919, and wounded
one "H."

Indications pointed toward an inclination of the enemy to evacuate
Turchesova. Therefore, a message received by Lt. Collins at 5:00 p. m.,
January 1, from British O. C. Onega Det., ordering a withdrawal within
two hours to Kleshevo, came as a surprise to the American soldiers. In
this hasty retreat much confusion arose among the excited Russian
drivers of sleighs. Some horses and drivers were injured; much
ammunition, equipment, and supplies were lost.

The enemy did not follow and for the remainder of January and up to
February 9th the "H" Company men performed the routine duties of patrol
and garrison duties in the Onega Valley in the vicinity of Kleshevo
without any engagement with the enemy who seemed content to rest in
quarters and keep out of the way of the Americans and Allies.

On February 10th Lt. Ketcham with a combat patrol drove the enemy from
Khala whom he encountered with a pair of machine guns on patrol. He
defeated the Reds without any casualties, inflicting a loss on the enemy
of one killed and two wounded.

For more than a month the sector of defense was quiet except for an
occasional rise of the "wind." Active patrols were kept out. Captain
Ballensinger assumed command of the company and moved his headquarters
from Onega to Chekuevo. As the mail from and to Archangel from the
outside world as well as supplies and reinforcements of men were now
obliged to use the road from Obozerskaya to Bolsheozerki to Chekuevo to
Onega to Kem and so on to Kola and return, it became part of the duty of
"H" Company to patrol the road from Chekuevo to Obozerskaya; taking two
days coming and two days going with night stops at Chinova or
Bolsheozerki.

The last of these patrols left Chekuevo on Sunday, March 16, fell into
the hands of the advance patrols of the Bolo General who had executed a
long flank march, annihilated the Franco-Russian force at Bolsheozerki,
and occupied the area with a great force of infantry, mounted men, skii
troops, and both light and heavy artillery, as related elsewhere in
connection with the story of the defense of the railroad.

The next day Lt. Collins with thirty men and a Lewis gun started toward
Bolsheozerki to discover the situation with orde