History and Rhymes of the Lost Battalion

• This specific copy is the 1923 printing (indicated by the copyright dates and the "Four Hundredth Thousand" statement). It was originally self-published starting in 1919.

• Content: The book is a heartfelt, deeply personal memoir written in a mix of prose, poetry, and soldier's rhymes. It chronicles the harrowing experience of the "Lost Battalion"—nine companies of the U.S. Army's 77th Division who were completely cut off and surrounded by German forces in the Argonne Forest for nearly a week in October 1918.

• Key Features: It contains a printed facsimile tribute by Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey, the legendary and highly decorated commander of the battalion. The pages are beautifully framed with illustrative margins and sketches by Franklin Sly.

The Unique Local Bookplate

• It is from Newark Post No. 1060 located right here in Newark, Ohio.

• It notes that the memoir was presented to a Mrs. F. S. Montgomery "in Appreciation of Your Assistance and Co-Operation," signed by Commander Paul W. Jackson.

• This localized provenance turns a mass-printed historical souvenir into an intimate piece of Newark's community and veteran history.