the Americans who were in their first fire fight and reflected great
credit upon Lieut. Phillips and his handful of doughboys who were
outnumbered more than three to one and forced to give battle in a place
well known to the enemy but strange to the Americans and severely
disadvantageous.

Outside of a few patrol combats and the capture of a few Bolshevik
prisoners the remainder of the month of September was uneventful.

The Onega Valley force, like the Railway and Kodish forces, was sparring
for an opening and plans were made for a general push on Plesetskaya. On
September 30th Lieut. Phillips received an order as follows:

"The enemy on the railway line is being attacked today (the 29th) and
some Cossacks are coming to you from Obozerskaya. On their arrival you
will move south with them and prevent enemy from retiring across the
river in a westerly direction.

"Open the wire to Obozerskaya and ascertain how far down the line our
troops have reached and then try to keep abreast of them but do not go
too far without orders from the O/CA force (Col. Sutherland at
Obozerskaya). I mean by this that you must not run your head against a
strong force which may be retiring unless you are sure of holding your
ground. There is a strong force at Plesetskaya on the railway and it
is possible that they may retire across your front in the direction of
the line running from Murmansk to Petrograd. The commandant of
Chekuevo must supply you with carts for rations and, as soon as you
can, make arrangements for food to be sent to you from the railway.
The S. S. service can run up to you with supplies and can keep with
you until you reach the rapids, if you go so far. Don't forget that
the enemy has a force at Turchesova, south of you. Keep the transports
in the middle of your column so that no carts get cut off, and it
would be a good thing if you could get transport from village to
village.

"Captain Burton, R. M. L. I., will remain in command at Chekuevo."
W. J. CLARK, Lieut.-Col.

The Americans knew that this was a big contract, but let us now look at
the map and see what the plan really called for. Forty miles of old
imperial telegraph and telephone line to the eastward to restore to use
between Chekuevo and Obozerskaya. No signal corps men and no telling
where the wires needed repair. And sixty miles more or less to the south
and eastwa