The Brighton Boys at St. Mihiel

In Short

Published in 1919, Lieutenant James R. Driscoll's The Brighton Boys at St. Mihiel is a wartime adventure novel for young readers following American soldiers Tom Walton, Ollie Ogden, and George Harper during World War I. Stationed in France near St. Mihiel, the young men transition from green recruits to hardened veterans as they survive heavy artillery bombardments, fight through treacherous woodlands, dismantle hidden enemy wire systems, and rescue captured comrades. Driven by straightforward action, historical context, and high-stakes skirmishes, the novel has endured as a period piece capturing the contemporary patriotic idealism surrounding the American Expeditionary Forces in France.

The Story

The narrative opens in a dismal, rain-soaked sector of France west of St. Mihiel, where thousands of American soldiers endure days of waiting in muddy trenches. The mood shifts rapidly as preparations for a massive offensive conclude under the eye of General Pershing himself. Young Corporal Tom Walton catches a brief glimpse of the commander during a meeting at headquarters, signaling the scale of the impending operation. Company C moves into position under cover of darkness, marching through shell-torn fields where they face their initial baptism of fire from German artillery. The attack strikes a personal chord for Tom when an incoming shell kills his former boarding-school football rival, Henry Turner.

As the battle begins, the troops move across damaged terrain toward enemy positions. Amid the din of heavy guns, Tom and his comrades observe aerial dogfights, including the flaming destruction of an observation balloon. The advance forces Tom into close-range survival; in one shell hole, he engages in a desperate hand-to-hand fight with a German soldier, defending himself before joining his platoon's rush into a nearby wood. During the chaotic fighting, Ollie Ogden uses unorthodox physical tactics to disarm an opponent, lifting the spirits of his fellow soldiers.

Following the costly capture of their objectives, Tom steps up to read the company roll-call, painfully recording those who have fallen or gone missing. Rather than resting, Tom, Ollie, and George return to the battlefield by night to locate the body of their fallen commander, Major Sweeney, for a proper burial. While traversing the dark landscape, they discover that a German spy has been stripping papers, maps, and valuables from dead officers. Tracking the spy through subterranean passages, they discover a subterranean threat: German forces have mined the ground beneath the town of Thiaucourt. Tom and Ollie sprint to alert their commanders and engineers, successfully averting catastrophic casualties.

As the campaign pushes forward, the boys join forces with John Big Bear, a skilled Native American scout and former Wild West performer. Together, they undertake dangerous reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines, swimming rivers under heavy fire to monitor German troop movements. In one sector, the group uncovers a hidden door in a shed, revealing a captured French soldier who has survived horrific torture. Elsewhere, the greedy scavenger "Snooper" Jones meets a sudden end when he touches a booby-trapped German body. Their sequence of dangerous assignments culminates as the Allied drive succeeds in flattening the St. Mihiel salient, pushing the German army into retreat. In the aftermath, Tom, Ollie, and George are honored in a formal ceremony, receiving the French Distinguished Service Cross along with promotions within the American army.

How It Unfolds

The barrage begins Stationed in a waterlogged sector west of St. Mihiel, the American forces endure a relentless rainstorm while preparing for a major offensive. Corporal Tom Walton gets a rare view of General Pershing reviewing battle maps shortly before the regiments advance into the dark, shell-cratered fields.

Into the inferno Company C crawls through treacherous terrain under direct artillery fire, taking their first casualties before entering the trenches. Waiting for the final signal to go over the top, Tom reflects on his childhood back home while German shells rain steel fragments into the trench.

Hand-to-hand combat Advancing through smoke and clearing woods, Tom barely survives a duel with a German soldier inside a shell crater. Nearby, Ollie Ogden jumps onto a German's back during a chaotic melee, using sharp humor and physical force to subdue enemy troops and take prisoners.

A solemn duty After securing their immediate objective at Thiaucourt, Tom undertakes the somber task of reading the company roll-call to mark the dead and missing. He then recruits Ollie and George to venture back onto the dark battlefield to retrieve the body of Major Sweeney.

Discovering the plot While searching the field, the boys find the bodies of American officers robbed of their tactical maps by a German spy. Their pursuit leads them into an underground tunnel system where they discover that Thiaucourt has been mined, prompting a desperate run to warn brigade headquarters.

Scouting the river Teaming up with the formidable scout John Big Bear, the young men cross into enemy territory to gauge the strength of the retreating forces. Under heavy fire, they leap into a river to escape, continuing their reconnaissance despite sustaining injuries.

Rescues and rewards After discovering a secret room containing an abused French prisoner and witnessing the downfall of a battlefield scavenger, the boys help finalize the Allied victory. The novel concludes with the young soldiers receiving the French Distinguished Service Cross and military promotions.

The People

• Tom Walton: A dependable young corporal from Brighton who steps into leadership as the campaign progresses. He wants to execute his duty honorably while protecting his friends, though he frequently grapples with the shock of close combat and memories of home. Through his tactical awareness during the underground mining crisis, he proves his readiness for command, ultimately earning a commission as a second lieutenant.
• Ollie Ogden: A lively, lighthearted soldier who uses humor to mask the strain of war. He wants to keep his comrades' spirits up during the grimmest hours of battle. Whether riding an enemy's back in the woods or cracking jokes during roll-call, Ollie's quick wit and physical bravery make him a key asset to the unit, earning him a promotion to sergeant.
• George Harper: A steady scout and loyal companion to Tom and Ollie. He wants to see the mission through despite frequent misadventures and injuries, such as getting turned around during relay races or taking hits in combat. His persistence underground and on scouting runs earns him advancement alongside his peers.
• John Big Bear: A veteran Native American scout and former performer with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Quiet, observant, and exceptionally skilled in tracking, he wants to protect the young soldiers and defeat the enemy. He acts as a guardian figure, repeatedly using his marksmanship and fieldcraft to rescue the boys from perilous ambushes.
• "Snooper" Jones: A battlefield scavenger driven by ghoulish greed. He seeks personal wealth by looting the possessions and jewelry of fallen soldiers. His lack of integrity directly contrasts with the heroics of the main characters, leading to his fatal encounter with a booby-trapped body.

In Its Own Voice

"It was as desolate a place and as gloomy a season as one could imagine, and the abominable weather was but adding to the depression of the thousands of sturdy American youths..." The opening description paints the bleak, waterlogged landscape west of St. Mihiel where the troops await orders.

"Tom and Ollie shuddered as Harper whispered the names, as they had been passed along from man to man." The boys process their first losses as incoming artillery shells strike their fellow soldiers during the night march.

"With a single leap... Ollie was upon the back of the man trying the bayonetting." During the chaos of close-quarters combat in the woods, Ollie uses an unexpected physical maneuver to disarm an opponent.

What It's Really About

Beneath its fast-paced action, the book explores the rapid maturation of young men thrust into modern warfare. It examines how camaraderie and humor function as necessary survival mechanisms against the overwhelming psychological strain of heavy cannonading and constant mortality. The narrative highlights the tension between boyhood innocence—recalled through memories of skipped school days and athletic rivalries—and the stark reality of hand-to-hand combat. Additionally, the novel emphasizes collective duty, presenting the American military effort as a disciplined, multi-branch machine where individual acts of vigilance, like discovering enemy mines or intelligence leaks, directly alter the fate of thousands.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers modern readers a clear window into how World War I was framed for young audiences immediately following the 1918 armistice. Written with the straightforward momentum of early twentieth-century series fiction, it balances intense action sequences with authentic historical detail regarding trench life, artillery barrages, and the logistics of the St. Mihiel offensive.

Readers who appreciate military history and vintage youth adventures will enjoy its earnest tone and vivid descriptions of battlefield conditions. The prose moves quickly, emphasizing tactical movement, scouting missions, and straightforward morality.

However, prospective readers should be aware of period-specific elements. The dialogue occasionally features exaggerated regional phrasing and dated representations of minority characters, particularly in the heroic yet stereotyped portrayal of the scout John Big Bear. Additionally, the plot relies on classic adventure tropes—such as secret doors, sudden coincidences, and villainous spies—that reflect its origins as a series book rather than a gritty, unvarnished historical memoir. For readers interested in popular post-WWI literature, it remains an engaging artifact of its era.