appointed Regimental Adjutant, but contracting pneumonia died November 21, 1918, at Toul, France.
He was awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross "For extraordinary heroism in action at Sergy, France, July 29-30, 1918. When the company on the left of his own had fallen back, leaving a gap through which the enemy was approaching for a counter attack, Capt. Norton, with the remnants of two squads, formed an automatic-rifle post and successfully covered the withdrawal of the remainder of his command to a stronger line of resistance. Though his small group was almost annihilated by hostile fire, he held his position until the arrival of reinforcements, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy."
The dedication of this tablet on Sunday, November 11, 1923 in the presence of a crowded congregation was a most impressive ceremony. The clergy (Mr. McGann, Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Soule) preceded by crucifer carrying the processional cross and followed by another bearing the processional flag and then by the entire vested choir marched at the conclusion of the sermon from the chancel to the vicinity of the tablet at the rear of the church to which also the entire congregation turned. The prayers for those who had laid down their lives and for all who had served their country and the beautiful singing of the choir generally joined in by the congregation completed the tribute by the parish to its representatives in the War.
Each Armistice Sunday since that day these services, somewhat abridged, are repeated keeping alive the memory of our dead. [Springfield, 1926. S. E. B.]
Since the writing of the foregoing very valuable paper, a cherished scrapbook has yielded a clipping from the Springfield Republican, describing the public funeral of Colonel James G. Benton held, with military escort, in Christ Church, in 1881. "Springfield has witnessed few such pageants . . . . At 9:30 o'clock Colt's band led the military companies and the
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