The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-08
Eulogize First Americans To
Fall in Trench Battle.
Wish Graves To Remain as
Monument to Liberty.
EMBLEMS OF COMMON CAUSE
Funeral Grafton by French Of
ficer, Eloquent Farewell.
Baskets Carried Between Rows
of POLL and Sammies.

With the American Army in France,
Wednesday, Nov. 7.-(By the Assoc
ciated Press 1.-The first three Ameri-
can soldiers killed in the trenches in
France tonight are sleeping in French
soil, honored by the American army
and the people and army of France.
Their final interment took place yes
terday.
With a guard of French infantry
men in their picturesque uniforms OF
red and horizon blue standing on one
side and a detachment of American
soldiers on the other, the flag wrap
ped caskets were lowered into the
grave, n bugler blew taps and the
batteries at the front fired minute
guns. AS the minute guns went off
the French officer commanding the
division in this sector paid tribute TO
the fallen Americans His words,
which were punctuated by the roar
of the guns and the whistle of shells,
touched both the French and Ameri-
cans In conclusion the French Of
ficer said:
Volunteered to Fight Tyranny.
"In the name of the (deleted by
censor) division, in the name of the
French army and in the name OF
France I bid fafewell to Private En-
right, Private Gresham and Private
Hay of the American army. OF their
own free will they had left a prosper
Gus and happy country to come over
here. They knew war was continuing
in Europe; they knew that the forces
fighting for honor, love of justice and
civilization were still checked by the
long prepared forces serving the pow
ers of brutal domination, oppression
and barbarity.
''"They ignored nothing of the cir
cumstances and nothing had been
concealed from them-neither the
| length and hardships of war, nor the
violence of battle, nor the dreadful
ness of new weapons, nor the perrdy
| of the foe. Nothing stopped them
| They accepted the hard and strenuous
| life. They crossed the ocean at great
peril; they took their places on the
front by our side and they have fallen
facing the foe-in a hard and deSper-
ate hand to hand fight. Honor to
theml Their families. friends and fell
| low citizens will be proud when they
| learn how they died.
To Fight to the Finish.
Men, these graves, the first to be
| dug in our national soil and only a
short distance from the enemy, are as
mark of the mighty land we and our
| allies firmly cling to in the common
/ task, confirming the will of the people
4 and the army of the United States &c
| fight with us to a finish, ready to sac
rifice as long as is necessary unit
final victory for the most noble OF
causes, that of the liberty of nations
the weak as well as the mighty. Thu:
the deaths of these humble soldier:
appear to US with extra ordinary gran
deur.
1--WE will therefore ask that thu
mortal remains of these young mel
be left here, left with US forever. W.
inscribe on the tombs:
Here lie the first soldiers of the
republic of the United States to fall
on the soil of France for liberty
and Justice
1.-The passerby will stop and uncov
er his head. Travellers and men o
heart will go out of their way to com
here and pay their respective tributes
Private Enright, Private Gresham
= Private Hay, in the name of France
/. 1 thank you. God receive your souls
= Farewell"