Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1917-10-31
FIRST AMERICAN GUN fired
AGAINST GERMANS DESCRIBED
BY CORRESPONDENT OF A.P.

snow, but gunners and infantrymen. n
though they are wet, are satisfied, feel
ing that the honor of having been the
first Americans in acton is more thar
sufficient recompense for their discom.
for.
The correspondents reached the
American position after a long motol
ride through shell battered towns
Leaving the motor in one Of the towns
he walked the rest of the way. Moor
cars attract the eye of the Germans
and they are likely to drop half dog
en- shells in the direction that any ma
chine is seen.
The first American battery was al
most walked upon before /, was dis
covered 1t was so well hidden under
the trees and with foliage about il
IN low hung wire netting. Undei
the net water dripped steadily. Some
of the guners were digging another pit
in the mud alongside their hidden gun
Through the foliage in every direc'
ton the ground was undulating. Al
that moment there was a fash OF
flame through the mist. IL was the
crack of a rs gun. and following il
closely came the noise OF the shell
rushing through the air, becoming
fainter and fainter as the projectile
went on its way to the German posi-
ton over the crest OF a hill farther
away. The mud-digging artillerists
continued their work without even
looking up.
North and South.
A lieutenant from Georgia emerged.
He was the officer wEo directed the
first shot. He led the way down a
slippery, muddy hill to a dugout cover
ed over with sand bags and logs. There
we met a lieutenant from Indiana. of
the same battery, who directed the IN st
eighteen shots of the war against Ger
many from an observation point
On the other side of the hill was
found the first gun fired. The muddy
gunners were hard at work cleaning
their gun.
This was the first gun fred in the
war; said the jaunty Lieutenant The
sergeant inside the pit there fired It"
Looking into the pit the lieutenant
said: Sergeant, where are you
from?"
A husky voice replied: I'm from
South Bend, Ind"
Are you Irish?" asked the lieuten-
AM.
NO sir" the sergeant laughingly re-
piled
At this time orders came for his gun
and others Of the battery placed in
nearby hills in sight and sound of each
other TO commence firing. The gun
on the farthest hill went off with a
roar, and a faint stream of smoke was
blown backward from the pit Inside
the pit in which the correspondent
stood voice shouted out the range
hgures and the lieuatnant repeated
them. IA voice inside the pit la eel
yelled that the gunner was ready tC
fire. The lieutenant gave the com
mand to the gunners, watch your bub
ble."
The First Shot.
The lieutenant, who was standing OF
a pile of mud which had been removed
from The pit cautioned those about hin
to place their fingers in their ears
This was done and the Lieutenant
shouted the word: Fire"
The gun barked quickly, the nois,
being allowed by a metallic clank ant
the she'll case was elected and the gun
made ready for the next load Tn,
lieutenant told the correspondent I'll,
story of the first shot of the war
punctuating the narrative Throughout
with the orders: ready to fire." an.
FIRE" which each time was followed
by The report of the gun ana the whizi
of the she'll
I'VE came up the night before" sait
the lieutenant, and got irto position
in driving rain. No horses had arriv
ed was anxious to get of the frs
gun, and so we're my men. Iaske,
them if they we're willing to haul tn
gun by hand to this place so that VI
could get the first crack AT the Ger
mans. They agreed unanimously. s.
we set out across the dleus until w