The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-31
A. p. Correspondent Finds
Cheerful Bunch When He
Gets to Trenches.
GLAD TO BE FIRST
AMERICANS IN WAR
Yankees Honor Gun That
Sent First Shot Against
Enemy Positions.


With the American Army in France.
Monday. Oct. 29.--By the Associated
Press.-Thc first Americans to estab
liSh contact with the Germans today
are bathing in the mud of eastern
France. They constantly are under fire
aud constantly have their guns ON the
enemy.
American shells have been hurled in
to German territory and th.A have
exploded near the enemy lines.
Closer to the enemy In the first line
trenches is the infantry with the shells
of both American and German guns
whizzinc over their heads. The men
| are rubber booted and ponchoed. Gun
ners and infantrymen are satisfied de-
spite inclcment weather, feeling that
the honor Of having been the first
Americans in action IS more than suffi-
cient recompense for their discomfort.
Batteries Are Concealed.
The correspondent reached the Amer
lean POSITION after a long motor ride
through shell battered towns.
The first American battery was al
most walked upon before it was dis
covered. II WIS well hidden under the
trees and with foliage about 1t on a
! low hung wire netting. Under the net
| water dripped steadily. Some of the
gunners were digging another pit
| alongside their hidden gun.
Through the foliage in every direction
u l,,ln fhat
moment there Was a flash of flame
| through the mist. II was the crack o1
rs gun and following 1t closely came
! the noise of the shell rushing through
| the air.
A lieutenant from Georgia emerged
/, He was the officer, who directed the
first shot. He lead the way down tht
slippery muddy hill to "A dugout COW
cred with sandbags and logs. There
was met lieutenant from Indiana. o.
| the same battery, who directed tn.
! first IS shots of the war against Ger
many from an observation point.
Visits First Gun Fired.
On the other side OF the hill was
found the first gun fired. The mudd,
| kutlilGCS were Iltiu az "pIk tlSdIillS
| their gun.
"This was the first gun fired in thu
| war;" said the jaunty lieutenant. "th'
sergeant inside the pit there fired It,"
Then orders came for this gam ant
| others of the battery, placed in near
by hills in sight and sand of eaci
other, to commence firing.
The lieutenant who was standing OIL
pile of mud cautioned those abou
him to place their fingers in their ears
| This was done and the lieutenan
shouted the word fire."
The gun barked quickly. The lieu
tenant told the correspondent the stor.
of the first shot of the war, punctu
ating the narrative throughout witt
his orders.
I'VE came up the night before sal
the lieutenant and got into position i
a driving rain.
! Haul Gun by Hand.
"No horses had arrived. I was ann
ious to get off the first gun. so wer
my men. asked them IL they wer
willing to haul the gun by hand to thi
place. so that we could get the frs
crack at the Germans. They agree
unanimously. so we set out across tn
fields until we got over there at th
base Of that hill you can see In tn
haze. ...,
"Wc had hard time getting tn
gun, which we have not named owe
those she'll scraters. But we lahore
for many hours and finally reached tn
spot. Then got permission to fire.
"Strictly speaking, the first sbo
J ! which was in the nature of a try -ou
Tor the gun. simply went into German,
The sergeant put high explosive she
there at els o'clock In the morning
Dive Like Rabbits.
Another officer here took up the mar
rative.
II wan in an observation point" h
said. There was fog as the firs
shot went singing over. Suddenly. III
fog lifted and saw p group of Ger
mans. ] directed. my gun at them. Th
shrapnel burst overhead and they too
a dive into the ground like SO man
|, rabbits"
a Visits Infantry Trenches.
From the artillery lines TO the IN
: fantry trenches was a. considerab
q distance over more muddy hills. II
e correspondent found the enemy insit
: the trenches. There also were MAI
CONTINUED on rage Three.)