The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-13
FIRED FIRST SHOT AT HUN
Credit Given TO Sergeant Alex Arch
of South Bend, Ind.

The story OF the first shot fired by |
the American expeditionary force in
the war with Germany-a shell sent !
screeching into the German lines
about as dawn was breaking on Octo-
Der %, 1917, is contained in a letter
sent to the Associated Press at New
York by the commander of the In
diana battery which performed this
important action in American history
Alex Arch of South Bend, Ind, SER
.geant in this unit, battery C of the
9Th field artillery,jis the veteran
soldier who, according to this letter,
yanked the lanyard of the pioneer
gun to speak for the United States
on the soil of France.
Newspaper correspondents who in
1spected the gun on the day it was
fired were permitted at the time to
say in their cablegrams only that
this sergeant was from South Bend.
Theahono OF firing this first shot had
been claimed by another member of
the same battery. Capt Idus R.
McLendon, in command of battery G.,
in writing IF this event, expresses his
conviction that the people of the
/ United States should have available
an authoritative account, both be-
cause of the significance of the deed
and because in his opinion credit
should go Go the man to whom the
officers of battery C say it is due
Sergeant Alex Arch.
Sergeant Alex Arch of South
Bend, Ind, is the man who pulled
the lanyard and sent the first Ameri-
can shot into The hostile lines, on the
morning of October % at five minutes
past six" Capt. McLendon says. II
was present during the firing of
that morning.
Gin the gun drill of the rs field
: pieces, the gunner, a corporal, lays
: the gun direction only; Cannonee1
No. sets off the range and at the
command Of The chief of section fires
! the piece. The chief of section mere
! ly repeats the command fire. which
is ordinarily given by the lieutenant
who acts as battery executive officer
, "On this particular morning, Arch
, had a special gun crew made up Of
the other sergeants who were in com
/, mand of gun sections in the battery
9 all of whom were anxious to have {
. hand in the job. Arch himself SCI
g off the range and acted as No. /, pull
ling the lanyard at my command
A fire."
S Twenty-four shots were fired tina
T morning, Capt. McLendon continues
|, adding, H'Thc firing Of the first sho
was an event which our division com
: mandcr, Gen. -, considered worth.
c Of special mention and record, AM
Z. ordered the shell cases of the frs
|, eight shots sent to his headquarter
It with view to their preservation
e Later the on1mander-in-chief of tn
t. American expeditionary force ordere
the gun which fired the first shot t
y be withdrawn from service, and
Is understand that it has been, or wi
le be sent to the states to be kept as
20 relic of the great war.
lie 'The question of who fired tn
IN first shot is not personal affair ;
all. It. is something which concern
IN not only the battery, but the 81
as field artillery and the list field art
a lery brigade as whole. The men
1t. this brigade are proud of having bet
the first to fight. And we have n
stopped fighting, and do not expe
to stop until the last shot of the w
. is fred
Regarding Arch, Capt. McLendor
Ifletter dated August IL, says tn
he "is still living and still Eighth
the Hun and his fellow soldiers WI
helped in firing the first shot a
& still living and fighting, and the Q
]. batterysis Sill in the game and goil
+ strong"