Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-14

Hevey Butler Of Whitsaa,A. since rec
omnen1ed for tn, AistiAguisAsd service
medal. vas In eharVs sf . platoon sf q
men. mostly Apgusta boys. vhe entered
the tsWn and. In laos than . half hour.
morleA up seme two companies OF Ger
mans, concealed with machine guns. In
dng-outs in the upper stories OF the
stone dwellings,. and in trees. Few
pPisonefs were taken.
Meantime the 10th RagimsnG TO the
east, had not farsd 20 we'll. They failed
to take Bellsau Wood plateau under the
first barrass. Another was laid At eight
O'Clock In the morning. but this attack
also failed In the face Of the despsrate
German resistance. At ten o'clock.
however, under cover OF . third bar.
rage, the plateau was taken and the
Germans driven out. During this time.
the 1osd we're exposed, to artillery iirs
from Belleau Plateau and had been
obliged to protect theif flank with ma
chine guns ana infantry. in case the
0eTuAnS BHOViO uHohy uoAu enSh PocA-
tions there.
The manoevre being executed by the
Allies At this time was . swinging OF
the whole Soisson- Chateau-Thiefry line
to the east OF the latter city as = pivot
when the 1854 went over the top on the
morning Of July 18th. General Mangin
was launching an attack south Of Sois-
son. The sd American Division was
aiding him In this move.
The French operating north Of the
1864 Regiment were held up In their ad-
vance by a strong enemy nachine.sun
nest at Monthiers. The third battalion
Of the 1854 Regiment consisting Of the
Augusta, Passport, Houltoh ana Farm
inston companies, BY . weli-sxecutsd
fiAhk attack, disiodsed the Germans. aid
aided the Ffeheh In their advance. The
French general In command sent d let-
tsf to Geakfs. Edwards. In which he
stated that his best troops could have
done no better.
On the 10Th the division pushed on
with Etrepilly. chante Merle. and
Bexuet as its objective. all Of which
were finally taken. On this day. be.
tween four o'clock in the afternoon and
dark, Company NJ Of Augusta. alone,
had Ave men killed and 06 wounded, one
Of whom died that night.
The Skowhegan company. In this I'd
vance, found themselves in an impos.
sible situation. owing to failure OF
their supports to arrive on time, and
were terribly punished. and forced. tenn
o~sl. H~ ThAv pAfnpnAd hAV.
ever. pushed forward .heroically. and at
tanned all their detectives. During
eight days, practically day and night.
our boys fought in the open. They had
to face and overcome. often advancing
across open fields, artillery fire and con-
cealed machine guns located on nearly
every hand. But they fought and ad'
| vanced, during thes eight days over 10
miles"
Acts Of herosm we're too numerous to
mention at this time. Every man did
| his duty unfiinchingly. Major Southland
Of Bangor, wounded through the throat
| by q machine.gun bullet. with his ear
torn by shrapnel. continued to lead his
men until forced to retire for medical
aid. He left weeping, with the state
ment that his boys would be all shot up
+! and he would not be, there to care for
! them. The 26th Division. unsupported.
pushed on to Epieds and Trugny which
they also reduced. The latter town was
taken by the Maine boys. but only after
| repeated and costly attacks. as the
place was full Of machine guns and re-
sisted to the death. The division then
| pushed on to Fare-en-Tardenois where
| 1t was relieved by the Rainbow Divi.
sion. In this drive, as we'll as in the &C.
| tons on the Toul sector. great credit is
due the artillery men of the division for
| the magnificent ability. courage. and ef.
fectiveness with which they handled the
guns. both light and heavy. Their
| splendid work made the deeds of the in
fantrymen possible and greatly reduced
| the number OF casualties.
The boys from Maine and from Au-
gusta lead the van in the great drive
| that later resulted in the reduction OF
the Marine salient. and the great Ger
| man retreat. which is still under way.
| They formed the spear head OF the
great thrust. They were picked for an
| important service in a critical sector,
| and they justified the confidence Of their
superiors. They took what they went
after. Every objective was attained.
Raw hell could not stop them. Not a
foot Of ground was lost. Not prisoner
taken from their number. They deliv-
cred the goods. and scorned to reckon
the price. No Drawer men. no better
soldiers stand on the soil Of France. to.
day. than our Maine boys in the 103d.
On July 18th. General Dagoutte. COM
manding the VI Army Corps Of which
the Yankee Division was a part. for
warded the following communication to
| General Edwards:
wi Army
No. 1858 Army. July %, 1918.
From: General DEGOUTTE. Com.
manding the With Army.
To: General EDWARDS, Command.
ing the 2sth American Division
The operations carried out by the 26tn
American Division from July 18th to
July oath demonstrated the fine soldierly
qualities Of this unit and the worth oil
it's leader. General EDWARDS.
Cooperating in the attack north OF
the MARINE. the 18th Division fought
brilliantly on the line TORCY. BEL.
LEAU, At MONTHIERs. EPIEDs. and
TRUGNY and in the Forest Of FERE
advancing more than Is kilometers In
depth in spite Of the desperate resis-
- Al