The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-08-02
Kaiser Went to Front and Saw
Defeat Inflicted BY Americans
(By Edwin L James)


Marine. July 2s.-The French people
who stayed in Chateau Thierry dur
ing IFS seven weeks occupation by the
.Cermans say that on June 3 and 4 the
kaiser was there.
these people said that the German
officers later told them the kaiser
came to Chateau Thierry on the NOR
ning ofJune to watch his troops from
Hill 2Ol while they marched down the
Paris Metz road toward the French
capital In the preceding Two days
the HUNS had taken Chateau Thierry
an come ahead 80 kilometers. and the
German emperor had come TO stand al
what he thought was a milestone on
the road. and watch his men go ON
toward Paris.
The kaiser never saw the show FOR
the day before he reached Chauteau
Thierry the Second American DIVISION
had taken a position on the Paris
Metz road near Thiolet and in front
of BelIeau Woods, and from the mo-
uent the Fifth and Sixth Marines and
the Ninth and Twenty third Infantry
got there the Germans came no fur-
ther.
Inc QC4UEIdlC AlNa(ho - 49,
mans 70 hurl back the Americans on
June and 4. perhaps, is now 10 De
explained by the fact that their ruler
waited for them to go on to Paris IL
Was ON July that the American ar
tilIery got into action with the French
guns and spoiled the kaiser's triumph.
Yesterday went over the territory
CAPTURED by our troops northwest and
north of Chateau Thierry IN their VIC
tor1ous advance l saw places that
had been villages Torcy.
Rouresches, etc. The heavy hand OF
war has wiped away all semblance OF
aabitabIe places and left desOlate and
dusty ruins OF stone and mortar The
village that sheltered 800 10 1000 souls
is now but piles Of debris saw dead
Germans in profusion. lying where they
fan and died. saw the bodies Of An
ericans who died TO save France and
civilization from those Germans
Going north from the wreckage OF
Incr-el- BOcage, 1 couldn't resist the
impulse to go through the Bots de
Bklleau where / had been during the
fizi1ffne aimonth ago, which prevented
much inspection Across the field with
t1,e shell holes so thick that one could
step from one to another. / reached
the rocky edge OF the woods Here, in
machine gunner's positions, were de-
caying bodies of 20 Germans which had
been there for weeks Here and there
was stuck I'D a rifle and bayonet lock.
making a cross marking the grave of
some Marines
In the middle of the field lay the
carcass Of cow. perhaps peacefully
grazing when the war had made No
Mans Land of her pasture Along the
edge of the woods lay the bodies OF
horses caught by the German mach
fne guns.
II was uncanny to go through these
woods which now have a place in Am
erfcan history Every other tree was
cut off by shellfirs. Not square foot
of ground but bore marks Of fighting
German machine guns in cleverly con-
cealed nests stood with the bodies OF
boches lying across them just where
they fell a month ago. Here the lower
half of German lay in the leaves with
the rest of him not to be found
German war material lay everywhere
and German bodies. for many humid
reds of Germans died there. and the
Americans had not had time TO bury
all. Their faces were black and the
bodies decomposing under the sun
shine. their tools of warfare lying
where the Americans had made them
impotent- Here was the remains OF
Z kitchen which had served its last
meal. here the ruined dugout, through
the wrecked door of which one could
1x-fw- rr-ha
one Of our seventy five shells had gol
them while sleeping Here lay boz
Of unused hand grenades; here pile
of ammunition which had never killed
marines, there lay cache Of decay
ing food-here. there and everywhere
chrnage in profusion where the Ger
mans had tried in vain TO halt the Am
estsans. So
Near the northern edge Of the wool
WAS large rock. and scattered aboui
Il lay the remains Of a German air
plane. which had hit it squarely after
some allied aviator had sent a bulle
through its pilot Parts of the air
plane had been scattered so feet il
every direction. Here the body of ar
American. which had not been found il
time TO bury. lay cut in two before a
machine gun which his comrades ha6
put out Of action after it got him. W.
spread a shelter half over it and. stick
ing his bayonet in the ground. hung his
steel hat on it, so he would be found
and given decent grave
Leaving the north end of the wood:
we came on trench which the Ger
mans had tried to hold The German
dead were so thick that they lay one
up0n another in CHASTITY array.
We went into what had been Belleau
Net one building was left standing
The Americans were busy cleaning ur
the debris
YOU HAVE FOUGHT sPLENDiDLY
y nEDnlaII0 TEL G NM0llAnEn