The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-25
YANkS WONDER AS
THEY MARCH TO RHINE
Doughboys Asking Themselves What
win They See and What Happen
cd During Closing Hours
NOVEL SUPPER HELD
American Officers Entertained at Din |
ner In Candle-Lighted Dining Room |
by French Commander.
BY DAMON RrNYnN

With the American Army of Occu
patton, November 2i.--On the march
to the Rhine American soldiers arc
dividing their conversation between
what they will see IN Germany and
what happened during the dying
hours of the war. There is still a
wealth of untold stories of the last lap
Of Americas victorious drive in the
great war.
After the American troops in front
of Sedan had been pulled back two
weeks ago and the sector had been
turned over to it's rightful owners. the
French, company D., 166th. infantry
an Ohio regiment OF the rainbow divi-
sion, reported to n French colonel in
a stately old chateau, which was his
headquarters. at Fernois.
This company was commanded by
Captain Russell Baker. of Delaware,
Ohio. 1t had beea invited by the
French to act guard of honor for
the French troops If they moved on
the town That night the French
commander gave a dinner in honor of
the American officers in the dining
room lighted only by candles.
1t was a most dramatic scene.
Every man present was fresh from the
battlefield. The dinner over. Lieuten-
ant Allison. graduate of the University
of Missouri. rose to speak on behalf
of the Americans. He paid homage to
France and her soldiers. Then, taking
from his pocket a little silk flag.
which his wife had sent him, he pre-
sented it to the colonel
The Frenchmen sat silent for
moment, deely moved. Then holding
the fragment 70 color aloft in his
hand. he shouted:
The blood Of all the world"
I'm the bia hun
dreds Of booted feet resounding on the
floor. while from hundreds of threats
came the shout:
'fNive L'Amorique'"
This scene was enacted with 400
yards of the spot where forty eight
years ago NAPOLEON III had signed his
! abject surrender.
Later in the night the platoons OF
COMPANY y slipped down to the out
skirts Of the west bank of the Meuse,
. opposite Sedan, and peered into the
old town
Gun Fire Sprayed Yanlss
They got so close the Germans
sprayed them with machine eunfire.
They were probably the closest to
Sedan of any of the Americans. In
the years to come The favorite sub
iect for argument of the meetings OF
Pershing's Post No l. Veterans of the
(
whatever they will he calling the or
CARNATIONS of the men who served in
! this war is apt TO be-
what outfit got closest to Sedan -
II will furnish many stirring de-
bates, History will record that no con-
siderable force Of American troops
really entered the historic old town.
because sentimentally it did not be.
long to them. But many got very
close. THEY got so close in fact. that
at one tire IL was reported they
We're in the outskirts. But as a matter
OF truth. they we're far from taking
! the city Itself, when they were pulled
hack 10 lei the French take over the
sector. II belonged to the French, any
way.
Our f1rs' division and the famous
Rainbow division ned pushed over
eager to take the town. American
troops were not SO mixed up together
AS il was at the time. It was once even
reported there had been fist fights be-
tseef, vi edf, mrs sof ft@sal entfi7s AiHfn-
bers of the first and rainbow divisions
were vastly surprised when they
{ heard Of these tales as they came out
Wadelincourt Taken
Americans did take Wadelincourt
which is on the wet bank OF the riv-
er Meuse, right across from Sedan,