Evening star., 1918-06-09

tenant a written message from French
officer:
I'VE are going. It is every man for
himself"
Indeed, when the lieutenant's de-
tachment tried to turn from the town
hall down the main street toward the
bridge they found themselves in the
midst Of a pattering hail OF machine
gun bullets. Not only were the Amers
leans firing hotly from across the
river up the main street. but the Gers
mans were firing down the street and
across the river from the hill above
the town. At the same moment the
lieutenant and his men heard the lu.
gubrious chant Of the approaching
Germans and saw tho great explos
sion which told them that the bridge
to turn? They were between two
fires and the enemy was coming mo$
mentarily nearer through the darkA
ness.
Lieutenant Cool Headed.
II the lieutenant had lost his head
doubtless the entire detachment would
did not lose his head. He coolly led
his men, still carrying the guns. close
along the houses down the main street
to the river and turned eastward
making them crawl under a stone
parapet which effectively sheltered
| them from the fire of their comrades
| across the river. They continued to
crawl in this way for 500 yards ana
so reached the iron bridge. which was
| still intact but raked incessantly by
| the American machine gun fire. The
| lieutenant shouted. and he thought he
| had made himself heard; but no sooner
had they started across the bridge
than the fatal machine gun began
again. 1t was one Of these unfors
tunate events which SO often happen
in war, especially in night fighting.
The lieutenant succeeded in getting
back behind the parapet ana the vail.
| ant group settled down to wait until
a better opportunity for crossing pres
One company all this time had been
defending the vicinity Of the iron
bridge vigorously. never suspectinE
that the lieutenant was still on the
north bank. The first information OF
this mfsadventure came when some.
| body across the river was heard
shouting. The first thought was that
| the sound came from the Germans.
and singing Then the officer in cem-
mand thought he distinguished his
own name. and ordered the guns to
cease firing. This time he heard
"cobby. Colby. it is I. Cease firing.
T The e. oficer did not hesitate. but
went fearlessly across tho bridge
|
found the detachment crouching
under the parapet and conducted the
men safely back across the bridge,
(, the wounded being carried by their
comrades.
Rake Streets With Bullets.
The shelling continued vigorously
all night and the Americans contfne
| ued to rake the streets of Chateau
| Thierry with thousands of machine
gun bullets. The Germans were uns
able even to approach the iron bridge
The German shelling continued all OF
| the next day, but the Americans, have
! ing instructions not to fire during the
day lest they disclose the position OF
their guns to the enemy, had nothing
watch the French sharpshooter. The
aim of this was unerrtng and their
patience prodigious. They would GO
fearlessly into the upper stories OF
the houses and fire from the wfndows
at the Germans. who now occupied
The entire northern part Of the town
and who might occasionally be seen
running from house to house, One
officer watched fantastfcally pearos
ed black who stood for four hourS
rnotionless behind a tree under SHELLY
fire awaiting a chance to snips z
German.
Respect Black Allies.
The Americans acquired curious
respect for their black allies. Thas
night June 2, at O'Clock, the Gers
mans tried to rush the iron bridge
but one company was ready and with@
in fifteen minutes all was over. The
rest of the night was SO strangely
quiet that the Americans, fearing q
surprise, were still unable to sleep.
The next morning they again allowed
the German stretcher bearers to gathf
er the dead and wounded. They saw
the Germans carry away more tnan
twenty bodies from the street leading 70
sergeant saw platoon assembling in
an orchard on a hilltop across the
river. He waited until they were
nicely formed and the men drawn up
close together supposing themselves
unobserved, when he opened nre.
Every single German fell. and though
the sergeant watched the spot through.
out the day none rose again. That
night Germans again tried under cover
of heavy bombardment to rush the
of precaution, had finally sent French
engineers under cover of the Ameri.
can machine guns to place cnarge Q!
dynamite under 1t. This was touched
of and when the German attack %.
shattered iron works lay in the midst
of the foaming current Tho enemy
was greeted with an artillery oarrage
along the north bank OF the river. Tno
profusion and accuracy astontshed the
American officers.
Barrage Is Effective.
This barrage effectively prevented
the foe from establishing himself in
the houses along the river and at
the same time enabled the tired Amer.
leans to be safely relieved. They had
had no sleep for four days and nights,
had fred tens Of thousands Of carr
tridges and had conducted themselves
as veterans under an unusually heavy
bombardment where their only
shelter was gardens, bitches ana
ruins Of houses. The casualtie4,
thanks to their constant GOODNESS,
were light. and all are anxious to have
another opportunity to meet the Gsrs
mans as soon as possible. One othef
detail the French general commando
Ing an army corps has written the
battalion commander q special letter
Of thanks.
1WO-PLATO0N MEASURE