Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-09-20
By FRED s. FERGUSON

By FRED s. FERGUSON
WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE
METZ FRONT, Sept 17-"Get to Wig
neuilleS by daylight"
This order from the major general of
an already famous American division
to one of his brigadiers, forms the basis
for one of the most dramatic and thrill
ing stories of American participation in
the war. 1t is the final step toward WHIP
ing out of the st. Mihiel salient.
Acting under the order, the men, led
by an infantry colonel and a signal
corps colonel personally representing the
general marched and fought through
Bots de La Montague all night long in
pitchy darkness and an intermittent
rain
The two colonels, Captain Obert and
a chauffeur reached Vigneuilles at 2
o'clock Friday morning. They surprised
the Germans so completely that the
quartet alone captured a number OF
prisoners. Entering a house, they found
an entire machine gun crew sleeping.
They awoke the Boches and informed
them they were prisoners.
Then followed a remarkable march of
victory. The little cure lie Clerc of the
village of Rupt-en-Woevre celebrated by
ringing the church bells for the first
time in four years. When the Germans
seized the village shortly after the be-
ginning of the war they carried OF
three hostages, whom they later muir
dered. Since then the village had hVeo
in sorrow. But on Friday with tears
streaming down his face, the cure asked
the American major general IL ne inlsnI
ring the bell Permission was granted.
He pulled the bell rope untlI ne Was
nearly exhausted.
spent Sunday with the DIVISION
which made what will be famous as the
march to Vigneuilles. Then l went over
the roads, through massed ana Tang ieu
wire. and over deep trenches Where lhey
advanced. The greatest expanse OF front
on which the Americans attacked was
the southeastern side of the salient rms
is the story of the advance on the "eS'
side. told for the first time.
On the night prior to the attach tne
Aroaricans spent hours in the rain, cut
ting masses of wire through Whlch 10
ADVANCE The barrage started. 1t was
+errifcally and blightingly destructive
Then the Jump on. -.
II rained most of the day. Stin re-
sistance was encountered In the "oOoS
hut before evening the detectives were
raoobad on a line standing northeast OF
,.o.,.,,,
General Pershing, who was directing
onerations, ordered the division TO reach
The major general trans
mitted the order to his orlgaoler.
10 tier promptly assured him he would De
there The men of the regiment as
SIGNED TO the task ate their supper
standing bv the roadside in the RAIN
Then thew pushed on through more thaII
civ kilometers (nearly four miles, OF
tangled woods. The resistance was
slight AT first, due to the surprise result
ing from the audacity of such move
ment
The two colonels, the captain and the
chauffeur made good progress down
trench road. AS they approached Wig
neuilles a burning house lighted up
Boche supply train close by. The quar-
tet captured it. The main body of the
regiment began arriving shortly after
ward and mopped UP some more.
The entire outfit ''breakfasted" on the
Boche. Supplies were dragged from the
Boche wagons; Boche cooks prepared
breakfast and Boche bread, coffee and
jam were served by Boche walters.
AS evidence of the completeness of
the cleanup, the trophies included mo-
tor trucks, one gun caisson. a train of
light machine guns, store
room commissaires, including barley,
wheat, beer and distilled water; 1000
packages of unopened mail, ton of
dried fish, a. movie machine, several
hundred rifles, seventeen horses and two
Mercedes automobiles with officers en-
closed).
A German major, not knowing the 10
cation of the American lines, drove in
nocently into the doughboys' hands. An
other officer stopped while fleeing when
he was fired on. Both automobiles are
now in American service.
When Vigneuilles was taken the top
Of the salient was closed. The happiest
Americans in France were those holding
the town. They knew another division
was also headed toward that point and
that the junction there would mean all
the remaining Boches would be pock-
eted
Pushing out from Vigneuilles, two OBJ
servers took thirty-nine prisoners. An
other American brought in twelve. He
was slightly wounded on the way in and
the prisoners carried him the rest OF the
vUav- Prisoners taken in this area say
that when the barrage was bursting
about them Thursday morning their
sent word not to worry, as
there would be no attack In sucn
storm shortly afterward doughboy
stuck his head into the door OF aug
ont shouting Come out or there'
yOuSe.
Boche supplies were scattered every
where in the newly conquered village
through which passed yesterday Near
me village 1 saw some enemy TANKS
They were merely made of netting ano
stovepipes were sticking out Tor guns
p,,t ~ distance they appeared like
real tanks. - - .ho
Everywhere were evidences OF the
90 Roche occupation There were per-
na1ent stone memorial fountains ana
elaborate cemeteries with nuIlie go
arved headstones, obviously from Ger
many. ,..o +rrrdlinp
,ocI- from the fight with smiling Amerl-
.an faces peeping through the port
1oIes. American trucks were carving
,ut women and chlloren 1T risonar for
,ou~ Years, All were laughing and "aV-
ng greetings.