The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-19

managed to get part of his men together
and with Lieut.. Thomas Tales, the
cricket player Of Philadelphia. led In
thirty-fve privates, bringing prisoners.
Meantime Lieut.. Martin Wheeler of
Moscow. Pa, and OF the same company,
was working his way through tho woods
with another group of men, He found
himself and party completely cut Off with
the enemy on three sides of him. a nor
row trail opened down into the woods.
Fights Alone to Save His Men.
Sergeant. give me a rife. Take the
men out that way. l will hold them on
while you beat It," said Wheeler. With
his rifle and alone Wheeler covered the
rear Of his platoon. lying In the grass
and picking of the enemy zone by one as
they advanced. When he had given his
men ten minutes time he got up and
made run for IL ana managed to get
through and receive the congratulations
Of his colonel and the cheers OF the
platoon he had saved. All are back on
the firing line and have participated in
the counter attacks with the French.
Capt. William Fish OF New Brighton,
Pa. and his Lieutenants. Gilmore Hay
man OF Devon. Pa, and Claude Smith
OF Newcastle, Pa, brought In 1913 men
OF his company. OF whom twenty-six
were wounded He told me they had
had steady fighting for twelve hours.
but that IN every combat they had
bested the enemy. Lieut. Eugene Cross
man got the Croix de Guerre for
dropping back to bring one Of his
corporals TO first aid station. Part of
the way he carried the soldier on his
back.
Use Rife Butts and BayOnets.
The official report in the case OF these
Americans reads:
These men showed exceptional BRAY
cry and never ceased to arouse the en-
thusiasm and admiration Of the French
commander. They were frequently sur
rounded. but Fought with their men,
using the butts Of rifles and bayonets."
Under this commander were two pri-
Yates who notably DISTINGUISHED them
selves, Joseph Bennett OF Gulf Mills and
Joseph Wolf or Pottstown, both Penn
sylyanians Bennett shot an enemy ma
chine gunner who was UP u tree as he
lad his gun turned on his Lieutena mt.
and caught another German as he fell
from the branches on his hayonet. He
captured the machine gun. Wolf, who
had been in the guard house. won his
release and the compliments OF his Colo
mel by Capturing an enemy machine gun
alone, the Germans having propped up
the body OF a dead American and hidden
behind It. These are but a few of the
deeds of valor from this American unit
now in the big battle.
Lieutenant commanding fifty men
holding knoll at Bots de Condo cut Oft
from the regiment, called for volunteer
runner to make battalion headquarters.
This was early Monday morning, during
the German smash across the Marine
east of Chateau Thierry. and eight rum
ners had been killed trying to get word
back to the same headquarters.
Take me ! can get through" spoke
up "Kid' Logan. the ex-prizehghter OF
Chicago. He went and brought a cap
tain back with him. The detachment,
fghting from sandpit TO sandpit. kept
falling back. Finally and when the de-
tachment was almost surrounded, on the
brow Of hill appeared a machine gun
company sent to their relief.
They came Just in time. We could
not have held on much longer" said
Private George NJ. Rucker OF Gasport,
y. Y, telling of the incident to-day.
Corporal Frederick Boehl OF Wood
haven, L. l., OF an engineer detachment
which had working party upon the
river front when the attack came. says
that the commander OF one American
regiment formed a false front upon his
right and held to the last his original
position on the Marne.
Your correspondent believes that this
Colonel did great service for an entire
division. the bulk of which rested to tho
westward OF him. The same commander
also held Falkenront upon his left until
our troops were able to counter attack
from the Fossoy -Crezancy highway and
recapture Nelly, thrusting back across
the river those Germans who had
crossed before the American positions.