The sun., 1918-08-05
CHASEFLEEING
GUARDS IN MUD
Americans Are Elated as They
See Prussians' Backs for
First Time.
FIRES ANNOUNCE FLIGHT
Ourcq Becomes Real River
When Soldiers Tinker
With Mill Dam.
FIRES ANNOUNCE FLIGHT
Special cable Desp1tch 10 THE srN.
Coppriohf, 1918: OH raphts yeserrsd.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARM. IN
FRANCE. Aus. with the Americans
well beyond the Ourcd through a down
pour Of rain. over roads sticky with mud.
tho happ!est American troops since the
reoccupation of Chateau Ther~y are
pressing forward TO the rorth with their
backs 10 the Ourcq and nearing the
Nesle. Ahead OF them are the Germans
the Prussian Guardsnen, the Jaegers.
the Ba avarians and the Saxons-the
whole KIT and kaboodle re;reat.ng be-
fore men who have beaten them.
Tho second day OF August will be
red letter day In our history because
ii was on that day that our men saw
the backs OF the sest men in the Ger
man army. Better still, they left in
hurry. One OF the tirst signs that our
men had OF the effect of their series of
heavy blows along the ourcq was
around midnight, when columns OF fi:e
rose across from the Forest Of Nesles
and along the Rognac Wood. The Boche
was burning up supplies he was unable
to save because OF his haste. Later fires
were seen in Fismes where some Ger
man prisoners have eaid the enemy was
constructing new trenches.
No Live Germans Seen.
Soon thereafter orders came to push
ahead. The troops which took Cierges
were already advancing. 20 thai at 20
o'clock in the morning the Americans
who first crossed the Ourcq with Lieut..
bowling of New York at their head
near Green Mil, crawled ahead in little
knots and groups to the southwestern
corner Of the Forest Of Nesles. They
found there machine gun pits and a few
dead Germans, but not a live one was
to be seen. 1t was the same way all the
distance from Fere -en-Ta rdenois TO the
Meunier Wood.
II was an inspiring sight to see our
men forcing forward, all in eagerness 10
pursue to the uttermost the advantage
that their hard fighting OF the last few
days had given them.
Looking down from the edge OF the
Forest OF Nesles toward the river one
obtained an idea OF what courage it TOOK
for our men to come up that slope. right
out in the open fields, without a bit OF
cover. save an occasional section OF
sunken road, where they dug rife pits.
each big enough for a single man.
Gunners Lived In Torment.
Seringes itself. in the streets OF which
blood was poured out almost as freely as
water, Is scarcely as much ruined to-
day as many OF the villages further "a
the south. Just outside of the town was
tho old German front line. a series OF
deep pits, each big enough for a few
men, some Of whom are still lying there
with their rifles and bayonets beside
them, Beyond. in the Forest of Nesles
were the machine gun nests. still piled
up with brass shells. but our shell holes
were all about and the gunners must
have lived in torment and welcomed q
chance to get out,
over all Of this ground, with the tiny
riyulet called the Ourcq behind them, the
Americans pushed ahead. mud sticking
to their feet In great ciods and water
dripping from their helmets. but every
one OF them with a smile, save when a
momentary traffic Jam threatened delay
in catching up with those Guardsmer
and Jaegers and giving them another
dose.
In spite Of the rain, the Ourcq Is bu,
a tiny slit OF water, and 1t Ia no wonder
It is called a creek. but some practical
Joker came very nearly transforming II
into a raging torrent. Reports came bacl
that the river had risen three feet. In
vestigatiou showed that some OF oui
men, experimenting with the mill dam
had caused the sudden flood. This was
done In spite OF the fact that the mil
was constantly under fire. The spirits oi
these men cannot be ouenched.