The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-05
1HEROIC SOLDIERS
WIN ADMIRATION
sToUNDING DRAW r. Y
New Inst Of Recipients of American
Distinguished service Cross Made
Known. Relating Also Wonderful
Individual Bravery.

Washington. Oct. From the ON
cial account of our own military OBJ
servers It IL now possible to form some
Iconception of the terrific ordeal
through which the American troops
VIGOROUSLY passed before General
Pershing was able to cable the stirring
news OF the capture OF the French
village of F1smette.
This famous action lasting several
days, il VIII be recalled, occurred early
in August In the memoranda accom-
panying new list Of recipients OF
A merican distinguished service crosses
made public today, some of the more
astounding individual deeds OF heroisn
and bravery are related. The Ian :
ruage used to describe them. even in
the official document, shows how they
have stirred the pride OF hardened and
experienced officers and won the I'M
bounded admiration of General Per-
Shng himself
The fiercest hand to hand and
house o house fighting ensued as soon
ns the Americans swept into the VII
lage. Corporal Raymond Rowbottom.
a Pennsylvania lad. at the head of an
automatic rifle team, succeeded with
"A handful Of companions in occupy
81
the lighting zone. He was ordered to
hold the house at all hazards.
Hold Mt All Hazards.
Its loss at that particular stage
would have jeopardized the lives OF
his own company and. seriously hin
dered the entire plan Of military OPP
erations then taking place. A veri
table hurricane of enemy rifle and
machine gun fire was directed at the
house.
When gunfire failed to disiodge the
intrepid occupants, the Germans final
Iy succeeded in shooting an incendiary
flare into the house. Flames were
seen to issue from within. The Ger
man machine gunnars and snipers
aimed fusilade OF shots at the win
dows and doors.
Within the now brightly-li ghte d
room Corporal Rowbottom and his
companions could be observed des-
perately striving to extinguish the
flames. Despite their exposure they
put out the fire and held the fort Until
cheering columns OF American re-
in hot pursuit OF the bewildered and
fleeing foe
Another Pennsylvania boy, Corpo-
raj James d. Moore, was decorated for
similar acts OF fearlessness in the
same exploit.
In another section Of the village
there was dire need of an operator for
captured machine gun. The order
came to Corporal Raymond Peacock.
also of the keystone State, as he was
the only member OF his detachment
who knew how to operate a German
machine gun, He volunteered to go
forward in spite of having been 80
badly wounded that his left arm hung
limp at his side,
Heroic Pennsylvania Gunner.
He reached the spot and manned
the captured gun until a second wound
more serious than the first put him
out of action. His logged determine
ton. however, enabled his regimental
commander to hold the position and
retain it under overwhelming odds.
An equally striking feat was per-
formed by Private Fred Otte. of Penn
sylvania. For four days during the
fighting in the neighborhood OF Fis-
mette and while the action was At its
height he had been acting as runner
between his battalion headquarters at
Fismes and the American troops at
F'ismette. He had made dozens Of
trips over bridge across the Nesie
river. all the time under heavy shell
and machine gun hre.
When the Germans finally sue
ceeded in destroying the bridge, Otte
simply laid aside unnecessary impede
ments, leaped into the river which
had been blocked with wire entangle-
ments. and swan to the opposite side.
In this manner he continued to make
his trips and thus kept open the abso-
lutely essential line of communication.
Private Philip Maurer, Of Baltimore,
and two companions. heard that two
wounded comrades were lying in the
shell-swept area just ahead OF his
company's advance liness They
promptly volunteered to 60 to their
rescue. Although wounded on their
first attempt and driven back. they
advanced a second time. reaching the
wounded men and safely returned with
them to the lines. where both the res
cued and rescuers received medical at
tention
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