The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-09
s81 SUMTER, s. G, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER g. 1918
Consolidated Aug. 2, 1881.
the FIGHTING AMERICANS.

the FIGHTING AMERICANS.
CAPTURE OF Dun ACCOMPLISH
ED In BRILLIANT ACTION.
Americans Used Graphing Iron to
Scale Bare Walls Of Canal and Won
Great Victory.
With the American Forces OF. the
Sedan front, Nov. $50 p. NJ
(By the Associated Press}.-Amerl-
can forces this afternoon were flght!n2
within sight of Sedan, famous for the
great battle fought in the Franco
German war in 1870.
From the hills in the region O.
Chemery and Maisoncelle, where the
Americans, according to last accounta,
were advancing despite stubborn re-
sistance, the buildings are in plain
view, being about six miles away.
The crossing of the river Meuse
and the capture of the town OF Dun
by the Americans, when its full de-
tails are known, will rank as one OF
the most gallant features OF the en-
tire operations northwest of Verdu1
The troops VINO accomplished it Will
be entitled to rank as heroes, for
their work in militarily crossing the
stream was a strategic move Of uH-
usual daring.
The crossing involved the forcing
16G foot rJVQr .
half-mile-wide stretch of mud and g
60-foot canal in the face Of . fright
full enemy fire. 1t also involved swim
ming by those who knew how and
the pulling of others over with ropes
Graphing irons were used to scale
the sheer walls of the canal, along
VIII n machine gunners had been
posted, under the fire Of scores o.
batteries from the hills adjoining.
The order to cross the canal came
at mid-afternoon Monday. The troops
received their grim instructions un-
der sun which was shining for the
first time in days. The men knew al
most as well as their commanders the
difficulty of the task and realized
how we'll nigh impossible its accom-
plishnent would be. Yet. they never
doubted or hesitated.
The orders were to send over one
brigade first, and if it failed to send
another and others, one after the
other, if it became necessary. 1t was
with dash that the Americans tackled
the problem. theoretically they had
the choice of crossing anywhere foc
five miles Actually they were linn
tied to one point. where two-thirds
of a mile of mud lay between the riv-
er itself, and the canal that roughly
parallels the river.
The Germans were too firmly en-
trenched at all other points They
had not protected themselves with
trenches here only because they ney-
er dreamed that the Americans would
be so daring as to t;y to negotiate the
passage. This was a short distance
north of Brieulles.
All the swimmers Of the first bri
gade were first singled out and put
in the van. 1t was intended to at
tack in this way on the theory thai
the swimmers were less likely to be
hit by the Germans owing to the
fact that they would be nearly sub
merged. On the other hand they
could carry with them ropes and otn-
er para phernaua for assisting non
swimmers across.
The building of pontoon bridge:
was pu; off until at least some Amer
lean elements had crossed the river.
Notwithstanding some Losses anG
orC NNyJNG nOf
defend themselves, many Of them
reached the east bank of the river
with lines which were drawn taut
across the stream. Others foated ca
RATS and collapsible canvas boats.
These men had less success than the
swimmers. because they were bette,
marks for the enemy's rifles and th2
boats could easily be sunk by bul s
even if their occupants were not Il.
Close to where the swimmers
crossed the engineers began to throw
over pontoon bridges and a tiny foot
bridge The pontoons were destroy
ed by the enemy, but the bridge re-
mained intact and added materially
to the constantly increasing numbers
of men arriving On the west bank o.
the river. Soon after dark the frs
bridge was across the first barrier and
more men were ready to make the
Journey.
The second phase Of the peri;ou:s
undertaking then bcgan-the cross
ing Of the kilometre Of mud stretch
ing between the river and the canal,
which though it was under treman-
dous enemy fire. was not held by in
fanntry. The Americans stumblec
across the mud through the wlthef-
ing fire. Their feet sank into the
mud and soon the pace of the men
was slowed down to laborious wax
Nevertheless they got through, even
if the task caused some depletion ~
their numbers.
The next phase constituted the
crossing Of the narrower but deepe:
canal with its sheer sides and with
the Germans almost at the very TOP
of the eastern edge The swimmers