Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-14


Of the Germans to retake Cantigny
from the LIST Division failed.
\ II 4
The conduct Of this division was
proof to the allies Of the fighting quail
ties of Americans and no one can es-
innate the effect upon the French peo-
pie of this American victory at the
particular time when they were SO
much depressed by the new German
drives.
This confidence in the Americans
was further increased by the gallant
conduct of our Sd Division in prevent
ing the crossing of the Marine. where
this division came to be known as
the Crock of the Marne," and again by
our I'd Division at Belleau woods and
Vaux. both Of these actions taking
place in the early part Of June. The
fact Is recognized that the I'd and Sd
divisions were equal to our best and
they also added new pages to the
glory Of our arms.
From this time on the list Division,
except for brief periods Of rest, was
almost continually in the forefront of
the fighting.
1t was at scissors that tho LIST and
I'd divisions were given the place of
honor in the attack with some chosen
French divisions. In the operation at
Scissors the division suffered 1000
casualties. Sixty per cent Of its in
fantry officers were killed or wounded
Nd ho pxS< hn Tn IN ,,<r IN
all their field officers except the COL
onels. The 26th Infantry lost Its col
onel, Hamilton Smith. His orderly at.
tempted to carry him to safety, but
Col. Smith protested, saying that the
risk was too great for the orderly.
August found the division back in
the American area near Toul, on the
west bank Of the Moselle. where 1t be-
gan to form part Of the LIST American
Army. and. as part Of this Army, 1t
fought in the first major American
operation. the forcing Of the st. Mihiel
salient, which began on September IL,
1918. and ended in four days with this
salient wiped out. In this operation
the division advanced fifteen kilome-
ters.
The hardest experience Of the divi-
sion came with the Meuse-Argonne
offensive. The records say that III at
the second battle Of the Marine the
3Sth Regular Infantry wrote one of
the brightest pages in our military
history, the LIST Division in the ruin
and desolation of the Argonne turned
the page and continued the story to
the everlasting glory Of the Regular
Army Of the United States"
For eight long days, from October
4. the division advanced against per-
fectly organized German resistance
and dug in at night on captured po-
sitions whose ranges were known to
the Germans. and which were sub
jected to artillery fire that caused
losses comparable to those inflicted
during the advance. The key to the
German position was Hill 272. and
this was taken by the LIST Battalion,
10th Infantry, on October 8, and Hill
263 was captured by the 26th Infantry
on October 9, the possession of these
two hills allowing the division to ad-
vance.
On October ~ the division was re-
lieved for reftting and replacement.
and would ordinarily have been given
several weeks of rest, but the time
was too critical, and October 81
again found 1t on the way to the
front. On November 8 1t took part
in the operations along the Mouse,
and on November 1t was on the
heights overlooking Sedan. ready to
attack. The honor Of taking Sedan
was, however. for sentimental
reasons, left to French division.
The armistice found the division near
Buzancy.
The operations in the Argonne had
cost the division 1887 officers and
men in killed. wounded and missing,
the greatest loss suffered by any di-
vision in the Argonne.
The total losses of the division in
the war were 25.47S killed, wounded.
missing and taken prisoners. The
prisoners taken from the division
numbered only thirty eight. but the
division captured from the enemy
6.661 prisoners. Two hundred and
, FIVE officers and 1890 enlisted men of
the division made the supreme sacri-