Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1919-11-14
oeeraS PERSONAL Chauffeur Declares He Spent More Time Under
FIRE Ihan Any Officer or Enlisted Man of the American
ExpedTlonary Forces-AWays in Advanced Post
Directing Major Operations

headquarters, which at that particu-
lar time was being heavily sheiled by
the Germans.
Shrapnel shells were continually
bursting directly over the automobile
steel fragments on several occasions
landing on the roof of the machine
General Pershing and his aide-de-
camp, who were seated in the tonneau
OF the car, seemed to be little affected
by the "strafing" they were under
going, and no matter how near the
shells landed their conversation. which
probably had to do with the major
operation Of the morrow, was not in
terrupted.
zone shell-it was one of Jerry's
argest"-Sergeant Santini declares,
'hit the road directly in front of us
and only about a hundred feet from
the machine. Had there not been
heavy rainstorm the day before. which
turned the road into mire of mud,
none of us probably would now be
alive to tell the tale. Our automobile
was splashed with mud, but beyond
that we suffered no i'll effects from the
explosion. It undoubtedly was the
narrowest escape the general had
during his many visits to the line"
Reaching the advanced headquar-
tiers, near the town Of Mesnil St. Fir
mine, that evening, General Pershing,
who had been active since the early
hours of the morning, turned in for
few hours of rest. He lay down on
a cot in an officers dugout and slept
peacefully during four hours of an
unusually heavy bombardment.
All Sizes Coming Over.
Jerry knew something was going to
happen" the sergeant says, because
he was sending them over in all sizes
and shapes. Our car was camouf1aged
under some trees and tried my best
to take a little snooze on the seat.
More than once the shells fell too close
to the machine to make me feel COM
Portable. One big fellow hit and car
ried away the chimney of the dugout
in which the general was sleeping"
Next morning General Pershing was
in the headquarters telegraph office,
where he received minute reports from
the advanced posts which had already
entered the town of Cantigny. The
general personally directed the move
mentS of the various units of the First
division, which was engaged in the
operation. At about nine o'clock in
the morning the doughboys began to
come back with prisoners, several of
whom were brought before and ques-
toned at length by General Pershing
The general was very much pleased
with the results obtained by the troops
in this engagement, the sergeant says
and showed his appreciation by per
sOnally commencing and shaking hands
with the dOughbOys as they drifted
back in small groups from the front
line.
When the Germans crossed the
Marine river for the second time Gen
eral Pershing was north of Chaumont
his general headquarters. Upon re
ceiving word Of the crossing he eapeC
Santini was Informed the general was
Gin a hurry" but that he must take
no chances.
On the way down toward Paris the
route took the general past where the
second division had been in res
camp. The division was about t.
move to certain point on the line
General Pershing countermanded tn.
orders on the road, directing the di
vision to move post haste to a poin
on the outskirts of Chateau Thierry
Commended the Marines.
"The general reached Chateau
Thierry soon after the repulse Of tn
Germans by the Marines" the sergean
continued. "He crossed the engineers
bridge and entered the town and wen