Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-10-30
|reS He Spent More Time Under
|Sted Man of the American
Nays in Advanced Post
Operations.

eadquarters. which Mt that particu-
ar time was being heavily sheiled by
be Germans.
Shrapnel shells were continually
urstIng directly over the automobile.
teel fragments on several occasions
lnding on the roof of the machine.
General Pershing and his aide-de-
amp. who We're seated in the tonneau
the car, seemed to be little affected
y the 'strafing" they were under
Oing, and no matter how near the
= lells landed their conversation, which
Probably had to do with the major
peration Of the morrow, was not in
errupted.
zone shell-it was one of Jerry's
lrgest"-Sergeant Santini declares,
hit the road directly in front of us
7nd only about a hundred feet from
he machine. Had there not been a
eayy rainstorm the day before, which
armed the road into a mire of mud,
one of us probably would now be
i've to tell the tale. Our automobile
as splashed with mud, but beyond
lat we suffered no ill effects from the
Eplosion. 1t undoubtedly was the
lrrowest escape the general had
bring his many visits to the line"
Reaching the advanced headquar-
rs near the town of Mesnil st. Fir
inc, that evening, General Pershing,
no had been active since the early
burs Of the morning turned in for a |
w hours of rest. He lay down on
cot in an officers dugout and slept |
eacefully during four hours of an
husually heavy bombardment.
All Sizes Coming Over.
Jerry knew something was going to
lppen," the sergeant says, because
was sending them over in all sizes
ID shapes. Our car was camoufaged
lder some trees and l tried my best
take a little snOoze on the seat.
pre- than once the shells fell too close
the machine TO make me feel com
Ftable. One big fellow hit and car
I'D away the chimney of the dugout
which the general was sleeping"
Next morning General Pershing was
the headquarters telegraph office,
lere he received minute reports from
; advanced posts which had already
Tered the town of Cantigny The
leral personally directed the move
Ents of the various units of the First
ision, which was engaged in the
ration. At about nine O'clock in
morning the doughboys began to
e back with prisoners, several of
nm were brought before and ques-
ed at length by General Pershing.
general was very much pleased
the results obtained by the troops
lis engagement, the sergeant says, :
showed his appreciation by per-
ly commencing and shaking hands
the dOughboys as they drifted :
in small groups from the front
en- the Germans crossed the Z,
river for the second time Cen !,
& Pershing was north of Chaumont, -
nneral headquarters. Upon re- :,
S 9 word of the crossing he leaped -
his automobile, and Sergeant J -
hi was informed the general was :.
hurry" but that he must take =
anceS, -
the way down toward Paris the =,
took the general past where the >,
division had been in a rest -
K The division was about to
to a certain point on the line. -,
al Pershing Countermanded the -
on the road, directing the di- ~
TO move post haste to a point -,
e outskirts of Chateau Thierry. -
Commended the Marines. ~
general reached Chateau -,
y soon after the repuse of the -,
ms by the marines" the sergeant ~
ued. "He crossed the engineers n,
and entered the town and went 49,