Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1919-11-14

New YOrk.-Gen. John J. Pershing
was the hardest working man of the
American expeditiOnary force and was
under fire a greater number of hours
curing the war than any officer or en-
listed man under his command, ac-
cordlng to Sergeant Cesar Santini,
who was the generals personal chauf-
1eur throughout the entire length of
Americas participation in the war.
Inc general worked late and was al
ways In the advanced post command
directing the movements of troops dur
Ing major operations.
General Pershing personally direct
ed the st. Mihiel fight, was in the Ar
gonne forest commanding operations
Tor nearly two months and mingled
with the advanced troops at Cantigny
and Chateau Thierry. He questioned
prisoners brought in by the doughboys
at Cantigny and Chateau Thierry, and
In the latter operation walked into
the wheat fields to the gun positions
TO personally commend their crews
ana to tell them how proud he was
of Them
Sergeant Santini, who reveals these
hitherto unpublished facts of the do
lngs of General Pershing in France.
Is a Frenchman by birth and enlisted
In the United States army as an auto
mobile chauffeur and engineer at Gov
ernor's Island on April 23, 1917. His
knowledge of the French language and
MIS- ability as chauffeur led to his
selection as the commander in chiefs
personal chauffeur. Sergeant Santinl
sailed from the United States with
General Pershing, he drove the gen
eral over forty thousand miles of
French roads during the moro than
two years he was in France, and he
returned home aboard the transport
Leviathan with the commander in
chief.
Awarded Citations for Bravery.
The general has given Sergeant
Santini gold cigarette case as a
token of his appreciation IF the chauf
feurs services to him, and the ser
geant holds citation personally
awarded him by the commander i1
chief for bravery under fire. The eli
tation stands as mute evidence of the
hazardous situations General Pershfns
found himself in at times, as Sergeant
Santini was virtually never out OF
close touch with his commander ant
they BIZ h naturally suffered the same
ordeals from shell fire.
|
tered out of service and has taken i
upon himself to tell of his association
overseas with General Pershing.
Long before American troops reach
ed the front General Pershing wen
through the rigors and strain Of in
tensive shell fire. In the summer O
1917 he was the guest Of the Frencl
commanders and witnessed the attacl
on Chemin DIES Danes. On this oc
casion the commander in chief rod
right up to the barbed wire entangle
ments in his automobile and crossed
the German trenches directly benin,
the lines of French infantry.
Again in the Luneville sector wher
the first, Americans fell in the wal
General Pershing went into the line
He donned hip boots and traverse
several miles of trenches during al
enemy bombardment. On this occa
sion Sergent Santini waited in a com
municatiOn trench until the general re
turned. and admits the "Jerry" wa
using his high explosives to compare
lively good advantage.
Shell Just Misses Car.
OF the numerous narrow escape
General Pershing had in his time a
the front the narrOwest was, accord
ing to the. best recollection of Sergean
Santini, the day before the battle G
Cantigny. The general wa, ridin
along a road toward the advance