The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-04-26
How Major Manning
Died
Deed for Which He Was Award
ed Posthumously the D. S. c.

I Washington. April 13.-Mrs. WI
liam Sinflcr Manning. of this cliS
has received an official communlcd
ton from the adiutant general daict
April 8, which says that ms ollic.
has been notified by the commanding
general Of the American expedition
ary forces that the latter has award
ied poSthumously q distinguished .;''''
vice cross to her husband. MAJOR
William SinIllcr Manning. 3l6th IN
fantry. for extraordinary hcrolsnl III
action near Verdun. France. Nov2m-
Der 6. 1918.
Major Manning was resident OF
Washington. having been cnSaSed III
newspaper work here for number
Of years. He was one Of six sons ol
former Governor Manning OF Son1n
Carolina. all in military service, ana
served on the Mexican border with a
South Carolina regiment. Mrs. Nah
ming was Miss Barbara Brodie, a
granddaughter Of the late Alexander
Shepherd former Governor OF the
District. and Mrs Shepherd, who Aow
resides in the National Capital.
The communication states chat.
leading his command in the face ei
heavy artillery and machine gun fire.
Major Manning displayed remarkable
bravery and coolness in recognizing
his battalion after severe losses had
been inflicted on it by the enemy.
BY continuous encouragement ard
daring he directed operations 10 Die
successful gaining of his objective.
During these operations he was i'll
stantly killed by Il machine gun but
let.
Letters written by Lieut.. Col. J. II.
Steinman and Capt. c. Il. Clock OF the
31Gth Infantry give the following de-
tails: on the morning of. November s
the third battalion of the 31Gth Inian-
try. 10Th division. was located in the
Meuse some three miles north Of the
village Of BraDant and fourtceen
miles north Of Verdun. The troops
had been battered and worn from
days OF fighting. and were more or
less disorganized by a night Of hcav:
shelling The morning was cold and
foggy and the German artillery was
firing continuously seemingly from
nowhere.
The battalion was formed for the
assault but the troops showed r"iuc
tance to cross through tho heavy bar
rage Major Manning ran in front OF
the line, i'm Il hail Of shells and :,ia
chine gun bullets: cXhortcd the men
as he passed up and down in front CT
them and greatly encouraged tileln
oy his fearless bearing and utter dls-
'egard of personal safety. and so IN
;pircd them that. when waving al:
:anc he called: Let's so. boys" and
ed them. the foremost man in tn"
they drove on and carricC
heir objective.
This primarily was the taking Of
Hill 37S," the pivot on which turn
ID whole corps movement from 4
lorthcrn aXis toward the east and
,eyond the Mcuse.
Shortly after the assault started
Iaior Manning was almost instantly
illed by machine gun bullet. which
anne out of the fog and hit him il
he throat. 1t was Il heroic dei7n.
cading troops for an assault in tn.
ace Of 4 determined resistance ln
he enemy. After their major fell ihc
he men could no longer be stopped
Hill 31S was freed Of the German; /
" the days assault and was occupisG |
" troops of the 316th Infantry.
After the battle Major Manning
vas buried with four other officers CT
lis regiment and about fifty more {
gallant soldiers not far from whcr.
hey fell in little cemetery on t''
,cntle slope of hill about two 'niscs
vest Of the little village OF l;e..!;l-.
some eighteen miles north of Ecrdu:'.