The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-02-21
GLORY ON BATTLE FIELD
FIRST DIVISION OF A. E. f.:
MUCH TO ITS CREDIT
STORY TOLD OF FIGHTS
Brilliant Campaign Conducted
BY Gallant Yanks Against
The Teutons
WEBB MILLER

ct USSlu 10 near the re1l
story OF the war from the lips of the
hehting men. there is going TO be a
lot OF talk about the -th division Of
the til division and the fighting
qualities thereof. Then about 80. 800
men are going to be proud to/say
they belong to the First divisi4n.
Owing to the censorship and the
rush and stress during the fighting.
little has been heard of the hccomp-
lishments of the various divisions
except in brief official Announce
ments. Herewith is bfief resume
of the activities OF the destined to- be
famous First division.
The division is composed of the
Sixteenth, Eighteenth/ Twenty sixth
and Twenty eighth regiments of in
fantry-organiZati with histories
dating back to Revolutionary war
days. AT the outbreak OF war these
regiments were I stationed along the
Mexican border! Under the reorgan-
ization plans the original outfits were
split up and the skeleton organiza-
tions filled I'D with new men from
every part of the United States.
Made 1000 Mile Journey
After 1000 mile journey half
way across the continent. the First
embarked for "a French port" at 2
a. m. June 10. 1917. The gruelling
training was continued even on board
ship. Upon landing at ST. NaZaire-
the first division to set foot upon
French soil-the troops were hurried
across France TO training areas.
-Four companies of the Sixteenth were
diverted and marched through Paris
on July 4. Then followed weeks of
stiff training in the Gondrecourt area
under the tutelage of the forty sew
enth French Chauaseurs. Then the
unforgettable entry into the trilches
in the Sommeryiller sector. For ten
days the First changed places by bat
talions with French troops and got
its first close-up glimpse of the Hun.
1t was a battery of the First that
fred the historic efirst shot of the
considered TO have graduated, and
was entrusted with the Toul sector.
which the old timers considered a
"rest area" but was enlivened with
trench raids and frequent artillery
ing. The next tour of duty in the
trenches began late in April in
the Cantigny sector, which was
considerably more active. For
some time the Germans threw over an
average of 10000 shells per day upon
narrow front, with the American
artillery replying with q will
First Real American Attack
On May 2S the Twenty eighth in
fantry smashed over the first real
American attack, capturing the VII
late of Cantigny, ard dealing the
boche a stiff blow. After an intense
artillery preparation which reduced
the village to dust, the Twenty
eighth went over" at GAS in the
morning on front Of about one and
one half miles. Within forty minutes
the Americans had reached every
objective ard nushed ahead to a depth
of about a mile in some places. cap
turing 220 men and five officers
Within a few hours after the attacF
the Germans launched seven distinct
counter attacks which were repulseo
after desperate fighting. But the First
lad proved 10 the satisfaction OF tho
world that it could lick the German
After few days the divi ion was
withdrawn to rest area. Marsha
Foch was now preparing the grea
blow which was to send the German:
Keeling back from the salient which
was menacing Paris-and the FRS
was assigned to place of honor il
the line.
Orders to Move
On one of those breathless days il
July when the fate of civilization wa:
hanging in the balance, came th'
orders to move In the evening end
less lines of motor trucks rOared int
the rest area and the troops wert
damned aboard. Throughout thu
night the columns of trucks hurried
along the roads toward the front A
dawn the division detrucked in
forest about twelve and a half mile
behind the trenches, and camped dur
ing the day hiden from the pryint
ewes of German flyers.
The march was resumed at night
fall. Through three lines of hurryin
traffic the First pushed on rapid
?nd carnp~d again in a wood only
few miles behind the lines. At dus
The last lap Of the march began. Alon
the TANNED roads the men marche'
in single and double file TO thei
places for the momentous battle a
daybreak. Just ahead the guns wer
laundering, the whole sky was aglar
with the terrific artillery fire. TIL
German nightfiyers SKINNED over IN
roads machinegunning and bombin
the crowded thoroughfare, and man
fell before reaching the lines. TIL
First division was given the impor
tant point southwest of scissors, nea
Missy aux Bots.
Most Decisive Battle
At 4:35 a. m. on July Is the bar
rage lifted. and the First went for
ward in what was probably the mos
decisive battle in history In some
the bloodiest fighting of the war, tn
division drove ahead from eight
ten miles within five days. again:
almost superhuman resistance, an
captured the heights southwest
scissors.
In the five days there was not
Continued on Page Two)