The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-06-26

a high hill, which is covered by the
Bois d'Aigremont.
On the right lay the Surmelin, Val
ley. in which nestled the town OF
Crezancy. This valley being the point
of ingress and egress to the Marine
Valley made the possession of this
road vital to the enemy. But to gain
it, he must first annihilate the Thir-
tieth Infantry.
The majority of the wounded were
heroic and stoical in their suffering
A few were effeminate. Most of them
suffered in silence, bearing patiently
tn long waiting. The few cursed bit
terly, or begged to be carried to the
rear. We had many raving maniacs
In passing among the uninjured
saw drawn, pinched faces, but the
eyes were still bright and jaws were
set with a determination that bespoke
the iron resolution in each mans
heart that THE Hun shall not pass. .
Hun Infantry Attacks.
At 10 o'clock we had more than 25O
men all severely wounded, awaiting
evacuation. Becoming eXasperated al
the failure of the runners to return,
went myself to establish liaison with
the ambulance service, and found the
ambulance coming to the Greves farm
one kilometer to our rear.
The wounded men were simply
piled up and it looked as though we
never would be able to get them out
After 10 o'clock the artillery fire
slackened.
At 4:30 that morning the emmy
launched his long expected infantry
attack: Three crossing places by pom
toon bridges and by boats of 20 man
capacity were attempted on that part
of the front held by the Thirtieth In
fantry.
Bitter and determined fighting fol-
lowed along the American defensive
positions. The advanced elements
fought to almost annihilation. With
rifles, machine guns, automatic rifles,
grenades and trench mortars, the
Thirtieth stood firm and for the most
part broke up the enemy attacks.
At one or two points the enemy was
partially, but only temporarily, sue
cessful in making a breach in the
American lines. Through these he
rushed his troops into the field and
to the rear of our most advanced ele-
ments. But his success was Of short
duration. Coming into range of our
riflemen and machine gunners camou-
fiaged in pits along the foothills and
in copses, the enemy met CALLING fire
that flesh could not withstand, and
was forced to discontinue his advance
and seek shelter in she'll holes and
bitches from which he was later made
prisoner.
Scattered American detachments
along the river held on like grim
death.
Boche Has Enough.
The determined resistance of the
Americans had so completely broken
up tn enemy attacks that from now
on his efforts were feeble and half
hearted and by the night of the 18th,
although there was still intense
sporadic shell fire, the attack had
worn itself out, and the Thirtieth In
fantry reestablished itself unaided in
its former positions.
The wonderful defense and gallant
conduct of the officers and men of the
Thirtieth Infantry in meeting the
principal shock of the powerful Ger
man offensive and defeating the pick
ed troops of the kaiser is best told in
the following proposal for citation Of
the regiment for "The Order of the
Army by the commanding general of
the Sixth French Army, and COM
manding general of the Third United
States Division, our own admired and
respected Maj. Gen. Joseph Dickman,
until recently commanding the Third
Army:
Proposal for Citation.
Headquarters Sixth Army, Thirty
eighth Corps, Third United States
Division.
proposition for citation for "The
Order of the Army.
"For the Thirtieth United States In
fantry:
Regular regiment of the American
Army under the energetic and skill
full command of its chief, Col. E. D.
Butts, has shown itself faithful to its
traditions in meeting the principal
shock of the German attack on July
Is.
"ITndergoinp q omhardment ey-
tremely violent, which has caused i'm
mense losses, it held in spite of all
the enemy's attacks and reestablish-
ed itself integrally in its original po-
sitions and meanwhile took more than
200 prisoners.
~. T. Dickman.
Major General, U. S. A., Command
ing Third Division, United States
Army.