Milford chronicle., 1921-07-29
THREE YEARS AGO

Three years ago the battle tina
marked the beginning of the end TO
the German autOcracy, and the sue
cess of the Allied arms under the abl
leadership of Marshal Foch, began. A
5:2O a. M, the three picked divisions
the list and End American and the Is
Moroccan, (the latter containing tht
famous foreign Legion, of the Frencl
army, started their attack on th'
northwestern end of the salient tha
the Germans had driven, to the Marine
at Chateau -Thierry, and when the day
was finished the Allied Divisions haC
driven a wedge into the German lines
that was approximately seven kilo-
meters deep.
From the first day Of the attack
which was one of the real surprises
of the war, the Germans had little
| chance of stopping the onward rush OF
the French Colonials and the Ameri-
cans. 1t has been stated that, at the
time of the battle, no American troops
had ever approached the t1ghtinA 1bil-
ity Of the two divisions, the Ast and
End. Losses and fatigue could not stop
the divisions as they pushed on, de-
feating those troops that the enemy
could muster against them, and win
ming for American arms one of the
most brilliant and glorious of victor
les.
The enemy had much artillery and
some of his good infantry troops To-
Gated at the point selected by Marshal
Foch for his attempt. Two roads, the
Paris-SOissOns and the SoissOns-Cha-
teau-Thierry highways, were being
used for main arteries by the enemy,
and to cut these, together with the
railway leading from Chateau-ThieTTy
to scissors, would mean the evacua-
ton of the salient by the Germans,
and their. second defeat on the Marine.
If this attack succeeded. the Command
er-in-Chief of all the Allied Forces
would know that never again would
the Germans be able to take the Of
fensiEe, for he would drive, and drive
until they were whipped into submis-
sion.
The 1st Division went into the at
tack after night of horror, with men
thoroughly exhausted after the strug-
gle through the rain and mud and
dark, through miles of artillery, tanks
and transport. Some of the troops
reached the jump-off line just as the
artillery opened fire for the first bar
rage, and they had no time to rest
when they received the word to go.
The End Division had de-trucked the
of July II behind Mortefon-
taine, north of the Compiegne Forest,
and the men had stayed along the road
all day, without taking off their heavy
packs. When night came, the tired
troops, which included two regiments
of Marines, started for the front lines,
and marched all night through much
the same conditions as the list Divis- !
ion had met. officers of the 1st Divis-
ion, who knew about the march of the
End, characterized that march as one
Of the truly difficult feats of the Am
erican campaign.
For five days the 1st Division fought !
gaining the ground assigned for
them, foot by foot, and at times leav-
ing the ground strewn with dead, both |
Of their own and of the enemy. When |
the morning of July 81 arrived, Major |
Paul DAILY, 18th Infantry, 1st Division,
Of New York City, whose battalion |
was surrounded by the Germans, and |
there were no troops to go to his aid |
for the time being. When most officers |
would have been resigned to their |
fate, and when most men would have |
been satisfied to have their officers
surrender, small group of his men,
together with three Frenchmen who
had become detached from their COM
mand on Daly's right, make a quick
assault on the Chateau of Buzancy,
which was a stronghold of the Ger
mans, and demanded it's surrender.
After short parley, during which
several Germans, including one officer
net death, the German Lieutenant Col
mel gave up the struggle and march
ID out of his cellar with hands in the
.ir, at the head of more than 200 of
lis command.
The capture of the stronghold, and
he sight of so many Germans going
o the rear heartened the Americans
nd gave. the Germans who were be-
ween DAILY and the rest of the 18th
regiment, of which he was part,
ceiling that they could not win, and
hey slowly withdrew. And thus the
title heard of 'lost" battalion of the
st Division fought it's way out against
odds, and gave Major
)aly a chance to send back the mes
age that is treasured highly in the
st Division reading "I am on the
eights of Buzancy with 80 men and I
ne officer. I have just captured 21O
ficers and men of the enemy. When
he French on my right or the 18th In
antry on my life come up, will pro-
eed to take the town of Buzancy." /
his message was received by Col.
later GeneraD Frank Parker.
That Americans could accomplish I
be feats shown at scissors it was
that the officers and men
hould be in the best of physical con-
ition, and this was the case with ev-
ryone there. Men lost as much as Is
ounds in the five days of the battle,
nd yet were ready for fight again
-ithin "a hours of their relief from
le line.
Since the war little attempt has {
cen made to keep any great body Of
mericans in good trim for strenuous
ork, but this year the chance is Of 9
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