Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-08
Highways and By-Ways
Of Lii Or New York
By R A NO N D c. RR /
- Copyright 1874. by Public Ledger Company, -

NEW YROK, June Seen. Robert Lee
| Billiard, ''hero Of Cantigny," sails for
! Europe tomorrow on the transport Cam
| tigny, his first trip abroad since his Re
| turn home with our victorious Army in
| May, 1919. His shipping on the name
ship Of his own victory, when he was
commander of the First Division, Is one
of those remarkable condolences which
makes life worth its salt. Needless to
comment upon the delight General Bull
lard found today In the midst of hnai
preparations on Governors Island, where,
for some time, he has been commanding
general Of the Second Corps area.
The last time General Billiard dropped
down the bay and passed out the Mar
| rows was this month, FIVE years ago,
when as colonel commanding the Goth In
fantry he was aboard the transport San
Jacinto, in the first American contingent
to leave for France. En- route he was
! made brigadier general, and soon soon
after reaching the battle area was given
command of the famous First division.
Cantigny Is the greatest event in the
life of General Billiard and a record page
In the annals OF our fighting In the
World War It was most needed vic
tory for it came at time when the
IeTIHdHB WE'RE dltdChlHS OH tilc w est
Front, breaking through at Rheims. 1t
was most heartening to the Allies and
it stood out for It's brilliant conception
and execution.
The sunrise of May IS 1918 with the
Americans on the Montdidier sector will
never be forgotten to those privileged to
have been there; our new line beyond
the village of Cantigny withstanding
German counter attacks, six altogether,
and holding firm, and patches Of enemy
prisoners being escorted to the rear
areas, 1t was In an old chate.", his
headquarters, that | heard General Bull
lard receive the warm congratulations
OF General Pershing. for the victory
flashed electrically along the Allied front
was the long hoped for presage Of the
kaiser's DOOM
General Billiards. promotion after Can
tigny was rapid He commanded the
Third Corps In the Meuse- Argonne often
siye and when the armistice came be
was commanding the new Second Army
which General pershing had massed back
Of Toul for an all American drive to out
flank and Isolate the great fortress OF
Metz. Had the end Of the war not In
tervened Sherman's March to the Sea-"
would have found a European replica in
Billiards. March Across Alsace,' for the
long. lean. smiling Alabanan has a rec
ord In the Army Of never having failed
OF accomplishments In a task assigned to
him.
During the last Winter General Billiard
suffered personal bereavement in the
death OF his wife. Their two children.
Rose. IS years old. and Keith, Il, will
accompany the Army officer 10 Europe
also Capt. Walter Yunl, aide TO the Gen
eral and who In the Cantigny fight COM
mauded a machine gun battalion Of the
10th Infantry.
I asked General Builard where were
those who were at his side at Cantigny-
Scattered, he replied. Campbell King.
who acted s my chief of sta1, Is now
on the general staff IN Washington.
George c. Marshall Kings right hand
officer. also is in Washington. aide TO
General Pershing. Brigadier General
Hanson L. Ely, who conducted the at
tack. is q brigader general somewhere
In the United States, and Gen. Charles
r Summerall who directed our artil-
lery at Cantigny, is now In Honolulu"
In turn, General Billiard asked for the
present posts OF the Cantigny war cor
respondents Junius Il. Wood IS In In
da. Wilbur Forrest and John T. Par
werson are in Paris. Joseph Grigg Is in
London and Bert Ford in Boston. Fred
Ferguson and Jimmy Hooper are here
in New York. Many OF the accredited
war correspondents OF the American ey-
peditiauary forces We're absent from Can
tlgnv much 10 their subsequent chagrin,
they having gone of 10 the i2d Division,
then IN line on the Champagne sector.
rnd other points on the front. All Of
The correspondents who were IT Cantigny
are still active In newspaper and kindred
work.
An American who did an important job
al Cantigny for which he has never re-
ceived nor asked recognition was Hugh
X. Pritchitt. an officer Of the Red Cross.
He foresaw the need Of extra blankets
and hospital supplies for our wounded,
and uron his own initiative got several
motor loads down from Paris 70 the base
town II Reauvais, from which they We're
rushed to the battle line needed. Prit
chitt Il successful broker in Wall
street.
The trouble with "reminiscences Of the
war is that when one starts to write a
paragraph, II spreads into column pro-
portions.
As time joys along and intervenes in
larger gaps between the days of 191T-1S.
and the current present, more and more,
those who were In the great adventure
overseas are observed to concentrate upon
particular events rather than cling to the
association Of Army units. The names
of the units seem to fade out, and the
world War veterans are commencing TO
herd together upon some stirring Incl
dents, such as Cantigny. Old soldiers OF
~, fyjl to hat &c ba tnys
dency of the after time Of war, and even
express regret that G. A. r. posts were
not organized upon some such basis.
Three men were all at Gettysburg would
get more out Of campfire meeting than
three who served IN different battles
The Alabama town that gave General
Builard to his country bears the strange
name of Opelika. His parents were am
bilious for him to become plantation
owner and registered him at the Alabama
Polytechnic Institute at Auburn, State
college organized IN 1872 for the benefit
Of agriculture and mechanic arts. He
rode six miles to college each day from
his home upon his own horse, which he
quartered In the stables belonging to the
wife of the surgeon Of the college.
A few weeks ago General Billiard re-
visited Lee County, to give his personal
zeal TO an attempt being made to raise
81 900, 900 endowment fund for his old
college at Auburn One Of the ladies of
the college, white haired and quite aged,
came forward with a garment which
she was carrying on her arm. ut is