Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01
AMERICAS FIRST FIGHT
AT CANTICNY VITAL
Victory in First Battle of the War
Greatly Cheered Allies and
Discouraged Germans.

battle in the hands Of a motor cycle
messenger who would carry it 90 miles
back to the city of Beauvaix, the near
est telegraph station.
Told Movement Of Troops.
Late that afternoon when the story
had been written and dispatched, Hopr
per appeared at Chepoix. His narra-
tive was a knockout" It picked up
where the writer had left 1t and car
ried on straight across the fields with
the troops TO the edge OF the village
OF Cantigny. The troops had not at
tempted to carry by frontal assault the
scattered buildings at the edge OF the
village, but had worked around on
either side in an encircltng maneuVer'
Hopper was left alone standing on the
edge Of the village wondering what 70
do next. He had not long to wonder.
German soldiers in the houses and
barns, shaken by the bombardment ana
waiting to surrender, began to flood
out of the village m the general d. ;
rection Of Hopper. They were un-
armed, having left their weapons be-
hind.
war correspondents with the A. e. r.
wore the officers' uniform with the
Sam Browne belt. 1t being a warm
May morning, trench coats had been
left in the rear, and there stood Hop
per, looking every inch an od6cer, On
the edge of Cantigny. and right there
also were 40 German soldiers, hands
slightly elevated above their shoulders
| in token Of surrender, trotting toward
Hopper.
The correspondent had no difficulty
in recognizing the oncoming squad as
of the enemy, but he wholly n1Sln-
terpreted their intent. He thought they
were about to attack him and ne
trotted some more. This, however, was
! not for long. The enemy soon caugnt
up and surrounded him.
Foe Surrenders to Reporter.
In the midst of the group and in .
ulandry as to what to do, Hoppers at
tention was directed toward the village.
An American squad Of moppers-up were
emerging from Cantigny. The Ameri-
cans caught sight of the German SOL
diers. who by this time had completely
surrounded the correspondent and OBJ
scured him from view. An American
officer cut loose with an automatic, not
once, but several times. When the Ger
mans realized they were under close
range fire they lifted their hands IN
| earnest.
The Germans were taken prisoners
and the correspondent was extricated
| from his dilemma. Neither he nor the
Germans were armed, so the danger had
never been very real except from e1-
terror sources.
Hopper was again left to his own re-
sources, and he sought O convenienE
shell hole. In this shallow pit he found
two privates from the Medical Corps
assisting a wounded man. They hao
unlimbered a stretcher and Hopper was
assigned to carry one end of it toward
dressing station, some distance across
the field, thus releasing one OF the
Medical Corps men to remain and serve
other wounded men.
on the way back Hopper and his
companion set down their burden to
talk to a soldier who was inquiring the
way to the dressing station.
Are you hit?" he was asked.
He pulled out his shirt tail and ex-
hibited a tiny blue hole In his abdomen.
He was a walking dead man." said
Hopper, land he did not know it."
Ely Commanded Troops.
Gen. Ely and others participating di-
rectly probably saw the Cantigny bat
tie through other glass. Much was on
their shoulders.
The then Col. Ely, commander in that
important battle, was able to add 1t to
other laurels to come. The War De-
partment has summed up this I'M lacor1ic
fashion as follows:
"At Cantigny the 28th was COM
manded by Hanson E. Ely, then colonel,
now major general, U. S. S.
Born in Independence, Iowa, No
vember %, 1867, Gen. Ely has q most
distinguished service record. ...
HE saw service on our Western from.
tier and in the Philippines before the
World War. For his brilliant leadership
and gallantry at Cantigny, Gen. Ely raA
ceived the Croix de Guerre with palms.
Later, while commanding the Sd Bril-
gade, I'd Division, Gen. Ely was awarded
the Distinguished Service Cross for exA
traordinary heroism under fire dur1taa
the capture of Vierzey, near Scissors.
Gen Ely led the Sd Brigade ip 10
Aisne- Marne, st. Mihiel, Blanc-ModN
and Meuse-Argonne offensives.
ION october /, 1918, Gen. Ely WA
appointed major general and placed III
command of the 5th Division. UndI
his leadership the 5th Division achieved
what is hailed as one Of the outStand1
ing exploits of the whole war when a
succeeded in crossing the Meuse (Dun2
sur-Meuse) November 2, 8 and s."