The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-10-23
CHAPTER LxIv-continued

anu SOmLlduIHe- Inc euelly TclITSu
during the night and the division took
up the pursuit. overcoming vigorous
rear guard resistance until reaching
a line north and west of Beaumont
During the night of the 9Th its prog
ress continued. the division being re-
Geved the next morning.
The Seventy-seventh division was ef-
fectively opposed on the 4th north and
east of Oches, but on the 9Th its line
was pushed forward 10 the north of
Stonne and La Besace. By night of
the 9th the Seventy-seventh had
reached the Meuse, Remilly and Villers
being entered by its patrols.
The Seventy-eighth division on the
4th captured Les Petites Armoises, and
on the following morning advanced
more than mile to the north. The
Forty-second division relieved the Sew
enty-eighth on this line, and by the
9Th established itself north of Bulson
1t was the ambition of the First
army, and mine, that our troops
should capture Sedan, which the
French had lost in a decisive battle in
1870. | suggested to General Maistre
that the prescribed boundary line he
tween our First and the French Fourth
army might be ignored in case we
should outrun the French. to which he
offered no objection, but on the con-
trary warmly approved.
To reach the objective the left
boundary of the First army would have
10 be ignored. as Sedan lay to the
northwest beyond that limit. The
afternoon of November 5, the First
corps was directed TO bend its ener-
gies TO capture Sedan assisted on its
right by the Fifth corps"
A misconception in the Fifth corps
of tn. exact intent of my orders re-
suited in the First division erroneous
ly going beyond the left boundary of
the Fifth corps and marching directly
across the sector of the First corps
during the late afternoon of the 9th
and throughout the night. The troops
of the First division carried out this
unnecessary forced march in fine
spirit, despite their tired condition
Considerable confusion resulted in
the Forty-second and Seventy-seventh
divisions, and their advance was de-
layed as roads became blocked by the
columns of the First division The
Forty-second and the First then began
a race for the honor of capturing Sc
dan. Part of these divisions had en-
tered the zone of the French Fourth
army and were waging a fight with the
enemy for the possession of the
heights south and west of Sedan
The morning of November found
men of the FOrty-second and the First
divisions on the heights overlooking
the city. Under normal conditions the
action of the o.icer or officers respon-
sible for this movement of the First
division directly across the sectors of
two other divisions would not have
been overlooked. but the splendid
record of that unit and the approach
of the end of hostilities suggested
leniency.
The enemy's main line of communi-
cations was now within range of the
machine guns of the First army, which
had driven him "a miles since Noven-
Der L. His position on the western
front was no longer tenable and he
urged immediate consideration of an
armistice.
Late on November Marshal Foch,
then in conference with German repre-
sentatives regarding the terms of the
armistice, sent telegraphic instruc-
tons TO all allied commanders in
chief from which it might be inferred
that he was uncertain regarding the
outcome of negotiations and wished TO
let the enemy know that there would
be no further delay. The following
was the message received:
1.-THE enemy. disorganized by our
repeated attacks, retreats along
the entire front.
sit is important to coordinate
and expedite our movements.
''I appeal to the energy and the
initiative of the commanders in
chief of their armies to make de-
cisive the results obtained"
No Respite for Enemy.
Orders in response to this appeal
execution by the First army was I'M
der way November 10 and IL Yet
here again no sort of urging was nee
essary. Our troops were determined
not TO give the enemy any respite. AL
ready the crossing of the Meuse had
been planned for the whole army, and
the Fifth corpse got over during the
Of bo 1lth-11th Of no
Eighty-ninth division crossed on RATS
just west of Pouilly, and others in the
rear of the Ninetieth division tAllen).
The Second division was unable to
force a crossing at MouZon, as
planned. but about a mile south OF
Villemontry the engineers of the di-
vision, with exceptional rapidity and
skill, threw two bridges across. over
which one regiment passed. The
Seventy-seventh division. now on the
left of the Fifth corps, only sent over
patrols on the 10th and 18th, the low
ground north of the river opposite its
front being flooded by heavy rains and
damming operations by the Germans
The First corps from November 6
to 10 was withdrawing its divisions to
points on the Meuse between Dun-sur-
Mouse and Verdun. preparatory to a
general attack which would have as IT'S
object the turning of the enemy's
strong position in front of the Fifth
corps.
East OF the Meuse the First army
advanced in conjunction with the Sec