Although the Germans made the first successful raid, the Americans took
the first prisoner. He was captured only a few nights after the coming
of the doughboys. A patrol picked him up close to the American wire. He
was a mail-carrier, and in cutting across lots to reach some of his
comrades he lost his way and wandered over to the American lines.
Although he was surprised, he was not willing to surrender, but made an
attempt to escape after he had been ordered to halt. One of the
doughboys fired at him as he ran and he was carried into the American
trenches badly wounded. He died the next day.
Beginning on the night of November 2 and extending over into the early
morning of November 3, the Germans made a successful raid against the
American lines immediately after a relief. After a severe preliminary
bombardment a large party of raiders came across. The bombardment had
cut the telephone wires of the little group of Americans which met the
attack and they were completely isolated. They fought bravely but
greenly. Three Americans were killed, five were wounded, and twelve were
captured. The Germans retired quickly with their prisoners.
American morale was not injured by this first jab of the Germans. On the
other hand, it made the doughboys mad, and, better than that, made them
careful. A German attempt to repeat the raid a few nights later was
repulsed. The three men who were killed in this first clash were buried
close to the lines, while minute-guns fired shells over the graveyard
toward the Germans. General Bordeaux, who commanded the French division
at this point, saluted before each of the three graves, and then turned
to the officers and men drawn up before him and said:
"In the name of the division, in the name of the French Army, and in the
name of France, I bid farewell to Private Enright, Private Gresham, and
Private Hay of the American Army.
"Of their own free will they had left a prosperous and happy country to
come over here. They knew war was continuing in Europe; they knew that
the forces fighting for honor, love of justice and civilization were
still checked by the long-prepared forces serving the powers of brutal
domination, oppression, and barbarity. They knew that efforts were still
necessary. They wished to give us their generous hearts, and they have
not forgotten old historical memories while others forget more recent
ones. They ignored nothing of the circumstances and nothing had been
concealed from them--neither the length and hardships of war, nor the
violence of battle, nor the dreadfulness of new weapons, nor the perfidy
of the foe.
"Nothing stopped them. They accepted the hard and strenuous life; they
crossed the ocean at great peril; they took their places on the front by
our side, and they have fallen facing the foe in a hard and desperate
hand-to-hand fight. Honor to them. Their families, friends, and fellow
citizens will be proud when they learn of their deaths.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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