the Allies September 29 and 30 and the Illinois Negro
regiment was among those that accomplished that feat.

THEY CROSS THE AILETTE CANAL

To accomplish this they traversed an open ground through a German
barrage fire. A barrage fire is such a focusing of shot and shell that
it forms a veritable descending curtain of projectiles. Then when they
crossed the open they came to the Ailette Canal, in which wire
entanglements had been placed. Pontoon bridges were thrown across and so
the Hindenburg Line was reached and crossed. The regiment had two
hundred casualties as a result of that frightful but victorious advance.
The smashing at that line was final notice to Germany that the end was
at hand. Colored soldiers of this great republic with but a few months
of training had forced their way up to and through the most strongly
fortified military line in all history, against the desperate defense of
veterans with years of experience, the supposed unconquerable soldiers
of Germany.

DESPERATE DEEDS OF DARING

Where all with calm courage faced death it is almost out of place to
mention individual cases, but some deeds of daring better illustrate the
desperate chances taken when duty called. One regimental surgeon went
out in No Man's Land amid a hail of machine gun bullets--it seemed sure
death to face guns sending a spray of bullets searching the entire
area--and calmly attended wounded men where they lay knowing that
probably every minute would be his last. One D.S.C. was bestowed on a
private whose life had been sacrificed in the vain attempt to get a
message through the inferno of fire. He was off duty at the time, but
that did not matter. That message ought to go through. He was blown to
pieces in the attempt. But when he failed another volunteer stepped
forward. He was a Negro lad only eighteen years old. You would not have
noticed him among the workers of Chicago, but in his veins flowed the
blood of heroes. He got the message through but was killed trying to
return.

ONE MAN ROUTS A MACHINE GUN CREW

The entire regiment was being held up because a machine gun was so
favorably located for defense that it could incapacitate all who
attempted to cross its line of fire. Then one lone lieutenant concluded
that gun had done enough mischief, anyway what would one more life
amount to? So he charged it single handed, and kindly fate as if in
admiration of his daring decreed his safety. The gun was put out of
action,