we were driven
back.

There were some American Indians in the ranks of our units attacking
there--there were lumber jacks and farmer boys and bookkeepers, and they
made heroic rushes against terrific barriers of hidden machine guns. But
after a day of gallant fighting they had been unable to progress.

Our efforts had by no means been exhausted. The following night our
artillery concentrated on the southern end of the woods and literally
turned it into an inferno with high explosive shells. Early in the
morning we moved to the attack again. Two of the Kaiser's most reputable
divisions, the 200th Jaegers and the 216th Reserve, occupied the wood.
The fighting in the wood was fierce and bloody, but it was more to the
liking of our men than the rushes across fire-swept fields. Our men
went to work with the bayonet. And for six hours they literally carved
their way through four kilometres of the forest. Before ten o'clock the
next morning, our lines lay to the north of the woods.

In consolidating the gains in the woods, our men surrounded in a small
clearing some three hundred of the enemy who refused to surrender.
American squads advanced with the bayonet from all sides. The Germans
were fighting for their lives. Only three remained to accept the
ignominy of capture.

Our forward progress continued and by August 4th the Germans were
withdrawing across the Vesle River. The immediate objective that
presented itself to the Americans was the important German supply depot
at Fismes. It was in and around Fismes that some of the bloodiest
fighting in the second battle of the Marne took place. The capture of
Fismes was the crowning achievement of one American division that so
distinguished itself as to be made the subject of a special report to
the French General Headquarters by the French army in which the
Americans fought. In part, the report read:

"On Aug. 4th the infantry combats were localized with terrible fury.
The outskirts of Fismes were solidly held by the Germans, where their
advance groups were difficult to take. The Americans stormed them and
reduced them with light mortars and thirty-sevens. They succeeded,
though not without loss, and at the end of the day, thanks to this
slow but sure tenacity, they were within one kilometre of Fismes and
masters of Villes, Savoye and Chezelle Farm. All night long rains
hindered their movements and rendered their following day's task more
arduous. On their