of St. Quentin,
another north of Rheims, and a third to the east in Champagne. All were
successful, resulting in the freeing of much territory and the capture
of many prisoners. On October 4 the Americans resumed the attack west of
the Meuse. In the face of heavy artillery and machine gun fire, troops
from Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia,
forced the Germans back to the so-called Kriemhilde line. In the
Champagne, American and French troops were moving successfully. On the
6th the Americans captured St. Etienne; on the 9th they reached the
southern outskirts of Xivry and entered Chaune wood. On the same day the
armies of Field Marshall Haig made a clean break through the Hindenburg
system on the west. Through a twenty-mile gap, they advanced from nine
to twelve miles, penetrating almost to the Le Selle and Sambre rivers.

On October 12 the British General Rawlinson, with whom an American
division had been operating, sent a telegram of congratulation to the
commander of the division, which comprised troops from Tennessee, in
which he highly praised the gallantry of all the American troops. French
troops on October 13 captured the fortress of La Fere, the strongest
point on the south end of the old Hindenburg line. They also entered
Laon and occupied the forest of St. Gobain. On October 15 the Americans
took and passed St. Juvin after desperate fighting. On October 16 they
occupied the town of Grandpre, a place of great strategic importance,
being the junction of railways feeding a large part of the German
armies. The Germans now began a retreat on an enormous scale in Belgium.
So fast did they move that the British, French and Belgians could not
keep in touch with them. The North sea ports of Belgium were speedily
evacuated. Northwest of Grandpre the Americans captured Talma farm
October 23, after a stiff machine gun resistance. Victories continued to
be announced from day to day from all portions of the front.

On November 1 the Americans participated in a heavy battle, taking
Champaigneulle and Landres et St. George, which enabled them to threaten
the enemy's most important line of communication. On November 4 the
Americans reached Stenay and on the 6th they crossed the Meuse. By the
7th they had entered Sedan, the place made famous by the downfall of
Napoleon III in the war of 1870. On other parts of the American front
the enemy retreated so fast that the infantry had to resort to motor