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My Experiences
in the World War
By General John J. Pershing
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CHAPTER XVI
Having learned that, despite my
recommendations, little or no attention
was being given at home to the im
portance of teaching our men the use
• of the rifl£, it seemed necessary again
to emphasize my views, especially
after further knowledge of its neglect
In allied armies.
The infantry soldier, well trained in
stealthy approach and in the art of
taking cover, makes a small target
and, if an expert rifleman, there is
nothing that can take his place on the
battlefield.
“Specialties of trench warfare at
home,” I cabled Washington, Septem
ber 24, 1917, “should not be allowed to
Interfere with rifle practice nor with
Intensive preliminary training in our
schools of soldier, company and bat
talion.”
Americans Retain Jurisdiction.
My diary notes the following:
Chaumont, Wednesday. Sept. 20,
1917. —The French agree that we
should retain exclusive jurisdic
tion over American soldiers in
France.
Chief of ordnance at Washing
ton delays storehouse construction
by requesting views of French
commissioner regarding otr ne
cessities.
Have again cabled relative to
carelessness and delay in loading
of transports.
The War department had brought up
the question of civil jurisdiction over
the members of our forces in France
and had inquired regarding the atti
tude of the French.
My judge advocate, Col. W. A.
Bethel, presented our opinion to the
French authorities, which was that ac
cording to the principles of interna
tional law, and in view of the condi
tions under which the American army
was serving in France, its members
should not be subject to criminal pros
ecution in Franch courts but should be
answerable only to our own military
tribunals. This view was readily ac
cepted by the French, and very prop
erly the jurisdiction over our forces,
both civil and military, remained in
our hands.
“Greit Confusion at Home.”
There was ample evidence of great
confusion at home due to lack of effi
cient supervision, even in New York
harbor, where experts should have
been easy to find. Ships were seldom
loaded to their full capacity; suppliea
greately needed were often left be
hind ; nonessentials were being sent
over; many things were broken due to
careless loading; troops were ofteu
shipped to one port and their equip
ment to another.
The Washington bureaus often fol
lowed blindly some out-of-date supply
table perhaps drawn up under a for
mer regime by an antiquated desk sol
dier long since retired and forgotten.
As an illustration, I recall a bill of
lading from one of our transports that
was presented to me about this time as
a curiosity. It listed a number of ar
ticles quite useless to an army in the
field and provoked the following cable:
“For all departments. Recomnieud
no further shipments be made of fol
lowing articles . . . bath bricks, book
cases, bathtubs, cabinets for blanks,
chairs except folding chairs, cuspidors,
office desks, floor wax, hose except fire
hose, stepladders, lawn mowers, re
frigerators, settees, sickles, stools, win
dow shades. Further stop orders will
follow soon.’’
. We were short-handed, both at de
pots and along the line of communica
tions, in all classes of labor that
should have been sent over long be
fore. The quartermaster corps in
France was seriously handicapped in
handling, caring for and issuing its
stores and supplies.
The need for stevedores had become
most urgent. Combat troops were still
being used to unload cargo and much j
time was wasted by the use of labor ;
that was entirely unsuitable for this '
sort of work through lack of experl-'
ence. Moreover, it was urgent that
the combat troops should be sent in
land to receive their battle instruction.
The French, although short them
selves, had loaned us a few prisoners
and also some women as laborers to
help out, but neither class was satis
factory. Under the conditions there
was danger that our ports would be
come hopelessly congested, although
three weeks later, and after further
urgent appeals, the War department
promised to send stevedores at once.
Line Training for First Division.
My diary notes the following:
Chaumont, Thursday, Oct. 4,
1917.—Gen. de Castlenau called
Tuesday to discuss entry of First
division in the line.
Witnessed attack maneuver of
the division yesterday and con
ducted critique.
Ambassador Sharp came today
with Mr. Joseph Reinach for a vis
it and had lunch with us. Have
cabled appeal for officers fitted for
general staff.
The French, always solicitous re
garding tlie t r.igress of our training, j
were anxious that our most advanced .
American unit t;. ;e its place in ai
quiet sector, for the experience. The
main reason they advanced for sug
gesting front-line training at this time,
with which I fully agreed, was that it
would give new encouragement to
their armies and through them to the
people. The First division itself was
keen to take a more active part and
was soon to have the opportunity.
This division had been billeted in
the training area since July 15 and
had begun to show the excellent ef
fects of the system of training we had
prescribed. At the maneuver which I
attended the officers handled their
units with considerable skill, particu
larly Capt F. H. Burr, who conducted
an attack with his battalion of the
Twenty-eighth regiment, and Maj.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who did a
similar problem with his battalion of
the Twenty-sixth regiment.
Pleased With Efficiency.
At the division school the bayonet
exercises, special target practice, fir
ing with trench mortars, bomb-throw
ing and other trench training were
well carried out. I returned much
pleased with the evidences of effi
ciency in this organization, which was
later to become famous among the
armies on the western front.
My diary says:
Paris, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 1917.
—Spent Sunday at Gondirecourt,
First division field meet, with Gen
eral Harbord. General Ragueneau
and Representative Medill McCor
mick. We lunched with Bullard.
“Yesterday evening the officers
at G. H. Q. called to extend con
gratulations on confirmation of my
appointment as general. All heads
of permanent staff departments
appointed to grade of brigadier
general.
A group of major generals are
over on tour of inspection.
The staff department heads who be
came brigadier generals at that time
were: James G. Harbord. chief of
staff; Benjamin Alvord, adjutant gen
eral; Harry L. Rogers, quartermaster
general; W. A. Bethe, judge-advocate
general; Edgar Russell, chief of signal
corps; G. C. Williams, chief of ord
nance, and A. E. Bradley, chief sur
geon.
Officers Visit Battlefields.
In accordance with my recommenda
tion, division commanders from the
states were being sent over to visit the
battlefields, armies and schools in or
der to become acquainted with condi
tions and to experience the atmos
phere of war. It was important that
they should appreciate the realities
and become fully impressed with the
’ urgency of thorough preparation of
| their commands. It was thought they
' would become impressed with the ag-
I gressive spirit that characterized oui
I training in France by coming into
iclose touch with our methods,
f These officers were sent to visit the
' allied fronts and to see demonstra
' tlons at our own training fields and
, schools and were also taken along the
i line of communications. I took occa-
I sion to give them personally my con
' ception of the course of training that
' should be followed at home, making
an especial point of rigid discipline,
rifle practice and the instruction of
junior officers in open warfare.
A number of the officers sent over
were either physically unfit or had
reached the age when new ideas fail
to make much of an impression, and
consequently I recommended that
those of both classes be left at home
for other duty or to be retired.
CHAPTER XVII
Marshal Joseph Joffre, upon my in
vitation, arrived at Chaumont Octo
ber 15, 1917, to see our First di
vision.
The French military officials were
anxious to show their respect and it
was arranged to have both an Ameri
can and a French guard or honor |
drawn up to salute him upon his ar
rival at my residence. These two
■ small guards vied with each other and
both seemed to get a great thrill out
j of the ceremony.
After an interesting evening with
tlie marshal and his staff as our guests
we left the next morning by motor car
; for Treveray, accompanied by Gen-
■ erals Ragueneau and Alvord, Colonels
, De Chambrun and McCoy and Cap-
■ tain Boyd.
Tlie troops of the division were
drawn up in line ready to receive us
and presented a much better appear
ance than at the review by President;
Poincare. Tlie men were especially
keen to be inspected by a marshal of j
France and their pride was clearly j
evident by their perfect lines as they
swung by in the march past. The ■
marshal in turn was enthusiastic overl
their vigorous appearance and military
bearing.
One incident occurred that was not I
on the program. On the way to the |
field for the ceremony a well-groomed I
mule that happened to be runningl
loose pricked up his ears, looked us;
over and decided to trot along with |
us. One of my staff wagered that this
wise afiimal knew what was going on
I and would be present to see the
march past. Sure enough, when we!
j reached our position this Missouri 1
EARLY COUNTY NEWS. BLAKELY. GEORGIA
■I
I
g'ii
General Pershing Inspecting Poilus.
product had preceded us. Cautiously
approaching, he displayed the great
est curiosity in the guest of honor.
As all efforts to drive him away
seemed futile, he hovered near as an
' interested spectator of the proceed
ings, much to the amusement of the
marshal.
Review Other Units.
I gave a luncheon at Neufchateau
for the marshal’s party and my own
and the senior officers of the First
division. After that we saw the train
ing conducted by the First corps
school and visited the American and
French billets at the village of St.
Blin, where the One Hundred and
First regiment, Twenty-sixth division,
and the French Sixty-ninth passed in
review in excellent form. As we re
turned toward Chaumont other Ameri
can and French units were drawn up
by the roadside in honor of the mar
shal.
It was rather late when we started
and darkness overtook us while pass
ing on foot through the lines. The
trumpets of each regiment sounded as
we approached, and with the lights
from our automobiles close behind
illuminating the trees that bordered
the highway and the faces that peered
through the shadows to catch a
glimpse of the marshal the scene sug
gested some legendary painting.
Finally we halted and the troops,
including tlie French One Hundred
and Fifty-first infantry, which had
made a remarkable record at Verdun,
marched past us. As the regiments
came out of the darkness into the
spotlight of our autos they made a
■ picture never to be forgotten.
Denies False Cable Rumor.
Returning to Faris October 19, I
learned that a dispatch from Berlin
to the New York Times represented
me as having said that the German
lines were impregnable. The report
might have been idle gossip, but it
was more probably circulated to cre
ate the Impression that our armies
were starting on a forlorn hope. This
report was so far from the truth that
I cabled the secretary of war that
it was absolutely false and without
any foundation whatever.
In every reference to our future
operations I had strongly maintained
that it was not only possible to break
the German lines but that it would
he done. The very system of train
ing that we were persistently follow
ing was based on the determination to
force the Germans out of their
trenches and beat them in the open
On no other theory could they have
been defeated.
Yet without question there were not
a few among our allies and probably
ome in our own army who thought
he task impossible, supporting their
view by citing the failures of the
previous three years, especially that
of the spring of 1917. It was none
the less a surprise, however, when a
report came directly to me that such
views had actually been expressed
in the presence of civilian visitors by
officers of rank in our army.
I was indignant to learn of that
kind of talk, and in commenting on it
to the Americans who had heard such
statements made I said that “The
German lines can be broken, they
must be broken, and they will be
broken,” and those present will recall
that it was said with considerable
emphasis.
Positive steps were taken at once
to eradicate such notions, or at least
prevent them from being openly
stated, and I was determined to re
lieve immediately any officer, without
r- z /
Doughboys in the Irenc-hes in Winter Time
regard to rank, who should express
any such opinion.
First Division Moves In.
My general impression of the sit
uation at this time was set forth in a
cable to Washington October 21:
“During the last week the water
soaked ground in Flanders and on
the western front generally has pre
vented further development of offen
sive movements. Summing up wast
age of German army in this year’s
campaign, a single offensive, such as
the Anglo-French in Flanders in prog
ress since July 31, is insufficient ma
terially to weaken Germany’s man
power. Next year must see two of
fensives, continuously maintained
throughout summer, if decisive result
is to be obtained. This can only be
secured through aid of effective United
States army on this side. . . . The
troops on the western front have been
re-enforced by one German division
from the Russian front. . . .”
As the training of the First division
had now progressed sufficiently it was
put into line in the quiet sector north
east of Luneville, under the super
vision of the French, for actual trench
experience. The division was under
officered and short of horses, clothing
and many other things, especially roll
ing kitchens, of which a few had only
recently been received, and trucks,
which were borrowed from the French.
Stressed Need of Winter Clothing.
My repeated cables, beginning in
July, for winter clothing had received
scant attention, and with the coming
of colder weather the shortage became
critical. The initial stock requested
was disallowed, the monthly allot
ments were totally inadequate and the
depots were practically empty.
The explanation that came from the
quartermaster general’s office, that our
requests could not be granted on ac
count of the needs at home, showed
a total lack of appreciation of the
necessity of properly clothing the fight
ing man actually at the front above
all others. After another urgent ap
peal a partial supply was sent, but
we had succeeded in obtaining a quan
tity of clothing from the British to
tide us over.
CHAPTER XVIII
Upon the invitation of General Pe
tain I went to the French front to be
present at their second offensive since
General Nivelle’s failure in April, ar
riving by motor at the headquarters
of General d’Esperey, commander of
the group of armies of the north, on
the evening of October 22, 1917.
The plans for the attack were ex
plained to us, and from the extreme
care taken in working out the details
and from their accurate knowledge
of the enemy’s forces and his position,
there seemed to be little doubt of suc
cess.
Soon after their victory near Ver
dun in August the French had begun
to prepare for this offensive, in which
they could not well afford to fail.
The advance was made by eight di
visions of the Sixth army on a front
of only seven and a half miles extend
ing along the Aisne, with the object
of gaining a more advantageous po
sition for the winter and also still
further building up French morale.
Extended Artillery Fire.
General Maistre, the army comman
der, gave the operation his personal
attention, prescribing an artillery
preparation covering six days, during
which the expenditure of ammunition
was even greater than in the offensive
of August 20. The long period of ar- |
tillery fire was considered necessary,
as the Gei'mans were strongly fortified
along the ciiaiky bluffs of the Aisne.
where numerous caverns afforded
cover for large garrisons held near
the front.
The assaulting lines of infantry, ac
companied by numerous tanks, suc
ceeded without difficulty in reaching
the limited objectives. Fort Malmai
son. the key point, was reduced to
a heap of rubbish by the very heavy
artillery fire concentrated upon it, Tlie
capture of this dominant position by
the French caused the immediate with
drawal of the Germans on the right
and left, and during the succeeding
fortnight they retired behind the
Ailette.
Victory Is Offset.
This achievement of the French in
capturing positions against which the
April offensive by Nivelle dashed it
self to pieces had a very stimulating
effect upon their morale, but it would
have been more lasting had it not been
followed so soon by the serious de
feat of the Italians at Caporetto Oc
tober 24.
After extending thanks to our host
we left for Compiegne, literally cov
ered with mud, stopping there to con
gratulate General Petain on the suc
cess of the day. While at Compiegne
we dropped in at the dispensary where
some American women under Miss
Elsie De Wolfe (who afterward be
came Lady Mendl) maintained a clinic
for badly burned gas cases. We also
made a brief call at the hospital near
by to see Colonel Bunau-Varila of
Panama canal fame, who had lost a
leg at the recent French offensive near
Verdun. From his cheerful mood he
seemed to be rather proud of his
wound
In 1927 I took part in the dedica
tion of the Ossuary near Verdun, at
which Colonel Bunau-Varila was pres
ent. On the rounds to inspect this
fine monument we passed the many
bays which contain the bones of men
who lost their lives in the great bat
tle. When we came to the bay cor
responding to the sector in which he
fought, he jovially remarked that he
thought his leg must be in there.
Dock Construction Delayed.
Toward the end of October, accom
panied by Gens. Richard N. Blatchford
and Mason M. Patrick, and Cols.
Charles R. Krauthoff and David S.
Stanley, I visited Bordeaux, one of
the ports chosen for the use of Amer
ican troops. As facilities were only
sufficient to accommodate a limited
amount of additional medium draft
shipping, we had started the construc
tion of new docks at Bassens, 12 miles
below, where deep water would per
mit vessels to come alongside. Al
though considerable quantities of ma
terial had been sent over, this new
construction was delayed principally
because of the lack of piling which the
engineers had planned to have brought
from the Pacific coast.
An incident happened in connection
with the shipments of piling from
home that would have been amusing
if it had not been so serious. One
ship that reached Bordeaux was sup
posed to be loaded with especially long
piling, but upon inspection the engi
neers found, it much shorter than pre
scribed. Upon inquiry it was learned
that to get the piles in between bulk
heads the supercargo had sawed the
ends off. While speaking of forest
products another example of ineffi
ciency that occurred a little later
might be mentioned.
One of the vessels from home was
loaded by the quartermaster’s depart
ment with shavings for the cold stor
age plant instead of steel billets for
the manufacture of guns when tons of
sawdust and shavings could have been
obtained from the logging districts in
France.
Trouble With Russians.
Continuing the inspection, we wern
on Sunday to Cornau, about forty
miles from Bordeaux, thinking it
might possibly be available for our
use later on. It was then occupied
by a brigade of disaffected Russians,
who, like most of their fellows, had
defied their officers and refused to
participate further in the war. After
being withdrawn from the fine they
had given the French so much trouble,
even to committing depredations on
the people, that they had to be sent
out of the zone of the armies to this
rather remote camp, where they were
held practically as prisoners.
There was no transportation to car
ry them back to Russia, and as they
had been allowed to keep their arms
it was difficult to enforce discipline
among them. I spoke to two colonels
and criticized the lack of sanitation,
but it was evident that they were un
able to compel the men to work, even
to the extent of cleaning out stables,
latrines or drains, and the conditions
may be better imagined than de
scribed. The men were a heavy, stu
pid-looking lot, who, in their new es
tate, apparently did not care how bad
things were so long as the French
continued to feed and clothe them.
Progress Is Noted.
Gievres, which lies 100 miles direct
ly south of Paris, became the site of
our principal supply depot in France
Under Col. C. J. Symmonds’ able and
energetic direction construction to cov
er an area of 12 square miles was go
ing forward with all possible speed.
Colonel Symmonds was gradually put
ting order and system into the place.
Regardless of the adverse conditions
under which the line of communica
tions was laboring there was every
where a fine and enthusiatic spirit
among the officers and men, who, with
out exception, were cheerful and opti
mistic.
After all, considering the lack of
men and material, we were making
progress on the physical side of the
organization that would feed, clothe I
and furnish munitions for the great |
army we hoped to have.
One obstacle, however, was to be
found in the number of independent
bureaus represented at the ports and
the larger centers of activity, not
only in our own system, but especial
ly in that of the French, and the con
sequent difficulty of securing team
work among them. As a remedy I
sent to each base section a compe
tent general officer with an organ
ized staff to coordinate and system
atize the management of affairs,
and in a brief time considerable im
provement was noticeable in meth
ods of handling troop arrivals and
cargo and in the increased progress
of construction.
(To Be Continned.)
LAND SALE.
Under and by virtue of the au
thority contained in a security deed
executed by Bessie C. Sheffield to
Herman Hachmeister, dated Decem
ber Ist, 1923, and recorded in the
office of the Clerk of the Superior
Court in Early County, Georgia, on.
March 3rd, 1924, in Book 37, page
119, there will be sold before the
Court House Door of Early County,
Georgia, on Tuesday, July 14th,
1931, between the hours of ten
o’clock A. M. and four o’clock P. M.,
to the highest and best bidder for
cash the property conveyed by said
deed and described as follows:
Three Hundred Twenty-five (325)
acres, more or less, in the Twenty
sixth (26th) District of Early coun
ty, Georgia, described as followsi
The North one-third (1-3) of Lot
Four Hundred Six (406) and that
part of Dot Four Hundred Nine
(409) which lies North of a line
beginning at a point on the Chatta
hoochee River Five Hundred Forty
one (541) yards South of the North
line of said lot and running East to
the foot of the hill dividing the
low land from the high land; thence
North one hundred seventy-five (175)
yards; thence East to the East
boundary line of said Lot of Land
Four Hundred Nine (409) and con
taining One Hundred Twenty-five
(125) acres, more or less; also that
part of the West half of Lot Three
Hundred Seventy-nine (379) and of
Lots Three Hundred Eighty-eight
(388), Four Hundred Five (405)
and of fractional lots of land Four
Hundred Ten (410) and Four Hun
dred Twenty-five (425) South of a
line running parallel with the South
line of said lots Twelve and three
tenths (12.3) chains North of the
same.
Default has been made in the
payment of the debt to secure which
said security deed was executed,
and the said Herman Hachmeister,
the legal holder of said security
deed and note, has elected to declare
the entire indebtedness due and
payable, in accordance with the
terms of said security deed, and
said property will be sold as the
property of Bessie C. Sheffield for
the purpose of paying said indebted
ness, which will amount to $4355.45,
plus any unpaid taxes and plus
the cost of this foreclosure pro
ceeding.
Herman Hachmeister will execute
to the purchaser at said sale fee
simple title to the above described
property.
J. R. Burgess, of Turner County,
Georgia, has been appointed agent
and will conduct said sale.
This 12th day of June, 1981.
(Signed) Herman Hachmeister.
BULL FOR SERVlCE—Register
ed Jersey bull, formerly owned by
J. B. Tarver, now at Duncan Hall’s
dairy, $3.00. See Duncan Hall, Dr.
W. A. Fuqua or OSCAR WHITCH
ARD.
General Typewriter Repairing
Sales—Service
306 Georgia Home Building
COLUMBUS TYPEWRITER
COMPANY
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
Special Excursion To
Texas June 30, 1931
A Fine Opportunity To
Visit Texas
Only one fare plus 25c Round
Trip Tickets good in coaches also in
sleeping and parlor cars upon pay
ment of Pullman charges.
Final RETURN LIMIT July 12,
1931.
Ask Ticket Agent or any repre
sentative for exact fare, schedules,
sleeping car reservations, etc.
Central of Georgia Railway
BLAKELY CHAPTER 44 R. A. M.
Blakely Chapter 44
\ _Royal Arch Masons
V J meets on the second
pggigTT and fourth Monday
’tlw nights of each month
8 o’clock. Visiting
•W companions invited.
yjbjy S T* Bodenhamer
High Priest.
J- G. STANDIFER,
Secretary.
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FIRE-LIFE-AUTO
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a Specialty
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