Winning More French Praise
“It was here that the severest fighting of the drive took place. In Epieds the Germans planted machine guns every seven yards. In Trugny and in the woods that lie on the hillsides to the east of both towns they had done likewise.
“The 101st tackled the Trugny proposition. Colonel Logan’s men were in and out of the town twice. But the German artillery had the range just right, and whenever the Yankees went in flooded the place with mustard-gas. On July 23 Colonel Logan borrowed a little ground on his right from the French, encircled Trugny on the south, and started up behind it, through Trugny Wood. It was a terrible fight, but that night the 101st broke through the German defenses and forced a retreat. Meantime, the three other infantry regiments were making constant frontal attacks. The 102d got into Trugny and captured the gun now on Boston Common.
“On the 23d the 103d and 104th Infantry Regiments were relieved; and on the 25th the 101st and 102d were relieved. But the artillery brigade kept on, supporting three other American divisions, until the Vesle River was reached, August 5. It was in this drive particularly that Sherburne’s outfit earned the name of the best field artillery in France. A regular Army officer, watching the guns in action, said: ‘I have been in the Army thirty years and never have seen field artillery until this day.’
“By August 7 the whole division, including the artillery, was back in villages along the Marne, between Château-Thierry and Paris.
“The people of the countryside hailed the men of the 26th as ‘saviors of Paris.’ Those who went into the French capital were greeted with enthusiasm. Men and women embraced them and kissed them.
“General Degoutte, famed commander of the French 6th Army, with which the Americans fought, wrote to General Edwards:
“‘The operations carried out by the 26th American Division from July 18 to July 24 demonstrated the fine soldierly qualities of this unit, and the worth of its fine leader, General Edwards. The 26th Division fought brilliantly... advancing more than fifteen kilometers in depth in spite of the desperate resistance of the enemy.
“‘I take pleasure in communicating to General Edwards and his valiant division this expression of my esteem, together with my heartiest congratulations for the manner in which they have served the common cause.’”