Winning a Cause Part 18

"Colonel Batsicht, the Austrians are a thousand to one, but what does it matter? You are only one, yourself, but you are Colonel Batsicht!

Were the Austrians as many as the leaves in the forests and their rush to attack more violent than the flood of the Vardar in the spring time, you would even then be their equal, Colonel Batsicht!"

WHERE ARE YOU GOING, GREAT-HEART?

Where are you going, Great-Heart, With your eager face and your fiery grace?-- Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To fight a fight with all my might, For Truth and Justice, G.o.d and Right, To grace all Life with His fair Light."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To beard the Devil in his den; To smite him with the strength of ten; To set at large the souls of men."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To end the rule of knavery; To break the yoke of slavery; To give the world delivery."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To cleanse the earth of noisome things To draw from life its poison-stings; To give free play to Freedom's wings."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To lift Today above the Past; To make Tomorrow sure and fast; To nail G.o.d's colors to the mast."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To break down old dividing-lines; To carry out My Lord's designs; To build again His broken shrines."

Then G.o.d go with you, Great-Heart!

Where are you going, Great-Heart?

"To set all burdened peoples free; To win for all G.o.d's liberty; To 'stablish His Sweet Sovereignty."

G.o.d goeth with you, Great-Heart!

JOHN OXENHAM.

"Let it be your pride, therefore, to show all men everywhere, not only what good soldiers you are, but also what good men you are, keeping yourselves fit and straight in everything, and pure and clean through and through. Let us set for ourselves a standard so high that it will be a glory to live up to it and add a new laurel to the crown of America. My affectionate confidence goes with you in every battle and every test. G.o.d keep and guide you!"

WOODROW WILSON.

THE CAPTURE OF DUN

After the Americans had cleared the Saint Mihiel salient, Marshal Foch gave them a task which was probably the most difficult and dangerous of the whole war. They were to move north and west along the Meuse River through the Argonne forest to Sedan. There they would cut one of the two main communication lines of the Germans, the loss of which would mean to them disaster and rout.

Just before the signing of the armistice on November 11, the Americans reached Sedan after fighting from September 26 over an almost impa.s.sable country with few roads and against the strongest forces the Germans could muster. For four years the Germans had been fortifying this part of the line in every possible way, for they realized the danger to them of a successful advance along the Meuse from Verdun to Sedan. The railroad through Mezieres, Sedan, and Montmedy was called in a German order "our life artery." To cut it meant death to the German army.

The Argonne forest is a very dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a chain of hills running north and south. It is very difficult for a large army to advance and be supplied with food and munitions without good roads over which to move, and all the roads in this region are poor and, with very few exceptions, run east and west.

The Americans, twenty-one divisions or about 750,000 men, took part in the action. They were obliged to move through the valleys above which, on the hillsides, the Germans had stationed innumerable machine guns and light artillery.

"It was bitter fighting in the woods, brush and ravines, over a region perfectly registered and plotted by the enemy, where his guns, big and little, could be used with the greatest efficiency. The original nine American divisions in some cases were kept in the line over three consecutive weeks. The American reserves were then thrown in until every division not engaged on another part of the line had been put in action.

"It is a fact commented on with pride by the American commanders and complimented by the allies that seven of these divisions that drove their way through this hard action never before had been in an active sector, while green troops, fresh from home, were poured in as replacements.

"The a.s.sociated Press dispatches from day to day told what these men did; how the enemy was slowly pushed back from his strongest and most vital positions, through one defense system after another, using his finest selected troops, which had been withdrawn in many instances from other portions of the line, in an effort to hold an enemy which he derisively said last spring could not be brought to Europe, and if so would not fight, and even if he tried to fight would not know how to do so."

As they advanced, they were obliged to cross the Meuse and capture the town of Dun. This is a simple statement and might be pa.s.sed over as not very significant, but in its few words, it contains a story of one of the bravest deeds of any army in any war.

The Germans knew, of course, that if they could prevent the crossing of the river at this point, the Americans could not capture Sedan and cut their line of communications. It may be that the Americans took them completely by surprise when they attempted the crossing here, and that if the Germans had in the least expected the attempt would be made, they would have been better prepared to defeat it. As it was, however, the Americans were met by a frightful and deadly fire from the enemy behind natural defenses so strong that they believed no army would think of attacking them.

The river at this point is about 160 feet wide. Beyond it lies a half mile of mud, and then a ca.n.a.l 60 feet wide with perpendicular walls rising several feet above the surface of the water.

On Monday afternoon, just one week before the war ended, the order was given to cross the river, the mud, and the ca.n.a.l and to occupy the west bank. The officers had hesitated to give the command for they realized what it meant in dead and wounded; but the privates also knew and they hoped they would be allowed to make the attempt, which with American soldiers means to succeed. They were there to bring the war to an end, and to press on against every danger was the sure way to end it quickly.

Those who could swim the river were first called out. Each one was given the end of a rope long enough to reach across the river; then they jumped in and swam exposing as little of their heads and bodies as possible. The German machine guns were so placed as to cover by their fire every foot of the east bank of the river, and the rifles also of hundreds of Huns across the ca.n.a.l attempted to pick off the swimmers.

Many were killed and many others were wounded and left to drown, for it would not do to stop to rescue them. A story is told, however, of two chums swimming side by side. One of them was. .h.i.t by a bullet in the neck and was saved by the other who swam on supporting him until they reached the opposite bank. Then he stopped long enough to bind up the wound and leave his chum lying flat in the mud while he advanced through the mud and across the ca.n.a.l. Both lived to return home with the victorious army.

When the swimmers were across, they held the ropes, which were fastened at the other bank, taut, so that those who could not swim could cross by holding on to them. Some attempted to cross on hastily built rafts and in collapsible canvas boats. More of these were lost than of the swimmers who, partially submerged, were not so good targets for the riflemen.

At the same time the engineers were building pontoon bridges and smaller foot bridges. After the first wave of men had crossed the river and the mud and were climbing up the further side of the ca.n.a.l, the engineers were not so greatly delayed by rifle fire and soon had a foot bridge ready over which the troops quickly rushed. The pontoon bridge was destroyed by enemy fire. Many were lost in the mud where progress was slow and where, obliged to stand erect, they made good targets.

Those swimmers who reached the ca.n.a.l jumped in, swam across the 60 feet of water, and climbed the opposite bank by using grappling hooks.

The Germans had not taken the precaution to build trenches beyond the ca.n.a.l, thinking that the river, the mud, and the ca.n.a.l at this point would offer protection enough. Therefore, when the Americans had succeeded in crossing the ca.n.a.l, the Germans hastily retreated.

Probably there were fewer casualties among the Americans than if the attack had been made at what seemed a less dangerous point, for elsewhere along the river the Huns had intrenched themselves.

The action was one demanding skill and courage of the highest order.

It was carried through successfully because the Americans possessed both of these qualities and realized they were fighting for the n.o.blest cause for which men ever fought. They were willing to give up their today that others might have a secure and happy tomorrow.

The capture of Sedan forced the Germans to ask for an armistice and to accept whatever terms were offered. In studying the war and the masterly strategy of Marshal Foch, it should never be forgotten that in a few weeks, the armies under his command would have won the greatest victory ever recorded in history and that more than a million Germans would have been obliged to surrender with all their guns and equipment.

A smaller minded or more selfish general than Foch might have declined to grant an armistice in order to gain the credit of such a marvelous victory; but Foch thought of the lives that might be saved by granting the armistice and did not think of his own glory. He has lost none of the credit that belongs to him by doing this, but has gained a higher place in the esteem of men.

Nor should it be forgotten that if General Pers.h.i.+ng's army had failed in its almost impossible task, no armistice would have been asked for.

The war with its suffering and death would have gone over into another year. The same would have been true if the British and French armies had failed. All did the duties a.s.signed them n.o.bly, heroically, and successfully, and the Hun realized that, as always, might was with the forces of right.