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until about to be engulfed in the advancing masses, then blow up their guns and retreat. The attack did not come on the moment, as expected, but finally a dense body of Germans was discerned preparing to attack. Before the Huns had fairly started the guns of the 101st and 102d F. A., aiming with open sights at 2000 yards, began a drumfire of such ferocity and accuracy that the enemy was thrown into complete confusion. It was the expiring effort of the Hun; at that moment the tide turned, and then the gallant infantry of the 26th went over the top and at them. That was on the 18th of July. From that instant to the 25th the Yankee Divi­sion chased the Hun northward, licking him time and again.

As Gen. Edwards stated in general orders:

'In those eight days you carried your line as far as any part of the advance was carried. Torcy, Belleau, Givry, the Bouresches Woods, Rochet Woods, Hill 190 overlooking Chateau-Thierry, Etrepilly, Epieds, Trugny, and finally La Fere Woods and the objective, the Jaulgonne-Fere-en-Tardenois Road, belong to your arms.'

And this fighting was against the picked troops of the German army, the famous Prussian Guards and the Bavarians. They could not withstand the doughboys from New England. No troops could have withstood them. They suffered heavy losses but they kept going. At times the artillery, racing after, could hardly keep up with them.

On the 25th the Rainbow Division went through the infantry of the Y. D., who had done their stunt. But artillery can fight longer than infantry; they don't have to work so hard. And the New England artillerymen went right on fighting, for their guns were needed for clearing out German machine gun nests by the simple process of shelling. When the Rainbow infantry went out the guns of the 26th kept on with the 4th Division of regulars, and in an interim with a French division, until they were overlooking the Vesle River at Fismes, and were sweeping the German positions on the plateau beyond. The artillery had fought so far that it took them two days to get back to the Marne where they arrived August 8.

Gen. Degoutte, commander of the 5th French Army, issued general orders in which he said:

'The operations carried out by the 26th American Division from July 18th to July 24th, demonstrated the fine soldierly qualities of this unit and of its leader, Gen. Edwards.

'Co-operating in the attack north of the Marne, the 26th Division fought brilliantly on the line Torcy-Belleau, at Monthiers,

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