Dead everywhere. As many American as Boche.

Grant's first full day back at the front and he was thrust into the thick of the fighting. Very exciting diary entry...

Friday, October 11, 1918:

The 326th [infantry regiment] walked into Cornay last night after a very heavy barrage and found the place vacated. The Boche have withdrawn about 5 km and the Americans are now crossing the river Aire north of Cornay and fighting out of Fléville on the other side of the river. Our dressing stations on this side have moved over and this morning Kendrick and I tried to find them.

Bridge across the Aire at Apremont

We drove into Cornay, being the first vehicle to enter the place since its capture by the Americans. We drove on through the place and tried to cross the river into Fléville, but found the bridge blown up. We decided to get out as we ran into a bunch of infantry and they told us we were too far forward and that the road we were on was mined. Back through the town we tore, but nothing happened so we stopped to look around a bit.

Dead everywhere. As many American as Boche. We stopped to examine a big Boche 2 ton struck in the road. The magneto had been taken out and the motor damaged generally by the driver before he left it, apparently. We mahocked some tools as souvenirs and beat it. Forded the river at Chatel, passed through a deserted village and started for Fléville. We were almost there when we were stopped and asked to pick up a couple of wounded alongside the road. We put them in the car and started back with them. We got off the road, stopped at a dressing station and found ourselves in the 1st division territory. On we went and on and on over terrible roads. We saw tanks in bushes and in holes; one had run into the corner of a house where a Boche had evidently been operating a machine gun to good advantage judging from the dead lying around. The driver of the tank was still in his machine, but the gunner was nowhere to be seen. Hope the poor devil got away alright. Then we passed troops marching double time along the road.

Disabled American tank

“Is this the way to the rear?” we shouted. They looked at us in amazement and said nothing. Then we came to a town.

“Is this the way to the rear?” we asked again.

“Hell, no,” came back. “We just took this town an hour ago.”

“What division?” Jack asked. “32nd.”

Holy smokes! Further and further from home with four badly wounded men --two 82nd men, one 1st division and one 32nd. Well, we followed directions and turned right. We ran into gas and then suddenly came on to infantry firing from the ditch along side the road.

American artillery under camouflage

Good lord! You should have seen me push that bus along. I gave her every inch the throttle could stand. And then -- we came to a main road in good condition. Maybe we didn’t tear. No need to stop and enquire the way. We just went the opposite way from which the doe-boys [sic] were shooting. Then we came to a dressing station and left all our men there. The Lieutenant in charge said they had just moved up and that we had run along behind the reserve line. We beat it back to camp unscratched, but pretty scared. Six cars then went up to Fléville to help out the panic. I went up in Henry’s car and came back with one load before I went to bed. But when I came back they were moving the camp up to Apremont so I helped move camp.