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October 6, 1918: Don Martin taken to American Hospital

      On Sunday, October 6, Don Martin left the Hotel Crillon and was taken to an American hospital at Neuilly.
      Back in Bar le Duc, Don Martin's almost daily companion correspondent at the front for the past months, Edwin James, of The New York Times, took it upon himself to prepare a dispatch in the name of Don Martin, which he sent to the Paris Herald. They published it on Tuesday, October 8, noting the sudden death of Don Martin that day.
New Enemy Forces Are Rushed Up 
to Oppose Americans
(Special Telegram to the Herald, sent by Mr. Edwin L. James, of the New York Times)
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES, Sunday
               Fighting continued to-day on the front of the First American Army between the Argonne forest and the Meuse river, without any material change in the line. Against the heaviest sort of resistance and counter-attacks, supported by massed artillery, we succeeded in consolidating our positions won yesterday and the day before.
              Despite the repeated attempts of the German to drive us back during the day, we secured firm control of Hill 240, which is a valuable vantage point in the Aire valley, and late to-day reached Hill 269, to the northeast of Hill 240. Large fires were observed to-day at Sommerance and Grandpré, both important German points. It is understood that these fires were not caused by our artillery.
              The Germans continue to bring up fresh troops against our army, seeming determined to hold at all costs the region ahead of us, which is vital for the protection of the eastern wing of the great Boche salient from the sea to the Moselle river.
              There have appeared units of machine-gun sharpshooters, composed of men skilled in the use of this vicious weapon. It is said that each regiment of Boche shock-troops has a company of these sharpshooters, who are placed at points where they can do great damage if they can catch the advancing troops unawares.
               Lieutenants Richardson and Corely, flying American-made Haviland fours, were on a reconnaissance mission over Sommerance to-day when they were attacked by two Fokkers. Instead of fleeing, they drove at the Germans and brought down both, and on the way home they netted a third. Two other reconnaissance machines also brought down a Boche airman who attempted to interfere with the execution of their mission.
              We did effective work with our day bombing squadrons. The Boche boldly attempted to inflict damage by flying low and strafing supply trains with machine-guns.
Bitter Fighting in Argonne
              The fighting in the Argonne forest continues bitter and bloody. A glance at the map shows that the Germans have a rather deep salient in this jungle, made by their success in holding on there while the French of the west and the Americans on the east of the forest have pushed forward. The Boche seems determined to hold this salient despite the peril to his troops there, created by the slow by sure advance of the Allies towards Grandpré, and the Aire valley, where it makes a passage through the Argonne forest.
               The sky to-night is ablaze with the glare from hundreds of guns, both sides blazing away in what is one of the most bitter battles of the war.
Map of Western Front, showing Argonne forest salient
From Paris Herald, October 6, 1918



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