On October 3 the French launched three drives, one north of St. Quentin, another north of Rheims, and a third to the east in Champagne.  All were successful, resulting in the freeing of much territory and the capture of many prisoners.  On October 4 the Americans resumed the attack west of the Meuse.  In the face of heavy artillery and machine gun fire, troops from Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, forced the Germans back to the so-called Kriemhilde line.  In the Champagne, American and French troops were moving successfully.  On the 6th the Americans captured St. Etienne; on the 9th they reached the southern outskirts of Xivry and entered Chaune wood.  On the same day the armies of Field Marshall Haig made a clean break through the Hindenburg system on the west.  Through a twenty-mile gap, they advanced from nine to twelve miles, penetrating almost to the Le Selle and Sambre rivers.

On October 12 the British General Rawlinson, with whom an American division had been operating, sent a telegram of congratulation to the commander of the division, which comprised troops from Tennessee, in which he highly praised the gallantry of all the American troops.  French troops on October 13 captured the fortress of La Fere, the strongest point on the south end of the old Hindenburg line.  They also entered Laon and occupied the forest of St. Gobain.  On October 15 the Americans took and passed St. Juvin after desperate fighting.  On October 16 they occupied the town of Grandpre, a place of great strategic importance, being the junction of railways feeding a large part of the German armies.  The Germans now began a retreat on an enormous scale in Belgium.  So fast did they move that the British, French and Belgians could not keep in touch with them.  The North sea ports of Belgium were speedily evacuated.  Northwest of Grandpre the Americans captured Talma farm October 23, after a stiff machine gun resistance.  Victories continued to be announced from day to day from all portions of the front.

On November 1 the Americans participated in a heavy battle, taking Champaigneulle and Landres et St. George, which enabled them to threaten the enemy’s most important line of communication.  On November 4 the Americans reached Stenay and on the 6th they crossed the Meuse.  By the 7th they had entered Sedan, the place made famous by the downfall of Napoleon III in the war of 1870.  On other parts of the American front the enemy retreated so fast that the infantry had to resort to motor cars to keep in touch with him.  It was the same on other fronts.  The Germans put up a resistance at the strong fortress of Metz, which the Americans were attacking November 10 and 11.

Armistice negotiations had been started as early as October, 5, and were concluded November 11th.  This date saw the complete collapse of the German military machine and will be one of the most momentous days in history, as it marked the passing of an old order and the inauguration of a new era for the world.  In the armistice terms every point which the Americans and Allies stipulated was agreed to by the Germans.  The last shot in the war is thus described in an Associated Press dispatch of November 11: