Saint-Mihiel was a key waypoint in the American campaign of September 1918: half a million men were moving toward it, south of Verdun, and Harry S. Truman’s regiment waited in reserve nearby. The rapid American victory ended that pause and sent the regiment onward to the Argonne Forest, linking the advance on Saint-Mihiel to a broader offensive along the Western Front.

Campaign Setting

The American force was part of the first major U.S. push toward Saint-Mihiel. As the troops marched at night, Lieutenant Jay Lee described delays caused by congestion on the roads and a column of men, horses, guns, and transport stretching out ahead and behind. After six hours, the march had advanced only three or four miles. Then artillery opened to the north, accompanied by searchlights and signal rockets. Truman recorded the sound in his diary on September 12: “American drive begins” and “Heard first roar of American artillery.”

Truman’s Regiment in Reserve

Truman’s regiment was held short of Saint-Mihiel for several days, with horses harnessed and the equipment ready to move at a moment’s notice. The advance had reached the front of the campaign, but the regiment was still waiting rather than fighting at the town. Long lines of German prisoners passed the men. Truman told Bess that they were doing their best to finish the job and get home, but would not leave before it was done; he added that they did not want to leave until it was done. The reserve days made the campaign feel to him like “the great adventure” at last.

Victory and the Move to the Argonne

Saint-Mihiel became a sudden American victory: the Germans were overrun in two days. On the night of September 16, in bright moonlight, the regiment began a forced march toward the Argonne Forest. Truman recalled the pace as marching through the night and part of the day, sleeping for a few hours, and then marching again. The change of destination reflected the larger plan: the next offensive would extend along the Western Front from Verdun to the sea, with the American sector running from the Meuse River to the Argonne Forest and the objective of cutting German rail lines at Sedan. Saint-Mihiel therefore marks both a swift success and the transition to a far more extensive operation.