Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-22

London, Sept 14.-Graphic discrip-
tions OF the terrific fighting in France
where the British and French allies
have battled for many days against
the Germans, are beginning to reach
London in letters from soldiers at the
'front.' The following admirable story
of actual battle is contained in let
ter from a wounded Frenchman to an
English friend here:
Il am in the field hospital now, with
a nice little hole in my left shoulder,
through which a bullet Of one of the
War Lords military subjects has
passed. My shoulder feels much as II
some playful joker has touched 1t with
a lighted cigar. Tomorrow l shall be
quite right again, but the wound had
to be washed and dressed by pretty
little dress" maker called nurse, who
is so sweet and lovely and kind-heart
ed that one should like to get wound
ed for the sole purpose of being nursed
by her.
"Badinage apart, those nurses have
a fearful time. l wonder when they
have any time to rest. Day and night
they are busy and when you ask them
Are you not exceedingly tired" they
just smile, and with laugh in their
eyes, they make some comic reply.
They are real heroines, and it is not
merely our physical sufferings which
they mitigate. God bless them!
Details of Battle.
That wound, or rather, the COM
pulsory inactiveness which results from
il, affords me a splendid opportuni-
ty of recording some details Of the
battle. For, although l have changed
my dear journalistic fountain pen for
a rifle. which, by the way, can be as
sharp as a nib 'quand j'y NETS la raj
longe' (when 1 fix the bayoneD, the
Germans have not yet succeeded IN
opening my reporters vein, and, queer
enough, during the battle was often
interested in it, both as a soldier and
as a pressman.
Our army marched along broad,
sunny road bordered on either side
by a vast. cultivated plain. on which
from distance to distance, little groups
of harvesting peasant girls and old
men were busy. as if they lived in the
most peaceful region of the most
peaceful of countries.
Here and there the horizon was
bordered by hill ranges, and right in
front of us, and somewhat to the left,
the wooded crests of other hills wei
discernible. Sometimes when we
reached an elevation of the road /
looked backward upon the army,
which was like a huge serpent, cover
ing the road over a distance of many
miles. 1t was a great view, quite
quite different from a review, and l
have never seen anything so impress
sive. For this was not mere show
as a military review is. but these men
were to be engaged in part of an ac-
ton on which the fate Of nations would
depend, and the way in which those
men would fulfil their task might be
of the greatest importance to the re-
suit of the battle and future move
ments and designs.
Men Determined.
And one felt that these masses of
men were determined to do their ut
most. This was not dull, ow-spirit-
ed army, going to the front to fight
becuse they were ordered to, but be-
cause they wanted to. They wore no
stern, grave facs or they would not
be French soldiers; nor were they
boisterous or Dragging, but they were
bright and lively and happy and brave,
governed by the powerful desire to
win, and gifted with an almost super
human power of determination. There
was such splendid enthusiasm.
There was still another important
factor. which adds no little to the ef-
ficiency of the army. The commits
sariat is perfect; all these men are
excellently equipped, eXcellently look
ed after. They have everything they
want, and they have it without delay.
That is what keeps the soldiers spirits
up and makes them confident. And
we are confident.
Meal Served.
Near a crossing a halt is made. A
meal is served out to us, and we learn
that another division is going to join