The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-03-17
DIR. ALDERMAN'S
WAR LETTER
Distinguished Educator Witnessed
Many Things.
Especial to The Journal }

CnarloCCeSVllle, va, Marcn H.
The following letter from DR.. Edwin
A. Alderman to a friend was pub.
lished by The Virginia Bulletin, is.
sued by the University of Virginia:
my Dear Mrs. SchieffeIin: Your
kind letter reached me here, where
I have been sojourning for several
weeks awaiting my ship, the Baltic,
sailing October Z. I left st. Moritz
the Engadine, late in August. The
place, though beautiful and full OF
comfort and kindness, had become
unbearable by reason of it's isolation
We came on to Paris, then awaiting
the oncoming German tide with
splendid restraint and courage. II
was fearful but thrilling journey
consuming week.
Experienced Everything.
eve experienced everything ex.
cept actual battle and almost repaid
ourselves for our hardships by the
thrill and fine emotion of the thing
Two incidents stand out clearly and
boldly in my memory. Several
hundreds of US formed a refuge
train starting from st. MART and
seeking to take in all available re.
fugees along the route. We reach.
ed Lyons one evening about dusk
and were held there for an hour
Thousands of people-men, women
and children-gathered at the sta.
tion, and there was much frater.
nizing between the refugees and the
French. All at once, without
warning, the whole great mass
burst into "The Marseillaise." A
notable singer sang the verses as
solo, in perfect silence, and with
splendid fire and passion, and ther
the whole throng would roll out the
chorus in such fashion as to bring
back to the minds eye that grim
column that marched from Marseil
les to Paris 12O years ago, breathing
the spirit of the revolution and pa
triotism. I had not used my voice
in many, many months, but I founc
myself singing the moving song anc
tingling through my whole body {
wish for youth and strength so thai
I might be in the thick of the thing
War Visualized.
"The other scene was in the early
morning in a quaint little French
town called Montargis, the birth
place of Mirabeau. We were helc
there for several hours, and most o1
US went in search of some hot food
The drums were rolling, and a body
of soldiers were going out to the
front from the little town that morn
ing. 1 recall a young soldier walk
ing down the side street with hi:
arm around his sweetheart telling
her goodbye and another older man
clad in uniform, walking to the as
sembly ground accompanied by hi:
children. One was able to visualize
what war must have been in our own
land in the battle Summer of '61.
have often speculated on the fate OF
those two men, whose faces stick in
my memory. The atmosphere of the
little town was electric with hope
and courage and high resolve.
Fond of French.
81 confess to very great fond
ness for the French. This was born
of a childhood impression of their
chivalry toward us in our Revolu-
tionary trial, and increased in man.
hood by a knowledge Of their con-
tributions toward human freedom.
In this particular crisis they have
carried themselves with more forti-
tude, patience quiet courage and
supreme resolution than any other
nation in Europe. Paris was really
wonderful in early September when
we were there.
"The Germans had passed Amiens,
but there was no panic, instead, that
fine steadfastness which right i'm
parts to every human soul. The face
of Paris looks positively human. 1t
no longer cleaned and sparkled, but
it was lit with a fierce light-such
as, I fancy, Illuminated it in the