Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-24
TRAIL OF THE THIRTIETH
Returned Officer Tells Of Famous
Fighting Division
THE BEST SOLDIERS IN The WORLD
Nothing Could Stand Before the
Splendid Boys-obeyed Their Off
GERS Except In Holding Back-When
It Was Fighting to Be Done, That
Ma Thar Rueipess

Was Their Business.
The following is from a recent issue
Of the Grcenville News:
The first personal narrative of the
heroic work of the Thirtieth Division
in France and Belgium was brought tc
Greenyille yesterday by Captain Robt
+. Craig of Hartsville, commander OF
Company L, 11Sth Infantry, who is
here for short time while en- route to
the base hospital at Biltmore. y. c
Captain Craig landed at Newport
News, on November - and is suffering
from bronchial asthma which he con-
tracted while in the trenches.
Captain Craig told last night of the
wonderful work the Old Hickory divi-
sion did in the great war and express
ed the regret that he was not able to
be with them at that memorable date
when they completely shattered the
supposedly impregnable Hindenburg
line. You have never seen such cour-
age, such absolute loyalty as these
men displayed and they have accom-
plished feat that generations will
herald" He said. when they come
home they are entitled to our best, for
they are none other than our saviors.
The Thrticth Division upon landing
in Flanders was first billcted at Mont
KENNEL, said Captain Craig. This
sector had seen some of the bittercst
fighting of the war during the first two
years and was nothing more than a
heap of desolation. Il could not in my
imagination have painted anything
half so wretched," he said. At the
time the Thirtieth arrived the British
were daily expecting heavy attack by
the Germans and the sight of the stall
wart Americans as their support al
most made them crazy with JOY. The
division remained at this base for
some time and when the attack never
came they were moved up nearer the
front. 1t was indeed a difficult task TO
hold the Americans back, said the cap
tain, as they could not understand why
they should not go right in and fight
as soon as they got within reach of the
lines.
Captain Craig said that his battalion
was the first unit of the Thirtieth Di-
vision to enter the trenches, which was
some time in the latter days Of June.
The division was first under shell fire
on Independence Day, July 4, and the
Thirtieth gave the Boches a run for
their money. AS soon as the men were
in the trenches they began to take a
great delight IN picking off the SINNERS
although the British cautioned them
that their four years of experience had
proved such To bc bad practice. How
ever the old Hickory boys were out to
fight and the very first day his own
men killed two enemy sni2crs, he said.
ON July -. just :; month after his
entrance into the trenches. Captain
craig contracted a malady which was
thought tO be the trench fever. Phy-
SicianS later contcndrd, however that
he must have been gaSScd in some way
as he contracted bronchial asthma. He
WAS evacuated from his company and
sent To the american base hospital in
France. prefcrring it TO BliGhty. Here
he remained until November, when he
WAS sent To the United States.
Captain Craig paid Il very high trib-
ute TO the courage and bravery OF the
enlisted men. When the histories of
this war are written the honor for VIC
tory should be given TO the privateS
and curporals and ScrgcantS.' he said.
They are the men that have done the
fighting. They arc the bravcSt set Of
boys III the world and every person in
the United States should honor them.
They are absolutely wonderful. l new
or SAW "a yellow" man in the Thirticth
Division. | never saw u man in the
old Hickory vail when he WAS wound
cd. have seen them shot through
the limbs, hold their wounds and ask
their comrades for cigarettes. You
cannot beat men who fight like that.
| would be willing to wager that for
every casualty in our division there
were five in the cncmys.
AS Il citation of the way the enlisted
men fought. Captain Craig told OF the
heroic act of Scrgt. Gardner. DIG,
broad -shuuldered man in his company
of whom he was justly proud. During
AN attack early one morning Sergeant
Gardner was leading his platoon just
behind the creeping barragc fire when
suddenly they ran upon machine gun
interference from the Germans The
machine gun was scarcely twenty feet
away and could have wiped out the
platoon in a&w seconds. Instantly
Sergeant Gardner recognized the peril
and with the steadiness of veteran
drew his automatic revolver ana IN
four clean shots annihilated the ma
chine gun crew. such acts as these
were numerous. said the captain. and
account for the wonderful success Of
the division.
Speaking of the German machine
gun fire. Captain Craig said that the
men OF the Thirtieth absolutely refus-
ed to take a Boche machine gunner
prisoner The operators of these death
dealing devices were never given the
least bit of mercy. he stated. For that
reason the German commanders Sc
lccted their bravest men for machine
guns and they were great fighters.
Any impression that the Germans are
towards would vanish if one could
have seen the way in which they held
to their posts, realizing that there was
absolutely no hope for their lives.
Captain Craig was in the hospital at
the time of the big drive when the
Thirtieth Division penetrated the Hin
denburg line and established its name
as one Of the greatest fighting units in
France. He had opportunity. however,
hn