The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-10-30
CLARENDON boy
FIGHTING IN France.

Somewhere in France, Sept. 1918.
Dear Papa:
Will drop you a note tonight since
l am getting we'll rested up. Haven't
done anything except little march
in several days.
Some time ago you wrote me and in
your letter you asked me to write you
IF had really been into action yet
Well, in brief way / will try to sum-
marize my first and naturally my
most impressive trip cover the top"
will notice that Sunday is the begin
ming of about everything on the battle
front.) On Saturday night my COM
manding officer, myself and couple
of machine gun scouts from my pla-
toon were sent up from the rear where
our organization was to take over"
the front line and positions which we
would have to be thoroughly acquaint-
ed with before we could be RESPONSE
bic for sector. Well the officer
stopped at company headquarters so
that he could acquaint himself thor
oughly with the duties Of a company
commander, while myself and the two
scouts were sent on up to the front
line, where | found a patrol of the
company which we were to relieve
Just about ready to go out 70 dispose
of an enemy machine gun post which
was about one hundred and. fifty
yards in our direct front And upon
making myself acquainted with the
platoon sergeant whom ! would relieve
the next night, he asked me if l
wouldn't go out and help him with the
little job, and he explained his plan
to me. So | agreed to go with him,
but much to our sorrow, when we an
rived at the pill box we found that
he had left it, In some way he found
out that he had been located and SO
he retired to his own territory, so all
we got was few bombs and grenades
and some ammunition, which by no
means satisfied us. (But next day the
fun really startcd.)
We returned to the trenches and at
"stand down." Next morning we
cleaned our guns, etc, and had Just
finished our breakfast with some
good, hot coffee, and were about to
lie down for nap, when orders came
his men ready with fighting packs,
iron rations and ample ammunition
for an attack upon the Bochc. This
was surprise to us all, but, neverthe-
less, we got busy and were ready and
waiting when the platoon commander
came up and told us the plan of at
tack, and gave us our objectives, and
and he asked me if / would 90 and
help them, so even though / was not
under his command took it upon N.Y.
self to go over with bunch of men
men that / hadn't ever seen before,
but htey were Americans and repre-
sentatives of my division, and | said
that they were all O. K, which they
turned out to be.
The platoon sergeant, myself, one of
my scouts and a Lewis gun section
contributed the advanced party and
the officers and the platoon followed
at 20 yards. So at II :55 A. M. on this
beautoful Sunday morning we went
over, without barragc or anything
IN broad open day time We advanced
about 400 yards before we came under
fire from the enemy Our attack was
surprise to him, and he was not on
the job, but as soon as we were seen
a couple of machine guns opened on
us and we had to take cover. Our
Lewis gun was put into action i'm
mediately and in thirty minutes our
little advanced party had suffered the
since we wcr YQovandfn,
loss of three men. My scout reported
to me, since we were both on the right
flank, that the Lewis gun was out of
action, SO | saw that such as that
would not do. knew that the platoon
had come over because Fritz had
started a heavy barrage of light ar