Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-21
SOLDIER WRITES
OF THINGS ABROAD
w. Paul Hamilton Learning to be
Line Officer Wants Trench
Duty.


letter to Rev Dr. Herbert r. Randolph.
describing some of his experiences
abroad. The letter follows:
France, Sept, 30, 1918.
My dear DR.. Randolph: Your kind
letter and the calendars Of Grace church, /,
reached me on this hill this morning
The letter was forwarded to me, because
| had not been with my regiment
3i9th 1nfantry--for two months. | left
them back in July, to come down here
for two months special course in the
American Army School of the Line.
which just ended this week Usually
when fellow graduates from school
in the army, they send him on his way
rejoicing, but in this particular school,
those officers whose average grade WAS
fairly high, are now recommended for 8
three months course at the General Staff
College
That Is my prospect as | write
three months in the General Staff College,
beginning October T. They think they
can make Capital Staff officer out of
me, but | am skcptical. The line has
always appealed to me very strongly,
and was only a few days away from the
real mix-up' with the enemy, when
was detailed by division order to go TO
II remember that afternoon in the
trenches, in front of heap of ruins,
which they call Ayette, which is not fsr
south of Arras, which is also only a
name. The Bochss were about 500
yards away, just scross a little ravine,
in which there WAS an abandoned British
army Timber. Being up there purely
as an observer, / was determined to see
all that | could. In one place along the
front trench-which j. now pretty far
behind the lines-the parapes seemed TO
drop away in front of YOU, and the
observation of the Hun rife pits and
scattered trenches on the opposite slope,
WAS magnificent Magnificent for him
too. for while | peered through the
glasses which my Scottish lieutenant
friend had loaned to me Il went with
him during his tour Of duty, with his
own Highland platoonl and while we
jokingly made plans to tie long rope
to the old Timber. and drag il In that
nlEht-banC came one Of lielnIe
vhi,-bangs We ducked very uncere-
monio,lsly, and hugged the front wall
of our trench which is highly recommended
in such cases, but Fritz had bad eve.
SIX more came over but they were
all high, and banged seven beautiful
iItiS UpffS IN NJlt kIbuilU III iBibA
sector, nearly all the sniping was done by
light artillery and not oy the rifle. on
account OF the rather long range. OF
course, some solitary Hun observer in
ono Of those SCARED lines on the other
slope had seen a couple Of steel hats
come out of a hole on our side, and Just
10 play 2 practical joke on us, had telc-
phoned back 10 his trench artillery
battery, and gave them the range on
,r But We were playing the same game
with him. Our own observer meaning
the British, hsd seen a group having
look one morning from the German
out post line but his first she'll grmmed
the party of Huns. and made the work of
five moro shells useless Ii was right
after | had recovered my breath that q
message came 10 me, ordering me pack
to nv own headquar- ers. and eventually
landing me here. Il hat order had
only como week later, ] would have
been a cornbasant with my own boys,
instead OF merely an observer, with
platoon Of boys from the Highlands OF
Scotland
''On my way down here. I stopped
over in Paris, and gathered in some hastv
impressions OF that beautiful city I
was there only day, but practically
owned taxi the whole time The driver
ran UP fair sized bill, but that was a
small matter ! saw Paris And as
| expected. ran into some college
friends there.
Perhaps the most unexpected reunion
of all was when my brother a Lieutenant
in a Machine Gun battalion. walked
unconcernedly into my quarters here in
the Army School barracks the second day
can IMAGINE tho ~aroId
FIRE OF questions and answers He was
then billeted IN quaint little village,
six miles away, and had run over TO my
provincial town, to purchase a few things
In the main street he had met friend
of his whom he had known. back in
Camp LeeAthaf was where my brother
and | were IN the same division. This
friend was captain III another regiment,
in the same division with me, and had
been detailed TO the Army Line School
on the same order as mine. | did not
know that captain then but when he met
INV brother he remarked that there was a
chap by the name of Hamilton. who had
inst come down to the Line School from
the division.
Is he big and ugly my brother
asked Yes | think he is. answered
Captain Bailey. Then that's the kid.
He found me sitting on big oak table.
reading the Paris edition Of the New
York Herald When We finally recovered |
from the shock II seemed that ne had |
Just sent me letter which he had written |
in the ~" describing the town which |
! had been in three days-and that |
had written one to him. sending II to /
SpartAnrurg. ; c. where | thought he /
Vas still pounding military discipline |
INTO some newly arrived civilians in
that very same y" building. Just the /
day before. and describing that very |
same town
''If We had not been lucky enough 10 |
meet which was very probablel We |
would have been keenly disappointed |
when the letters finally arrived have |
his now but mine went long journey |
My brother is up in the big fight now |
His description OF going over the top |
behind the infantry in all the noise and |
dust and sweat Of battle, filed me with |
rnvy ] never felt the lure Of battle so /
strongly before as J do now The pros
pect OF more school and g quiet life is
not at all pleasin' However, have to |
obey orders and 60 where they send me !
hope the censor won't mind If ] tell |
YOU that the name Of this town is Langres
which has history which reaches back /
o the Roman occupation Of Gaul
The Marne river is just meadow brook
Town below US. ! visited the spring
which is marked with monument. or
vhich are iracri' ed the words 'Sourc.
'eIa Marie
q tag4n't told y9a II paal.'ng