Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-29
THE AMERICAN SPIRIT
Does Not Consider Danger In Reliev-
ing Distress.


Here is an extract from a letter from
Sergeant McHarg. Davenport, a friend
of John r. Hart, ESQ.,, Of Yorkviile.
Young Davenport trained at Camp
Wadsworth, and went to France as
member, ol,aasth Machine Gun scom-
pany, 97th Division. He Is a New
Yorker and a very wealthy man. by the
way. He has visited Mr.. Hart at his
home In Yorkville on several occasions,
and a number Of Yorkville people
have had the pleasure Of meeting him.
The letter was sent originally to Nc
Hargs family in New Yorx, ana
through them the copy came 10 Mr'
Hart. It makes interesting and IN
structive reading:
France, October 12th.-Yesterday
was worth all we have given up and
have still to give up before the war Is
over. I got into town-German that
morning-in which nearly 1000 civil
ians had been gathered by the Boche.
To show his feeling for these poor un-
fortunates who had slaved for him for
four long years-two hours after leav-
ing he shelled the town with shrapnel,
high explosives and gas-without a
single Allied soldier being there. 1
found the place a perfect shambles-
wounded and sick and dead In every
cellar: no ambulances could reach
them: It was frightful beyond words.
The only chance any Of them had was
in instant fiight-but they feared to
leave the poor security Of their cellars
for the open dangers of the road and
fields which they must cross to the
safety of our lines. thought the
chance worth 1t and got thirty-five OF
them to follow me out through per-
feet hell Of fire. There was scarcely a
grown-up under 10 or a child over 10
you can imagine my feelings Tor
them in embarking on so perilous
Journey. An old lady-stone blind
and boy, one Of whose legs was about
six inches shorter than the other. and
baby carriage. loaded like a furni-
ture van, were my especial charges. 1t
was a miracle: we got them through
three kilos Of 1t without casualty
the old blind one clinging to my arm
and the lame boy stumping along be-
side me-the bravest Of the lot.
Damn the Boche! The inhuman
treatment he accorded those poor
wrecks Of humanity during the four
years he crushed them under his Iron
heel make hell too kind a place for
him.
October 13th.-I believe now every
unspeakable thing-every atrocity ac-
credited to the Boches. When the time
comes that I reach my first Boche sni-
per or machine gunner, though he
holds his hands above his head and
begs for mercy I shall accept no sur
render and feel only compassion for
the bullet which must leave the clean
chamber of my pistol to enter his
black heart.
Yesterday morning went back after
more civvies, encouraged by my luck
of the day before. An English SER
geant went with me and we found
about 200 with the courage to risk all
upon the road. We set out-the most
tragic procession you can conceive.
For the moment II was fairly quiet.
Hardly had we reached the road. how
ever, and were under observation from
the German lines, than heard a shell
approaching and yelled for the crowd
to scatter. It landed ten feet from the
road-then another and another-the
third directly In the center Of the road
among the abandoned baggage. fully
expected to see at least a dozen dead;
though thirty feet away my spirals
were burned and torn by the f1yinG
shrapnel-but all escaped In some mi
raculous fashion.
A dozen shells fell within radius OF
fifty feet In less than fifty seconds. the
dirty Boche was 50 keen upon the
scent. A half hour later ] started my
little band for safety once more-thii
time In groups Of four and five. tn,
only way I could reconcile myself Il
the babies going was to carry then