Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-12-13
SOLDERING IN FRANCE.
Hickory Grove Boy Tells What He
Was Doing When Armistice Came.
SOLDERING IN FRANCE

Hickory Grove Boy Tells What He
| Was Doing When Armistice Came.
SOLDERING IN FRANCE
| Somewhere in France, November l3.
| i am located in a beautiful little
French village. the name and location
| Of which ! would like to tell you; but
which I must withhold because if /
should write the information the CEN
sor would strike 1t out Notwithstanding
the fact that the armistice has been
signed, and the war Is about over.
There are lots Of things ! would like
to tell the readers OF The Enquirer.
mainly because I believe they would be
interesting 10 the people who have not
seen what we are seeing: but under the
rules most Of these would be promptly
stricken out and l have no certainty
that even the things l am going to
write will ever get by; but anyhow
here goes for partial description OF
the start OF the 3lSth Field Artillery
band, in which am musician, to the
battle front, and what has become Of
that trip.
But before | go any further let me
say that we are as happy as bunch
Of larks. not thinking Of much else
than the promise of an early return to
our old homes back in York county.
mine being not far from the town OF
Hickory Grove, which from here seems
greater more glorious and magnificent
than Paris used to seem to me from
there.
Just now il looks like the war is go
ing TO end before we get into the fight.
am not going to say that | am glad
or | am sorry. really do not feel one
way or the other. I have long since
been reconciled to whatever comes,
whether 1t be moving. marching, play
ing. fcasting, hungering, sleeping
soundly or staying awake. and If 1t
should be the battle front, 1t would be
Ill in the days work. ] don't want any
bullets or shells or gas; but if one OF
them should get me for fair, there
would not be anything to worry about,
and If it did not get me for quite so
fair. why l would always be looking
forward to getting we'll again and so
there you are. Just now. with nothing
to worry about and looking forward to
the time when | will be back with the
fhomefolks and friends, as I said before
| NM , g La'npy q q a lark
But even If we have not had taste
of the actual. fighting Of the Boches.
we know that we are in the war. Let
me tell little of our trip to this place
where we have been switched aside on
our way to the front
There came orders to move at $3.50
o'clock next morning. That meant that
each man had to pack up all his be-
longings, including his bed clothes, and
consequently there was no sleep that
night Don't see how there could have
been. do you? Rcville sounded on the
dot, and after eating n little we hiked
to the railroad station, reaching there
at o'clock. But the train was not
ready and we waited until $50 p. M,
without anything to eat.
There were thirty men in our coach,
each man with full pack. The pack
consisted of three blankets, bed sack,
shelter half tent, pole and pins, mess
kit, gas mask. overcoat. raincoat, extra
pair of shoes, rubber boots, steel he'll
met, six towels. extra underwear. to-
bacco, cigars, stationery, etc. In ad-
dition to this the musicians had their
instruments, music and music stands
extra.
The little car in which thirty men
were packed was about half as large
as one Of our cars back home and did
not contain much over 100 square feet
of floor space. Our provisions were
piled in one corner. They consisted Of
pork and beans. corned beef or willy.
and a sack of bread.
After the train started swaying and
humping over road that was none too
smooth, the first thing on the pro-
gramme was supper. We opened our
canned goods and started at it. You
might imagine how we went at it.
Throw me Il piece Of bread" yells a
fellow, and it was thrown. Suppose it
should fall on the floor of car that
was carrying horses the day before.
That makes no difference with us in
the army, for bread is bread.
After supper 1t was sleep. Imagine
the joke. Down went blankets Of thir-
ty men in hardly more than 100 feet
of floor space in car rocking like n
tossing ship. The remarks, yes, / will
give you some Of them. You there
hogs, are trying to take the whole
car." How the hell do you expect
man to lie down when there is not
room to stand?" Sergeant Hand piled
himself on top Of the supplies at one
end. | was partly under two men and
partly on top of two more. Take your
damned hobnails out Of my face"
That is my neck you have your leg
on" These are some Of the remarks.
In spite Of it all one young fellow from
Chicago raised q snore. and they threw
pork and beans and beef cans at him.
In fact they pelted him with every
thing that was available.
After we had been riding for twenty
! hours in this manner. news came Of
the signing OF the armistice and that
is why we have been switched off into
this beautiful French village. We are
having a pleasant time here, getting
plenty to eat, and being Hospitality
treated: but for me I am thinking Of
getting back home.
| Grover H. Brown.
Dad" you're going to get letter
soon. Nearly 100000 letters have