Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-07
1Tr. and HIS II. c. Smith, 314 Ninth
Street Forcod to with land
Extreme Shock.
ALL BROTHERS N SERVICE
III LGck Happens on Two Days,
Aug. = and 29-One Writes
Letter Of Experiences

Three messages, direct from their .
sons and otherwise, have been re
ceiYad by Mr.. and Mrs. r. c. Smith,
3I4 Ninth street. telling Of their
sons as specified III the foregoing .
AU OI the reports were either re
ceiyed on Aug. IS and %, or on .
those days the lads met with i'll /
luck causing their present cOndi- Z
tons.
The smith family is forced TO .
Withstand the shock Of having their .
sons suffering as a result of this .
present war. Probably one is in the .
hands of the Germans or Is lost on /
a battlefield in France.
Sergeant Major Sterling Smith, /
a member Of the Canadian forces, /
Aug. wrote a letter to his par
ents telling Of his experiences He |
was reported missing in action by /
the bureau Of records Of the war /
department in Washington, just "a /
days later His letter reached Rock |
Island after the casualty had been |
reported
A bullet that passed through his
wrist placed First Lieutenant Her
bert C. Smith in a hospital in
France. His condition is reported
as not serious
After spending a short time in
Chile with the naval forces as a
wireless operator, Douglas Smith
became i'll with the much-dreaded
yellow fever. He returned to this
country, but on Aug. % he became
I'll with the after-effeCts Of the dis
ease and is now in a hospital in
New York in a seriOus condition.
While serving as an operator he
has made FIVE trips to France, one
trip to Italy and one TO South
America
Letter Given.
The letter written by Sergeant
Major Sterling Smith to his moth |
er is one of the most patriotic and |
thrilling messages ever received in I
Rock Island His hatred for the /
Germans and his loyalty to his |
own country are clearly shown. |
His message will never be forgot !
ten by those who read it It is ap- /
pended:
Dear Mother: This being Sun |
dav. and the 4th Of August, I Just |
simply had to write a few lines to |
nv mother. even though I am very |
tired Have just arrived at our |
hflIets back Of the lines. after a /
strenuous four days Of driving /
ahead and fighting almost every !
minute Of the time We surely are /
giving the dirty Huns what they I
asked for. and 7 have been within /
a few inches Of heaven or hell so /
many times in four days that I !
must have a charmed life, to be able !
10 write 10 anyone
Narrowly Escapes,
IT have hardly g scratch on me, |
but have bullet holes through both /
sleeves OF my blouse, one leg of my
pants. and one shoe ripped open.
The first day over the top I got
two prisoners, one an old man Of
about 80 years and one a boy about
my age. ] had no trouble with the
man, as he was all in and glad to
surrender; but the other man
thought he was better man than
I was and tried to get the best of
me- Believe me, mother, the ply
steal culture training got while in
Canada saved my life He came at
a-fE Will .--7 1NF e-i'1t ''---NAs e~iAe Al
knocking II away / lost the grip on
lily own gun, but as quick as II
dropped ] 5alte- lI-1 nun ana n'L
MN b--" zen me ewes "AuS nc "o9
-uHEng toward ne vas man,
and scared, TOO, ana Alt nm nara
enough 10 XIII d horse. ANYHOW l
recovered my own gun ana anu
grained ms 100 ana "Aeh ne goL
up ne Sa" ne a.H.l nav any
-i-5-L &C. anu No Nal Do1-l l-I5-'l9 ~ !
JAe ar gave MN d prou Win /
my taypnet, Just 10 IeJ nm Kno" l I
was boss, ana ne marched along I
aLl righ-, JalyeFlnB away III Duteh 4
10 beat tlr band turned MN /
over 10 the prisoners patrol and /
g0- back with my company
On the Go.
We were going night and day, /
and Cr course it didn't give US 4 /
chance In rest q minute. but VIC
s--E the sa+tsss ctfCn Of driving the
fFurz Ike sheen. Believe me. moth /
a- they are towards. all right. and /
r-rv when they are sure Of having I
q -frrA vim -Hav sfor and make a I
a.-r-- as ali -rt---- +fF, +hair ma