Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-20
NE TELLS ABOUT IT
Texas Boy Nteitss eespkie Letter
FROM ths Firiaa Liza

Texas Boy Writes e-spkie Lsttsr
From ths Firias Liza
Lieutenant William J. Tucker OF
Company NJ. 16Sth United States in
fantry now fighting In France, writes
an interesting letter to his father,
George Tucker, Of Gnmer. Tex. Lieut..
Tucker. who graduated at the first
officers training camp at Camp STAN
ley. Leon Springs. Tex, is attached TO
an Iowa regiment. Here are some ex-
tracts:
Our machine guns are playing
upon the opposite trenches. They
have marked out several low spots
where the Boche were passing. The
75's are doing a rather wicked bit OF
work on the. roads, and the forward
observation station has just reported
that one of the Allemand camions has
been hit, and q choice lot OF am
munition destroyed. 1t Is growing
dusk. They are dropping few. shells
in our lines. Some Of the men are
sent to the storm cellars The shells
burst just near enough to make II
nasty travelling down the boyaux. Our
batteries are pounding away faith
fully, doing our cussing' In a Ian
guage which the Boche can under
stand.
Here and there you see a sturdy
figure leaning over the parapet. rife In
hand, bombs near by. bayonet fixed
That bayonet seems extended out as
an individual token OF welcome.
1T Is now quite dark.
THE shelling has subsided. The
sentry on the forward post leans for
ward q little. Was that some one on
the wire? But what was that just
down the trench on the duck boards
"'S'sst-who's there? he chops out
the command.
mo answer. That's a Boche he'll
met. A single rifle shot, and one less
Fritz.
More shells are dropping and the
Hun Is trying out his machine guns
Our devil machine is sending volleys
Of grenades over where q sniper IL
liable to be.
1T Is a good time to keep below
the top OF the trenches. but still the
sentineis lean far over. keenly on the
alert. So 1t goes on through the
long night. waiting. waiting. waiting
An inspection officer passes along the
line. How Is everything going. men?
he asks those on posts. A glance OF
attention to his direction, and then
the laconic reply, Fine, SIR and
Fine SIR Is given him all down the
line. Withal. these men are conf
dent. He asks the stocky sergeant
few questions. and then: How long
can you hold post. sergeant? Do you
think the enemy can take IT?
"Well, sir. we can hold out q pretty
good while. II the enemy cqnss over
strong enough he can tskstt6Pesa-
ton: but, sir. we expect to hold out
until all these woods are swept away.
And that sergeant believed the words
he was saying.
1T is the hour before dawn.
THAT burst was surely from q 150
The Boche is sending over some heavy
stuff. The big blow has commenced!
That one that seemed to shake the en-
tire earth was 210. They are put
ting them down a little faster now,
The 'whizz bangs are coming with
their short warning before the burst,
and the flying pigs which you know
as trench mortars, are helping out the
show. The continuous switch and
wobbly roar above Is sure indication
that they are feeding the batteries
gas.
"The shells are not so much on our
trenches as back OF them. The lieu
tenant understands that they have put
a box around his position-a box OF
bursting and flying steel.
"Our machine guns are making an
awful racket. 1t Is growing light. You
see between the blunted trees and over
the fields of tangled wire. The men
are waiting. They wonder why the
enemy doesn't come on.
There they are! They are attack
Ing to our left. What pretty enfilade
our auto rifles pour into them. The
barrage signal goes up. and now our
shells are dropping as a wall out be-
yond our own trenches. This Is the
time to be on the job.
What a crack and roar and groan.
All the fury OF the elements could not
match this!
Just the work Of seconds. A few
approach our wire. Rifle fire and
rife grenades greet them. 1t 10 more
than they bargained for. Back across
the f,ld. lodging from shell hole to
shell hole, until lost from view few
of them scamper. Our mortars are
making 1t miserable for them out
there.
"The firing begins to taper Of. The
storm Is lifting.
"The stretcher-bearers are now
coming up to evacuate the wounded.
The Boche has paid. But how can he
ever pay enough for such men as
these: for men whose names you have
read in the casualty report. But the
most you hear Is killed In action or
seriously wounded You didn't see
the way those rifles and machine guns
played into that mass Of men coming
over the hill. and you didn't see those
gray-green uniformed figures, those
clumsy booted figures. stagger and
bend to the ground.
"The sun Is beginning to shine.
Just as you walked about the old
town after q storm subsided. 30 these
men survey their powder burned and
shell-torn home out In the front line.
This Is where Candy was stand
ing. and here Is where Max was be-
fore the shell burst. What are we
going to do to the Boche now. lieu
tenantr
Yes. what are we going to do
nowr