The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-07-27


Letters received here from officers
and men of the Rainbow division, who
were under canvas on the Hampstead
Plains. l.. l., before being SEM to
France have created intense enthusi-
asm when read to the scores soon to
leave for foreign service.
Chaplain Emmett +. Smith of the
167th Alabama infantry, writes that
he was the first man In the Rainbow
division to draw the enemy fire.
"We had just moved up over the
'front.'" says Chaplain Smith, "when
the first bomb fell in our camp thrown
by an enemy airman. 1t fell about 100
feet from where / was standing,
throwing mud, pebbles and pieces OF
shrapnel all about men, causing me to
spill my cupful of hot coffee on my
uniform and to beat a hasty retreat to
a place of safety. (
II am glad to tell you that the Rain
bow boys are making great history
over here In France. We are all in
good spirits and full of pep and ready
to 20 over at all times. Plenty of
wholesome food for every man, good,
comfortable clothing and flrst-class
equipment. We could not ask for
anything better, unless 1t is another
million men from the states to help
us administer the Knockout blow to
the kaiser and his barbarians.
Garry Terror to Hun.
"Our outfit carried terror to the
heart of the Hun on more than one
occasion, and our boys took possess
sion of No Mans Land the first day.
alabama captured the first prison
ers unaided by the French that any
American outfit pulled off. receiving
the unstinted praise of the French
and American officers. Quite a num-
Der Of our boys wear war medals.
We hope to meet again the many res
idents of Long Island towns who did
so much to show their whole hearted
hospitality to us at Camp Mills. We
hope to meet them again as men who
did our best to make the world free
from the domination of the unspeak-
able Hun.
by the way, every German sympa.
thizer In America ought to see what
untold cruelties the Hun has left be.
hind him. He made war on old men
and helpless women and outraged ten
der girls and mutilated little boys.
The true story of the Hun and his
brutality can never be told, for many
things i have seen are too horrible for
the mind of q civilized person to be-
lieve. We must win this wal or the
world will be a hell and a slave mar
ket for German wal lords to terrorize.
Bravest of the Brave.
'Let the good people in the states
stand by us. Send men, guns, airships
by the thousands and thus bring the
war to a speedy and definite ending
and save civilization from being de-
stroyed by modern barbarians, whose
kultur' is terrorism and whose meth
cd of warfare would shame the old
time American redskin.
"Our American boys refuse to give
an inch to the Hun. No Drawer men
eve followed a flag than men of Amer
lea I'm France. The New York regi-
ment, the old Sixty-ninth, are good
fighters, and they are facing the en-
envy like heroes. Father Duffy, the
chaplain of the Sixty-ninth, is every
inch a mar and a soldier and the reg
iment is fortunate in having such a
good man as chaplain. Best wishes.
Your friend. e. p. SMITH,
Chaplain 167th infantry"
Chaplain Smith resigned his pastor
ate to go with the famous Alabama
regiment selected for the Rainbow de
vision. He Is one of the most noted
of scholarly clergymen In the South
1auA