Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-29
s71ER FROM wILoAN sAoLER.

Mrs. W. W. Gill of Rock Hill. not
long ago received the following letter
from her son. Wildan Sadler. written
under! date of Saturday. September IA.
from Somewhere in Germany"
MY Dear Mamma and Everybody:
Well, folks. I've seen enough in the
last three days to last two lifctimes
and then some. They started big
drive over here this week and we were
in IL. I'm sitting here now on what
was this time last week German po-
sition. Sitting right out in front OF
what was formerly a German officers
"dugout." The gentleman left here one
ni,ht this week quite suddenly. In
| fact. so suddenly that he left every
thing he had. including this paper ana
envelope that | am using. They nave
dutouts in all OF these hills. All
through them are stores, shoe shop,
barber shop, and everything imagina-
lbl,. This one here in which | am sit
ting has electric lights and running
water fixed up just as nice as sure
enough home. large Morris chairs ana
sure enough back. Outside they have
the incest garden ever We had fresh
onions and cabbage for dinner out oil
their garden: also chicken and rab-
Iht, We killed two nice fat hogs this
morninE. So queer. We Will nave
some fresh meat for supper. Ihr!
also left COW that gives about gal
| Ion of milk: in fact. they left every
thing except what they had on. ana
they left some OF that Every other
soldier you see has n pair OF officers
Iboots, a pair OF field glasses and
helmet. Some of them har" rings
watches. iron crosses-just everything
imag enable. have an officers dress
helmet and rinS. ] would Ike 10
send the helmet to Mr.. -. and Will
| If / have n chance. The French said
that this position could not -" taken
and the Germans certainly must haN"
thought that Is was impossible. Tor
they even had their wives ana children
Io,t here. but when the American
dough boys started in. they sold ouI.
They are going so fast we cannot get
close enough to use our guns nj all, hut
the infantry Is right behind them. We
would usually stay in position about
Il night and then move one. :,
"rhc first German trenches we iothu
| in daylight | got down and walked
Through them for about mile. And'
mamma. ! will never forget II as long
ms | live. | never will forget the hrst
dead German that ! saw: hc did not
look over fifteen years old: just looked
as though he were asleep. saw lots
of others that looked anything but Ike
they were asleep. II was awful. ana
they had been lying or standing there
Tor three days. Some OF them almost
standing up; just leaning against the
trenches.
81 do not know when I'll get to mail
this. but do not know when III nave
Lnothcr chance to write. | will have
d, 20 now, as we have to move again
in a few minutes.
Tell Anna that this little shoulder
strap came off of n real Germans
coat, so she can put it in her book,
found these cards in one of the dug
outs. Some Of the fellows have iron
crosses and will send you one as soon
as get il. Want to get 1t myself.
I'm still getting along fine, so DO
not worry about me. The Germans
have been so busy running that they
ha vent had much time to use their biS
guns. And. mamma, the funny part
of the whole thing is that ] haven't
been the least bit afraid so far. Oi
course the worst Is yet to come. nut
I'm going TO do my best"