The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-18

There's a nursey on the second floor
and the sun, shining in the window,
just touches q cradle there. Inside
that cradle, man, is my daughter.
have never seen her before. She was
born since I sailed for France"
Meanwhile, on the roads below, the
Engineers were working with Will.
40 time to celebrate, for the roads
| must be kept in shape. But they sang
as they worked
Send the word, send the word over
there
That the Yanks are coming, the
Yanks are coming
The words, IN that hour, had ac-
quired new significance. While
here and there across the devastated
land where Yanks We're at work, you
could hear a knot burst into song.
And the burden of all the songs was
this:
It's home boys, home, it's home we
ought to be,
Home, boys, home in the lard of
liberty
So came to an end the 18th Of No
velnber, 191S--the 5S5th day since
America entered the war.
November 18th, 1913.
My Dear Mother:
Thank God the war is over. For
the first time in nine days have been
able to write you line. During that
time I have thought of you constant
ly, and prayed that I might live to see
you again, for certainly lived
through veritable hell. I am safe,
and sound now, and it will not be
many months before I come back to
you.
Now, can tell you the whole truth
about what I have been doing From
the day I left Commissey have eth
er been at the front or on my way to
new front. For three weeks I was
in command of a combat group on the
Sront line, in the Vosges sector, and
for one month L never took off my
clothes, not even my shoes, except
once, when 1 had a chance to take
a bath We then had ten days. rest
and then went to the Verdun front
where we stayed but a few days and
were hurriedly sent to another sec
tor Of the same front for an attack.
We marched out for that attack be-
Gore noon on the 10TH From the
minute we started on the road, we
came under terrific shell fire, which
as we advanced.
a little after ten o'clock, we were
going "over the top" with the enc
my sending down a rain Of high ex-
plosives and gas shells and using
aeroplanes against US.
Our men were wonderfully brave
throughout that hell Of fire, and shell.
Machine gun fire was incessant, gas
came over a. frequent intervals, and
the boys went on. Maj. Willis was
right in the thick of it, and as his ad-
jutant was with him to send and re-
ceive messages and help keep up
For twelve hours
the show kept UP with ever increasing
until finally orders came to
withdraw from that point. in order to
Join in an attack on the left. In leav-
ing the danger was increased two
fold, but we were early the following |
morning in time to see the first and
second batta1ions move out for the at
lack, while we were held back in
muddy trenches as support. When
We were about in the act Of moving
put again for a second dose an Or
ter came at 1915 that firing would |
cease at II O'Clock. You can imagine
how I felt! I had been without
without sleep for nearly four days
and four nights. I had been living
under the highest kind Of tension
during that time, and had little or no
food.
When I thought of what had lived
through, and how wonderful my es-
cape from death had been, I there,
and then offered up a prayer Of
thanks to God Cor my safe deliver
ance will soon be able to tell you
of my many experiences.
Orders have just come for US to
move out, I suppose that we are to
occupy some territory under the
terms of the armistice, so I must /
close. will write again at the first
onnort1,nitv and will "a BILE VOL If nos