Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-30
THE WILDCAT DIVISION
This is tho Name that Has Been Civ
en- to the Eighty-First.

en- to the Eighty-First.
Charles H. Grasty, special cores
pondent Of the New York Times, has
the following to say Of tl:C Wildcat
division, which is largely made up
Of men from this section of the coun-
try and which has been at Camp Sc
vier for awhile:
l found the English port swarming
with American troops. They have but
recently arrived and are Lifting no
grass grow under their feet on tie way
to France. Rapid as is the movement,
it is none too fast for these restless
men with the get there" spirit inbred
in them.
saw one lot marching by early this
morning, and ore of the officers said:
These men have made thre9 moves in
as mary days. They turn, -,d- out about
daylight this morning and are now on
their way to the transports"
In spite Of their heavy packs, they
marched with light, springy gait,
and with an air Of going to picnic.
These men wore O wildcat embroidered
on the sleeve, and 1 recognized the
wildcat. Division" description Of
xhsshsk..sa ealtnEtAasAips'.srssse.
Times.
In the course of the day met many
officers with the same device, and had
an opportunity to learn more about
these sturdy mountaincers, whose al
most total seclusion for generations
has been one Of the romances Of our
polygot American history. They have
stepped right out Of an isolation where
the existance of foreign countries was
but vaguely known. They are pure
blood Americans, without the cross of
strange breeds.
Let me say have nowhere seen men
who have more worthily represented
us. They are spare and hard as nails
and quick to acquire habits OF dis
cipline. l noticed how particularly how
punctilious they are in saluting IN
which respect they set an example for
the new country troops who are usu-
ally somewhat lax in that particular.
The officers say that they are al
ways trustworthy and sober, and need
no watching. 1t struck me that their
badge Of identity serves to create
pride and selfrespect in these troops,
and the practice might profitably be
extended to all divisions so as to culti-
vate O healthy emulation in valor and
good behavior. I talked with one OF
their officers, who halls from the
Bronx, a veteran Of the Spanish war
who belonged to regimental rifle
team Of the New York National Guard.
They're the best shots in America
said he, referring especially to the
mountaineers from Tennessee and
the Carolinas. They've been wonder
full in adopting themselves to the new
rifle. One man who never before had
his hands on an army rifle and who
was just out of the hospital, was TAX
en- to the rife range, and qualified
Immediately as a marksman. His first
shot was low, to the right. / ex-
planned to him how to hold his piece
high, and his next nine shots hit the
silhouette figure which now serves as
the bulls-eye.
Most Of these men never have seen
tree so high they couldn't pick
suirrel out Of the topmost limb, but
they're used to the 22-calibre hunting
rifle. The least bit Of practice is SUI
fcient to teach them the use OF the
new rifle and they're delighted with It.
To enumerate where the men seen
at this park hail from is like calling
the roll Of the States. The division re-
ferred to above includes Floridians and
Alabamans, as we'll as New Workers.
I have met officers Of other divisions
fresh from home, who speak no less
enthusiastically of their soldiers VINO
are from Iowa, Minnesota and Dako-
Ia They are all big husky fellows OF
the same build and type as the Amer
leans who, a few days ago. helped
push the line back from Moriancourt
to Bray, going in under barrage, in
continuation of a two-days forced
march. These farmer boys from the
West are ready now to do the same
according to the opinion of the West
Point officers who command them.