The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-11-01
C. CARROLL
SWETENBURG WRITES
Wants to Finish War For Good
Not a Few Years.
France, Oct. 10th, 1918

Wrote mother day before yester,
day that our regiment had just come
out of big drive and had camped
in a little French village for the
night. Of course our destination is
unknown but we are going back to
get reorganized. We did not move
yesterday but expect to pull out this
afternoon or early tomorrow morn
ing, but as the little rest does so
much good we are not worrying
about the time we leave. This morn
ing I happened to run across this
typewriter and as it has been so long
since have used one that all my
fingers seem like thumbs, so please
excuse all mistakes, etc.
Well, have seen so much that I
don't know where to begin or ex-
artly what to write, but I have been
there. You knew we had been in
the trenches for some time but as the
sector we were in was very quiet;
only at times we had very much ex-
element, but then we thought we
we're seeing it from all sides. I
wrote you we were being relieved
and had gone way back for training,
then one night we got orders to
move in 80 minutes, so of course we
MI swore and kicked that we could
not move in that short time, but
even if we had a week to get ready
In, some one would have some kick,
rs such is the army but any way in
the short time, and when the word
to move forward was given every
body was ready and everything in
shape. We marched for a few days
right up behind the front and then
we were told the part we would play
IN the drive and given all necessary
instructions, issued reserve rations
and got ready for action, all knew
there was going to be a big drive
but what day no one knew, so on
certain night in September about II
o'clock all the artillery in or around,
as far as you could see the sky was
lit with flashes of the big guns, so
xs we or our Division was in sup
port we did not move up that day
but the next we were right up and
orders come that our Division would
relieve the one in front of US and
We would go over at daybreak. The
relief was made and we all waited
for dawn, and then we would see
what we had so long looked for. Of
hcers and men were as cool and
thought no more of it than a daily
routine of the usual army life and
Of course it was leap into the un-
known with the unknown, and natur-
ally we wondered what our men
would do. Of course they knew
what artillery fire was and were
used to the music of the machine
guns, etc., but they never had taken
part In big offensive. AS the hour
rolled on to the time for the attack
We began to get the sleepy ones up
and give few words of the final
instructions, and then we went for
ward, and am glad I can write you
that our men gave all any one could
expect of them, and they played
their part well, gained our objec-
tves, and to see them walk under
artillery fire and up against ma
chine gun nest was wonderful. Our
service was noticed by the troops on
our right and left and the Gener-
al commanding the Fourth Army of
France gave US the first citation and
the next one the Regiment will be
decorated as it takes two to get the
cross Of war, so now we are going
hack to train and fill up the again
and hope to get our long hoped for
LEAVE as the Colontl says we
have earned it.
The Allies continue to make their
daily gains, and the Boche is about
finished. We never think of that,
we are here to do until the last and
we are going to stick and never
think or try to set date when the