The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-01-07

and his friends hoped for days that
some mistake might have been made,
especially after one of the Abbeville
boys had written that such was the
case. However, Mr.. Stevenson some
days ago received official notifica-
ton of his death.
Desiring to learn the particulars
of his death Mr.. Stevenson wrote
his Captain and to other officers of
his regiment. The following letter
from Capt. Workman tells of the
manner in which he met death, as
we'll as something of the man and
soldier he was:
Headquarters 1st Battalion,
118th, 1918, American E. F.
! France.
Dec. 18th, 1918.
Mr.. w. A.. Stevenson,
Abbeville, S. C.
Dear Mr.. Stevenson:
I have received your letter and
am writing you the facts concerning
Oscars death. I was not with the
Company during any of the fighting,
having been assigned to the other
Brigade Of our Division, and I sup
posed that some Of Oscars friends
had written you tho details. Lieut..
Willis was severely wounded several
hours before Oscar was killed and
has only recently returned from hos
pitsi. This explains his failure to
write you. All Of tho other oficers
Of the Company had been transferr-
sd or wounded before Oseer's death.
! have made an investigation and
have obtained these facts frsn sons
Of sas men who were with your son
when he foil.
On he morning Of oetebsr 9Th,
1919, ali sfieecs Of Co. "A" had
bees previously wounded except
Lieut.. Watkins, who had been trans
ferred to Co. "F." Your boy was
commanding the Company and car
ried it "over the top" on that morn
ing. He was leading the Company
and had advanced 1000 yards when
an high explosive shell landed im-
mediately in front Of him and your
Boy fell. Some Of his men immedi-
ately ran to him and found that he
had been killed instantly. His body
showed no wounds and it Is certain
that his death was caused by the
conclusion from the explosion. At
The time Of bis death your boy was
at the Post Of Honor-in front Of
sll his men, and after his death it
was his spirit which enabled the
Sergeants to carry ON and to gain
their objective.
While none Of 10 can appreciate
the grief Of = father at the lass Of
his son, assure you that every man
Of his Company and every officer in
the Regiment grieves with you. But
in spite Of this sorrow there 10 4
pride in tho way your boy died.
Death cams to him in the grandest
form that the Grim Reaper ever
comes to any Of u. He died with
his face to the enemy leading his
men in an advance which resulted in
the crushing Of the foe, and the
realization Of. the ideals for which
he was fighting and which he per-
s. n:hed throughout his life.
1 read with deep feeling the patri-
otic sentiments expressed in your
letter though I always knew that tho
father of. such a son would feel az
you do. In closing let me speak as
Oscars old Company Commander
and say honestly that in all my ex-
perience I have never seen a more
splendid soldier and a finer man than
your son, and in saying this I am
sure that am speaking for every
man and officer in his Company.
If there is anything further that
I can do, do not hesitate to call on
me. I will always esteem it an hon.
or to be Of service to you.
Respectfully yours,
W. D. Workman.