Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-04-02
Wednesday, April 2.
Immortal Thirtieth Division
Received and Honored by
the people of South Caro-
lima.

the people OF ooUIH Si
lima.
Yielding to an irrepressible desire
to meet and greet our soldier boys Oh
the SOth Division first hand and to
have a part in their official reception,
as it were, came to Columbia this
(Monday) morning with many thou
sands of other citizens from every
quarter of the State. Special trains
and the regular trains on all OF the
railroads leading to the capital city
have been crowded for two days and
a constant stream of automobiles
have poured in from every direction.
A friend from the Piedmont section
of the State told me to-day that at
one ferry there were 800 automobiles
at one time this morning waiting to
be transported across the river. This
gives some idea Of what an immense
throng gathered here to-day to do
honor to the men who broke the Hin
denburg line.
Seven thousand heroes marched up
Main Street this afternoon to the
step of martial music between two
solid walls of men and women, lined
up on both sides of the street, who
had assembled to show their appre-
citation for their service and sacrl
fees. Never were there more people
in Columbia at one time and pcoba5fy
never again will such an inspiring
scene be witnessed.
The soldiers were brought to the
city from Camp Jackson in street
cars and formed the pageant near
the city limits for the memorable
march through the leading streets.
Everywhere they were greeted with
deafening cheers and with every
form of public recognition and eX-
preston Of sincere appreciation for
what they did to save not only Amer
lea but the world from German DOM
ination and tyranny. Although the
assembled throng waited nearly three
hours, standing, for the young heroes
10 form in martial splendor, yet
there was not the slightest evidence
of restlessness or impatience.
The approach OF the procession
was announced by patriotic music
from the 117th regiment band and as
its strains died away in the distance,
the band of the next regiment in line
as the procession passed, could be
heard, the climax from a musical
stand point being reached when the
Marine band of 26 pieces from the
navy ward in Charleston, brought to
Columbia by Major T. 7. Hyde, pass
ed playing "Dixie" with all possible
fervor ard enthusiasm.
The men who whipped to fragile
the finest troops that Germany ever
put in the field, the pride of the Kai-
ser and the boast of Hindenburg,
bore the marks Of hard service. They
are no longer amateurs, or citizen
soldiers, as the German press de-
risively called them early in the war,
but they are seasoned soldiers who
have received the "Well done" of
Marshal Foch, General Pershing,
President Wilson, the Congress of the
United States and the people for
whom they fought back home. The
brave Spartans who immortalized
themselves at Thermopylae deserve
no more enduring place in history
than do these brave boys who march
ed triumphantly through South Caro-
lina's capital to-day. 1t was indeed a
rare privilege to see them and greet
them. South Carolinians who were
not here have let pass an opportunity
that will never come their way again.
AS the men passed by to-day with
military precision and cadence, wait
inc. like "time and tide" for nothing,
it was practically impossible to recog-
nize even erstwhile familiar faces of
the men in uniform. The only Edge
field county man l recognized during
the march was Lieut.. w. D. Allen
who, being in command of his COM
panv. marched several PAGES in front,
making it easier to recognize his IA
miliar face and form. AS Lieut.. Allen
marched with conspicuous military
bearing in the procession, l was made
to feel very proud of him and the