The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-15
SOLDIERS LETTER
j :. Seymour Tells OF Experiences in
France.

The following letter was received u
/ few days ago by Air. W. 6. s Sey
imour from his nephew, j. S. Sey--
mour, Of the 31Sth +. y. Band, Amer
lean Expeditionary Force. who left
! the South Carolina University TO en-
list for service overseas:
Dear Uncle Scott: Since receiving
your last letter We haze been constant
" on the move from one little village
to another. OF course every one is
more or less impatient, since hostill-
; ties have ceased, for we all are c!ana-
oring to know something definite as
! to what they ere going to do with us
There are mary, many rumors as 10
orr going home rea! soon. bat l 10
not attach anything of importance TO
them. No one knows anything den
mite in the army until the very last
minute When I am on a boat thcn
I can halfway make myself believe
that we are soi:.s home.
I am quite sure that every Anle:l-
can boy over here longs for the time
when he can sit by a nice warm fire
md have a real bed to sleep IN. tITer
since last September wc have slept IN
Barns Naturally / have become ac-
customed to all the little inconVen-
fences such as dong without a fire
and good bed. But this awful siW-
ful mud. would not mind the cold.
but tho cloudy and threatening rainy
weather makes Il fellow feel a little
bit blue 1T times. Nevertheless; God
has. certainly been too good 10 me Tor
have. enjoyed the best Of health over
here. And again. there is one copso-
iation we are not goillS to be here
always.
Uncle I have had some wonderful
experiences and I've seen something
While stationed On the SwiSs border
witnessed some OF the most beautiful
sights n the world, namely the Swiss
Alps One Sunday a friend and my
seif went across nearly TO the border
line. nearly 7.0oG feet above the sea
level. From there we could look
down urcn Switzerland Words are
700 inadequate for an ordinary per
son 10 attempt 10 describe the mag
nificent sight which natur" alone has
portrayed. The words OF an artist
could hardly do it tu!l justice. So You
see | haze seen things and sights for
nothing that many people have paid
thousands TO see I have q grand col
lection of postcard pictures OF all
these sights I observed with
keen pleasure. Since We have moved
and now / have seen sights. the mem
ory Of which will neve; be erased
from my mind. 1t nearly breaks my
heart to see the most beautiful parts
Of France torn aSunder by the ruth
less Hun with his sword ard fire. In
toXicated with the so-cal!ed dainnabie
..kultur' he has placed France in such
6epiorable and horribia conditions un-
til no human can describe with tongue
or pen If / had not been here to see
for myself | cou.tl never have believ-
ed the things I had heard many
months bafo4., 7 sailed from the
States. 'rhey have committed crimes
among themselves which the world
will be horriiied TO hear about. Amer
leans won't want 20 believe such
things. a BOY vas relating an expe- !
rience to me the other day which he
had in captured German dugout. |;
He said way back in the dugout hei
found huge pot and right nearby I
large choppine block. Observing more |
closely he discovered human bodies
cut up and in the pot were parts Of
human bodies boiling. These Ger !
mans had fed because of q surprise !
attack. Can you conceive Of such
things?
II strikes me particularly how cir
custanceS can WELD themselves to-