The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-04-23

receipt of a letter from Captain Ward
Hamrick's major, in which he describ-
es the glorious death of this gallant
soldier of Greenwood. The letter fol-
lows:
Hq. 3rd. BIT. 326 Inf
American A. E. F. France.
My dear Mrs. Hamrick:
The censorship regulations did not
permit me to even mention Wards
death, until the Government had done
SO. But / knew how anxious you !
would be and wrote Mrs. Watkins as
much as | dared. Hoping that she
could write a letter that could help |
your heart more than mine could.
l first met Ward at the training
camp, Fl. Mcpherson, May 13, 1917.
We were about the same height, and
SO were placed in the same squad. He
slept just one bunk removed from me
for three months. l asked him to
meet some of my Atlanta friends. He
became very dear to me. He was
~ I1C OCSI 1d1IlAAACS VI AZ.
lanta. When l was married in March.
he was my best and only man; to-
gether with the bridesmaid he went
with US to Birmingham. / learned to
love and trust him as a brother. At
the end of the training camp l was
sent to Fort Oglethorpe and he to the
326 Infantry. In December, 1917, l
joined and took command of the 3rd
Bn. 326. Then Immediately l asked
that Ward be transferred; and short
ly after reaching France / made him
my Adjutant. He was with me
through all the fighting of my Bn.
He slept with me night after night
in a little fox hole, only large enough
to hold our long bodies; when one
turned the other had to turn; we
have shared the last drop of water,
the last morsel of bread or bully BEAT.
Each morning as WI went owe the
top we have looked into each others
eyes, and read courage and UNDER
standing there. l knew him as few
men in the battalion knew him. Two
nights before he was killed we both
got mail, and he had a letter from
you. We could not read them the
night they came, because Fritz would
not allow US to have any lights; but
at the first break of day we slid out
our little hole, and read the sweet
messages from home. We both felt
fine. We attacked on October 18th, I
was shot thru the feet that day, and
Ward was by my side, and suggested
that l go back; it was not very SER
ious, and stayed on. On the night
of the 18th we dug in about 700 yards
from the enemy's lines sleeping to-
gethed in a little two by four fox
hole. On the morning of the 18th
October, we again attacked, driving |
the enemy before us with heavy loss
es. At l O'clock the troops on our
left were held up, and we perforce had
to stop. 1 established my headquart- !
ers behind an old haystack near the
village Of st. Juvin pronounced Saint
Juvan). Another battalion was or !
dered to relieve us at this place; they
came about one o'clock, took our lines, ,
and Ward, my scout officer, Lieut.. j.;
A. Bankston, Atlanta, Ga, and l were
starting back to the rear, when a
heavy shell burst within ten feet Of
US. A piece Of the shell about the
size of ones little finger, and about
n inch long, struck Ward on the !
left jugular vein, just where it joins !.
the base of the train, severing the
vein. He dropped by my side, his
blood splashing on my arm, and his
head falling almost between my feet.
A piece of %shrapnel from the same
shell hit me in the leg, (not seriously
Ward died in less than twenty Sec
onds, one might say instantly, as he
never spoke, and had a NOM
ent's consciousness after he was hit.
His body was buried in the village
of St. Juvin on the 10th. The map To-
cation can be got from the "Graves
Registration Bureau" A. E. FL
France, or Washington. The body |
was neatly wrapped in an army blan-
ket, and laid to rest by a Baptist
Chaplain, George H. Hyman, 326 In,
fantry, with military honors. I Wis
tied the grave last week, and it is
No. l in the American graveyard in
the village. Can easily be located
from the map references. While go-ii
ing over the old battle fields I had
my picture taken where he fell, and
shall certainly send you one if it de-
velops.
You will, Of course know that in
battle there are burial details working
under the chaplains who follow up the
fighting line and bury all our dead.
Each officer has around his neck two
aluminium tags, each bearing his
name, rank, and regiment. One of
these tags is tackled to the little
o at the head of the grave, and
the other is sent to the Graves Reg