Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-04-01
HERE AND THERE

Just what put the idea in my head,
cannot tell you," said one Of the vet
Grams who was here last Saturday,
j"but while the old soldiers were gath
cred in the courthouse this morning,
I began taking In their general ap-
Ipearance and counting the number
who wore boards. There were just
fifty. Then took stock Of those who
wore moustaches, and made 1t twenty
seven. In the whole gathering I no
ticed only two who were clean shaved"
According to the Charleston Ameri-
can of Friday, Sergt. T. G. Patterson,
of Fort Mill, tells some interesting
stories Of the division. 1t was on
dered to go over the top for the first
time. They fought a stiff engagement
for five hours and had two officers
put out Of action. Top Sergt. w. H.
Minis took charge Of the company and
received a slight wound while reach
ing his objective. Sergeant Patterson
states after the fight three sergeants
were left with the company barrage,
Minis and Patterson. One horrible oc-
currence he relates as having person.
ally witnessed. A wounded member
of the company was crawling away
from the concentrated fire when a
l1CTIIldH Sd" 0clLluS d SlChdoCb
or potato masher,"' he brought 1t
down on the skull of the wounded
| American, killing him. The Ameri-
cans took no prisoners when that par
| ticular group was later surrounded.
| Sergeant Patterson tells Of capturing
a german position where they found
a large quantity Of champagne and
immense supplies of food. AS the men
had not been able to secure food for
more than forty hours, this find was
most welcome. On one occasion
Patterson's company started out with
180 men and reached their. objective
with 40 men. This position they held
against an overwhelming force for
two days before relief came"
Those folks who have developed q
good, strong admiration for the
French as a people and as soldiers,
will, II they want the truth, do we'll to
talk to the returning soldiers. The
French may be q pretty good sort, so
far as that is concerned; but 1t Is evil
dent that they do not suit the Ameri-
lcaNAdea so very we'll. The returning
Americans generally seem to have
about as much feeling against the
French as 1t might be truthfully said,
the Germans. The common attitude
toward the English is respect, II not Of
Admiration; but in the case Of the
French, the sentiment Is rather one OF
contempt. II would fight the Ger
mans again If necessary" said a re-
turned American soldier. to Here and
There, few days ago; "but II have
to do any more fighting hope it will
be against those Frogs" Asked as
to his objection to the Frogs" he said:
l"Pshaw! they are so dog-goned dirty
and so dog-goned slow, and they have
SO little appreciation Of anything you
do for them" He went on to say that
so far as his observation went, that
was the feeling Of the Americans gen.
erally-a feeling Of disgust and con-
tempt.
Here and There does not propose to
mention any names in this story that
Is told to illustrate the attitude Of the
UNITED States army toward civilian
lAmericans-not unless competent au-
|thority demands more facts, and then
the facts will be furnished. A young
man, formerly Of Filbert, then Of Cas-
ltonia, was drafted into the army, and
after q very incomplete and superficial
medical examination was sent to Camp
Jackson. Before going to Gastonia this
lyoung man had been under treatment
by several physicians for heart leak
age. The young mans father knew he
was not fit for service and immediate
lily set about trying to get him out To
THAT end he employed Yorkville at
ltorney, and the attorney began by Sc
Touring affldavits from persons ac-
Iuuainted with the facts, including at
least two physicians who had had
lcharge Of the case. All OF the afhda-
Wits bore witness Of the young mans
|unfitness for the service. When the
attorney applied to the proper author,
Iities at Camp Jackson, he was told
Iabruptly: "I'll not consider any state
lment from any civilian" One OF the
laffidavits was from a physician who
then held a high commission in the
medical service. II will look at that,
said the officer, and he did look at 1t;
but he took no steps for the discharge
of the young soldier, who few weeks
later was brought home dead.
Sergeant George Wallace talks most
Interestingly Of his experiences In
France. There Is soldierly reserve In
what he says, and to get him around
on the subject 1t is necessary to draw
him out little; but even at that he Is
mot inclined to careless boasting or ex-
laggeration. He belonged to the regu-
liar army, it will be remembered, and
he was in 1t from the first. He was
present at the firing Of the first cere-
lmonial shot, and he is the man who
lyanked the string for the first business
shot. He did not make the latter
statement to Here and There; but the
information came from other sources
THAT are considered authentic. George
however, went into the fighting In
March, and was shortly afterward
knocked down by q piece Of shell
(which bruised him sufficiently to keep
thim i'm the hospital month. Shortly
after rejoining his outfit he took part
in the defense Of Paris. AS already
stated, he was in the line that mid
night Of July IA when the Germans
were started back to their own coun-
TRY from Chateau Thierry. That is
when he received the wound that n
nally put him out Of the fighting.
But young Wallace had seen a lot Of
hot lighting before that. He tells how
Though the Americans took artillery
lessons from the French, 1t was not
llong before the French realized that
ithey could learn from the Americans.
Shortly after his battery began to get
down to business they struck pace In
which they easily fred two shcts 10
one from the Germans. After we got
his interval" he says, ut was fun. wei
could put in our two shots, take cover
while his shell was falling and then go
1
we got him. Yes, the French were as
tcnished at the way we handled the
grls. AS for the small guns. we lit,
e. ally pitched the shells into them and
kept them going more rapid rate
than the French had ever been able 10
attain, and when we came to the big
guns we opened their eyes again. The
French were in the habit OF getting
ready to fire, running to cover and
pulling off with q lanyard that would
reach across the street. That proceed
ure did not appeal to us. 1t was too
slow Our boys would load and the
gunner would yank her off with IAN
yard not more than three feet long,
while the boys stood around ready TO
put in another shell before the last one
had gotten fairly on its way. 1t was
little hard on our ears; but we got
used to it." Mr.. Wallace's description
of the artillery standing almost hup 10
hub over a distance Of rs Kilometres
lust before the opening Of the Chateau
Thierry drive, is very impressive. BY
reason of his wounds Mr.. Wallace Is
entitled to vocational training by the
government, and he expects to take