The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-04-08
LIEUT.. CARROLL
SNETENBERC
r-alfsurt-i r-alfsurt- -in1heBig War Both
in the Argonne Forest and at
Champagne-The. World in
Blaze-Their Casualties Hea-
vy-Henry Mack Vallines
Divides-The Monument
at Abbeville Beats
Them All.

our record in war and with the com
ing home of our young soldiers on
realizes with deep and GROWN!
feeling of appreciation the grea
glory they have shed on their home
To hear them talk is a liberal edu
cation and it is worth many month
of life to watch their animated face
and to hear their casual mention o.
danger and hardships and it gives ;
person as old as "the writer" feel
ing of awe to realize that this grea
war has been won by boys, boy:
whose birth we can remember anc
now as mere youths they have hac
experiences crowded into few
months which would last most of us
a life time.
There is much talk among the
newspapers of six months pay for the
soldiers which would mean with
many, six months of idleness. Well,
most of them will need six months
idleness to be able to answer all the
questions asked them and to make
even a passing remark to the people
who want to hear everything SOL
dier has to say.
= Lieut.. Carroll Swetenburg has
been home for about month and
we have been fortunate in getting
him to talk to US and to allow us to
pass it on to our many interested
readers. .y .....
Lieut.. Swetenburg is the son of
Mr.. and Mrs. B. F. Swetenburg and
has made his home in Abbevilie for
the past nine years. He was born at
Peaks, in Lexington County, twenty
three years ago but Abbeville claims
him and every man, woman and
child in the county feels pride in
his fine record.
Lieut.. Swetenburg volunteered at
the first call for men, and received
his training at Fort Oglethorpe,
where he received his commission as
Second Lieutenant. He was assign
ed at once to Camp Jackson, and to
the Hist Infantry, Company D, 1st
Battalion. It was here that the
young soldier experienced his first
"horrors of war" for one morning
ne, in company with other young Of
ficers, was called up to Headquarters
and assigned his company, the off,
Ger rernarking "this is a negro COM
pany", in perfectly ordinary tone
of voice We are told in the Bible
that there was silence in Heaven
for the space of half hour, we'll,
there was silence among these young
officers for an hour. The shock
came very near taking the pleasure
out of their brand new uniforms,
but this feeling soon wore off says
Lieut.. Swetenburg and the officers
took a pride and pleasure in train
ing their asa. Most of the negroes
were from South Carolina, fresh
from the cotton fields sent in BY the
November draft. The majority were
quick and eager to learn, were proud
OF thn.- a.- new clothes and that they
were part of the big show. They
trained at Camp Jackson until the
first week in April, when they sailed
for France from Newport News. The
trip over was without incident, save
that the first few days rough wea-
ther was encountered and officers
and men alike were sick enough to
wish that they were dead. After
this wore off the trip was pleasant
and source of unfailing wonder to
the negro troops. They landed at
Brest, where they remained for nine
teen days. They have no pleasant
recollection of the place for it rain
ed eighteen out of this nineteen
days. From Brest. they made a four
days trip across France to Marats
lie Grande, town in the Depart
ment of the Marne. This journey
was made in box cars whose capacity
was forty men or eight horses. Lieut.
Swetenburg is not a Congressman
and had no "kick" on this, remark
ing "What would a soldier ride in
but box car"
Here the Americans were brigadet
With the 18TH Division of tn