Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-03-29
FORT MILL SOLDIERS BURIED
Vast Audience Gathered 10 Pay Final
!! Tribute to Departed|sHeroes,.
EXERCISES At CONFEDERATE PARK

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Fort Mill, March 27-With full mill
tary honors, the bodies Of Sergeants
Tom Hall and Eli Bales, Fort Mill men
who made the supreme sacrifice while
fighting on the Hindenburg line In
France with the Fort Mill company Of
the 11Sth Regiment, 80 Division, Octo-
Der s, 1913, were buried In New Unity
cemetery, here this afternoon. The
bodies were + ought here Friday after
noon from New York, in charge Of two
soldiers of the regular army and lay IN
state in the Fort Mill armory until this
afternoon. 4 crowd Of people from all
sections of York county and many
from North Carolina, estimated at from
1,50O to 1000 attended the memorial
services in honor Of the men. The
large audience included many Of their
| relatives, friends and acquaintances
and scores Of eX-service men who sery-
cd in tire same cause in which, they laid
down their lives.
Spratt Delivered Grafton;
Hundreds of people gathered around
the small speakers stand in Confeder-
ate Park at 2.30 this afternoon to which
place the caskets bearing the bodies of
the two soldiers were brought from the
armory and deposited during the exer-
cises. Surrounding the caskets which
were covered with flowers were the
mother and father of Sergeant Hall,
the mother and father Of Sergeant
Bales and a number of other relatives.
The several ministers Of Fort Mill also
took part in the exercises while the
funeral oration was delivered by Thos
B. Spratt Of Fort Mill, former lieu
tenant colonel Of the 18th Infantry.
A chorus Of Fort Mill ladies' sang
several selections during the exercises.
First Lieut.. Arthur C. Lyttle OF Com
pany C. 1.-THE Tom Hall Guards" nam
ed for one of the deceased soldiers,
presided over the exercises Of the day.
Paying tribute to the bravery and
valor of the deceased soldiers, Col.
Spratt briefly reviewed the history of
the 18th Infantry and Company G.
during the fighting in France.~He. stat
cd that government statistics showed
that South Carolina lost more men in
killed and wounded during the world
war in proportion to population than
any other state in the union. He men
toned the fact that out Of $500 men In
the 11Sth Infantry Of the 3Oth Division,
less than 1,50O came out Of the war
without injury.
Smashing the Hindenburg Line.
Co. G, Of the 11Sth, the original Fort
Mill company, he stated, went into the
fighting with officers, II sergcants
and i61 corporals and privatcs. After
the terrific drive on the, Hindenburg,
line in October which resulted In the
smashing Of the most powerful military
front in modern history, there were no
officers, only sergeants and 81 pri-
Yates and corporals who were not
wounded. Nearly 100 men were killed
in the single days fighting on October
8, 1918.
Every man in the company and the
regiment" he said, knew exactly what
he was up against early on the morn
of October s, 1918. when orders were
received to attack the German army.
The Fort Mill company occupied
s;lliant that was nearest the German
| off of
were received about $3.50 o'clock In the
morning. The company had for two
days been watching the ground.
Sergeant Bales led his platoon
forward when the zero hour approach
cd. EIe had gone but 4 short distance
when he was shot down. One Of his
companions stopped to aid him; but he
declined that aid. saying. 1 am done
for; you 20 on and don't stop for me- "
Awarded Congressional Medal.
Sergeant Hall attacked a machine
gun nest of the encmy's and routed 1t.
His conduct won for him that day the
Congressional Medal Of Honor, the
highest military medal in the world
which was awarded after his death. He
was moved down by machine gun
bullets and he died in a hospital the
following day. The chaplain Of the
regiment spoke of these two men after
their deaths, of the kind Of men they
were. 1t would be impossible for an
army chaplain having 1000 men under
his care to know them individually un-
less it were that they came into his
presence quite often. That gives you
knowledge as to where they often
were and the kind of men they were"
Services at the Graves.
Following the exercises at Confeder-
ate Park, the line Of march to New
Unity cemetery about half mile away
was begun. The two hearseS each
be;,ring Il caskct were followed by the
pail bearers. Then came the special
guard Of honor from the militia COM
pany. They were followed by legion
aries of Fort Mill, Rock Hill and
Yorkville and the great numbers OF
noople In automobiles and on foot fol-
lowing to the graves.
| ITnlIowinr short service at the