Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-06-09

-sSVPpAOnohy mCNttQk1OuS ouO COn-
spicnous service in the World
war" Of Col. T. b. Spratt sOf Fort
Mill, former lientenant colonel of
the ll8th regiment, 3Oth division,
Brig. Gen. Lawrence ID. Tyson,
59th brigade, 80 division, recon-
mends in recent letter to the
war department that Col. Spratt
be awarded the distinguished SER.
vice medal. Much Of the credit
for the gallant record of the 118th
regiment is attributed by Gen.
Tyson to the work of Col. Spratt,
who .swas the mainstay of his i'm
mediate commanding officer in the
preliminary battles of the Him
denburg line" and on September
20, 1918, when the 30th division
plowed its way with shot and
shell through that series of Ger
man forts, hitherto considered i'm
pregnable.
During these battles,' says
Gen. Tyson, in his letter recon-
mending the decoration for Col.
Spratt, "the 118th. regiment
fought as gallantly. / believe. as
any regiment fought at any time
in France and this regiment bears
the distinction of having won five
of the 78 medals of honor won by
the whole American army during
the World war.
1t is a source Of great pride to
Fort Mill people that two of the
five congressional medals of honor
won by the 118th regiment were
awarded members of the Fort
Mill company, Lieut.. James C.
Dozier and Sergt. Thomas +. Hall,
who lost his life in action few
hours after performing the heroic
act for which the medal was pos.
thnmOlsly awarded him.
Tuesday the following copy of
the letter of Gen. Tyson to the,
war department was received by
The Times. Accompanying the
copy of the letter is note i'm
which Gen. Tyson says, 'I wish
the people Of South Carolina to
understand what my opinion of
the n8th infantry and Col. T. B.
Spratt is. 2 The letter in full fol
lows.
" recommend that Lieut.. Col.
Thos. b. Spratt, 118th infantry,
"A. e. F., be awarded the distin-
buished service medal for excep-
tionally meritorious and conspic-
Nous service in the World war.
Col. Spratt was second in COM
mand of the 1l8th infantry from
its formation at Camp Sewer in
October, 1917, until December,
1918, at which time he was order
ed to, the United States for pro-
motion in recognition of his con-
spicuous services. Col. Spratt
aided greatly in the training of
the 18th infantry, both in the
United States and in Francs.
THE 1l8th infantry did glori-
GUS and distinguished service in
the Ypres-C Canal sector from July
to September, 1918, and later in
the great offensive in the Somme
from September to November,
1918.
Col. Spratt was the mainstay
of his immediate commanding Of
ficer in the preliminary battles of
the Hindenburg line in front of
Belliconrt and Nauroy, Septem-
her 24-27, when his regiment took
over the sector assigned to the
Both division. and did conspieu-
ons service in Strengthening the
line before the great battle of the
Hindenburg line on September
%, 1918. He also distinguished
himself on the 9Th, 9th and 10th
Of October, when he materially
aided, by his advice and counsel
and soldierly conduct, in the cap
tnre of the towns of Montbrehain,
Branconrt and Vaux-Andigny,
where his regiment greatly dis
tinguished itself and where the
Germans were driven back and
routed, great numbers Of them
being captured and killed, but at
thcS expense of a great many of
our own men being killed and
wounded.
Later Col. Spratt distinguish
ed himself on the 17th, 18th and
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