Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-03-24
BODIES OF SOLDIERS
ON WAY TO FORT MILL
Remains Of Sergt. Tom Hall and
Sergt. Eli Bales to Be In
TERED at Old Home.

years in soldier graves in far
away France, the bodies Of two
Fort Mill boys who died as he
roes in the World war are now
on the way to this little South
Carolina city to be finally inferred
in New Unity cemetery where the
presence of all that is mortal of
each will ever be an inspiring
source Of patriotism and self-sacri-
flee to their relatives and friends
and the generations who in years
to come may visit their last rest
ing place. Back to the home of
their childhood and to the COM
munity in which each grew into
manhood, the bodies of these two
as gallant young sons as South
Carolina ever gave to any cause
that "sword pleaded or trumpet
proclaimed" will ere long be at
rest in their native soil.
Sergt. Tom Hall and Sergt. Eli
Bales went overseas in May, 1918,
RS members of Company G, 118th
regiment, 30th division. Neither
ever came back. Both made the
supreme sacrifice in the immortal
attack of the 30th division on the
Hindenburg line on October 8,
1918, when the stronghold the
Germans had boasted could never
be preached gave way before the
irresistible force and courage of
the South Carolinians, North Car
olinians and Tennesseans.
In that attack Sergt Hall was
mortally wounded and died the
following day; but not before he
had added imperishable glory to
his name by winning the most
coveted decoration of the Ameri-
can army, the congressional med
al of honor, afterwards presented
to his father, w. L. Hall of Fort
Mill. Sergt. Hall was !23 years
old at the time of his death.
: Before leaving Fort Mill ne vas
regular attendant upon the ser
vices Of the Presbyterian church.
He had been member of the
Fort Mill National Guard conn
pany for several years and was
with the company on the Mcx;"an
border in 1916 When the United
States declared war on Germany
in April, 1917, none was more
anxious to get in the thick of the
conflict than he. He was a gal.
liant soldier and popular both as
young man IN the community
and among his army comrades.
No less ready to do his duty as
soldier and face any danger in
which the fortunes of war placed
him was Sergt. Eli Bales, also a
member of Company g, 11Sth
regiment. 30th division. Sergt.
Bales, like Sergt. Hall and other
Fort Mill boys. lost his life in the
attack Of the 30th division on the
Hindenburg line. Few perhaps
of his many friends in Fort Mill
ever suspected that this quiet. un-
obtrusive young man would prove
himself a soldier of the finest
type. But such he was. No other
man in the Fort Mill COMPANY
was more popular with his CON-
rades than Sergt. Bales, "for all
recognized in him a soldier al
ways ready to do his duty and
more, and withall lovable youth
whose death brought a sense of
personal loss to us ALL" day or
two ago said a former officer o:
the Fort Mill company in speak
ing of Sergt. Bales. Sergt. Bales
was son of j. H. Bales of Fort
Mill. He was a member OF the
Baptist church and was %.
These are the two Fort Mill sol
diers whose bodies are expected
to arrive in Fort Mill from France
within the next two or three
days. Upon arrival in Fort
Mill the bodies will be taken to
the armory Of the Tom Hall
, Guards and there lie in state for
several hours, following which
funeral exercises, with military
hOnors, will be conducted, first
in Confederate park and then at
the grave. The funeral will he
under the auspices of Fora Mill
post, American Legion. Inter-
ment will be in the posts plot
in New Unity cemetery.
Efforts of the Legion post 10
ascertain the exact time of arri-