Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A Group of Interesting Letters From Our Soldier Boys. Sam B. Mays Writes Letter to His Sister. September 22, 1918. My Dear Mazie: We are now having a lull of a few days between offensive or drives and another assault. We have had some pretty lively times lately and have bad plenty of chances to see what war really* is. It does not take one long to find that Sherman knew, when you see dead Americans or Boches lying side by side, and shells of all descriptions passing over from both sides. We have lately gotten a good chance to show up and I am sure that all of our outfit did well. I have seen /With my own eyes Americans against Germans and know for a fact that the American soldier is the greatest fight er yet. We have been resting or rather getting ourselves together for a cou ple of days but are looking for some more lively action very soon as the Boches also seem to be rather reck less and are sending over a few every now and then. Our mail proposition is worse than ever and does not seem to stand much .chance of improving. The fall weather has set in here in full swing and it is real cold, al though we have had no ice as yet. No doubt we will have* some by the last of this month or the first of next month. .<-<.-. All of our fellows have seen .enough to be able to talk after they get home and are willing to go home, t I do not mean by that that they are down hearted or more homesick than other soldiers but all are learning what a good place the States is. The men are all better satisfied while they are at the front and the bullets are singing than any other time. If it were possible for them to stay there they would not have the chance to ' want to come home. My/ first two sheets of paper stuck together and that is the cause of my 1 -writing arrangement. Follow the num ' "hers. We have all been pretty busy as it is. hard work with the kind of stock ?we have and so much continual rain. 1 It seems that it is never clear. There are interesting things to see ; in the Jerry's dugouts after he has ' been made to fall back. I have been into some that were fixed up so well 1 i that the Germans must have expect ed, to stay in them forever. They were fixed up like a regular" military gar lison in time of peace. Some of them 1 had the walls papered, upholstered furniture, pictures, chairs,'bath tubs, beds /and even pianos and phono graphs. Of course these were the offi- ] cers' but it it shows that they thought they had this country for keeps. The -, fellows have collected all kinds of 1 souvenirs but very few that they can .] keep or are small enough to send ] home. You know it is agaitfst army j regulations to send home anything < except' things that are on a small list of war trophies. 1 Where are you and Doc going to j live when you get your home that ] you spoke of finished? Some one of i you wrote me that Ben and Audrey had a summer- home. I feel today ] more like going to a winter home. ] Wad is still with us and sends his ; best love to all of you. I Write to me' real soon and often, ? and give my love to all. Your brother, Sam. Censored by W. D. Allen, 2nd Lt. U. S. N. G. Miss Sallie Smith Receives Let ter From Her Brother in France. , Somewhere in France j September 13, 1918. ] My Dear Sister: i I have received two letters from you in the last few days. Was cer- < tainly glad to get them. I would 1 have answered the first one right 1 away but I had just written tb Pa- ' pa so I waited a day or two so all : of you can hear from me every few } days. 1 I write to some of you every two or three days. You said in your let ter that none of you had gotten a letter from me in some time. I can't see why. I hear from some of you about every three days. I am always 1 prouder to see the mail come than ! I am to see pay day. There isn't any- ' thing over here to spend money for. Tell John I received his letter yes terday. I will write to him in a few days. I was surprised in the last mail for I received a letter from Irene. I like to get a surprise like that. I want you to tell Hugh I am get ting on fine and often think of him, especially on Sunday nights. There are plenty of good-looking "Janes" over here but I can't un derstand much they say. If I could, juat speak French I would be in the "boat." How are all the "Janes" at home and their sports,'too? I know some of the little fellows think they are courting. I guess the meeting was good. I hope it was. We. have some fine men over here working in the Y. M. C. A. I got John Holston's address, but I haven't any idea I will ever find him over here. I think he is a long way from where I am. I think I will try to write to him in a few days. I saw Claude Lyon last nlight. He is getting on fine. I will try to write you a long let ter next time. Write to me real soon and tell me air the news you can. I hope to hear from home soon. Give my love to all. Your loving brother, Frank 0. Smith. Will Earl Prince Writes Letter to His Mother. Somewhere in France. September 26, 1918. My Dear Mother: . I I will write you a few lines this A. M. to let you hear from me. I am well and doing fine. Hope this will find you all the same. ' Mama, I am on the front some where but don't let that worry you for I'm coming out all right and I hope it won't be long. _x # * How is Son getting along? I cer tainly, hope he has not left the States yet. If he does have to come over here I hope we will have the good luck to see each other. I have not seen Tom Burnett or any of those since I have been over here. They are over here somewhere. I like France better the^ longer I stay here. The only thing I hate is that I can't talk French. Anybody could have a lots better time if he could talk it. The French people seem to think lots of the Americans. Mama, I have not heard from Olive yet. I am certainly anxious fco get the baby's picture. If she has not sent me one tell her to send it. I hope you all have a good home for another year. I hope they will never take Abbie in this army. If he ever does have to go, tell him to join the navy if he can. I think it is better for him than the army. I will close for this time., I hope this will reach you all right. Write : io me real often. With much iove, Earl. H. F. Grims Writes Letter to His Sister. Somewhere in France, September 19, 1918. . Dear Sister: Your letter received the other day md to be sure it was appreciated to the highest degree. Was so glad to . snow that Mama is doing so well. [ certainly hope she keeps improv- I ing. I am proud to know she is rid ? jf so much suffering.' ? . Well, how is Papa standing the ] :imes no\v? Fine, I hope. I was sur- 1 prised to know Jessie was plowing Dinah as she was so wild when we ] tvere breaking her. 1 I saw Walter and Billy, Sunday, i [ spent the day with them as I had ] lot seen them in some time and we i ?vere a good way apart. I didn't have 1 mything to do so I thought I would ] jo and spend the day with them. 1 Walter had "received a letter from I Aunt Carrie and she said you all 1 ivere well. When I got back I had i i letter from you and Emmie Lou ( Long. She wrote me a long letter i ind said Mama spent the day with j them and was doing fine. i Mama asked me if we ever had | any watermelons over here. They ? ion't know what that is. We can get plenty of fruit but it is certainly ? ligh. I found some syrup over here ? for ?1.35 a quart. Well, if I can I will send you a center piece. You may get it by the ] ;ime you get the letter. I think it is real pretty. It is hand-made and it , :ost sixteen francs. That is about ? $3.00. It looks like a big price but | [ have gotten used to high prices in | this country. ( You. can address my mail this way: 2nd Bn., Hq., 118th Inf., and I will get it quicker. 1 Tell Aminee and the rest of the kids "Hello" for me. As soon as I ? can find some pretty cards I will send D. P.. one. Tell him to help Dad dy take care of the rest of the fam ily and when I get back he will be a big boy. I certainly would like to see you all but there isn't much use to think , of that yet, but I hope it won't be long. Tell Aunt Pollie and Aunt Em mie "Hello" for me and tell Cousin Jim Strom's family I h?ven't for gotten them, because I don't write. Will close with much love to all. am as ever, I am as ever, Your devoted son, H. F, Griffis. H. G. Manson Writes Lette His Mother. Somewhere in France, September 26, 191 My Dear Mother: I will endeavor to write you a lines to day. I am well and get on fine, except for a cold. I have er felt better since I have beei France.. I think this country ag with me. I have seen a bit of France. ] a beautiful country and the fara land is so pretty. We have them 1 a city block though, on implem and machinery. The people all in towns or villages.. You can go n between towns and not see a he like you see in the States. The hoi and barns are all together. One r< is a living room, the next is a cov horse stable, and very likely, in next stall you will find some Am can soldiers. France and also England are sr places on the marp but when it coi to hiking from place to place t must be some big countries. "Beli me' when^ I get a chance to stop big guns do not bother me at all. Is ther does a possible air raid. I en, the travels on the train. We are ways put into cattle cars so we < take in everything as we pass. Mama, of course I can't say whi I am but I am in good spirits a am confident of the outcome. We \ surely win the war. We are going lick the Huns to a frazzle. I hope your health is better n than when I left. I earnestly ho you'will get better, I hope Papa, Bl ber and all the family are well a that Bubber will not have to come the army. I don't see how you a Papa could get along without hi I have not heard anything frc Winton at a?i. I wrote him sevei times but as yet have not gotten ? answer. I would like to know whe he is. Do you still get letters fro him? Do you get my letters? I ha' not gotten any mail from home y except one letter and it was sent Camp Mills. I have received sever letters from.Lois. The last one WJ mailed August 24th and i got it few days ago. She said she had wri ten to you twice and sent you thos pictures of mine. I will write to yo as often as I can and you. must writ to me. If you are not able, get Siste to write. Tell her to do so anyway Give them all my love. I will close for this time. Hope t hear from you real soon. My dea Mother, may God's richest blessing be with you. Your son, Grady. Mechanic H. G. Manson, Co. K. 323 Inf. ' U. S. A. P. 0. 791. Private Townes Writes Aboul "How an Air-Raid Looks." August 22, 1918. Editor Advertiser: Something awakens you. It is the heavy firing of the anti-aircraft guns afar off. You rise upon your elbow and hear the purring of the motors high above and far away. There may be one plane or three or four. Stepping out into the open you see powerful search-lights playing against the stars from points on the surround ing hills. As the enemy planes ap proach, other guns from silent places in the woods begin to belch forth their steel. You see the flash, then hear the report, then see the flash of the bursting shell against the sky, then another report. The flashes of the bursting shrapnel above are seen many seconds before the sound reach ss the ear. Two or three planes are :oming and a score of guns are fir ?ng.The little machine guns are sput tering like a motorcycle exhaust when the machine is running along the road at fifty miles per hour. The heavens are brilliantly illumi nated with searchlights and bursting shells. The guns are shooting up the steel without any intermission. Of a sudden you see the search lights playing on a point directly ov erheadi Simultaneously you flop down on the grouM with your face in the earth and your helmet on the head. If there be a cellar nearby, take to it. Or a ditch-any little in equality in the ground may help to protect you.. Though the planes might have been eight or ten miles away when they were first heard, there is but a short time left in which to hide, considering the fact that they may be traveling over one hundred and fifty miles per hour. Now with your face in the dirt and your helmet on your head you had best lie low for a few minutes and await < developments. If you are in the path of the enemy's object ive, are near his objective or per haps are his objective, one does not have to wait long. A hissing noise, a bright flash and a deafening report tells you that the Boche is spilling his bombs. Some times many bombs are dropped in a small radius and much damage may be done. When the planes pass on and fur Every We placed large order invite our friends, the ladie We are showing some hat-racks, sofas, dining tah select from. We have a large stock market. A large stock of i We extend a special ir ment of rugs and art squan We have bought a lar' discard your old one and pi We were never better ness, bridles and saddles. Our undertaker's depa and prices. A share of yoi promptly. On our first floor groceries and pl; \ quantities and ca] Large shipment of Te? fill your orders. her guns take up the fire, all hands >egin to. scout around and see what larm has been done. The dropping if the bombs from above like the tarrage ijjn: the u^ti-air craft guns lelow is often ineffective but the ex itement rises to a pretty high pitch. The planes fly on, the firing ceas s, the moons goes down and the aim is as intense as the barrage lad been. No mail from the States yet but he Paris edition of the Chicago Tri iune, the New York Herald and the Jew York American circulate hroughout France and for two cop ier washers (20 centimes) we get . four page paper which gives us ome idea of what is going on in he good old States. Private S. B. Townes, . Edge! We desire to announce to department to supply their Have a Large Just what Our Stock of Ha Anything you want in han it-WITH PRICES RIGHI Large stock of NAILS anc all kinds come to us. Pou Large stock of carriage and Shotguns, loaded shells and need we will order it for yo Come in to see us when, in friends a cordial greeting. Whitt 1289 Broad Street Departmei Supplied s early for the several departme s especially, to inspect these at good values in bed-room flsuit les and china closets. A. beaut of iron and enameled beds and cotton and felt mattresses. ivitation to the ladies to come i ;s. Many attractive designs at re stock of stoves, ranges and h irchase a new one. supplied than now to fill the nc Large assortment to select fron rtment is well supplied with co ir patronage is solicited. Our will be found a larj antation supplies, n make very satisfaz cas oats for seed-no better qua Mercantile W. F. Manson Writes Letter to His Mother. Somewhere in France. September 21, 1918. ? ?J?tVJ . . '? - : My Dear Mother: How are you? I sincerely hope you are still as well as you were when I received the last letter from you. It was dated August 16th and was re ceived by me on the 15th of Septem ber. I was so proud to know you were doing as well as could be expected. I feel so much better to know you are still so cheerful. I know you will continue to be this way, even though your sufferings may be very great sometimes. How is Papa doing? I know he has a pretty busy time of it, especial ly just now for he has his crop to field Fai .ttentioi our Eclgefield friends that wc needs. j Stoek of Plows 4 you need for turning your lane mess, Saddles and Bi less, wagon or buggy harness. I all kinds of Builders' Supplies ltry and pasture fence wire all i wagon material. The best roc I cartrides of all kinds. If we 1 u at once. town. Mr. J. H. P. Roper i it Well i nts on our second floor and tractive goods. s. Also see our sideboards, iful assortment of rockers to the best bed springs on the md see our beautiful assort very reasonable prices. eaters. Now is the time, to v ;eds of our customers in har V ffins and caskets of all sises hearse responds to all calls ?e stock of heavy \ We buy in large ctory prices. ' -~-1 ility on the market. Let us I Company gather. I hope it is a good one. Mother, you say you jiad not. re ceived all of my letters to you. Prob ably there is something wrong with the mail. With one or two exceptions I have written you at least once and sometimes twice per week. I certain ly have not received all of yours. Though do not get disheartened. Keep writing me and I will get some of them. I shall continue to write as long as I can. I am still in good health and am so proud that I am so. Mother, we have moved about con siderably. I have been in Belgium Probably you knew it already. I have seen service there on what was at one time the bloodiest battlefield of the present war where untold thousands (Continued on page Six.) miers il ; are well supplied in every a i and Harrows 1 in the fall. ? 'i idles is Complete . single or double, we have ;. If you need shop tools of vidths. )fing on the market. tiave not in stock what you # s with us and will give his imkett Augusta, Georgia