The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, January 04, 1918, Image 2
.h? liell Byndli'utu. Inc.
.sttClUdiny article of the
fU v by Sergeant McOlintock,
boy Of Lexington, Ky.,
service in France, was
for bravery and invalided
has been promised a com
our army. The first five
told Of the fighting in
& on the Homme, where
tely wounded. Thin
Mt describes his journey
I toMfc twenty two pieces of
in one ley and his meeting
np in a London hospital.
?O from PozlorcH to Albert
Tver ambulance or, an the
would say, a "tin I?izzlo."
who drove tlilH vehicle would
chauffeur for nn adding
Apparently he waft counting
In the road, for ho didn't
Of them. However, the trip
a mutter of seven miles, and
fair condition when they lit't
t and carried me to an opcr
le in the Held dressing station,
plain cume along and mur
little prayer In my ear. 1
In* that would have made a man
fSFy solemn if he had thought
a chance he was alum! to
out, but I knew I merely had a
jfettJTRiVtJly smashed iij>, and' while
chaplain was praying I \vas won
i)fc if they would have to cut it
. 1 figured, if so, this would handl
: my dancing.
^ The first formal I tV.yjn -'n shrapnel
Is tho administration of an antl
us innoeulatlon, and when It Is
you realize that they are sure try*
fo Save your life. The doctor uses
horse syringe, and the Injection
?es a lUmp on your chest as i?l k '?*
sehall, which stays with you for
olght hours. After the Injection
rse rills out a diagnosis blank
n description of your wounds and
>rd of your name, age, regiment,
mental number, religion, parent
ge and previous history as far as she
?an discover it without asking (plos
ions which would he positively indell
ite> Afe?r~i(ri of thnt rny wounds
?ere given their first real dressing.
Immediately ofter this was done I
'89 bundled into another ambulance
nd driven to Contay. where the C. C.
1 (casualty Clearing station) and rail
were located. In tin* ambulance"
,1tb me were three other soldiers, an
irtillery officer aiul two privates of
nfantry. We were all tleketed off as
grapnel cases and probable recover
, which latter detail is remarkable,
ice the most, slightly Injured of the
r had twelve wounds and there
e sixty odd shell fragments or
pnel balls collectively Imbedded j
s. The nurse had t.V.d sue that ! j
about twenty wounds. Afterward i
ount proved conservative. More j
to and later returns showed j
two bullets ami shell fragments
* ln my leg. They took t!" <e < ? u t
Resented them to me. I have 1
?ttig them away for souvenirs, j
?e fairly comfortable in ihe t
and I especially * 1 1 ('? < < great |
i the fact that t!ie nurse ;
ed my leg in a -lio^r at
'ie top of the vehicle. We j
:;irettes and eiiattvd cheer
mnglng congratulations on ,
>t "clgnn ones" ? that Is.
probably fatal. The ar
told me he had been aup
battallon that morning
he "sacrifice batteries."
.? battery, 1 might explain,
posed of fWld pieces which
.ced between the front and
lines and which In case of an ;
.for counterattack are tired at
9 Nursing Sitters Wer* the
<gt Individual# Prswnt.
,iank range. They call thero
ce^batteriea becau?e Home of
out every dny. This
our b&ttallon that morning
by an entire dlvl
y and that on our front
the eighteen pounder*
fire whlrh lasted
had discharged
\t0\lKh explosive whella.
9 hi* ftat^m^nt, of
n that, while thl*
nmmunltlon
to hrtv*
* ot? 1 did. th?
C e^il^ed. To
Contny wt
Hj t>*dij
?hit ken tip. W? were beginning also
to realise <ve were- by no means out
of Mie wood* surgically. Our wounds
hod merely been dressed. Kach of ua
faced hu extensive and serious opera
tion. We arrived at Contay silent und
pretty Imdly depreaaed. . For twenty*
four houra In the Contay casualty
clearing station they did little except
feed uh and take our temperatures
hourly. Then we were put Into a hoa
pltal train for Houen.
Germans Bomb Hospital Train.
Right here I would like to tell a lit
tle Mtory about a hospital train leav
ing Contay for Houen ? not the one we
were on. but one which had left a few
days before. The train, when It wan
Just ready to depart with a full quota
of wounded men, wan attacked by
German aeroplanea from which bomba
were dropped upon It. There la noth
ing apparently that tuakea the Ger
mans ho fearless and ferocious an the
Red Or ohm emblem. On the top of each
of the earn In thlH train there waa a
I ted Cross big enough to be aeon from
mllcH In the air. The German aviators
accepted them merely n h excellent tar
gets. Their bombs quickly knocked
three or four ears from the rails and
killed aeveral of the helplessly wound
i?<1 men. The rent of the patients, weak
and nervous from recent shock and in
Jury, some of them half delirious and
nearly all oi' them absolutely helpless
and in pain, were thrown into near
panic. ,
Two of the nuralng sisters In charge
of (he train were the coolest Individ
uals' prcsrnt. They walked calmly ut?
ami down Its length, urging the pa
tients to remain quiet, directing the
male attendants how to remove tb?
Wounded tin :i s:,n l.v from tin- wreckeil
curs and paying no attention whatever
to the bombs which were still explod
ing near Hu* train'. I did not have the
I ? r i \ (lege o I witnessing this scene my
seirrl.MU I Know that 1 have neenrately
described i I . lor the details were told
In an, oillclal report when the 1< i 1 1
decorated the two sisters with the Roy
al Red Cross tor valor In the face of
the enemy.
The trip from Contay to Rouen was
a nightmare?- twenty-six hours travel
ing lf>0 miles on a train which was
forever stopping and at a I'M ng. Its Jerky
and uncertain progress meaning to us
Just hours and hours of suffering. 1
do not know whether this part of the
system for the removal of wounded
has been improved now. Then, its in
conveniences and Imperfections must
have been Inevitable, for In every way
afterward the most thoughtful ami
tender earn was shown us. In the long
rows of huts which compose the Ilrit
Ish general hospital at Rouen we
found ourselves Hi what seemed I i U <
paradise.
In the hut which constituted the
special ward for leg wounds 1 was
lifted from the stretcher on which I
had traveled all the way from Pozloret
into a comfortable bed with fresh
clean sheets, and instantly I found my
self surrounded with quiet, trained
etficlent care. I forgot the pain of my
wounds and the dread of the coming
operation when a tray of delicious foot;
was placed beside my bed and n nurs<
prepared me for the enjoyment of ii
by bathing my face and hands will
socmen water.
On Liu- following morning my lo>.
was X-rayed and photographed. I toll
the surgeon 1 thought the business oi
operating could very well l>o put <?l
until 1 had had about three inort
square* -f*reals, hut lie couldn't see li
'hat way. In the uften<n<>n 1 U,->t m\
llrst sickening dose of other, and the\
took the tii si lot of Iron out of me. I
suppose these were Just the surfaei
deposits, for they only got five or si>
pieces. However, they continued sys
tematloally. I had live more opera
tl<?ns. and every time 1 came out o;
the ether the row of bullets and shel
scraps at the foot of my bed was v.
little longer. After the number ha<
rein-lied twenty-two they told me thai
perhaps there wore a few more it
there, but they thought they'd bettei
let them stay.
My wounds bad become septic, ant'
It was necessary to give all uttentloi
to drainage and cure. It was about
this time that everything for awhlh
seemed to become hazy and my mem
orles got all queerly mixed up and
confused. I recollect I conceived a
violent dislike for a black dog that np
poured from nowhere now and then
and began chewing at my leg, and 1
believe I gave the nurse a severe talk
lng to because she insisted on golnv
to look on at the ball game when sh?
ought to be sitting by to chase thai
doR away. And I was perf?*ctly cer
tain about her being at the ball game
because I saw her there when I wa>
playing third base.
The Alarming Cablegram.
It was at thl? time (on Nov. 28
1010, ten days after 1 had been wound
ed) that my father In Lexington re
ceived the following cablegram from
the officer in charge of the Canadian
record* In England:
Htnr?rily rcRr*t to Inform you that B*r
Iteant Alexander McCllnto< k la ofrtclall\
reported df?nK*roui<ly til In No. S Krnera
hospital from runahot wound 1n left thlKh
Further particular! aupphed when r?
reived
It appears that during the time of
rny adventures with the black dog and
the Inattentive nurse my temperatur*
had ascended to the stage when t h ?
doctors bepnn to admit another ineth
od of treatment might have been sue
cessful. Hut 1 didn't pass out. Th?
one thing I most regret nt>out mj
clox# call 1* that rny parents in I, ex
Ingtoo were in unrelieved Fuvp<?ns.
about rry condition until I myself *er?i
them a cable from London on r>ecem
ber lrt. After the first official mes
sage, seenrlnrlv prepareo Hitnont as a
prefab '.o th" announcement of my
my father received no nw?
*>t me whatever And, aa I ?hur t fco- t
thiit the official mesMge hud gone, 1
rubied nothing to him until I was feel*
fug fairly chipper again. You cau't
have warn, though, without th'iae little
nilNunderstuuuinge.
If It were possible I should nay j
something here which would be fitting
and adequate about the Khgllsh wom
en who nursed the 2,f>00 wounded meu
In general hospltul No, ft at Uouen,
but that power Isn't given me. All 1
j can do In to fall back upon our moat
profound American expression of re
spect and Kay that my hat Is off to
them. One nurse In the ward In which
1 lay bad been on her feet for fifty-six
hours, with hardly tlmo even to eat.
8he Until ly fainted from exhaustion,
was carried out of the ward and wan
back again in four hours, assisting at
an operation. And the doctors were
doing their bit. loo, In living up to the
obligations which they considered to j
be theirs. An operating room was In
uvery ward, with Ave tahk?s In each. I
After the tight on the Sonune, In which
1 was wounded, not a table was va- I
cant any hour In the twenty-four for
days at a time. Outside of each room i
was a long line of stretchers contain- |
ing patients next awaiting surgical at- ,
tentlon. And in all that stress 1 did
not hear one word of compL.nt from
the surgeons who stood hour after i
hour, using their skill and training for i
the petty pay of English army medical :
oftlcers.
i
On December f> I was told I was ,
well enough to be sent to England,
and on the next day I went on a hos- j
pltai train from Rouen to Havre. Here
1 was placed on a hospital ship which j
every inedieal olllcer in our army !
ought t ? ? have a chance to Inspect. ;
Nothing ingenuity could contrlye lor
convenn nee and comfort was missing,
i'atlents were sent below decks In ele
vators and then placed In swinging
cradles which bung level no matter
what the ship's motion might be. As
soon as I had been made comfortable
in my particular cradle I was given a i
box which had engraved upon it: "I're- !
People Stand in Crowds, the Men With
Hats Off, While Ambulances Pass.
sented with the compliments of the
I'nlon Castle line. May you have a
speedy and good recovery." The box
contained cigarettes, tobacco and a
pipe.
When the ship docked at Southamp
ton, after a run of eight hours across
channel, each patient was asked what
part of the liritlsh isles he would like
to he taken to for the period of his
convalescence. I requested to be tnken
to London, where. I thought, there was
the best chance of my seeing Amer
icans who might know me. Say, I
sure made a pood guess! I didn't know
many Americans, but I didn't need to
know them. They found me and made
themselves acquainted. They brought
things, and then they went out to get
more they had forgotten to bring the
first trip. The second day, after I had
been installed on ~n cot in the Khig
George hospital, In London, I sent
1,500 cigarettes back to the boys of
our battalion In France out of iny sur
pKis stock. If I had undertaken to eat
an'd drink and smoke all the things
that were brought to me by Amer
icans Just because 1 was an American
I'd be back In that hospital now only
getting fairly started on the Job. It's
some country when you need It. ?
Wounded Get Great Welcome.
The wounded soldier getting back to
England doesn't have a chance to im
agine that his services are not appre
ciated. The welcome he receives be
gins at the railroad station. All traf
fic is stopped by the bobbles to give
the ambulances a clear way leaving
the station. The neoplo stand in
crowds, tho men with their hats off,
while the ambulances pass. Women
rush out and throw flowers to tho
wounded men. Sometimes there Is a
cheer, but usually only silence and
words of sympathy.
The King George hospital was built
to be a government printing office and
was nearing completion when the war
broke out. It has been made a para
dise for convalescent men. The bare
ness and the sick suggestion and char
acteristic smell, so to speak, of the
average hospital are unknown her*.
There are soft lights and comfortable
beds and pretty women going about
as visitor*. The stage beauties and
comedians come to entertain ua. The
food Is delicious, and the chief thought
of every one serins to be to show the
inmate* what a comfortable and cheery
thing It is to be III among a lot of real
friends. I was there from December
until February, and my recollections
of the stav are ho pleasant that some
times 1 wish 1 wft* back.
On the Friday before Christmas
there was a concert In our ward.
J Among the artists who entertained ua
j were F> / (>?mpton Gertrude Elliott
(sister of Maxtne Elliott), George
t Roble and other Mara or (h? London
?w#e. After our protracted atay In
tiio trencho* and our lonK aheence
from alLtho civilised forum of aiuuHe?
iii out th'fr1 uffulc HCeiiH'd to um the movt
wonderful Hhow ever fhen. And -u
some wtiyH It was. For Instance, III
the inoHt entertulnluK of 'Iramatlc ex
hlbltloim did you over moo the lady
urtlHiM k<? around and reward cuthu
blaetn upplauHo with WIhhox? Well,
"I thank you," he 6ald, "for myself and
my people for your services."
that's what wo got. And I am proud
to say that it was Miss (Jomptpn who
conferred this li<>u<>r upon me.
At about three o'clock on t lint after
noon, whi'ii we wort' all having a good
time, one of the orderlies threw open
the door of the ward and announced
In a loud voice .hat his majesty the
king was coining in. We could not
have beeu more surprised if some one
had thro.wn in a Milts bomb. Almost
immediately the king walked In, ac
companied by n number of aids. They
were all In service uniforms, the klng(
having little In the style of his uni
form to distinguish him from the oth
ers. He vyalked around, presenting
each patient with a copy of "Queen
Mary's (51ft Book," an artistic little
volume, with pictures and short stories
by the most famous of English artists
and writers. When he npaivd my bed
he turned to one of the nurses and In
quired :
"Is this the one?"
The nurse nodded. He 6nme and sat
at the side of the bed and shook hands
with me. He asked as to what part of
the United States I had come from,
how I had got my wounds and what
the nature of them were, how I was
getting along and what I particularly
wished done for me. I answered his
questions and said that everything I
could possibly wish for had already
been done for me.
Thanked by King a*d Decorated for
Bravery.
"I thank you," he said, "for myself
ami my people for your services. Our
gratitude cannot be great enough to
ward men who have served as you
ha v e.
He spoke In a very low voice and
with no assumption of royal dignity.
There was nothing In the least thrill
ing about the incident, but there was
much apparent sincerity in the few
words.
After he had gone one of the nurses
asked me what he had said.
"Oh," I said, "George asked me what
I thought about the way the war was
being conducted, and I said I'd drop in
and talk It over with him as soon as
I was well enough to be up."
Then happened one of the great dis
appointments of my life. She didn't
see the Joke. She was English. She
gasped and glared at me, and I think
she went out and reported that I was
delirious again.
Really, I wasn't much impressed by
the English king. Hfe seemed a pleas
ant, tired little man with a great bur
den to bear and not much of an idea
about how to bear it. He struck me
as an Individual who would conscien
tiously do his best In any situation, but
would never do or say anything with
the slightest suspicion of a punch to It.
A few days after his visit to the hos
pital I saw In the Official London Ga
zette that I had been awarded the dis
tinguished conduct medal, pfflclal let
ters from the Canadian headquarters
amplified this information, and a no
tice from the British war office In
formed me that the medal awaited me
there. I was told the king knew that
the medal had been awarded me when
he spoke to me In the hospital. De
spite glowing reports In the Kentucky
press, he didn't pin it on me. Probably
he didn't have it wltb him, or perhaps
ho didn't consider it good form to hang
a D. C.'M. on a suit of striped presen
tation pajamas with a prevailing tone
of baby blue.
While I was in the King George hos
pital I witnessed one of the most won
derful examples of courage and pluck
I have over seen. A young 8cot only
nineteen years old, McAuley by name,
had had the greater part of his face
blown away. The surgeons had patch
ed him up in some fashion, but he was
horribly disfigured. He was the bright- j
est, merriest man In the ward, always
Joking and never depressed. Ills own
terrible misfortune was merely the top- 1
ic for humorous comment with him.
He seemed to get positive amusement
ont of the fact that the surgeons were
always sending for him to do some
thing more with his face. One day ho
was going into the operating room and
a fellow patient asked him what the
new rf>*-iitlon was to be.
"Oh." he going to hav* a
cabbage put on In place of a head.
Iff! frow bettor than the one I have
now.*
Once Id a fortnight he would mau
age to get leave to abaent himself from
tho hospital for an hour or two. He
never came back alone. It took a
couple of meu to bring hlpi lu. On the
next morning he would say :
"Well, It was my birthday. A man
must have a few drinks on his birth*
day."
I WHH discharged frqpn the hospital
in the middle of February ami seut to
a .rsmfortable place at. Hastings, Sus
sex, where I lived until my furlough
papers came through. I had a fine
time in London at>the theaters and
clubs pending my departure for1 home.
When my furlough hrfd arrived T went
to Hoxton, Derbyshire, whei^e the Ca
hadlan discharge depot was located,
and was provided with transportation
to Montreal. I cnme back to America
on the Canadian l'aclflc Koyal Mall
Hteamer Metagama, and the trip was
without Incident of any sort. We lay
for a time In the Mersey, awaiting
word that our couvoy was ready to see
us out of the danger zone, and a de
stroyer escorted ub 400 miles on our
way.
I was informed before my departure
that u commission um lieutenant In the
Canadian forces awaited my return
from furlough, and I had every Inten
tion of going back to accept it, but
since I got to America things have hap
pened. Now It's the army of Uncle
Ham for mine. I've written those sto
ries to show what we are up against.
It's going to be a tough game and a
bloody one and a sorrowful one for
many, but It's mostly right on one
side and all wrong 0*1 tho other-? and
I'm glad we're in it. I'm not willing to
Quit soldiering now, but I will be when
we get through with this. Because
when we finish up >vith nil this there
won't be any necessity for soldiering.
Tho world will be free of war for a
long, long time, and a God's mercy
that.
(THE JiND.)
I'mmturali/ed (Jermans to Register.
Washington, Doe. 30. ? Tho week of
February 1 was set aside by tho De
partment of Justice for tho Registra
tion of the 500, 0(H) unnaturalized (Jor
mans in continental f'nlted States by
police and postmasters, in pursuance of
President Wilson's alien enemy proc
amntion directing this action as a
means of minimizing the danger from
?neniy sympathizers In tho United
States.
- Oufctomal* City OwtwM
j
?
WaHhinKtoii, Dec. 30.? (luatem
City, capital of tho little Oent
Amor l<un Itopubllc (if Guatemala
hoeii laid In rulna by a aerlea of ear
(|iialcoa beKtnitlMK Chrlatinas Day a
culm^tliiK lust nlgnt la vlolo
shock* which completed tho work.cf
dost ruction. A cablegram to tho Navy
Department today aald 125,000 people
wore lu the afreets without ahelter
and that a number wore killed by fall
lug Walla. '
Naval vcuucla ill- Central American
waters have been ordered to render
. itfy
all posalble aaalatanee.
AFTER THE
HOLIDAY
FEAST
WIumi ,yo\i feel that nature has
heon overworked and your (-yxteiu
need* liuiidin# up and reruperat
1 lig,
VOl'K DKL'tiCifST
Is the ii ui 11 you look t<^ for fli
desired result.
W'c have a remedy for most
the ills ! 'in t human flesh is In
to. Try us.
prescript ion do? nrlmont e
kept" at t!u? highest point of ?*f
Hclency. ,
Zemp & DePass
Call or Phono No. 10
DR. R. E. STEVENSON
DENTIST
Crocker liuilding
Camden. S. C.
We Value Ygg
Friendship
Without friendship and confidence no business can
succeed. To the fact that we have been so fortunate
as to command and hold your friendship, do we attribute
the success that has been ours. H
For your confidence we wish to express our grati
tude; for your generous support and patronage, our sin
cere thanks.
With the assurance that in the years to come we
will strive to increase your friendship and more fully
merit your support, we are
Your friends,
Loan & Savings Bank
OF CAMDEN, S. C.
GENUINE APPRECIATION
To Our Friends and Patrons: As the year 1917
passes into h istory we, desire to extend to you these feW
and simple w<>rds of genuine appreciation of your splen
did support during the past twelve months. v
No purchase has been too small to merit our warm
est thanks. No act of courtesy to us has been overlooked.
All have their place in the green spot of our memory.
We extend to you the warmest greetings of the
season, and bespeak for you and those dear to you. th?
ultimate measure of happiness and prosperity during the
coming year and the years to follow.
May fortune deal as kindly to you in the futur?
as you have dealt with us in the past, is our earnest
Sincerely,
Bruce's Pure Food
PHONE 66