Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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;ffit *' THURSO,Vf, APRIL ’.TH, 1W7. 9S2B323SSaaaSS823& THE BARXWEJA PEOPLE S I EL. BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA « "****, S^rim hm>oi**r .f tk, iUrmm ': j: C«pt JOHN W. THOMASON, Jr. - 'issenxs-^TEia, V. SYNOPSIS DRAFTER I.—The author describes low the First battalion of the Fifth marines are quartered near Marlgny during the first part of June, mi. when they are suddenly sent up north to relieve the First division, bearing the brunt of a tidal wave of Germans Just breaking through for a great of fensive. Part of the Fifth wrest Hill 14* from the enemy and walt'there for the German counter offensive they •an see foriplng. While they lie pep pering the Boche a detachment of Second engineer! comes tc their as sistance. CHAPTER II.—A terrific German at tack soon develops, wreaking fearful .havoc among ths marines, but .not dis lodging them. In the Immediate vicin ity other fierce encounters are redue- lag - the American troops and forcing the necessity of replacements which -arrive presently. On the sixth of June the Fifth runs Into bitter fight ing In the vicinity of Champtllon . . for hours they try to oust the Forhe from his stronghold In the woods and sucibed eoramendably, but at great cost. CHAPTER III.-'-TTile narrative een- tW^^bout the activity of the marines h^^Hally stands as a cross section of aw^Ve fighting done by Americans. A^^x acquitting themselves marvel ously at the Bole de Belleau and Hill 1«» early In June. l»ll, the First re ceived replacements to cover horrible losses, fight some more snd then are relieved, somewhat compensated for their heavy lossfs by a notable tribute to their fighting qualities Issued by the general commanding the Sixth French army, but the liberty In Paris which the battalion would hav« preferred Is not forthcoming. . CHAPTER TV.—Respite behind ths lines Is soon crushed by new orders to proceed far to the north In ths Salssons sector, where the Germans are beginning a vast, new offensive After an all night's arruellng forced march the battalion finally arrives at the new front Their orders are to get Into touch with the Moroccan division fight ing with the French forcea CHAPTER V—On the morning of Jaly II. after a barrage from every French and American gun procurable, the American forces, wlthwthe Sen egalese and the French Arelgn Le- •Ion, go forward All enemy positions ore taken, ae ordered, though at fear ful coat, and the Ptrat battalion of the Fifth marines are withdrawn for rest and replacementa. going back to a well-earned rest over the ground they had takeh from the enemy la the bard fighting of two days before CHAPTER VI.—After a short root behind the Champagne front, the marines are again advanced, to assist ths French In a terrific drive against the heights of Blanc Mont After receiv ing final orders the regiment marches up to the battle line <*n their way, v. hlle passing a cross road, a German five-inch shell screams down just fifty yards from the men A direct hit would have meant the annihilation of whole companies of. the marching marines, but ths fortuns of war Is with them for the moment, only one casualty, a machine-gunner, being recorded CHAPTER VII—The objective now Is the famous Essen Hook, one of the strongest of the enemy positions Here victory Is attained at a heavy coat, hut the regimental commanders con sider themselves lucky to remove their men without further loss. Omes estab lished near the dread Essen Hook the order Is given to attack—Instructions being Issued for the Fifth marines to art as support troops for the Sixth, who are aiming to seise Blanc Mn.nt - After a day** hnTdtts TlgTftlhs - hsrk that the Sixth has at^Bwi Its objective, while the Fifth Is tb Tbglster an attack on a different tangent that same night. CHAPTER VIII—The captura of 8t.- Ettanna la ths next task assigned tha marinas, and tha dapletad ranks go forward, the enemy shrinking from the slaughter wrought by the Ameri can bayonets. Fierce counter attacks hv the Germane are twice repulsed, and the marines dig In. holding all positions gained. Then the shrunken battalion Is ordared back of tha battle front for a rest In bllleta, that of ne cessity Is to ba all too short for tha war-worn* men. CHAPTER TX.<»-Agaln at tha front, on tha flank of the Bole de Belleau, the marines move on the enemy across the wheat fields A small party, with a French colonel, make a raid, the ob ject-being to secure a prisoner from whom Information concerning the en emy’s forces might be obtained. The party brings back two captives, tha French colonel being wounded The,n rest again, while tha subjugation of the Boche Is completed by other or- ganlxatlons of the Allies. Surely the marines have reason to feel, with the rest of the American units, that they have done their part In tha operations In which they had taken so prominent a part. (CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) got Him back some way. both filled with admiration at hit language^ By the time they arambled through the nervous otitposts to their own place. theTrepch captain had lapfifed Into English. "A* a wound, you per ceive,-It la good for a permission. But It la not a wound. It Is an Indignity! And. besides, my new breeches! Ah, Dion de Dleu l ~ Ce sale colonel-d l What wlH my wife sayl That one^ she chose the cloth herself! T<m- nerre de canon I"—and he sank Into Stricken silence. ^ . The raiding party shook down ta their several holes, praising God. and went to sleep. Tht colonel, with his prisoners, received the compliments of the battalion headquarters and depart ed for Brigade. The scout officer ob served. to his amazement, that they had been oat of their lines less than twenty mlnutea. "Where’s the Forty- ninth T*' he wanted to. know first “Hell. Jim, they tyent up to the Bols right after the major sent for you. An* the Seventeenth. We’re moving battalion headquarters up there now. Get your people aud come along. At tack or something." After a very full night, the scoot officer crawled and scuttled along the ladt tip of the Bols de Belleau, look ing for a hole that a battalion runner told him about. "Seen the lootenant dlggin’ In Just past that last Maxim gun, sir. Right at the nose of the woods where the big rocks Is. There’s about a dozen dead Heinles layln' by a big tree, all together. Can’t miss It sir." The scout officer had no desire to be moving In the cool of the morn ing, when all well-regulated people are asleep If possible, and If you moved here the old Boche had a way of sniping at you with &8ft—that wicked, flat-trajectory Austrian gun- bur lie followed an urge that only Tommie could supply. So he came at last' to a miserable shelter scooped In the lee of a rock. Here two long leg? protruded from under a brown German blanket, and here he prodded and shook until the deplorable countenance of his brother officer emerged yawning. "Say,” demanded the scout officer, “you save my slum? Gimme my slum." "Why. hello. Jim I Why dldh’t you come back, like you said you was? Where you been? You said you was cornin’ right back." "Didn’t you save me my monkey- meat? We weut on a raid, damn It I—" “Raid? Raid? What raldr “Oh. we went over to Torcy. Gimme my monkey-meat” “Well, you aee, Jim—the fact Is— well, we got moved op here right after ypu left and they attacked from In here, an* we came on In after them. Just got to sleep—" “I haven’t had any sleep or any chow or anything—two sardines, by the bright face of God—" The scout officer pounced upon a frowsy m isette bag which the other bad used for • pillow and Jerked out £ Are-blackened mess-klt He wrenched the lid off snd snarled horribly. “Empty, by God!" Hla hands fell lax across his knees. He looked sadly over the blasted tlelds of Torcy. nnd he said, with the cold bitterness of a man who has tr1< d It all and-eome to a Anal conclusion: “War—sure—Is—hell." There were places like this down In the Touralne country, around the town Americans called 8L Onion. Canals with poplars mirrored In them, where It was pleasant to laaf at the end of the day. The women were kindly and dlspoaed to make frlendat It Is a pity that there were not enough to go around. They had. also, an eye for corporals and sergeants; the bored privates ou the bank, seutlmental souls, are singing “Sweet Ad-e-l.ne. . . . " or It may be something very different The sergeant, a sensi tive spirit, will presently see that they get soma extra police duty. the mud, and the rattle of rlfie-sllng* The First battalion of tha Fifth ma rines took the road. These German roada were ‘all hon estly metaled. but the Inch or so of mud on the surface was like soup underfoot and the overcoats soaked up the rain like blottlng-phper. Tt was the kind of a morning with no line between night and daylight The blackness turned to gray, and, after a while, the major, ou his horse,' could look hack snd see Ihe end of his column. The ^battalion, he re flected. was up to strength again. It hadn't been this large since It went to Blanc Mont the end of September. He shut his eyes on that thought —a hundred and thirty men that came out, where a thousand went to—then replacements, and, after the armis tice, more repincementa. Perhaps the quality was running down a. little. The scout officer now blew hla whistle, the sergeant shouted In a voice of brass, and the colonel made the kind of remarks a colonel makes. It Is related by truthful marines there present that every German In Von Boehn'v army fired on them as they went back but no two agree aa to the manner of their return. It Is, how ever, established that the colonel, bringing up the rear, halted about half-way over, drew hla hitherto vir- and wheeled around for a lot—-something in the nature llau geste. Seeing this, the tall captain, to hla rear and left, drew Jits pistol and wheeled also. Im agining pursuit The colonel—aud to this attest the scout officer and hla sergeant—then shot the Frenchman through the—as sea-going marines say—stern-sheets. The aepat officer and the aerfeast CHAPTER X T The Rhine. The bugles went while It was still as* dark as the Inside of d dog, There was swearing and sickly yellow can dle-light in the billets, mean houses In a mean little Rhlne-Provlnce town, nnd the chow lines formed on the company galleys In an Icy December rain. The rain pattered on helmets and mess-klts s and fell In slanting lines through the smoky circles of light where the cooking-fires burned feebly. The faces of the marines, as they filed out of the dark for food, were gray and frowsy. The cooks Issued corn-bill hash, and dared any man to growk on the coffee. How the bell jobuld it be blled enough, with wet wood and very little of that—been np all night, as It Is—you sports just ) pull In your necks! ' The companies gulped their ration In sullen silence, rolled damp blan kets Into the prescribed pack, and when the bugles squawked assembly, they fell In without confusion or en thusiasm. Platoon sergeants, with flash lights or lanterns, called the rolls; somewhere out In front,'first sergeants received the reports; offi cers clumped along the lines to their units, grumbling.—"All here, first sergeantr—“Beg the capt’n’s pardon —couldn’t see you In the dark, sir— all present-counted-for, sir l—" "Nice day for a! hike Major says, goln* to the Rhine today. Eighteen or twenty kllometa-nlon’t know exactly. Dam* such a war I I*d like the old kind, where you went Into winter quartera —Brrr—" The captain pulled his col lar around hla ears. Presently a bad-tempered drawl lot voice bayed "Squads right—march!—• J her* fas • shqlDt of Man Walkad Silent, Remembering tha Old Daad. The new chaps didn’t seem as tall and broad as the old men, the tall, sunburnt leathernecks that went out the road from Meaux, toward Chateau- Thierry, In the spring. Odd, Just six months since the spring. . . . Rut a few veterans and hard drilling between fights would keep the temper In an outfit . . . one remembered a phrase In an order of the division commander's— "The Second division has never falle.1 to Impose Its will upon the enemy , . " And today It crossed the Ger man Rhine. . . . He swung out of his saddle and stood by the road to watch them pass; 1.200 men. helmets and rifles gleaming a little la the wet gray light . . . ^ Tha road led eastward through a eountrx of low hills, sodden In the rain. Untidy Hoods sprawled on the crests and spilled wet filaments tfito the valleys. The land was all In cul tivation. laid off In precise squares and oblongs; some newly plowed, sorot sparsely green with turnips and rape. Jt looked ugly and ordered and sullen ly prosperous. There was slow con versation In the column. “—Anybody know where we goln' today?" "Painflno—naw—I did hear the skipper’s orderly say we’d make the Rhine, some time—” "How far—" “Some guy was lookin' at a map at battalion. S«M It was shout thirty kllometa.'* "It’s always tout thirty kllomets la this dam’ country—" "Yth! But I remember one time It was twelve kllomets. Tbe night we hiked up to Verdun, back last March. Had a Frawg guide—little shrimp wit* i forked beard. Ask hire how far, all he’d say was: *Doox kllometa—dooz kllomets—' "Hiked all night In the rain, like this, so*,at daylight we came, to a sign, wit’ the name of tht, place we’re goln* to, an’ It said ‘Dooz kllomets’— that guide, he let on that he was right su’prlsed—’’ But there were very few men In “the column who remem bered the hike to Verdun, In tbe early spring of 1918; In one company eight. In another eleven; In the whole battalion the barest handful. It had been a long road. The first way-sta tion was the Bols de Belleau; % lot of people stopped there, and 'were there yet And there were more, com fortably rotting In the Foret de Retz, south of Solssons. And more Jet. well dead around Blanc Mopt And a vast drift of them back In hospitals. Men walked silent, remembering the old dead. ... Twelve hundred men hiking to the Rhine, and how many ghosts. . . . The mist rolled around the column. “—You replacements never knew Corp’ral Snalr, that got bumped off at Solsaougf? itoHyln' with a Maxim gun. He was a musical cuss, an’ he oster sing a song to the tune of the •Old Gray Mare—She Ain’t What She Uster Be*—somethin’ like The U. 8. flag will fly over Germany Less than a year from now—* —and now'It la, an* it’s a pity he ain’t here to see it—” “Well, but he’s restin’ easy where he Is—me. I’m cold as hell an* this dam* drizzle Is drainin’ down my neck—” There was notching bat tbe mist and tbe rain, and a mean, cold little wind with a bite In It North and south, from the edge ef Holland to the Mets gateway, all the armies were march ing. Ahead, just out of contact, went the Gertnan armies. The battalion passed a dense little W’ood of firs— Christmas-tree woods, tbe battalion called them. (CONTINUED NETT WEEK.) Improved Uniform International Lesson (By REV. F. B. FITEWATER. p.D.. Osao. Moody Biblo lastltuto of Chicago.) (A. 1**7. Woatorn Nowspapor Union.) > ■■■■■ ' '/ i % Lesson for April 10 PETER’S LESSON IH TRUST LESSON' TEXT—Matt GOLDEN TEXT—Bs of good chosr. It ta T; bo not afraid. .— - PRIMARY TOPIC—Pstsr Truata Je sus. JUNIOR TOPIC—A Helping Savior. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP IC—Why Peter Failed. YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP- .IC—Christ the Ever-Present Helper. The atorm-tosaed disciples on the sea at night are an example of the struggling followers of the Lord UfYbC darkness of the present age, as they are tossed by the tempests of the evil oue. I. The Disciples on tha Storm- Tossed Sea (vv. 22-24). 1. They are sent across the sea by Christ (v. 22). ’’Jesus constrained His disciples to get Into a ship.” Doubtless His rea son for this was to keep them from entanglement in the movement of the .people to make Him King, for In John 6:14, 15, It l« shown that the people were so excited by the feeding of the 5,000 that they were about to make Him King by force. 2. Christ dismisses the multitudes (v. 22). ^ This may be taken as typical of Hls rejection by the nation whose rulers had already rejected Him. 3. Christ praying alone In the moan tain (v. 23). Temptation to earthly honor and power, had come to Him, therefore He went to the Father In prayer fo^ re lief and strength. The need of prayer la greatest at such times. According to Murk 6:48 He saw^from the moun tain Ihe disciples tolling on the storm- tossed sea. II. Jeaua Walking on tho Sea (vv. 25-27). 1. It was In tho fourth watcb of the night (v. 25). • He did nntVrome to there Immediate ly, bat waited till almost dawn. How ever, It was the darkest part of tbe night. Their physical danger was great, but no doubt their mental per plexity was greater. They knew that the Lord had sent them, bat why should they be In such straits If He sent them? Tbe stormy aea Is no evi dence that the disciple to not In tbe Lord’s appointed way. 2. Tbe disciples alarmed at Hls com ing (v. 26). ( At the sight of Him they cried out for fear. They aald: “It to a spirit" It whs the- coming of their best friend to deliver them from danger. 3. Jesus’ words of comfort and good cheer (v. 27). In the midst of their distress they heard the Master’s words, “Be of good cheer, It to I, be Dot afraid.’’ This changed their fear to Joy. III. Polar Walking on tha S«a (vv. 28, 29). ♦ 1. Peter's request As toon aa Peter recognised the voice ef Jesus he cried: “Bid me come to thee on tbe water” (v. 28). 2. Jesus’ respond (v. 29). At the Lord’s “come,” Peter left the ship and walked on the water. While be kept bis eyes on the Lord he walked on the waves. Hls faith linked him with the divine power and was thus upheld. Vital faith Id Jesus Christ will enable the disciple to outride the storms of life. IV. Peter Sinking (v. 90). He took hls eyes off the Lord ami placed them upon the raging sea. This separated him from the divine power. We should learn to fix our eyes upon the Lord instead of upon our circum stances. Failure will surely follow 11 we give consideration .to our circum stances and our own ability to master them, V. Christ Rescuing Patar (v. 31). When Peter began to sink he did the sensible thing. He cried out: “Lord, save me." Immediately Jesus stretched forth His hftnd ai/d caught, him. HU salvation from death at the bottom n! the sea was the result of the Lord tak ing hold of him. Jesus Christ In the incarnation was the divine hand reach ing forth to rescue a sinking world. The significance of the expression "caught him” is made clear in Hebrews 2:16. It is there declared that Jesus took not upon Himself the nature of angels but took upon Himself the seed of Abrabam. , The same Greek word occurs in verse 31 of this lesson. We should understand from this that the eternal Son of God did not come in the form of a man In or der to show man the why to God, bat Identified Himself with man through incorporation with Him. He came, not as an example, bat as a Savior. i-. ' <2^1 *. • Newspaper , - W ** I « May Be Better ala THAN YOUR TOWN, BUT YOUR % TOWN IS RARELY BETTER THAN YOUR NEWSPAPER. J AND YOUR NEWSPAPER WILL DO « MORE TO BUILD AND BETTER THE TOWN THAN ANY OTHER AGENCY. HENCE, SUPPORTING YOUR PAPER IS BUILDING YOUR TOWN. COUNTING THE VALUE OF SPACE DEVOTED TO UPBUILDING BARN WELL, THE PEOPLE-SENTINEL’S DO NATION TO THE PUBLIC GOOD IS 4 • # MANY TIMES THAT OF ANY OF ITS GOOD CITIZENS THIS SERVICE IS RENDERED ♦> CHEERFULLY. W EONLY ASK YOUR f GOOD WILL AND BUSINESS IN RE- 4» ' 1 BdLttle ami Victory battle nay be The battle with the powers of dark Advert toe in The* I . , ople-Sentinel. i it »♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦ ness may be long'and hard but the victory to possible.—Echoes. The Comeliest Ornament The gentleness of Christ to the comeliest ornament that a Christian can wear.—William ArnoL Bo Not Discourngod tot us not be discouraged band ef God layeth heavy /-