Hamilton 1918 -
(Continued From Last Week) “The following is a letter from 1st Lt. Hank Williams, dated September 1, 1918 written to B.E. Mitchell. Dear Schoolmate: This will hardly be a letter but it ought to be time to at least acknowledge the receipt of yours of June 26th which reached me on a certain famous battlefield where we had a real party in the last half of July and first of August. I can well remember when it arrived, the first mail in a long time. I was commanding my battery at the time with a great big shell hole with a telephone in it as a post of command and things were pretty exciting. We got into some pretty tight places but as long as the Germans were on the run nobody cared and it was the greatest sport I ever had in my life. The men stood up to it in wonderful shape fighting like tigers or rather like a lot of laughing hyenas for there never was a charge or attack without a “whoop and a holler” and lots of singing and laughing all the time. Just to show their endurance; for eight weeks we were never under a roof, we moved so fast that there was no time to even pitch up the tents. For three weeks we certainly did not get more than three or four hours sleep out of a day and meals just now and then and when our supply trains were not too busy with ammunition and all this in rain and mud too and there never was complaint and nobody sick during the whole fight. It was a war of movement ( no trenches and fortified positions) and very different from what I saw with the French at Verdun and very much more interesting because the situation was always changing and perhaps because we were advancing. We are resting in a quiet little French village now, seemingly about as far from the war as you are. All set and anxious to jump back in and hit ‘em again when our turn comes. The news from the front now is certainly great and we hope to keep them on the jump until they holler for help. We are certainly proud of the way the U.S. is turning out the men, ships, grub and guns and one of these days will be turning up at home.
Hope crops and cattle are turning out well in Greenwood County this year, hard to realize that the summer is about over. Best regards to your father and mother and all the old friends. Hope to see you before another September. Yours, Hank Starting in early 1918 the Great Influenza or sometimes called “Spanish Flu” started and before it ended late in 1919 millions of people world wide died. The following are a few articles related to the flu in the last part of 1918.
The following is the order of the State Board of Health regarding the influenza epidemic. All cases must be reported to the health office within 24 hours. If no physician is called then the head of the house must report. The house must be placarded. All members of the family, not engaged in imperative business, must remain on the premises. Wage earners may be exempted from quarantine provided the patient is isolated in a room to himself, that the wage earner remain out of the sick room and has written permission to leave the premises. All patients afflicted with the disease are to be strictly isolated, coming into contact with none except the necessary nurse or attendant. In the case of a small house and a large family, this feature must necessarily undergo modifications. No one is permitted to enter the premises except those who enter as nurses or nurses’ attendants. Quarantine of patients will be continued for five days after temperature has reached normal. Quarantine of contacts or exposed person must continue for five days after date of last exposure. Fumigation of premises is unnecessary and impracticable. Families, however are to be warned that houses must undergo through sunning and airing. Dr. S.F. McDonald, County Health Officer.
This has been another week of enforced closing of indoor public gatherings. No school, no church, no picture show: one should be able to get acquainted with their families, that the strenuous days of the past gave no time for. The epidemic of “flu” in the State seems to be abating somewhat. There have been about a dozen case here, but none very serious so far as reported. What will be the order for next week is not known, but it is thought the ban on public gatherings will be lifted.
November 14, 1918-So far as Hamilton is concerned, the influenza epidemic seems to be diminished and under control as to permit the school to open next Monday and other public places after sunset Saturday night. With this opening people should not go to the extreme, but use all due caution and not expose themselves or others needlessly. Mayor Bentley December 15, 1918There will be no session of public school in District 43 before Monday, December 30th. Parents are urged to keep school children off the streets, and where influenza is in the home, on their own premises.
In view of the above action of the school board, to co-operate, and if possible, to subdue the influenza, public gatherings of every kind are forbidden for the remainder of this year 1918. The City marshal is hereby instructed to see that this regulation is enforced. Albert Bentley, Mayor Hamilton”
