Lee County, Illinois - Chapter 43, 1920 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 43

We have been on the move a good deal the last two or three weeks. After we landed here in July, we were at a rest camp, drilling and practice. We received our instruments, and were speeding upon buzzer work, with experienced instructors who had been at the Front.

Later, we travelled thru a very nice part of the countiy, sometimes in l:ox cars, also was swimming and boating, hi the Seine and Marne rivers. We saw several large Cathedrals, while traveling thru the country and were inside of the Meaux Cathedral. It was the greatest sight I ever saw. The Red Cross always served us on our way. The French people treat us as if we were their own toys.

I have been transfciri'd to a permanent Di\-ision now, and we stay -M the Headiiuarters of the 101st Infantry. Tli(",\- aiv Mass. National Guaril and a fine bunch of fellows. When we are at the Front, we go with the infantry, and when we go to the rear, we are with the Field Signal Battalion. We sure learn to right it, when we hike along with the Infantry. A good many of them are fi'om Boston.

Xov. (i. W'c ure li\ing in <lugouts, where the rats and cooties are as thick as l)ees. I have been thru gas and shell fire, but am sound as a dollar. I was in the famous St. Mihiel drive, where we captured a German Band of 60 pieces. It sure looked funny to see a Gernran band coming up the road. Then they made them play the "Star Spangled Banner." I ^'Iso ,o(,t my hehnet, on the St. Mihiel salient. We slipped over on the Germans so slick they thought they were lioiliii- to be wiped off the earth. We don't expect much moi-e tight ing, ;'s we \\frr over the wifeless, the pea.ce terms witli .Vustria. We have fiiem stui-oiinded .)n all sidrs, ^iii.I there isn't much chance for them to hold out.

Verdun Front, and one of the h( ig a human being could possibly- go tl pretty good and mighty lucky too. was in Belleau Wood, up in the .\rgonne Forrest. We were up there about fifteen days, and they took us out , and gave us a. couiile days rest, and put us in another front, to the right of that.

One ilay, 1 was; out with (jne uf tlie hoys, wt- hx,',l ,in could not get the fellow on the other end. S,, we kept nn from the other end, and then, Fritz starteil to sliiii^ o\'er call them. We ilucke.l in som,' small holes, aiul ihid-,.,] he down, aial tlii'H we started ,,ut aiiain. After we tiot nearly to th,' ,,lher post, w,' foun.l another lireak: fixe,l it. ami ti'ial,'.! it, an, I s"t the tellow on the otlu'r ,ai,l. It suiv felt good to hear him say, -H,'!!,,-. Al out that tune, Fritz started m a-am. TaJk al out working fast, we were up i-los,> to the fr.mt lin,', as wr lia,l iitmr ,>v,'r a hill, ami weiv un<l,'r mai'hin,^ titin Hre, an<l some of Fritz's planes came over too, flu'V weiv Iryinti to tiive raiiiie to artilhry. We m:niaKe<i t,, s<,me tape stu,-k on the spli,-e. W,' ran ha.'k over the lull, ami f,.un,l another hivak, near our p, st.

\\i' t!.(,t ill ;i liiineh 1.11,' niiiht, w,' had just maile the splice, and started to test in, and >tarted t,i thr,>w over s, me i:as; we were only a little way from our dugout; we had to run up a sticp. >tony hill, ami w,' were in a trench, too, and somebody had rolled in a big bunch of wiiv. W,-ll, 1 w,ait thnmtih it, hea,l first. After I ii,.t t,, the top, I was steammg lik,' a ra,'e hors,-, ami my elotlu's lookeil as if I hail ^on,' throut^h a sausage grinder, and my hands and face were all scratched up, \\'e w,-nt ovi^r the top, four times the last forty-eight hours. I went over every tini,' but on,-, ami I was s,'n1 bai'k to slio,it trouble over the line. The last time I went ovi'r, fiv," of ns siiiiial men, ami one s,niaal of infantry, tliaa nunle our obje,'! iv,'. Fritz open,', I up on us, with a hi'avy nKschiiM' gim fire: we ha.l t., ,hMls.-,from on.' shell hoi.- t., an.it h.'r,an,l ha.l to run a tel.'pli.uie line too. (Jne fellow the telephone, I helped uns]).)ol th.' wir.', the other i-arrie.! tlie wire. The C'ol.mel was pleased we made our ol^jectiv.a

I was released from the Front, the night the armistie.' was sign.'.l, but I was so near all in, I wasn't very much excited. We hadn't had a,ii>- sl,','p tor four niglits, n.)r very much to eat. It took us a week to realize the war wa,s .iv.'r.

,hin. S I have been |,re11y bu.sy hitely. We have to drill and -o to school as u.sual, and have been havin- contests in athletics, also i\iiii drill, and lectures on switch boards, teleplH.nes and buzzer phones.

We stood out for about four hours C'hrisinias. waiting for President Wilson to go by. We had our afternoons off for the holidays, but we had to drill in the morning. The Government gave us candy for Xmas, and (he Y. M. C. A. gave us chocolate for New Years.

A ccuple of the boys and I. went out and bought a feed, one night, at one of the French homes. W'e tried to get a duck, but we didn't make it. We were in one house, and I made a stab at talking. I asked thi' woman if she could sell us a duck, (in French) Ixit she couldn't get my interpretation of iluck, so I said "Quack, quack", and she caught on right away, then we all had a big laugh, and the women, it tickled them to <leath. Then I asked her for a chicken. She did not have any. but she to.ik us to a neighbors, who had chickens for sale. 80 we made a bargain wilh hei'.and she was to rurnish ])ota1oes and milk, and she was to cook the chickens.

Well we were figuring on a big feed that night, and went around when it was time to oat, and come to find out, she didn't understand that we wanted it co<iked. Se we were out of luck for supper that night. We had bread and milk, and then we liad il fixed up the next night, and what a feed we did have. Those women are sure good cooks. We are expecting to move in a few days, and the rumors are that we expect to be home soon. We turned in our knives, pliers, and pistols today, so I guess it is Home.

It has been ciuite a while since I w-rote, but this is the first opportunity since I sent you the letter and cards around Sept. 20th. We left a small village here on Sept. (ith and were hauled in trucks to our destination.

We have sure had a very rough spin this time. I presume you read of the big American smash on the twenty mile front. Well our regiment was in it and of course Co. A as usual was in the first wave. We hopped the morning of the 26th a little after five with a very fine iiarrage of high explosives shells, si^roke and liquid fire. Can you imagine a wall ol steel twent>- miles in length and going over our heads. The machine gun company sure gave us a splendid barrage. Our first half a mile was through a very marshy piece of ground. The 108 engineers worked for about two hours ahead of us laying duck boards and they also built several small bridges for us boys to go over a small creek which was waist deep with mud and water.

distane,. of them and. they e,,me out of their pill hoxes and holler mercy Well we tiave them mercy alritiht. .V frit z that I'omes out and iii\-es himself u]) like a man we never hother. hut woe unto the ma<-hine iiun men who li.nht t.o the finish.

We went just to the right of dead mans hill also hill 104 and hill l()(i. 1 can see now why those places changed hands so many times. T!\e.\- are just covered with shell holes. Jerry was sweeping the hills with his machine guns hut tifter us boys get started to going under the barrage there seems to be nothing to sto|) us. We gained our objective a little after eleven o'clock. We pushed him for over six hours. We pushed him between five and six kilo and captured two towns.

wh.ere our Company went. .Jerry had sni|)eis working in thi' ti-ee tops ami they gave us boys a little troul)le. I am sending you a souvenir I got off a .Jerry that I coaxetl out of a tree with my rifle. He shot a hole through my canteen and let all my reserve water out, also grazed my helmet once. W^ell I dropped on the ground behind some tmshes and finally l(,cate<l him. I yelle.l for thi' rest of the boys to drop Inhire he woiihl get some of them. Well one shot from the old trusty Springfield an.l down he came and we were on top of him in an instant. W'ell the rest of the boys let me souvenir him for he was my man. He had a lot of money on his body and I am sending you one of his 20 mark pieces as a souvenir. This is th(> first time I have ever told you the way us tioys have to meet a .lerry on the field an.l it will probably the last tiii'i.' to.

I won't be alile to do any more writing until I get back from the lines. The next day after we got dug in, I got seven letters with my rations, and mail in a place like that sure puts the pep into a man.

P. S. I haven't had my shoes off for a month now, and have washed three times and shavetl twice dui-ing that period. We are lucky to get water to drink.

I've noticed all the lettei-s tVoiii the hoys - l>oth overseas and at home which are printed in the "News" and thought it would lie (). K. to write a letter aliout Honolulu and the Island of Oahu and the Alaimes.

figiit a large population of nios(|mtoes hut -we are not her<' to hght ; we aic doing guard duty. Instead of having a daily routine our schedule runs through tlu-ee days and then hegiiis all over again.

As in all army camps we wake at .i:45 to th.e lune of first call - al th.is time oftheyear, a good, houi- hefore siuirise anil quite cool. At six o'clock the post's |iet l)eeve hlows reveille and we crawl out from oui' mosquito nets (its impossil^le to sleep without this |)rotection from mosquitoes) and at 6:15 are in ranks for roll call and physical exercise. Then begins our 3 day routine. Commencing with the day our company is on guard.

About half the Company is detailed for a guard to the work train which brings the navy yard workers from Hololulu to Pearl Harbor. The rest do ix.lice duly around the baii-acks. Upon returning from train guard we have trooji - as we call rifle inspection - next comes guard mount except on Mondays and Wednesdays. AMien we have ]iaraile first. We have formal guard mount every day but Satui-day and Sunday. Then guard is divided and sent to the different places to be guarded -details being sent to East and West gates - radio station and barracks. The detail at barracks ,loes all the navy yard and dry dock guards and that is the detail most of us ti'y to keep away from. My favorite guard is second relief at the radio station. The guard is divided into 'A reliefs - each relief does eight hours on post. The eight lioui-s is divided into two watches of 2i o hom-s each and one w-atch of 3 hoiu-s.

Ciuard duty is not hard but ::n awful bore. Night sleep is broken as yon get it two or three h.our.s'at a time and bad slee]. at th.at as shoes and. leggins are all that are allowed to be removed while in guard room or camp as case may be. The second day there is nothing doing until police call at 1 o'clock and then we work at most anything the police sergeant desires until 4;30 in afternoon or before if he wants to let us off. The jiolice sergeant is a pessimistic old Irishman who has been a soldier all his life and he works in streaks. We will have it easy for a lew days and then he woi'ks us like hoi'ses. If you are lucky enough yo get off from police work before 3 o'clock you may go "on liberty" when lilierly call Mows. That beloved call goes at 3 o'cl.ick and every Marine .,lf diUy may do as he pleases until 7:1.'> the next morning.

The third i!ay we spend in doing whatever the CaiHain desires. We troop, quarters inspection and then drill or hike for the rest of the day. Next day we start all over again. The Maiiiies do the hardest duty of any outfit on the Islanil but we probably are allowed away from post more than any other bianch exivpting the Coast Defense Corps at Fort Kamehameha.

My experience in Marine Corps has been a little different from most of the boys who have gone from h.onie. Being at a icgulai- post is different than at a cantonment or in the field. While wai' was on it was very little different here th.an in iieace lime. We do regular peace time duly.

Honolulu is situated on a fairly well protected harbor which is, 1 believe, of nattu-al birmation pi'oteclcl on Fast bv Diamond Head and on West by a point which bears an Hawaiian nam,'. Th.' ..niran.'e t.i exce])t,ui- in Cliaiiiifl. Insid,' thr nv up to the lan.l. Th.' v.-ation h.av have here (outsiilc of ni.is<|iiit oos and with long needlelike thorns an.l is v.a Island and the story goes that it was the natives wear elothing. It sure .11. yeai- it w.ml.i so.m make thiaii wi ar :

P.'arl Harlior is a slmrt distance w Yard is under construction - when hi in th.' w.iiid. On East end of Hon.) very hcaiitiful ])ark which has some Waikiki is .'crtainly a h.'autiful pla.-.' is shall.iw unl.'ss ,,n.' t;.i.'s licy.in.l r.' shark, so swimming is n.it \('r.\- good. There are several tine hot. 'Is on th.' h.'.a.'h, also the Outriggu Canoe Cluli wher.' there is a very fine dance fioor.

AMiatever one says .if Hawaii he will certainly have to say their cNcnings ami nights are w.in.lerful. Theri' is always a lu'eez.' an.l it's .'.nil if ii.it chilly. .\s for star.s - one d.i.'sn't know how many stars th.i'ie are until he s. cs ih.'in on a .'Icar night over here. I'd lie willing to bet there are three to every one in lUin.iis. W.'ll - there are good points and bad points to Hawaii and as for myself - I'll be glad l.> h.mi.'. One thing about it is - its an oi^en air country - the peojjle eat, sleep, dance, g.i to movies, etc, all in open air. Hous.'s an- iirin.-i]ially a pr.it. 'ction fi-.un rain.

I ccitniiily felt a Idiiii way iVdiii Ikhiic that iiKiniinii. I led very close i-it!:ht now. After we tict (iff tlie IhkU wc hiked about four miles to a camp. It was calle.l "Knotty Ash." A\ e sta>-eil over nig;ht. That was long enough as the English camps do not come up to the Aineiican ones in any way. We had to sleep on the floor as there were no beds. Of course, thai was something unusual for us at that time, l:)ut we got used to it soon after that. We left Knotty Ash at V2 o',-l,,ck ,lnne Olh aii.l arrived at a rest cami) at Winchester, I'ligland the same night after hiking al.out (i miles from the train to the camp. We had a little better quarters in this camp as it was much more modern tlian the others. We stayed there until Wednesday, the 12th. While there we had our first cliance of taking a bath since we left the States. JMaylie it didn't feel good.

When we left Winchester we went to Southampton. We arrived tlu^re about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and had to wait until dark before we could take a boat to go across the channel. Wlien we awoke the next morning we were in the harbor at Le Havre, France. So \(iu see we first landed in France on June 13th, 1918. We weren't very unlucky, either. I forgot to tell yon that while in Winchester I ran into Philip McGrath., the one whose mother lives down on College ;ivemie.

We got off the boat at Le Havre that morning about nine o'clock and marched to a camp which was about four miles away. W\- only staye(l there one night and the next day we started out again. We traveled two days and two nights and arrived in Ornans, Douljs, June Ibtli at 11 o'clock .V. AI. On our way there we passed through the entire outskirts of Paris. 1 certainly would like to spend about a month there.

I was at Ornans until June 211th and then 1 was sent out as a clerk with a "horse detail" to Bescanon, a city of about 11)0,111)0 population about 19 kilometers away. 1 dont' suppose you know how much a kilometer is -one kilometer is eciual to three-fifths of a mile. I certainly had a good time and a very easy job. We were buying horses from the French to supply our regiments. The French people surely treated us fine all the time we were there. .As a good thing never lasts very long, we were sent back to our organization Aug. I.ith. They were then at Valdahou, a big French training camp. Well, it was kind of hard, to go back to work again, but we .lidn't stay there very long. We started for the front August 23r(l.

I didn't write and tell you I was going because I didn't want you to wori-y aliout me. I wrote and told Bernardine about it but 1 told her not to tell you. There is no more need to worry now as it is all ovei- with. 1 tell you there are many light-hearted lads in France right now, and. I am one of them.

Th.e first front we went to was the St. Mihiel saUent, the Toul sector. You probably have read about it in the papers. We were billeted in an old chateau. It was certainly a beautiful old place, but again it was too gootl to last as we left there Sept. 1.'). We went to the X'ei'dim fi'oiit. There we took part in what I think was the decisive battle of the war. A\'e weie in the .\rgonne woods. W^e held three different positions there. We wei-e in .-let ion 21 days without relief and such a hell you co\ild never be al)le to realize what we went thidugh from Sept. 20 until Del. 12. I could not ex]ilain it, no matter how hard 1 w.)uld try. 1 will tell you more about it when 1 get back. We lost one Dixon boy tluac. You probably know who il is.

Well, they finally .lecided to make us a motorized regiment. We started back to a camp to gel our motors. We arrived at Saucorl , Oct. 31. We were only here a short time when peace was declared. Maybe t here wasn't souKM'elebrating when we heard

Your letter reeeived and also the liox of eats. The eats sure were appreciated aiul was a surprise on my stomach. The nurse gave me a couple of C. ('. Pills for fear of the worse.

They say, .Join the army and. .mv the worl.hhnt it Mire i> H wh.ai a f.'llow has t.i see it on foot. For I am safe in saying I saw nearly all of Fiance and Knglaiid on foot, and would love to have written a lettei- home from Berlin.

Once in a while we would get in old car.s. They woul.l held us in lik.' so many hogs and we would 1 e like sard.iiii s and would ride for two days and three nights, and what a lovely place to sleep,

Well mother I will never forget the first time I went over the top as long as I live. For the Major, a hard boiled dog, said to us one night, "That tomorrow we were to get our full eciuipment as we were to go up close to the lines to get kind of an idea what war was like,"

Well we lunl chow aliout four o'clock and our packs all rolled ready to leave at -f;30. We just got nicely started, when in France as u.sual it rains. We kept on hiking, no chance for a rest, and we had only about 150 lbs. on our back besides our rifle and huillets.

We hiked until about 2:30 in the morning when we were halted, and told to dig in and the Major told us to dig a good hole ami piut uj) our tents, and cover it with ilead gra,ss. So when the airpilanes went over, tliey would not .see tls ami drop liombs on us.

A fellow and myself in my squad dug in together, had a tine hole, and unrolled our packs. We were just as happy as a lark expecting a good nights sleep after our long hike, and just ready to flop. When "Big Bertha" the german gun started shelling on us, killing an<l woiiniling some of our men,

.lust then a frog runner came back and told us to take the lines as the Germans were coming after them, with the best troops the Kaiser had, his marines and Prussian (iuards.

Well we crawled out of our cozy little l.)unk, lined up in combat formation and relieved tlie frogs, went over the top with the best of luck. We battleilthe siiuaivh.eads

We went back to get our coiuiiauy filled up again an.l we went up again. Well. I sure was lucky all the time, until the last day we went up in .July, and this was the turning battl<> bruig the largest b.attle of the war on the Chateau Thierry front. Well I went for three days and four nights without anything to eat, not along a drink of water unless we came to a stream and we had to be careful that it wasn't poisoned after goine so long without anything to eat, drink or sleeji. A fellow and me in my squad were picked out to go out on a cossack jiost. out in " \o Alan's I.and." We were supposed to go on from seven to nine, but when we went on they left us on all night vmfil just before daylight we were relieved. 1 went liack to the line and got in a hole with a Sergeant from A company, and we lioth felt sleepy. As we would give most anything for a couple hours sleep, and as we were planning the scjuare heads sent over some gas, and I was ready just in time to save his life and mine. Well this didn't bother me any and in about 15 minutes we went ovei' again an.l fought a few more days and got relieved. We went back jtist long enough to fill up our company and went Ijack again.

Well, I sure was a lucky guy until about the seventh d.ay of .\ugust, aftei- battling them for about 12 days we counted our men and had 50 men left in o\u- company.

Swam the Vesle Well we thought we were going to get relieveil, but an ordei- came that we luul to take the Vesle River, we sent out two patrols, and the fir.st lost all theii- men, and the second one came back with just one Sergeant left, and he was w(junded and he said the machine gun bullets were thicker than hair on a dog along the river bank. Then they sent the engineers over, to put trees across for us dough boys to cross on, but the engineers couldn't get up as the bullets were too thick. But an order came to send us over at any cost. So we started and the < Jeinians opened up wit h machine guns, picking us off like flies. W hen w<' c.ame to the river we hail to swim it through a cross fire of machine gun bullets. W^ell I got across without a siaatch. and advanced about 20 rods over the river when I got an awful crack on my hip. I was hit by a high explosive, I looked at my suit to see )lood and there wasn't so I saw I was just stvmned. But we kept on that the s(iuai'e heads had machine guns in the tices. Well we finally m aga.iii, and 1 was in fine shape, not even a siaatch. there being about

211 i-ods of th.e s(|uaic heads when we started firing at will, and I It hit with a machine gun bulliM o\i'i- the right eye, it went through t in my h.ead and stuc'k and I said to the guy next to me, a fellow oot me, " and fell and that is all 1 knew until 1 came to mv senses

If the hulh't ha.l been taken out of my head the first time ami th.' small sphnters of bone I woul.l h.' a well man to.lay, an.l p.'rha]is 1,'a.ling my .Hvislui into ]5erlin.

Yes motlier there is four infantries in a ilivision, in ours was the fighting ;'Sth, 47th, 39th and .59th. Well the 5Sth was the best infantry in the 4th division, that is why we were picked out for all the parades. You know I belong to the 4th division 1st army corps being with one of the 1st divisions to go on the line. I suppose you saw the piece Gen. Pershing had in the pa|).'r about th.' war.

Oil the niad out of Cliateau Thierry, ]^.\- the hill where we halted the Huii Xcai- Lane" and "Death \'alley;" AVherc th.e Boche treat was begnn.

Well, I sup]iose \du would like to know how I jiassed my Thanksgiving. Will start on the begiiiimig to tell you. On TuesdaN' afternoon we were given about thirty minutes notice to move and we were marched to another camp, arriving at 4 p. m. We were fed supper here, 6,000 men going through one kitchen in six lines. The clerk of our "hotel de Canvas," called up at 2:30 a. m. Wednesday morning, we fed at 3 a. m., and at 4 a. 111. started on a seven mile march with full pack; arrived at 7 o'clock and waited around until 0 a. 111., for the K. T, O. (railroad transportation officer). Finally entrained and fooled aiduiul all day, making a run of about forty miles, arriving at the present camp at 1 :o() p. 111. We were marched out to a temporary barracks and put up for the night. The next morning we were fed after much doubtful waiting as there had been no notice of our arii\al. This was Thanksgiving morning and finally we wei-e fed a good breakfast which was appreciated, since it was the first meal since 3 a. in., tlu> morning before, with the excejition of a couple of sandwiches I was able to buy. Some of the boys, in fact most of them, were broke, thus out of luck. We were marched to our barracks and informed that no one would be allowed to leave that day and that a kitchen would be set U]) for us and we w(,iuld be fed right tliere. The iirospeets looked rotten, but finally about

Now we ai-e assi-ued to a .-amp hospital and have a e(,mfortal.le l.illet, havinji heen moved the day aft.-r Thanks-ivui-. It is m the same town and lo.'ated m a chateau, a 200 lied hosphal. We are -ettin- the tinest eats I have cvr ha.l and it is the l.est place we have heeii in. We hav.' not started to work yet: we start in the m.irnin.ii, so I don't exactly know what the work will he. We are liill.'t.'d in a room ahout two hlocks from the chateau in the villa-e.

Well, the war is over, luit when we return home is a (lUestioii, as we were classified in Class A which means we have to stay the longest. I fiiiure 1 will he lucky to iict home l.y March or April.

Our regiment heinti' all split up made us casuals and as casuals we have received no mail. The last letter I had was Maud's letter of Oct. IHth. X.iw we are assiy;ned here I expect to iiet mail attain.

Had a very interesting trip through an old chateau ownccl hy thi' French government, the former home of Louis XIY and Henry l\. It certainly was a wond.'iful place and the grounds are immense as well as beautiful.

Am enclosing a Christmas card and a sprig of mistletoe and holl\' which I gathered myself. The mistletoe is very plentiftil over here, although I have seen only a littl(> holly, and that having no berries.

Things are going along good and look Ijrighter every day and with the prospects of home nearer every day I feel quite contented, even if 1 am in a strange land.

I can picture all the good things to eat Christmas and wish I could be tlua-e to share it with yoti, but if they continue to feed us like they have in tliis new place I am going to be well h'd Christmas, too.

On the morning of I\Iay 25th, 1918, we were called at :-> a. m., marched sevi'ii miles to Alpine landing, got on some kind of a barge there, drifted down the Hudson about 2.5 miles, got off and boarded the ship "Hemy H, Mallory." The sailors called it the "Hell Rolling Mallory," Was not on the water long until I realized tln^ nickname was a good one. Anyway, was not on the boat but a few hours until one of our men fell down in the hole two decks; luckily no bones were broken and was in the hospital only a week. Sunday about .5 p. m. we were all ordered inside antl the boat commenced to move. After a few hoiu-s we were allowe(l out: could just see sh<ire. Later our boat joined a convoy of 12 other troop boats and one submarine ch.a.'^er and two days before a pass to Boradeaux for one day. June 15th about 4:45 p. m., the company split, part of them going to Rochefort, two men to St. Nazaire, and the balance of us to Lieusaint, ajjout 25 kilometers from Paris, where we pitched pup tents in an alfalfa field until our barracks were erected. This was the beginning of Army Park B. July the 2nd the men who left for Rochefort June 15th, joined us. July 4th the men started out on their first trip for the front, trucks loaded with an evacuation hospital from Paris to Chalons. After being up there about two weeks, were chased out of the woods by German airmen - that was when th(> big Chateau Thierry drive began. From then on the trucks were moving ])raclicall>- :dl nf tlic limr, day and night, carrying ammunition, clothing and rations to Chateau Tliicn>- ami Siiissnns. While they were at Chalons for a couple of weeks the Germans canic uvcr to get a station one night but came so close to the trucks the men were ordered out in a wheat field. Some of them ran out in their B. V. D.'s with their helmets and gas masks on. The men were worked quite hard on the front until August Kith \\iien we packed up and left for Longres. This was a three-day trip, about 300 miles of two companies, 58 trucks. Of course we did not run at night. August 18th the train pulled into Longres foi- repairs. This is wh.ere Bose caught me in the mess line trying to get some flapjacks.

Left Longres Aug. 22nd about 6 p. m. to be attached to a division at Bricon, arriving there about noon Aug. 23rd. Did not stop here very long. On Aug. 27th we left Bricon in a convoy of a hundred trucks for a place called Remiremont, getting pretty close to your home, dad. Anyway, we arrived at Remiremont, Aug. 28th about 2 p. ni. We worked at this place about ten days, had my office in a truck that was out of working order, located at the foot of a big mountain. The Boche planes would pay us a daily visit but did little harm. We left Remiremont Sept. 7th, arriving at Gerartlmer the same day. Tins is where work began to pick up again. Trucks rolled day and night up and down the steep mountains on into Alsace. From the tops of some of these mountains we could see the tops of the Alps. The men worked real hard in this area as most of the hard driving had to he done at night without lights as the Germans were just across the valley and the lights would show through the camouflage on the side of the road. When we left this place Oct. 28th, had to leave nine men behind in the hospital. Arrived in Futeau, just back of Verdun, Oct. 30th, parking at a saw mill there, trucks working from this place to Grandpre, where the sixth division was going into action, some of them in one battle, as we were preparing to move to Grandpre some poor old lady came up to the mess hall to tell us, "Boche finish." We left Futeau at 7 p. m., Nov. 17th, arriving at Verdun at 10 p. m., the same night, where we are now located. Gee, the city of Verdun sure looks a wreck. Took a number of snap shots of the ruins. Will have them developed soon as we get back into civilization. Have not seen any people (civiUans) for over three weeks. We were booked to go to Metz but orders have been changed and Monday we leave for Recey sur Oucre just below Longres. Understand this division is going home soon. I am untler the impression that we will be detached from them before they sail.

The above places mentioned ai'e the names of the villages and cities we were stationed at since in France but have gone through a number of other large cities and villages. Passed through Neufchateau, Octolier 30. That is where Leo Miller is, according to the A. P. 0. number you gave.

Mailed you a ( lerm.an helmet several days ago. Have another on hand in case it never reaches you and a nninh(>r of other souvenirs and postal cards. Have some shrapnel that I dug from the building we are staying in. I have a very nice room with a large fire place in it. Will write you again soon, Merry Christmas to all,

I have iH.t hcanl Inmi ,v..u since we nidved, Dec. lOtli, when I received your Christmas card. We left Rocey sur Uucre, Dec. lOlh, and arrive(l at Monti^iny th(> same ni(irning. No billets being available there we nmvid on \n th.e next \'illaiie, calleil ( Je\i()l]es. We own the place now as you will understand after icailinji this lettia. ( '.e\-icilles is a small village not far from Loniires, vei->' (|uiel place. lla\-e had rain e\er>- (hi>- since we arrived here but (uie and it snowed on Dec. 'i.'ith. Have a vei>- nice room in a cheese factory that I am usinij; foi- an office, lai-i!:e fire|)lace in one side of it which makes it viay comfortable.

Day before ( "hristmas we decorated a large room in the lactoiy that we had been usiny; for a mess hall for a ( 'hiistmas program. Some ol the men had to leave in th.e afternoon to transport troops fiom this area to Longres for a parade there i^iven in honor of President Wilson on Christmas morning. These men did not get back until .">:ol) ]>. ni., just in time for our second perfoiniance. But we men who were in. in the afteinoon. alio\it 2:30, decided to hght the ( hristmas tree at 3:30 and give chocolate, candy, nuts and gum to the French kids of the village and for admission each member of the organization was to brin g one or more French kids. At 3 :30 we had 500 of them, also a number of the mothers, older sisters and nurses, full house. Had a little show which lasted about a half horn-. In the meantime one of the fellows fixed up as Santa and immediately aft(a' the ])(aloiniance Santa came out and gave them their candy and stuff. It ccatamly maile a lag hit. At 7:00 we had the big show for th.e men of our organization, oidy: of comse. we had a Santa Clans, too, a regular comedian. We put all of our Christmas |)ackagi's that we received from home, the Y, and the Red Cross, around the three and had him call tluan off by name and what he would add to it was enough to make his act successful. After everything we took flashlight pict\u-( s.

Inasmuch as I was unable to write you a li'tter Father's Day, 1 am gomg to write now and give you an idea of what I have been doing and where I have lieen sinc(> coming over here.

On Dec. 1, 1917, we left Ft. Harrison at 4 p. m. \\o took the New York Central lines and passed thru Muncie, Ind., Union City, ().. Alaiion, Manchester, Cleveland, Erie, Pa., Rtiffalo, N. Y., Syracuse, Rochester, Albany antl down along the Hudson to Hoboken. X. .1. We boanled tlie George Washington," a large liner next in size to the Yaterland. The latter was in a d(jck beside us before we pulled out on the ."ith of December. We were'on the water during which time we encountered no U-boats, but got into a terrible storm on the Bay of Biscay. Finally we landed at Brest Dec. 22. I got off the boat before .some of the rest and was forttmate enough to see a great deal of the town. We boarded a train at Brest and started for our training area. We passed thru the town of Laval, Le :Mons, Totus, Longirs, Chailres, Chatunont and on Christmas moiaiing got off at Bourmont, which was west of Limeville and to the .south of Xeaufehateau. W<' staved at Bourniount all winter and ran a <'amp hospital there, (hi March 14, 191S,

\vc stai-t('<l ill trucks tn t hr iVoiit. The ili\isi(]ii occupicil :i sector extending from Verdun south tor aliout IS miles. Our statidus in Cenicourt ncai- Ft. De Genicom't, one of the outer works of the fortress of N'enhm. We were sheUed every day at Genicourt at precisely 12 noon. After alaout two weeks we were stationed at Sonully, a fair sized place back of Verdun. Here I ran onto many fellows out of the 10th Engineers, R. R., out of Chicago. Tlie>- wen' opeiating the railroad to \'ei-dun.

On :May l.")th the secdiKl (Hvi.sion was relieved and we pulled luiek thru Bar-Le-Div for a rest stopping at a little town called "Beiucy." We stayed there a few days and then started on a long trip to the British front. It took us a couple of days and we passed through the towns of St. Dizier, \'itiy ie Francois, Chalons, Epernay, Meaux, St. Denis, a suhurh of Paris, Pontoise, and stopped at La Fayella. We were in this place when we got word tliat the Boches were driving toward Chateau Thierry to Paris. The division was onlered t(.) the scene of trouble. We went back the same way we came, through Pontoise, St. Denis, Meaux. We went north from Meaux to meet the oncoming Boche. On June 1 the division was ordered to plug a hole in the line through which the Boches were pouring. Our sector was west and a little north of Chateau Thierry. Our company came near being captured near A'iniy, so were moved back to Cacharel and then to Chateau Rue on the road out of Chateau Thierry. I expect it is useless for me to tell you of the work done at Belleau wood, Torcy, and \'anx. These places have been made famous by the fifth and sixth Marines and the ninth and twenty-third infantry and the second engineers. Our company was next moved to Luzaney on the Marne river. We stayed there until about the lOth of .lul\- when we were sent of La Tille for a rest. We were shelled out of this place the night of the 14th. The next day we were ordered to Villers Cotterets near Soissons where the first and second divisions with the Scotch made a six mile gain the first day of the battle. They continued to gain and after two days were relieved. We forced the Germans to evacuate the Chateau Thiei-ry salient. We next went to Oguy, a little town near Nanteiul and Seulis (Gen. Foch met the German peace delegates at Seulis).

From Oguy we started on another long triii. going thi'ough ]\Ieaux, Vitiw le Francois, St. Dizier, Toul and Nancy. We stopped at St. Nicholas, south of Nancy. From tliere we went up to Millery near Pont-a-Mousson, but it was only for a few days for the purpose of getting acquainted with the terrain. We then went to the south of Toul to a town named Faviers. We stayed there two weeks and then were very much in evidence when the St. Mihiel sectoi- was cut off. We captured Thiancourt and Nannues-Zalny ridge. It was at Thiancouii that 1 nearly got mine.

We next stiiick with the French near Rheims and took Mont Blanc ridge which had been holding up the i'rench advance for some time. We worked near Suipps and at Somimepy, where we were pretty hard hit by shellfire. On Nov. 1 the second division was given the post of honor in the front rank in the final attack which swept by Buzancy, Stenay and was stopped at Sedan only by the signing of the armistice. A\"e were at Landreville when the armistice was signed on th(> 11th of November.

On the 14th we started for Germany with the army of occupation. We have already gone through Buzancy, Stenay, and Montmedy, in France, and Viron, Belamort, Ethe, and Arlon in Belgium. We are well into Luxemburg now, having passed through Noerdingen, Colmar, Berg, and several other towns. The company is now at Kruchjten, about 23 kilometers west of the city of Luxemburg.

In a few days we will go into Germany and I will tell you whei-e we have been in another letter. I am also going to give you a copy of each oi our citations, ^^'e have a good nianv. With love, vour son, Clarence

As this is supposed to lie Fallin's day will drop you a few liiirs tdlniii you soiurlluug of what I have seen since Icavinii tlif States, left New York on tln' '-'Olli ol May and after zigzagging around the .Vtlantic for el('\'en da>s we lande<l at l,i\ci|)ool, I'ntiland. Were marched about f<nir miles out <jf the <'it>- and spent the ni<ilii, Icaxniti tlic next day for Winchester where we stayed for hve days Itefore talcing a boat at Soutliam|>ton for France. We spent the night on board a cattle boat and debarked for Havre on .June 14. Here we went into another rest camp for a couple ot days and then the>' loaded us into box ears and we headed foi- Valdahou. After we spent three days in tiavelinii we unleaded and were marched to the little village of Epenoy, a small village about the size of Eldena along the Swiss bordei-. Hnc wr entrained on the F^rench guns and incidentally here it was that truck driveis weic callrd foi- to go to Bordeaux for trucks for the Ijrigade.

I was sent in charge of tlir detail and it certainly was an interesting tri|nlriving all the way aci-oss France and I was lucky enouiih to get the General's car, a biji eight eyhnder Cadillac, to drive back inslc^ad of a truck. About the twenty-sixth of .hily we moved into barracks at "S'aldahou and after firing our range course were prepared for the front. Five thousand rounds were fired over the range here and my job was to see that it was on the grounds in time, and, believe me, the old trucks worked as late as ten o'clock at ;night, getting ready for flic next day's firing. On the 23rd of August we left for the front and as usual I had the truck tram to take overland, a ilistance ,,f 220 miles. \\v found the regiment at Bourcq, a small village in a forest in the St. Mihiel sector. Here is where the real work for the trucks come in for we had to haul our supplies a distance of seven miles and there was rain ten days out of nine and mud half way up to your knees. There were more nights that I was on the truck seats than th.ere were when I was in bed, tin- my drivers wouldn't suit tlie captain foi- he alwa>-s w:uited to tjo like liell ai afraid of the quads so whenever In' went I hail to go and he sure was a ever anything was wanted, it didn't make an>' difference wliat time of always went after it.

After the drivi- here was over we left hn- the \'erdtm front. Here I hind the wagon tiam for we had lost a bunch of horses and ix was ([uite oft a wagon out of a hole. Also the Spanish influenza hit our outfit and all of to the Supply Company, except the sick and these I kept in the were too weak to walk and there were only a couple who went to hospitals that came back. From the time we left the Hourc(| woods at seven o'clock one night until three o'clock of the second morning I was at the truck wheel only leaving it long enough to help out someof the fellows and get some hot coffee that was always ready for tis in tlu' field kitchen.

When we stopped I and a pal of mine from Walnut took our blankets and Hopped in a French graveyard and were awakened the following da>' at ten o'clock by the following speech from a captain of the quartermaster's corps: " No wonder you can't beat these Yanks when they have guts enough to sleep in a graveyanl."

After reaching our camping place in the Argonne 1 had to haul supplies from the main warehouse a distance of one hundred and niiuny miles so you see it wasn't sueli a snap .after all. "When we weren't hauling supplies we were hauling ammunition ami I sure saw ,some funny sights then.

without explotling. If it had there would have been some tlamage done for there were about fifty trucks lined up loaded with high explosive shells.

Here was the only place we saw much real fighting, and, believe me, it was real, for we were locatetl at a miss roads and Jerry had our range. Here also we witnessed several air battles ami, bcHcvc me, those Jerrys have the goods when it comes to aeroplanes.

We left there about the 25th of October and as the old trucks had from 11 to 13,000 miles registered upon them we turned them in for salvage to get new ones in their place. About two weeks ago I took a bunch of lads to Dijon and drove back thirty trucks, five touring cars and ten motoi-cycles, and. with the exce])ti(in of five or six cai's we stole, or as the army calls it, "salvaged," while at the front, this is all we have.

We are now stationed to Doulaincourt and orders, or rather rumors, came in today that we were to be occupation troops and move into Germany for six months.

We wired our shack here and have electricity whenever it is on but they turn off the current so often >(i\i never can gamble on lights. d'he\- were turned off about five miniUes ago and I have to finish with a candle, so will cut it shoit and liope I am on the way home by the time you are reading this.

I mailed >(iii a s(>u\cnii-, a German helmet, which I hope you received 0. K. It is a helmet found iieai- Mt. Sec. Was taken from a dugout and was left behind in his hurry to get out of the American's fire or the owner was killed. It is not a very fine one but half (if t lie helmets in America are frauds. The boys are bringing back helmets from Metz that never saw a battle. Have merely been made to sell to Americans. Mt. Sec. is a hill that cost the allies 70, ()()() nuai to cajitui-e. We were stationed there some time. It was taken in the St. Mihiel driv(>.

I do hope 1 am with you .soon and hope you are well, ^^'^ite me same atldre.ss. I am in Paris now and surely do enjoy myself but give me the V . S. A. The Parisians are a different class of people than elsewhere in France and are almost cosmopolitan.

You can believe all the accounts of their celebrating Wilson. Today is the third day <'f it and the men on dray wagons are going along hitting their horses and hollering "Mve Wilson. " The Kue de Rivoli is as wide as Michigan Avenue and for a mile around De Opera ami ^iladi'line you never saw such crowds and hajipy and care free, appearing so after .so many yeais of war. And the Americans are the cause of it all; they are the heroes.

liiiow tliat you luive often wondered wliere I have heen, and it looks as tliough the censorship has been relaxed, so I'm going to tell you the whole story, taking a ehanee on its going through.

On June 6 we went from Camp Merritt to Weehawken, crossed the Hudson on a feii\-, and boarded the "Acquitania" at the Cunard docks. The business of loading took some time, for the ship carried considerable freight besides the 7,000 soldiers and the crew of 1,500 so it was Saturday morning, June Sth, when we sailed out of New York hailioi', accompanied by several destroyers and aeroplanes. The planes took us out alniut two hours, but the destroyers stayed with us until dark, Ouv linat was too fast to tiavd in the wl'.ole trip, even though we weic cons which was docked next to us, and left a ( w'ere never in danger, though one of the j 200 yards of us.

We were met \iy a convoy of Britisl but we missed them, an<l didn't meet tliei ing of the 14th we pas,<ed the spot whei' Ireland. It was marki'd by tour large b the 1.5th we landed at Liverpool.

It was almost noon before we got ash.i pained b>- a British band and the usual crowd of admiring kids, to the :Midlan(ls R, 1!. station, where we entrained. We had a f ham and several otlicr big cities to Soiitliauii)ton, \\ that time the sun set at about 9:45 and it was twilight until elven, so it was hardly dark when we detrained and marched to a big camp in the direction of Salisbury plain, Th.ere we stayed for about a day - Southampton is a beautiful place, but tliey certainly handed out some rotten grub at the rest camp ther(>.

We marched back into the city, to the docks and boarded the chamiel boat, "Viper," a very fast boat, capable of doing 35 knots, but rather small for a whole battalion. We sailed out of the harbor that evening, past all kind of craft, including several torpedoed ships, through the mine fields, past the lieautiful Isle of Wight, and dodged subs most of the night. I got a couple of hotus slee]) on the floor and woke up the next morning in Le Havre. We climbed through the city, which is very liill>-, and ended v\\) at Rest Camp No. 1, on the top of the highest hill of them all. We spent several days there, and that is where I saw Bob Ovington. I think that part of the Rainbow division had been there, judging from what people said, but at th.at time I hadn't learned enoi'gh French to understand more than 1 ]ier cent of what I heard.

From Le Havre we took our first ride in tl;e "Chevaux S, Homines 40" cars that we were destined to become so familiar with. We rode about 24 hours, through a corner of Paris, (which we passed during the night, however), and quite a lot of interesting country to Foulain. It was from the little town of Foulain that we had one of our hardest hikes. We left the train at 6:30 p. m. and marched until 3 am. in the rain, up hill all tlie way. We were soft after tlie long rest, U'e were carrying extra heavy packs and wearing our light weight russet shoes, not our liolmails. Every village that came in view we thought we were goirg to stop at, and we sure]>- b_ad a lot of disappointments, because the villages.

War History Of Lee Countv, Illinois

while most of tiiem were small, were |ii-eti>- close toiictlier we halted, and I just dimly renieinlicr ti->iii,ii to scat iii.^ and slippery, and I was tiretl. I didn't hit it sqiiaic slip where I fell sound asleep. While I was asleep, iiillets nie, and I stai>:gered into a iiearliy harn, where I spent tl

The village was Donne-Marie, in the Depart ineiii southeast of Paris, and 24 kilometers from C'haiiinont . of having frequently visited was Nogent, a little |ilace

We soon found out that we were goiiiij to Italy, and Italy seemed such an out of the way place, and I here s( France, but of course my wishes did not amount to much. We were all set to go when the Germans opened up their drive between Soissons and Rheims, about the middle of July. Of course you know what happened then at Chateau-Thierry. We were held in reserve there for ten days, until the tide of the liattk' turned and it was evident that we would not be needed.

Then we marched to Foulain again, and boarded the train for Italy. We did not touch any of the big French cities on the trip, but we didn't miss much in northern Italy. We crossed the Alps, passing close to Mt. Blanc and going through an endless chain of timnels. At the entrance to one tunnel stood a French guard, and the last thing we saw l:)efore entering the tiiiinel was a little French village that siirroiuided the big hole. Then followed twenty minutes of darkness, and when we suddenly pojiped out into tlu' blinding sunlight again, there was an Italian guard staring us in the face, and we were in an Italian city of some size. I never did learn the name of it.

Fleet ric locomotives were attached to our train, and we made a fast trip from there on. I have told you a great deal about our rece|)tion, so I needn't dwell upon that.

We stojiped at Turino about 6 p. m. and staged a parade. The people went wild over us. fed US, threw flowers, and all that. Then we went on, and arrived in Milano in the morning. We spent a couple of hours there, and though we did not leave the station, we got a pretty good view of the city, for the train passed quite close to some of the most celebrated buildings. We passed through Breseia, and stopped at Verona, took a branch road and liacked up a few miles to the city of Villa-Franca. That w;is our first home ill Ital>-. It was there that we were reviewed bj' the King of Italy, and first became ac- (|iiaiiilcd with Jimmy Hare and the other photographers.

We stayed several weeks in Villa-Franca, making Sunday excursions to X'erona, twelve mills away, and to other smaller places of interest. The first and second battalions were quartered in two nearby towns -Custoza and Soiiima Canipagiiia, so to get the regiment together, we were all moved to a level plain just outside of ^'aleggio, a little town on the edge of the niounlaiiis, where we .spent over a month m tents.

There we stayed under a period of training in modern warfare - advancing under barrages, bombing, using lif|uid fire, and in fact, practicing almost every form of assault

It was rather d.aiigeious work, 1 must ad.mit, and our battalion suffered more easiiahties there than the whole regiment did during the advance from Treviso to Cormons. 1 lia\-c had some narrow csca|)es; oncc" a shell fragment as large as my forearm struck less than the breaillli of iii>- hand from where T lay - had it struck a rock, or even fallen in a different position, \-oiir son would now be toying with a harp instead of a fountain pen. A Inaicli nioiiar shell exploded within oO feet of where I lay. and by hs and our fii-st forced march was a terror. We mai ing nig;ht, with just two horn's resf. I carried i and it taxed my strength to the utmost. We ma at the border for three days. Then we moved buildings to sleejj in, at Cormons.

That was the end of our hard work. We stayed there almost a week and rested up, then our battaltion fo(]k a train foi' Fiume, one battalion left on foot for Treviso, and the other lay motor truck for Venice, from there to go to Montenegro.

Our sole purpose now is to keep peace in the family and see that everyone is treated properly. It is hard to tell how long we will be here, but it's a fine place, and it will not be a hardship to stay in Fiume all winter if we have to.

I have intended for a long time to write a long letter to you, but have had so little time to write and when a chance would come it would lu- so cold in the billet that we woukl have to keep Ijuntlled up wdth mittens on, and I couldn't write. It is warm enough today that we have our door open, blouses off, and no fire in the stove. It is quite warm for December (to us). It is a warmer climate here, anyway, than it is at home. People still leave their house plants out of doors daytimes most of the day, yet. Every house has a few geraniums, begonias and fuchias.

Lloyd and I l)oth keep well except for colds. He is in conmiand of Headquarters company and eail>- in September had me transferred to his company and just recently has put me in for supply sergeant and since then I have been especially busy.

We have been at th(- front for a long tini(\ leaving the training camp at Valdahou, the 2211(1 of August. ( )ur Hi'st drive started the 12th of September in the St. Mihiel Salient and our part (artillery) lasted one night and one day. We took the Germans completely by surprise as we started the drive at one o'clock in the night and in the rain, and the (iei-mans did not think that the Americans w^ould start a drive under those conditions. They retreated in a hurry and only answ(>red back with five shots. Some of our men found where they had left a meal parth- prepared, potatoes peeled and canned meats and vegetables opened. Some of our men were ordered to go ahead during the barrage and turn around the cannons, which the Germans in their hurry had left behind them, and fire their ammunition back after them. During all our marches at the front we found ever so maii>- ( ierman cannon which liad been turned around and shot back after them.

Our next drive, in the .Vrgonne Inrest , northwest of \'er(lun, started the 25th of September and we were relievetl liy other artillerx' and sent back to a rest camp where we have been for six weeks or more.

We had a good many narrow escapes while at the front. I hav(> slept or tried to sleep night after night with shells flying through the air thick and fast, coming from all directions, but my number was not called and I got thi-oiigh if safe. lather those German shells were no good or I was not worth killing.

and SOllU' iif "Ul- liicil slept ill llii' (li'lliKin (llliiiiuls. .Illst (iX'cr the \v;i>- IVoiii where we campetl was an open iiieadnw ami in nne cdiner o)' this nieadow we liuiii'il tlMit>- men from our Ijnomle. It wa^i a veiy sad sitihi . luit sa.ldest ni all was Ic see Ihree Krothers laid side In- side in one grave. Whai an awful slidi'k it must have lieen to the imhu- nmtheiwhen she received the news ol' the son's deatlis. Ti'.ey liejoniied to another regiment of artillery and were iiassed.

Another place where we camped was in the open on the side of a hill (.verlo.ikm- "Heirs Valley,- a veiy l.eauliful valley all tinckly settle.l with troops in shelter tents. At one end of this valley was a t,,wn. .Monttaucon. wrerke.l, rumed. solitary, and .loerle.l. One niiihl a shell lit ahout lid yards from where I was skvpin- and explod.ed near the picket line, killin- IS h.orses. and injurin.ii others, some of which had to 1 e killed.. ( tth.Ts would live.

This same ni-ht one man was sle<.pin,ii with his 1,1,, use h.lde.l up under his h.'a.l for a pill.,w and in another t.ait a man was usinti his rul,l,er hip hoots h,r a pill(,w an.l hotli boots anil l,lous<' wen> t(,rn 1,>- pieces i,f shell hut ih.e nieii unhurt. F(,ur men who slc|it so near th.e jncki't line that one of the hor-e- in falliiiLi just missed their tents were not hurt at all when the IS horses were killed. In an,,ther tent one man lai.l his steel liehiiet near his head and a piece of shell was driven throu^li the helmet, leaviiiii hol.^s larger than a silvia' dollar, but the man was unhurt, only nearly di'atened l,y the ni,ise. A piece of sh.ell was ilri\-en through five shelter tents in succession, in a row. but none of the men in them were hurt.

These instances all happene.l the same niiiht but not b'om the same shell. Surely "tlie an-el of the Lord cncanipeth r,,und about tho.<e th.at fear Ilim an.l d.eliv.avth them."

Tl:e objective in our first drive in the St. Mihiel sector was AIi,iitsi'<\ a town ami lar.iic mountain by the same name, about six and a half miles east of St. Mihiel. and both Montsec and the Argonne forest were considered about the hardest secti,is t(, capture on acc(,imt of lieing so strongly fortified, previously, and so hard to advance on. but we irot back from 6 to 10 kilometers with our heavy artillery and shelled them from 12 to l.i hours at a time, then adv:inced our artillery while the light artillery and machine guns protected

France is a very prett.y and interesting country and has seen some terrible wars since its history began. We fought over the same ground where Caesar's Bailie wars took place and where Napoleon lived and conquered. We received our 3^2 weeks training in artilli'iy in the "foothills of the Al])s,"

P. S. - Out of our wli(,le regiment only seven men were killed in action and three <lied from natural caus(>s. Three of the .seven were from C Battery, ami six of the seven were from the 2ih1 Battalion.

There is so much to write an<l so much that can't lie sai<l on account of th.e censorshi|> that I <lon't know wh.eir to l.eiiin. Tli<' tri|) alone is worth anyone's time for w(> have seen thini^s and lieen to places that we never coulil have met with in civil hie. The greatest drawback is in losing connections with one's friends. Haven't had a line of mail since leaving Doniphan and don't know whei-e any of my army pals are located. You will have to tell me all over again where the F. G. boys are and in particular Claud Businga, Bill Chngan and Charles Baker. From wh.at I have heard in the last few days I ratlier think I can guess pretty close to where Roger is likely to be. His branch of the service is pretty busy gettuig a great i-eputation in France just now. Would siu'ely like to meet

Now. a little attempt to describe the trip. You have had some little traveling around till' r. S.. I)\it I think you will appreciate this side of the Atlantic much better than most of the fellows who came over here to fight. England and France are both beautiful in the country, although 1 like France th.e better. The whole coimtry is gre(>n and hedges and crops, and everything that grows shows the care that it receives. Thei-e are all kinds of fruits and berries, lots of grapes and I have never seen so many and such lovely flowers, both wild and domesticated. Everything is a lot different than at home. The buildings are all made of stone, also many of the fences, and where they are not entii-ely covered with vines they show that they were built some time ago. The fields are mostly small and ai'e fenced with hedges and trees into all kinds of irregular shapes. Then, there are chateaux with their old architecture and their well kept grounds and parks. Some country for a camera if it could be used. In the towns France is prettier than England, for the latter is all alike. Everyone lives in villages and everyone's house is just like the ivst, not vei-y attractive either. In France, alth.ough they live in villages, yet they show some kinds of style. Tlie peo|)k' are fine and are glad to see us here, especially the youngsters and the fellows have a great time l(>ai-miig and teaching the languages.

We are billeted in a little old village in a viay (|uaint old-fashioned jirovince and our battery sleeps in w'hat were once bowling alleys. Better than tents, if we do sleep on the ground. Get plenty to eat and after a few horrible days at first we are now getting plenty of tobacco. We are training a little harder than in the states and learning lots of new stuff all of the time. Never felt finer in my life antl am as anxious as anyone else to get into action.

We had an awful workout today, and the good thing about it was that we had a chance to go swimming after the work was done. .\m soii' and stiff all o\-er. Somebody just came in and said that mail had arrived and this is going to wind up in a rush. Be sure to write whenever you can and tell "Ottie" that I haven't received an answer to my last letter. Don't be afraid to tell me all the news. A fellow can't help getting just a little homesick once in a while. The following address will reach me anywhere:

Things to eal ai<> i niiioiisly hi'^li in Luxemburg. For bar costs about 10 marks i.'<2.."(li and cxci-ything else accordingl>' have just evacuated th.c conntr> for th.e first time since th^ as scarce as they are in (lernian.w Then, of course, the prices because they know that the soltHia-s liave tlic money ami will sjieiid it. We lose much moiaw also in exchaiitiui- om' liood fran.'s for the rapidly .lepivciating Cerman marks, which seem to he the standard .airivncy here.

the tiimmings this year. \\'e had roast pork, mashi-d jioiatoes, cabbage, sauce, k'ttuce salad, bread, coffee, aiiple pie and jam- the best army nu'al I have eaten in many a day. AVe had a half holiday this afterno('.ii. Yesterday I had a pass to the city of Luxemburg, the capital of the Duchy. I went in on the train, about Ik", kilometers, arriving about 9:30 a.m.. and lea\ing at 7:00 p. m. It was the fir.st iiass I ha<l like that since 1 left New York. I certainly enjoyed myself, although it cost me plenty tor meals, etc. The city is a regular place, with a iifijudation, I shoukl judge of about 11)0, 000. Am sending under separate cover some picture |)ostcar<ls of Luxemlnu-g as well as of St. Leger and Arlon, two nice Belgian towns which we stayed in ovei' night.

The cathedral at Arlon is a wonderful church, the grandest I have ever seen. As previously mentioned, am sending a package of small souvenirs: Post cards, coins, paper money of four countries, six months' .sei'vice stripe, etc. Y'ou can tell what the things are by looking at them.

The German postcards were left by RocT.e soldiers in their hurrieil retreat in the St. Mih.iel sector. One .sheet is C.erman propaganda asking peace, that was dropped from th.e clouds by a ( ierman aviator while we were in our second position in the Verdun fight aliout a month ago. One side is to the American soldiers, the other to the Frenchmen. The people of Luxemburg seem to be strongly pro-ally.

We boarded the S. S. President Lincoln at Hoboken. N. .1.. Oct. IS. I017, and left the three mile limit Oct. 19. We were on the water until Oct. 31 when we arrived in the harbor of St. Nazaire at the mouth of the Loire river. I heani last spring thai the President Lincoln was sunk by a sulimarine.

We stayed in the boat three days and in a camj) otUsiile of town ten days inoic, then we went about 60 miles north of St. Xazaire to Napoleon's old artillery camj). (.'amp de Coetquidan, 30 miles south of the city of Uennes. We stayed there until k'eb. ISth, getting horses and training with our French T.") guns on the range.

Then we went clear across France to Luneville in French Lorraine in little box cars, the journey taking three days and four nights. We passed through Rennes, 'Versailles, Gorheviller, and other cities, seeing the Eiffel tower of Paris in the distance. The weather was bitter cold and we sure had a long cold ride. We left Luneville sector March 22nd, marching back to Roseliers where we spent nearly a week resting, then we marched to the Baccarat sector nearbv.

We fought the second battle of the Marne (Champagne) ,Iuly 14 to 19, then marched to Vitry-le-ville and entrained .Inly 22, passing through Vitry-le-Franc.,is. Aleaux, Pahis suliurl.s, to Trilpoit hehm.l the Chateau-Thierry front. We went into action about .July 30, driving the tiermans to tb.e \'esle river as far north as Fisnies. We were relieved August 10th and marched back through Chateau-Thierry to Trilport again, entraining and going east again through Epernay, the Champagne manufacturing city, to Romain-sur- Meuse, a <'onsiderabl<' distance beh.in.l the front,

\\'e rested there ten days, then we niarch.ed through Xeufchateau, near Domremy, and Toul. to the St. Mihiel sector, Tb.e farthest we ever were on tb.e battle line was Chateau-Thiei'rx'.

W>ran the Cermans ragged in the St. Alibiel sectoi' and then started marching October 1 to the Verdun secloi', tb.e guns going irdo postion neai' Alontfaucon in the .\rgonne forest where tlie ti-ees are all ^l!ot off to witlnn a b'W teet of the ground and tb.e ground is pitted with shell holes.

About October 13 the guns moved we^t ncai- .\primont and (irandpre. The big attack was renewed here on Oct. 31, our ti-oops di-iving tb.e < icrmans to Sedan near the iKirthei'ii boundary of b'lance. the 12nd division being the fir.^t to enler the cit>-. On tb.e night of Nov. 4th I came within an ace of hieing "knocked off" by airplane bombs, but escaped unharme( 1 .

About Nov. lOth oui- division was relii've.l and marched back to Havricourt near Bouzancy. We were re-e(|uii)ped to follow the Cermaii retreat, the armistice having been signed, and began marching north and east on Nov. i4th, through Imecourt, Sunsur-Meuse, Aincerville, Breheir-ville, Thonnes-les-Pres. Alontmedy, St. Leger, (Belgium), Vitron (Belgium), Arlon (Belgium), to Buschdoi-f. ( Luxembuig), where we now are.

We went through the most dirty and unhealthy sui roundings. dead men and b.orses, flies, maggots, etc., at Chateau Thierry. St. Afibiel was the easiest Hght.

Get a large map of France and b)llow our movements. Do not think y<ai will have any trouble doing it if the map is large enough to show every little village. Hope this long letter will intei'(st vou.

"We sailed Oct. ISth, 1917 and reached St.Nazaire a week later. The 149th Regiment 42nd Div. in which I was telephone man in the Headquarters Company was sent to train three months in the mud at Brittany near Rennes. We were then sent to Luneville in Alsace to hold the trenches, under the direction of the 47th French Artillery, the crack regiment of the Allies. It was here tb.at my duties were shown and their difficulty tested.

I had to see that tb.e telephone wires between the artillery and the infantry were intact and continually adjusted to the advancing line. We moved so fast that this alone woulil make a job lor a corps. We were under a continual shell fire that every da>' tore oui- caietully laid hn(> to pieces, and the ai-tiller>- was put out of connection with the infant I'v, and bad to ivly on runners. This gave me an idea of the job in front of me. We stayed ill this sector for three weeks, then moved lo ISacaict. iii Leu raiiie, where we slaved for (wo months, meeting only with occasional laidinii pai-lies. W'lien we made a raid our liairaiie was so dense that we took few piisoners, tinchnjj, most ol' the (iermans dead, havinii l.eeii killed by our gun fire. Thomujihly M'asoned for oui- task we wcav tlieii moved to the SuipiK' sector on the Cliaiupagne front, whiac we were undei- the (Hreeiion ol' ( len. Gourand of the 4th French Aiiny, the only .\meiican division having the honoi'. 'I'here we experienced some great diriieidt>- in adjusting our wiics. ( )n (lie moi-ning of .lul.\' l.llh, American intelligence men le.aiiied of (lie gical ( leinian otieiisive set for niidniiilit . 15 miniKes l)ef(i|-e that time fire was opened with ever eneri'asing force.

The great Cerm.an harrage th.ai .iiHaied on sejiedule time, just at midniglit. Both lines were m semi-cucular posKioii and there was a giant circle of contmued Hame and the roar was so great that a 77 nearby^ was shooting all the time without our knowing it. Veterans of all drives said that that fire was the greatest that (he war had seen, and it became famous as the million dollar barrage. Our detaelmien( was camnuflng(>fl and suffered comparatively few casualities, but tiie wires were all cut (o pieces. 'I"l:e ( lianians advanced 200 yards and then retreated. That broke their attempt al att.-ieking, and incidentally their entire western offensive. During that othnsive tln^ New York and Alabama regiments, the 165th and 167th were merged with the f'lvneh Ch.as.-^euis for tactical purposes, ^^^lere I was, German dead were ])iled up four and five deep, while American casualitii's were extremely litilit.

in a fight in midheaven, two enemy planes were l:>rought down by our planes, while a third was downed by anti-aircraft guns, all three were falling at once. This ended the activities on the Champagne front and we were sent to Chateau Thierry sector. There the Americans advanced so fast that we had :i hanl time eatcliing up with th.e wires. At the Ourcq river we relieved the Oth Div.and wi nt in hard tigliting. \\'e passed the river and advanced as far as Fere-en-Tanlenois,

"The Germans withdrew from that town, l)Ut shelled it heavil>- when we ocaaipied it, so we withdrew. When they entered we liomlianled. it until they withdrew. The same round occurred for four days until we Hanked the town and took it for good. We then advained ftlrth.er and took'Fi>mes, 1 ut heiv the fighting was h.ar.l because of bad roads and guerilla wailare. We worked all day, all night and the next day laying wires and when we caught up with the division we founil that they had captured 5,000 prisoners and had made 15 miles. We closed up the salient and then dug in. This made my work easier and we perfected the wire system. We th.cn moved to the Argonne where the ca.sualities wove even heavier than in Thierry. In the forest fighting (he infantry would go first to find the location of the mach.ine gun nests. Having placed them by being shot to pieces, they would phone over to the artiller>- headiiuarters wh.ich woukl put the nest under heavy gun fire. The thick underbrush made machine gun fighting easy, especially when the Germans made dug-outs of I'einforeed concrete for gunners. Then the infantry crawled over to the pill-boxes and tossed hand grenades into them, provided that the gunners did not see them first. We had worked hard and were sent into the reserve near Grandpre. There, while I was resting a high explosive shell burst near me and a fragment hit me above the left eye. I was immeiliately treated, Init that eye is lost. I stayed in the hospitals tliei-e for months and then was sent over here. I am feeling in fine shape and am glad tliat I went over. I expect to sec Dixon soon, but New York is all there, and the Red Ci-uss is making it pleasant."

Well, I have moved again and am stationed in the sui)urbs of Paris and expect to be doing jVI. P. duty in Paris in a few days. Landed here at two o'clock in the morning. When we got off the train, I got on a truck and rode through the main part of town and out to the camp. Sure is some town. Went up town last night on the sub-way, but didn't have much time to look around, as I had to be back by ten o'clock. Like th.e place here fine, get plenty to eat and can buy all the candy and smokes I want.

Was up to the American Red Cross headquarters last night and got a sweater, towel, one pair of socks, soap, tooth-powder, comfort kit, and a suit of pajamas. Don't you think I need the pajamas? Ha! Ha! The sweater and socks are just Uke the kind that you made. All I had to do was to give my name and the company I belong to. Anyone can get some if he hasn't had anything from the Red Cross. Sure was glad to get it. After I came out of there, I went to the Red Cross canteen and got a good supper, all for seventy-five centimes, which is fifteen cents. There are quite a few American Red Cross nurses here in Paris. Seems good to talk to some one that can talk English.

I heard that my old company I used to be with, left for home a few days after 1 was pickedfor this M. P. duty, but thenif they won't keep me over here too long, it will be well worth the time, as I have seen quite a bit of France since I left the com)ian>'. Sui-e h.ave a bunch of our boys over here. You ran see some in nearly every town yim go tlirough, or most any other kind of a soldier.

Hope I will get some mail from home, while I am here, as I am getting pretty anxious to hear from you. Sure is some time since I heard from you. Would like to have gotten home this winter, but then if I can't, thei-e is no use of thinking about it.

I read in the paper last night that the boys of the A. E. F. were all going to write their Fathers a " Fathom's Xmas letter" or a. "Victory Letter" on November 24th. I did not know about it then but can write it now anyway. The letter is of course, to the whole family as well and I will also make it my "Thanksgiving Letter", to you all.

Tins Is TlKinksiiiviiiii day an<l alllio I am a loiiii way fioiii lionic, still I am llimkiiiii of you viT>- iiuicli, aii.l wiitiiiK to you maki-s uw nijoy the day more. 1 rainii.1 help thinking what a difference a few years makes. A few years ago the Tlianksgiving dmner was a big affair with relatives coming from all over and it was the occasion for a big family reunion. Now today there is such a difference. \\'(' children have grown up and there is no more the big tlock of grandchildren jtlaying about, but rather a grou]) of yotiiig mm

Now this year what few there could be at a reunion are scattereil all over. I don't know of course what you are doing today, but I can imagine, and am thinking of you as having a little dinner together, just father, mother. Aunt Julia and possibly Luella. The girls probably coiilil not get home and are making the best of it up at school. 1 also am away, liut am i)robalil\- having the hapjiiest day of any of you as 1 sii|i|)ose that \ou folks at home are sympathizing with us. 1 am very happy to just be able to write ami think about you all and know that I am coming home to you some day. I used to be afraiil to thud-; of ever coming home as it seemed almost an imoossibilit>' for one to go thru so many scrajjes alive. The boys kept going one after another until there were only a few of our original bunch left who were not either killed or wounded and it seemed highly improbable that I would last much longer, but I cHd, and now I have the pleasure of thinking of coming home and seeing j'ou all again. I have learned one lesson from the experiences that I have gone through, and that is, that a man is a man and that what he actually is, is what Counts and not his social position or wealth. I ilon't believe that 1 ever .-oul.l have k'arne.l that any other way and 1 know that I will be a mtich better man tor kiiow-

1 was, of course, vry iiiexperi<>iie<'d and ehil.lish when I j,,ined the army as 1 nev<'r had any cares or responsibilities and really did not know a thing about this world. I can imderstand many things now, that I ne\-er tliought of liefore.

Today, is Thanksgiving and whether wi' eat turkey or army lieans, makes very little difference. It is the spirit that cotmts. I thiid< we have many things to be thankful for this year. All of us are well and comfortably situated. The girls have the opportunity of getting an education. I am very thankful that I am alive and am in good health and have a sound body with no legs or arms missing and my lungs good and not all eaten up by mustard gas. I am also very thankful and hapj^y to be able to look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Today, is a typical French tlay. It is foggy and very muddy due to the rain of la.st four or five days. It is not verj^ cold but we wear our overcoats as the dampness chills you right thru. It is now about 10:00 o'clock a. m. We had griddle cakes and syrup for breakfast. I had three large cakes and I could have had more, so you see they gave us a good Thanksgiving breakfast. We are going to have beefsteak and potatoes for dinner and that will make us a good dinner too. We have the day off and also got to sleep until 6:30 instead of 5:30 as usual. On account of this being a school they work us very long hours and we ordinarily have breakfast before daylight and supper way after dark. However, I think that we will get away from here soon and then it will be nnich easier. I have enjoyed the work here as I have learned many things tliat will be of great help to me in civilian life, and many things that one should know. Most of the work has iieen along construction lines, such as road building, bridges, mining, etc. Under mining, we learned all about tunneling underground thru earth and also solid rock and excavations in general. We are studying bridges now this week. Yesterday, we worked all day in the rain building pontoon bridges and rafts, etc. The day before we worketl on steel l)ridge.s and the clay before that on wooden l)ridges and trestle woik. Of cmu-se, we don't get the whole business, but we do get a general idea so that we i-ouM easily take a bunch of men and build the different bridges.

We were, of coiu-se, a httle disappointed in not .lictlinii ruiiuiiissions, but then don't mind as tlie war is ovc'r and I think I will get home (luiekcron account of not having one.

The war is over now and I can write you a few of the places I have been in. We went from Brest to Encourt (a small town near Abbyville near the Eng. Channel) and were in training there for a little over a month. We went from there to Oamaches a larger town and from there to Molliens au Bois, a village just west of and a little north of Amiens. This was our base of operations and we would go from there up to the trenches between Amiens and Albert. The Hop over of Juh- 4tli was at Hammel a little village east of Amiens and not far from Villers Breteneau. We were up around those towns until we left the British sector and went down to the Verdun front. Here we were in a town near Bar Le Due for two weeks during which time I drove a t iiick Inr a week as I wrote you. We then went to the trenches and were there until I came to this school. We were holding the line north of Verdun. I used to go out on a patrol nearly every night up into Regneville, a ruined village in no-man's land and right on the Meuse River. It was while there that we got the Ijlackberries and made the jam, etc. We hopped over from there and took the town of Forges and Forges Woods and stopped and dug in along the river just across from Consenvoy which was still in German hands. From there I came to Langres and the school is near Fort St. Meuge, about five miles north of Langres. and now that tlie war is over I don't know where I will go next.

Yesterday, or last night rather, after having worked all day in the rain 1 came in and found a letter awaiting me, the first since I came to the school and you may imagine my delight at getting it. It was from Rachel and Ruth and was dated Nov. 11th and just took two weeks coming across. It was the letter telling of mother's visit to them and the celebration of the news of peace. I sm-ely enjoyed the letter and was especially glad to hear that mother had been witli the girls and the good times they had together, etc., going to Uncle Elmer's, etc.

Well. I have i-el\nne,l back lionie to l^ourges and will have to tell you about my trip to Paris and the balllc front. We left Poni-ges Saturday morning at six-ten; there were about lhirtv-fi\c <if us, o|- about half of the ('onu)anv.

We arrive.l in Paris at noun, went at cnce tu ilie l!e.l ( loss the Y. M. t". A. t(H,k us for a sidit se.ang trip annmd the C famous buiklings, such as the Invalules, Napoleon's tcmili. th cathedrals, Eiffel Tower, President Wilson's Paris honn', st: given l)y women of America to Paris; Arch of Triumph, etc. ('if\- foi- aldul two Ihhus in tl'.e large auto busses that hold thii-t>' pe^ we started for \'ersailles, we rode on the electric line which is pai snli-wa>'; they sure make hue time in the suh-ways. ^^ hen v went at once to the Palace of l,o\us XIV which is the mam at attempt to describe the betuuiful rooms and halls in ike Palace of views taken of the different rooms. Tlie mom in wliich ike V^ is part of the palace. We were shown into it. theic are m ful paintings, etc. W'r were shown the table on wlich the Triaty is to lie signed. I was looking at it and noticed it was engraved on the top so took a jiiece of paper and pencil and made a rubljing. 1 will enclose it in tins letter so you can see what it looks like.

We returned to Paris for supper and then left for Rheims at 9:30; rode all night arriving thei-e at (i o'clock, had breakfast and started out at once to see the ruins. It is haid to describe thes<" ruined Cities. Ab.mt all you can say is that you saw great pdes of st.mes and a h^w slandmg walls. Th.e mam thing of interest is th.e calhe,h-al at lilieims: this was considei'cd the most beautiful one in France but now is a pile of ruins. After a stay of a few- hours we left for Soissons another ruined City. All along the way we could look out of the car window and see lines of trenches, dug-outs and barbwire entanglements, as well as shell holes, shattered trees, d.'stroyed farm h.ou-es. ,.tc.

We .saw about the same kind of destruction here, but more of it. There were anununition clumps all around, eriuipment of all kinds, a large ci'metei\'. containing graves ol French, American, Boche, Enghsh and other countries, who had fallen there in battle. After a couple of hours we reftu-ned to the City and boardeil anoiher train for Fismes. We reached this City aliout two o'clock that afternoon and looked at the ruins of this City. There is a large American Cemetery just outside of the City containing two thousand graves. The graves are all marked by white crosses which have tin- man's identification tag fa.stened on it. I suppose in time the name in full will be ])ainted on the i-rosses as well as age, etc. ( )n some of the crosses you can .see writing put there by a brother or comi"ade telling of liia\ei-y or (ither action.

It is very hard to find places to eat in these ruined Cities where the" Y"or Red Cross are not located. I wish you could have seen another fellow and I eating supper this night. We had to look up j^laces with the different families as there were no hotels or restaurants. We finally found :i madame who consented to feed us. The house had been hit and the upper part had fallen which left only the basement, and this had several holes in the walls, but we h.ad a good meal anyway.

We left Fismes at seven o'clock for Paris, arrived in Paris about 12 o'clock that night. Went at once to the Y. M. C. A. hotel and got rooms for the night and believe me, we "coushaded" some that night, had been riding on the train jireviotis two nights and were "beaucoup fatigue". Ask some of the h'Uows who have I'etui-ned home how comfortable the French coaches are. I think tl'.ey can probably describe tlu>m perfectly. You liuv a first cla.ss ticket and will iimbablv have to ride thini cki.ss.

Well, the next day we jnit in seeing more of Paris. The first place we visited was the " PaiitliiMiii i\r la ('iiieric" This is a famous picture of the war; it shows heroes of all nations and is s(i natural that >-()U think the people are standino; there in person. It was commenred in 101 t the first yeai- of the war and just recently finished. Took seventeen artists to do the w(irk and is wonderful.

The next ])lace we visited was Napoleon's Tomb and the Invalides. In the Invalides we saw inan>- war relics of years ago, as well as some of the recent great war. One in large German Zeppelin ca]5tured by the Allies.

It the "Palais ile (dace" (palace of glass) it is a wonderful building; covered by mirrors. After dinner we took a boai ride on the Seine river to St. ( 'loud abotit ten miles fr(an Paris. Hei-e we saw th.e ruins of one of Napoleon's Castles which was ilesticiyed by the (lermans man>- years ago in a war they waged against the French.

We returned to Paris ahout four o'cl.ick and vIsIKmI the Eiffel Tower, and -Big Wheel" (Ferris Wheel). The Tower is in use now as an aerial for a wireless station. It is one thousand feet high, a wonderful structure. Also, had a ride on the Ferris \\lieel, this is 380 feet high and when we stopped at the top could see all over the City. The guide pointed out several places shells had hit when the german "Big Bertha" was shelling the City.

As the "Stars and Srlijies" said in the last issue, tod.ay is the day that everybody in th.e A. Iv F. writes a letter to his tirst conniianding olticer, so here goes. The censorship has been partly lifted, so that we can tell where we're located at present. Much more information than that i.s yet against the rules, but it will not be long before we can give a more complete account of ourselves. Right now we're in camp a few kilometers south of Langres, which is, I should judge, about eighty miles from Switzerland and seventy miles from where the front used to be before it was permanently moved to the other side of the Rhine.