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Dearest Mother:-
It is over a week since I last wrote you and during that time things have
happened very rapidly. Also, we have marched and fought very hard. Guess
you have read in the papers how we took the Hun through the woods. We got
him going back so fast that we are all tired out following him up. It has
been a great week and don't look like things were more than rightly
started. I’ve got a new job now and like it very much. Have been on
observation post most of the time. I'm glad I didn't miss the sights of
the last week and sincerely hope I never see any like them again. We are
occupying the same woods and dugouts that the Germans lived in this time
last week and some of them are palatial. Even furnished with pianos. One
village we came to was almost as the people had left it. At one time it
was inhabited by about eighteen thousand French and when we came into it
we found eight civilians. That was the only night we slept in a bed since
we left home. Our apartments were in a large house on the main street
[Possibly House III, Charly sur Marne]
and our bedroom was furnished with Oriental rugs, cut glass candelabra and
a four poster bed with two feather ticks. Since then we haven't passed
thru a town that was graced with a whole structure. Shelled to pieces!
For the last few days Humphries and I have been in the same woods.
[Fôret de Fère]
I took your letter of the
seventeenth of June over to his dugout last night and we lay there side by
side and read the clippings you sent.
The letters you wrote about July 2nd reached me over a week ago & the ones
written last month came last night. Also had the one from Grace telling
about the party at Louck's. I'm sure all your mail has reached me so far
and you can't imagine how it helps. Have you had your pictures taken yet
to send me? Don't forget to make them small enough so I can carry them. I
had another letter from Ben not so long ago. He seems satisfied with his
work. He's the luckiest one of the bunch and Grace can shake hands with
herself that he is in that branch of the service. No "going over the top"
for him and at the same time being with one of the most essential branches
of the game.
Last Sunday afternoon we were on the march as per usual and the roads were
ankle deep with mud. I had just reached the stage where my pack was
becoming very noticeable and had my head down silently plodding away. We
came to a halt and upon looking up I saw Perc Sheets from C’ville not ten
feet away. We had about fifteen minutes chat and then the army moved on.
Hadn't gone half mile further till we came to a clearing in which there
was a supply dump. I was still hard at my job of sliding thru the mud when
I heard my name shouted and saw Tannehill & Van Horn coming thru the
column like they had found a brother. Gosh! they looked like horses. Then
Bob Ramsay and Jack Wertz and later Eddie Tinnerty. First I had seen any
of them since we left Hancock. We had some reunion. Hump saw them also and
later Webb Stauffer came along. It was from them that I learned of "Bunny"
Maloy's sad end. I was over the field where he was buried and didn't know
it. Tannehill said that two shells had struck his (Maloy's) dugout almost
simultaneously killing the whole squad. Surely was sorry to hear of it for
I always liked the kid. Saw him once since I am over hear. (sic) Well that
is another score to settle. If dad should happen to see his father or Joe
tell him we all extend our sympathy and will do our best to retaliate. The
boy that slept with Hump and me at Hancock and who bunked with Hump since
we were on this side was killed the same way. Just nineteen and as strong
as a boy could be. Thats another debt to square. We got them all in mind!
Haven't seen Lee since the night we met just on this side. “Tanny” told me
"Peck" had been in the hospital ever since with a bad knee.
You know mother, since I was a kid I have always been sort of keen on this
war stuff. Always wanting to be in a battle. Well I’ve been in one and I'm
cured for life! This modern warfare takes all the romance out of the
thing. I'm not going to tell you any more about it but I hope that never
again will such sights be spread before my eyes. Humphries came thru
without a scratch and now we are safe again for a while. We had a long
talk last night and attributed our safe conduct to the prayers that are
being said for us back on the other side of the sea. Frankly we said our
prayers also. Everyone does and the hardest guys in the regiment will tell
you so and no bones about it. Shrapnel and machine guns change a lot of
ideas.
Now, mother, I'm afraid I’ve written a bum letter but we don't know
anything else and if you all just keep pulling for us I‘m sure we will
come thru. I read Graces letter to Hump and also yours, then he read me
one from Annie and Mary (R's wife) so you see we pass them around also.
Yes, we were paid, mother. Lots of money, chocolate, stick candy, cakes,
jam, chewing gum, cigarettes, etc. That is my only bad habit now and it is
not considered a bad one by officers or men any more. Everyone from the
Colonel to the Chaplain smokes cigarettes. Tell Grace & Florence I'll
write them soon but want you to hear first. Best love to you,
mother of mine, and to dad & all the rest.
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