Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-13
FRENCH ARTIST WRITES
OF LIFE IN THE TRENCHES
Charles Honbauer, in Letter to Lieu
tenant-Governor Ellyson, Tells
Of War Horrors.
DESCRIBES BLOODY CONFLICT


Mural Decorations mt Battle Abb
hey, and Joined Allies When Call
to Arms Was Sounded.
Lie in the trenches along the firing
line between the opposing armies in
tne european conflict Is graphically de-
picted In letter from Charles Hofr-
bauer. French artist, to Lieutenant
Governor j. Taylor EHyson. At the
outoreak OF the European conflict Mr.
fioiroaucr was engaged In painting
mural decorations for the Confederate
Memorial Institute. When the call to
arms was sounded the artist at once
hurried to France and Joined the forces
OF the allies.
Lieutenant Governor ElIyson Is presi-
dent OF the board of trustees superin-
tending the work at tho Memorial In
stitute. which Is being done with funds
| communication which was received
yesterday by the Lieutenant Governor
follows:
In the Trenches Near Rheims.
January %, 1915.
Dear Mr.. Ellyson.-Your letter Of
January is at hand, and I hope that
you have received my wishes for that
terrible New Year.
Two weeks ago I received letter
from Mrs. Ellyson. for which ! want to
write her good long letter. but /
never got the scarf nor tho wristlets:
II In few days I still miss them
Will ask FOR an Inquiry But the par
ceis ana packages are sent to the SOL
diers at the front In such quantities
that delay Is almost unavoidable
never went to Belgium (yeto I
volunteered TO go to the front. and
was sent near Rheims. Since Septem-
Der 26 am here In plain view OF the
poor ruined cathedral. two miles atar
| After Il period of most bloody battles
between September 3 TO September "a
my regiment is now checking the Ger
| mans before Rheims. We live In
trenches. and are rapidly returning to
the state OF civilization OF the cave
man. ain writing this letter In n
little hole six feet by five and twenty
seven feet deep underground. covered
with trunks and earth. My fountain
pen and the telephone apparatus hang
ing near me for ! am telephonls)
are the only remains OF civilization.
| The Germans are very near. about 800
yards from us. We can hear them sing
| ing their hymns on Sundays. And on
Christmas Day most extraordinary
| thing happened The Germans went
out OF their trenches. hands UP and
shouting: Don't fire. We don't fire to-
day. Come over here" SO we went
! out OF our trenches. too, to meet them.
They were most charming fellows. those
brutes. They gave us plenty of cigars
and postcards. Everybody was full OF
gaiety and good spirits. After ex-
| changing Christmas wishes and tobacco
We had our photographs taken. and a
! dance. I can hardly believe 1t myself
! and I was one Of the actors And, mind
/ II, the dead bodies of the comrades Of
| those same men were lying around us
! frozen and stiff. and nobody thought OF
II! Extraordinary. is 1t not? And the
u.b hrl-
| changed good wishes are now watching
each other like tigers ready to jump.
/ Rife In hand. they are waiting to send
bullet in the head OF anybody i'm.
prudent enough to show It over tho
| trenches What | have seen. too. and
, 1t Is a most awful and grand spectacle
| Is night battle. No fireworks could
| compare with that. for. as you know.
| each army Is continually sending light
| ming fuscs to light the battlefield You
could see as in daylight miles away.
| and the shells and shrapnel exploding
! everywhere, the awful noise of tho rife
! and artillery fire; all that mixed is the
| most spectacular thing one could see
| Living In trenches we don't risk much
| we have had very few casualties since
oc.oper' we are waiting for develop
ments and getting ready
| TWO new classes of conscript.. 1914
and 1915 have been raised up and
orilled since the war began That
means $4,000 young men from eighteen
| 10 twenty In few weeks end Of
February, the regiments will be rea,lcd
| with those new contingents OF Trash
| troops. and as the English will be rcadv
100 cat lastD the second round OF tho
lnatch VIII begin. The first one was
| a draw, and, saw IT, was do
feat for the Germans. for their Mar
was to crush France in a few weeks
| 10 face Russia after, and now al
though they may seem to be successfuI
to a certain degree, they are lost and
| they know It, We will win as surely
as VIC are alive, but 1t Will be q hard
struggle; thousands and thousands ~
men Will die before the peace 10 Signal
nope the war will not last "a long
as the Civil War, but | would not he
| surprised X the casualties were al
most equal The work OF the machine
gun Is deadly, and the new melfnite
shells Of the French IS are sImnIv
terrific. Hi'
AS you may think, I am all the time
Keeping my eyes open. trying to Ak in
my memory the picturesque side OF II
an. Aithouen don't work much with
my pencil the conditions are not tho
best have seem, l work all the time
with my head. ! hope II Will give me
a new touch Of sincerity and vieor TO
finish tho pictures of the memorial
hall
| -"'. N"'eHtiiie. wrote him
Two or three postcards. Did he re-
ceive them? Sent at the Westmoreland
Club. Anyhow. give him my best re-
CARDS when you see him, please
| AS soon as | hear about the lost
package I will write to Mrs. Ellyson.
You may thank her nlredy for the
| thought.
Believe me. dear Mr. Ellyson,
| Yours most sincerely
| CHARLES HOFFBAUER.
My best address Is still 20 Rue de
| Champs. Paris.