The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-12-15
JOE WILSON IS WOUNDED
Plainville Boy Was With Gen. Perish
ing's First Troops to be Sent
to France


PIainviIle Boy Was With Gen. Perish
ing's First Troops to be Sent
to France.
The citizens of PlainvilIe, our
neighboring city, across the Saline,
on the north, are beginning to feel
the horrors of war. We publish the
following from the Coden News, tel
ling of the wounding of PIainville
young man who went to France with
the Pershing troop. The letter from
his Lieutenant to his mother shows
how well the boys in France are be-
| ing looked after by their officers. If
this war continues any length of time
there vii lbe many more sad hearts in
Kansas:
Mr.. and Mrs. o. G. Wilson re-
ceived a letter stating that their son,
Joe, who was with the American Elk
peditionary Forces in France, had
been wounded.
Joe left PlainviTe one afternoon
soon after war was declared for Sa-
| lima to enlist. He was sent to the
Mexican border and went to France
with Gen. Pershing's troops. Soon
| after arrival in France he was trans
under Lieut. Harden, who was first
American officer to be wounded in
France. Lieut.. Harden happened to
be in the same hospital where Joe
was, so wrote the following account
to his parents:
Base Hospital No. Is,
Somewhere in France,
November Is, 1917.
Mrs. O. G. Wilson, Plainville, Kansas
Dear Madam:
am sorry l have this unpleasant
duty to do, though 1 am also glad to
do it.
Your son Joe Wilson was accident
ly shot in the head about November
5th and is in this hospital here. I
was in to see him today and the
nurse woke him up and he was able
to recognize me- In fact it was the
best period he has had and he was
able to talk better than any time
before. He was very positive that
he knew me You see, he belongs
to my company and he mentioned the
fact that 1 was the first one he met
when he came to the Signal Corps. 1
asked him how he got hurt, but he
does not know. He had been in the
trenches but this happened after his
return. He asked me where he was
hit and when l told him in the head
he said, well, it feels like it; have
a very bad headache" He wanted
to know all about me and how l was
wounded and asked me to remember
him to the boys in the company.
When l asked him if he wanted me
to write to you he was much pleased
when l told him I would. He wanted
to know what hospital he was at and
l am glad l was able to tell him he
| m 10 fol
the John Hopkins unit. And another
thing, Mrs. Wilson, if he can possibly
be fixed up it can and will be done
here as we have the best surgeons in
the world here. They sure have done
wonders with me. l arrived here
thirty hours after piece of a Ger
man shell had torn a hole in my leg
just below the knee joint and now it
is fifteen days and I am walking
around with a cane completely healed
up.
Joe was shot with a 45 caliber pis-
toll bullet by someone unknown at
present as our battalion is twenty
five miles from here. l shall try to
get the history of the case when l re-
turn to my battalion. The bullet en-
tered his head on the right side Just
back of the eye and came out on tie
left side just in front of the ear. He
will lose his right eye. They were not
very hopeful until after my talk with
him and he seemed to be so much bet
! ter. You see, l try to keep my boys
under my wing when I am with the
company, and, Mrs. Wilson, your Joe
is one of the best boys 1 have ever
run across IN my thirteen years ar
my service. He is one of the clean
est boys morally that / ever met and
a boy to be proud of. l sure hope he
RECEIVERS and ne has every chance In
the world to do so. l shall try to
write you at least once a week and
/ possibly oftener. l shall not be here
but about week longer as am get
ing ready for duty as my knee IS only
a little stiff.
If anything serious happens and
Joe should not be able to weather the
storm, you will probably be notified
| by cable to that effect. If he should
pass away ne will be buried here and
in all probability his body brought
home after the war. They keep a
very complete record of such things
and such are their plans at present
This is not a pleasant thing to write
about but l am sure you would like to
know everything about it.
1 shall see him again tomorrow
and if any change for the worse viii
write again tomorrow, If not l shall
probably not write before Sunday.
| Don't worry. as everything in the
world is being done for your boy and
/ his past life is in his favor a great
deal. l am very sorry this happened
| but it can't be helped now.
Write me as often as you desire
and l shall try to answer.
/ remain yours sincerely,
D. H. HARDEN,