The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-08-17
RET TURNS FROM FRANCE;
LETTER TO H0ME-F0LK5

| you in about two months. The last
letter got was before / left New
port We just came in today and got
the mail on board, but it will be a
couple OF days before it will be sort
ed and given. out. SO don't know
whether | have any letters or not |
wrote two or three letters, mailed
ashore, while in France, but censor
ship. etc, is so slow until you might
not have received any. of them.
mailed oiie card on board, 50 guess
you got it alright. SO | will begin
telling what has been happening
June | was transferred to the
Caesar" in the navy yard and we
stayed around New York until the
18th, when we started across, con-
voying the first American troops
over. We arrived safely in France
y days later We stayed in port
there until the l4th of July, when
we started back, arriving today.
While in port in France opportu-
nifty was given for 3 days leave to go
to Paris. went and enjoyed the
trip very much. the sights, as we'll as
talking to Frenchmen who could
speak English, and finding out just
what is going on at the front, and
how the French feel about the war.
| talked to a couple of soldiers just
from the front They belonged to the
"l49" that have been doing much hard
fighting lately. From them | learn
ed much Of the war from first hand
stories, While in Paris | went out to
the American Red Cross hospital
where the doctors showed us around,
and we saw the wounds inflicted by
the different weapons, fire, ETC.. used
in this war Throughout France
every American was given a rousing
cheer Of Viva la American" In
Paris, if we stopped on corner to
talk large group would gather
around us quickly. Everyone was as
nice to us as possible and treated us
like Princes. When we would enter
the wards in the hospital, wounded
French soldiers, some with one or
both arms shot OFF, etc, wou.G raise
up in bed and give cheer after cheer
France seems to look upon the States
as her preserver, and we might be-
There seems to be hardly family in
that country who fhs not lost
member in the war When we go
back over, if we do. I think we will
be able to get 5 days leave and
party Of US, escorted by an officer. go
to the trenches | am looking for
ward to this
Just after arriving in France | was
transferred to the Seattle" | think
will stay on board here | am in
the Executive Officers office. | have
the couTt-martial cases to report.
This has taken about half my time
SINCE coming on board. | also will
have to report all court of inquiry.
etc, so about half of my time will be
taken up with this work. The rest
OF the time | will work in the Elk
office, keeping the records Of men,
writing ships orders, etc There are
four of us in the Office, all three OF
the other boys mighty fine fellows.
am enjoying my work and all fine.
Going over, we had a little excite
ment. One day just after noon, the
torpedo boat just in front OF us
dropped a-depth mine, on submarine
which she sighted and passed over.
She sank this submarine, but another
or others were near. We were all at
our torpedo defense stations just at
ter this mine exploded, and a torpedo
passed about 80 yards off our bow.
The submarine must have been a long
ways off, and submerged, or they
would have hit US, or the torpedo
boat whichever she was shooting at.
Coming back we had no excitement
except that one afternoon we sighted
a suspicious looking vessel that would
not come near at first, We fred a
5-inch she'll over her bow, though,
and she came alongside She proved
to be English and passed on. 1t
seems that she had been afraid OF us
and didn't recognize US as American
We brought back with us the gun
crews of two merchant ships wrecked
just out of port in France. The crew
from one ship says in their report
to the department that after the ship
was torpedoed and they were in life
boats, that the submarine came along
side one of the life boats, the crew
OF the sub. covering the men in the
life boats with revolvers and asked