The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-07-12
LETTER LAUOs Y" WORK
Herbert Capehart Writes to Friend in
Kenosha Telling Of His Experience In
Great English Offensive Now In
English Hospital, a Convalescent.

Kenosha has just reason to be proud
: Of Herbert Capehart, one-time we'll
known young man of this city, wEo has
just written to his friend, George Stew
ems, of Hansen street, how he was
wounded in the famous charge of the
victorious Canadians on Vimy Ridge
| in the British drive of April 9th.
With characteristic modesty and with
soldier-like Drevity Capehart in this let
| ter, replete with the roar of battle and
the life Of the Tommy" relates how
/ the Canadians, and he with them,
event over the ridge like the veter-
ais they were and won the laurels
which have written large the name of
/ their regiments in the history of this
year Of the war. After the charge
/ Capehart as one of the wounded was
| taken to the Hilston House Auxiliary
I Hospital in Manchester, England, where
after more than month, he has writ
! ten to his many Kenosha friends.
More than four years ago, Her
bert Capehart, typical soldier of for
tune, came to Kenosha and in the brief
space of two years made hosts Of
friends among the younger people of
the city. While here he was employed
at the Simmons Manufacturing com
pany's plant where he gained the re-
spect and admiration of employers and
workmen. After two years, Capehart
left Kenosha as strangely as he had
come and after many months letters re
vealed that he had drifted first to
finally across the border to Canada,
There with the love of adventure, which
he exhibited here, and with a patriot
ism which knew only humanity as its
bounds, he was among the first to en-
list in the Canadian volunteer regi-
ments, The interesting chapter of his
life related in the letter here publish
ed tells partially how he has been in
France over a year and half and of
his life in the trenches while there.
The youthful soldier praises especially
the work of the Y. M. G. A. in the
French army camps, marking it as in
dispepsible to the army. Though
Canadian soldier, Capehart is still at
heart an American as is revealed by
the enthusiasm with which he awaits
the coming of General Pershing and
S'the Sanmies."
This letter from the first Kenosha
youth to be actually engaged in the
fighting Of Europe, although it is mark
ed by many personal touches, is still
of so much common interest to the citi
zens of Kenoska, that it is published
below, in part:
'FHilston House Auxiliary Hospital,
Manchester, Eng, May Is.
"Hello, George:
''Your ever welcome letter came last
week and / am only sorry that it was
not twenty-five pages instead of two;
still I could not expect that much after
the poor letter which I wrote you but
when I last wrote you circumstances
were not pleasant; the weather was
down to zero; there was no fire and
was sleeping with one blanket in an
old stone harn;I was eating dry punk,
hard tack and the famous corned beef
manufactured in Chicago; say, you men
toned frozen bread-that was fine COM
pared to last winter in an old French
Chateau
''Then the trenches were pleasant too
and everything went along fairly well
until Easter Monday. Perhaps the
States papers did not say anything
about the Canadians taking Vimy Ridge
on April 9th; we'll, | went over with
the boys and then it happened / de-
layed the progress of a nice rifle bull
let; it hit in the right breast high up on
the thick muscle, next to the armpit,
glanced rib aud came out along the
side not my back After few stops
here and there | arrived at this haven
o. peace and may this war be over
before | am fit again and before the
good old Uncle Sans boys arrive.
t'Have they new z yet in Ke-
nosha9 Say, if it was not for the
Y, M. G. A. Huts in France, the fellows
would have tough time over there.
Are the Greeks still goingq If so,
please send by parcel post three gal
Ions of ice cream soon for we don u
even get enough sugar or milk for tea
here, with the submarines sinking so
many boats.
"Simmons will be making beds yet,
of course, and the Tannery will have the
same odour surrounding it; Kenosha in
my opinion is the best little town in
the world and I've kicked myself num-
erous times for ever leaving it. How.
ever, Il survive this war, shall most