Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-16
CAPT. NICODEMUS
TELLS OF FRANCE
Tells of Hard Work at Head
quarters of Keystone
Division

tain e. A. Nicodemus of the Quar-
termasters Corps, which follow. tell
Interestingly of his experiences in the
war zone. Captain Nicodemus is dis
bursting officer of the 2Sth Division.
He was a resident of Harrisburg and
is well-known' here as a physician
and former officer of the Governors
Troop. In letters to his mother, MRS.
Rebecca Nicodemus. 2O17 North
Fifth street, he says:
Officers Rest House. and Mess,
June 29, 1918.
| am in my room which faces the
Square or Place de Marche. Under
normal conditions it is an assembly
place for musical concerts and three
times a week is the market. .The
farmers erecting a canvass roof over
tables they bring with them. Now 1t
is a repair shop for crippled lorries
and autos. The place is full of ma
chimes, forges and work benches.
Some of the cars are badly worn ana
some have been shelled.
This is only eight or nine miles back
of the lines and we have plenty going
on. The front is very quiet now as
the other fellow is moving troops
north against the British and south
to assist the Austrians.
We are massing preparatory to a
drive and l hope it will be nara
one, for they are the only ones that
will count from now on.
| am staying here with 266 men
and one officer until Tuesday. The
men, clerks, guards, etc, will leave
for the new headquarters and l win
a guard will start for large city,
about 40 miles from here, for about
$225,000 for pay and expect to JOIN
the outfit about s p m. that even
ing. :
If conditions are good I will work
all night, going from place to place.
paying them off. During the day.
light we don't use one road continu-
ously, as the Boche has an ugly hab-
it of dropping shells or bombs on IL
and it's hard on the roads and makes
the repair gangs work over time.
Thursday evening l was coming
over a road that had been used all OF
Wednesday night and the greater
part of Thursday by French troops
when shell dropped about 100 yards
to the side. The driver of the car
stopped and began digging around
the bottom of the car. When l asked
him what was wrong, he said he was
looking for his "tin hat" The hole
the shell made was large enough to
bury a horse.
We have been having ideal wealth
er since coming down into this neigh
borhood but the blame heather
seem to think we don't need sleep,
for every clear night they cross on
their way to lombard Paris about
1890 or IL p. m, and then about o
a. m. the trucks and troops wake
you up.
Just had the police to come in and
tell me that my light - candle
showed from the outside and the cur
tains must be drawn.
July 6, 1918.
Have had several trips across the
Marne. The valley is fine-that is the
lower valley. Up where we are now
there are more hills and the build
ings are not as modern.
Spent a night about two weeks ago
in a chateau-the modern END OF
which was built in 1868.
A German officer brought in the
other night as a prisoner, when ask
ed what the war was about, said,
England was fighting for the sea,
France for her country, and the Unit
ed States for souvenirs"
Some of our fellows here hit the
trail, but they gave a good account
of themselves before going. One lad
slipped away from his squad, when
they had to lay down on account OF
machine gun fire, crawled to the rear
of the nest and blew up the whole
crew with a bomb. Just as he was
rolling into the hole where some of
his squad were, a sniper got him
through the back. He had time to
say, I'm only one, but l got eight
first"
Night before last our artillery
made things hum along the first and
second lines and last evening over
10 planes went over and bombed the
back areas.
Had just opened up after supper
when bundle of Telegraphs ending
with May so, was thrown on the
desk. All work stopped for an hour
and a half.
July II, 1918.
Wednesday evening was mail day
with a vengeance. Received elsht
letters, also bundle of Telegraphs.
Papers passed around the crowd.
Since moving to our present loca-
ton | have been grinding. We were
a whole month late in getting started
and only one-quarter of the help
have gradually added a man, until
now have three-fourths of my COM
plement.
This is some job. We never quit
until 1890 to 11.30 p. m. and have
nothing but candles for light. Each
man has two. Have room to myself
here with two windows toward the
south. Boxes on end for cases, two
desks and long carriage machine
against one wall; two rows of tables
with adding machine in middle of
the one across the room and at the
end of each row a typewriter. Sounds
like a boiler shop at times when all
machines are running and three or
four men are reading compares"
Received notice last night that
General Pershing would call to-day.
He made us a visit May 80, while we
were farther north.