The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-11-08


send home soon, and l want them TAX
en- care of until l get there so can
explain. Any picture postcards that
you get from me you will know | got
from up. W." so keep them until
get there.
Much love to all.
Your son,
PRENTISS THURMAN,
Co. F., 47th Inf, (Reg.) A. E. F..
France. Via New York.
FROM CORPORAL
OSCAR PHILLIPS
Dear Brother:-Just a few lines
as / have neglected writing you for
some time. Have been very busy the
past two months moving around, also
spent 20 days in the trenches. Was in
the drive and sure had some expert
ence. Before we went over the top
we had one of the hardest artillery
barrages l have ever seen; it lasted
for about six hours, and | will never
forget the time we went in front of
the guns to start over. You could
read by the light from the flashes of
the guns. After we went over, all
you could see was smoke. You could
hardly see the man next to you.
About 10 a. m. it cleared up and then
we started to hit Fritz's machine
guns. l was so nearly hit and it hap
pened so many times l haven't needed
shave for a week. | helped take
several machine guns and lots of
souvenirs but had to throw them
away the second day. Our company
was one of the first in the first town
we took. There we captured many
prisoners, machine guns, cannon and
ammunition. We also found in their
dugouts beef and lots of eats, also
pianos and billiard tables. They fig
ured on the winter there but / think
they won't have such a good winter.
Nearly all the boys started out of
there with load, but soon got tired
and had to leave it. After that it got
harder, we ran into more machine
guns and then their artillery and
finally gas, but nothing stopped US.
The fourth day our food and water
supply was out. l found water once
in an old she'll hole in the road. |
hardly knew if it was water or mud.
l was under shell fire continuously
for two days, and that is one of the
most nerve-racking things We have to
go up against. l was very lucky, for
it don't seem like man could go
through with what / have seen, and
others had it worse than l. The pris-
oners captured aged from II to 80
years and many could speak English.
They all seemed to be glad to be
captured. stayed in the fight for
four days and then was gassed and
now am in base hospital. Am get
ting along fine; think / will soon be
able to return to my company and
get in the chase again. / don't like
to be in the hospital, but it sure, is
treat to get to sleep in a real bed and
have hot water to battle in, after stay
ing in billets and sleeping under a
dog tent. - r...t -,
There have to be hard times now,
but we will make up for it when we
return, and we hope that won't be
ong. "f
Tobacco lie very hard to get when
we are close to the front. We pay
as high as one dollar for five cent
package of Durham. We find many
things different over here, such as
in horse cars. Just before
going to the front l sent you SOL
through the Y. M. C. A. Sure hope
you have received it by now. Be sure
md let me know if you got it. /
haven't heard from home but once
'ince I've been over here; wish you
would find out the trouble. ] get your
etters.
guess ! had better stop for this
lime. Answer soon and tell me all
he news. 100
With love to all, I, am !, Il III
l sssits Your brother. II Il, i ssSgAl