Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-03-01
WRITES OF HISTORIC FRANCE.
Lieut.. Charles e. Akeley Of Military Po-
lice Bnleted in French Home--war
Is No Picnic. SIS g..


Is No Picnic. ... SIS 49,.
Mrs. J. NJ. Alger Of 80 Reed street
has received the following letter under
the date of Jan. 81 from Lieut.. Charles
+. Akley, military police, Of the 2eth
division, U. s. A., in France: .
My dear Mrs Alger: v-..s -.
received your welcome letter. Jan.
81. A letter is very cheering to us all.
| left Westfeld Oct 8 and arrived in
England Oct. 81. l was left back with
our freight while the troops went
ahead. This gave me three weeks in
which to see England. Five hours of
this | spent in London. The fall wealth.
er was quite warm, the grass green,
with many flowers still in bloom and
much ploughing being done. The eff
fects of the three and one.half years ;
| war was very noticeable. | arrived in
France Nov. IL. Was one week getting
our freight off the boat on to the cars
| and then four days in reaching our
| destination. / am billeted in a nice
French home, living about the same as
at homo. The husband Of the house
is a captain in the French artillery
stationed in the southern part of
France, The lady of the house has a
little niece living with her. They
speak no English but very good French.
/ am getting so that L can talk quite
freely with them. My office is just
across the street from my room. l am
Just as busy as you saw me in West
field. l have to go. about FIVE miles for
rations, eight miles for wood and some
| times 10 miles for forage. have three
autos, two motorcycles and four four
horse wagons at my disposal all, the
time. We are living just az well as
you at home. There is but little sick
ness among the military police. ] had
a bad cold when | first reached France
but in two days had it under CONTROL.
| In December we had about six inches
of snow and some zero weather. Ev.
eryone is clothed warmly. The town in
which we are living is about the size
of Leominster 1t is a very historical
section. / have visited the birthplace
of Jeanne d Arc and some of the his
torical places connected with her child
hood. Last Sunday L took a. very in
teresting trip in my auto with four 9th
| er officers. We visited an old Roman
bridge built about 1000 years ago
when Caesar made his attack on Eng
land. About two miles from the ole
bridge are the remains of an old Roman
city. 1t is situated on top of q high
mountain, on plateau about a halt
mile in diameter, surrounded by higt
wall of extensive mason work. Tun
nels are built through this wall run
ming parallel with the face and it ha!
outlets or lookouts about every 20 feet
The. top of the plateau is full of; ole
tumbled down cellar holes. In the cen
ter of the plateau is a monument erect
ed in honor of Caesar in memory of hi
war with the. Gauls. In more. recen
years there has been carved the dates
1854 1642-l645. Tho dates mark tn
close of the 80 years war when Franc
took Alsace and Lorraine. The five o
six hundred years since it has been oc
, cupied have caused much of the wal
work to tumble down and the entir
i plateau is n dense forest.
Marsena and Eugene joined us thi
week. Erwin is about 200 miles away
Ne are to move to the front in abou
week, then Erwin will join u.s.. Angi
can give you lots of information. 3
sure and write often. War is no picni
, Westfield much the better
Goodby,
CHARLES.