Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-09-06
SOLDIERS
LETTERS.

'hS iSt'Si PilHlcu pelOW iEulH Il ncpH-
CIV, who is mounted police with the
A. +. F., connected with the Rain.
bow Division.
lie Foyer Du Soldat,
: Union Franco Amcricaine
4. 1t has been impossible to cable you
this month, because l have not been
near telegraph station. My last
letter to you, think, was written
while | was stationed in u ruined
town with three other men on traf-
fic duty. | don't remember, but |
think that was when l wrote and told
you what ! was doing there.
We were called to the company the
evening of the 18th. l had been
sleeping, when slept at all, in all my
clothes on the ground, wrapped in
my horse blanket. The night of the
18th, | unrollcd my roll, got out all
my belongings and after procuring n
! bed tick, made up my bed rs COM
Portable as possible. Took off my
clothes and went to bed about 9:30
p. M, expecting to get my first good
nights rest in several weeks. had
been asleep about three hours when
bphSStSi MuNGu lflC lOlu Ulc Iutll
| was to go Oh mounted duty the
rest of the night. Left my bed with
gnashing of teeth, rolled my roll,
saddled my horse and sailed forth
on the highways. Stayed out till
the roads had cleared for the day
and then went back to where | had
left my company. Found that they,
too, had left in the night and did not
Connect up" with them till midday.
About l p. m. 1lth JULY the com
pany moved again (dodging pos
sible shelling) and / went with them
of course. That night again went
to be dearly to catch up on sleep, but
about ten o'clock, we got the "alcrt"
in anticipation of an attack and we
had to saddle and stand by our hors-
es all night. We slept some around
under the trees yesterday and then
had to stay on the alert all night last
night. The company has its head
quarters in II clump of brush and
altho shells have dropped all around
us, none have landed In our imme-
iiate vicinity. have not been OF
duty since the night of the 18th, so
it is probable that will be sent out
this afternoon or tonight. am be-
ginning to envy Rip Van Winklc If
we ever get gin rcpos" again, am
going to do nothing but sleep we,
the mounted police, had our first
casualty yesterday, when Corporal
| Miller, of Co. b, was killed while OF
duty on Il crossroads. He was Il
fine fellow! American casualties in
this Division have been very low 1T
is remarkable the way the Ameri-
cans are coming up in the esteem of
the French. We are now standing in
the way of the Huns in their new
offensive. Our location on the lines
of course l cannot give you.
Net Day, July II.
"Les Bochesn seemed to have IL
line on us last night (by us | mean
this company since, they gave us
shrapnel gas and machine-gun fire
The only effect it had on any of us
was to brighten one or two of the
more nervous horses. The shell range
was very poor and the two aero
planes that treated us to the ma
chine gun fire were off their wit!
So far as l was able to judge the
German offensive was launched just
where the Allies expected it, so
everything is all to the merry, i
think. Under circumstances like these
the less said the better because then
there is less chances of "gving aid
to the enemy. They need both,
am thinking!
This is the beginning of the end
we think.
Rest assured that | am in good
health and spirits and have every
intention of staying so.
| Devotcdly,
JOE ELLIS.
P. S. Yesterday l procured fol-
ding canvas bucket, and after flank
ing a scrub pine, took one of the
most delightful baths of my career.
First in some time, the reason l
mention it!