Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-29
OUR BOYS
DIR couN1RY'S SERVICE

The following letters were received re-
Gently BY Mrs. Henry W. Collins o.
Congress street, from her husband VINO
is overseas with the 5lst Regiment, Bat.
G. c. A. c. He trained at Fort Mckin-
lev and went across last spring. Mr..
Collins is the son of Michael Collins OF
Miller street and has six brothers, all OF
whom are OF draft age. Of these Her
bert is probably now overseas, although
his arrival has not yet been announced.
and Ra:pii Is at Camp Devens and will
soon follow Alphonzo the youngest of
the family, expects his call in October.
The elder Collins boys come under the
new law.
Somewhere in France. July 5, 1915.
Ii is very hot here now and We are
having some very bad storms. There
was an awful one last night and I never
saw it tighten so before. The French
| people here live to be very old and
| saw one lady recently who was said 20
be 1o1 years OF age. great deal Of
| fruit is raised here. many peaches and
/ plums. I have been through some very
seeing. some Of them are 400 years old.
! IT gets on a mans nerves to go to bed
| ard have someone call out gas in the
/ nniddle Of the night and we generally
get it two or three times a night. Last
night we got an air raid but no one was
| hurt. We have places where we go
underground SO we are pretty well pro-
| tected ! am writing this letter on a
high mountain, just above the town
| where we are sta toned. I can see right
over the front line trenches and hear the
big guns and see the smoke from them
July o.
We had another bad storm last night,
it hailed very hard and the ground was
covered with ice for awhile. I was on
guard and it was an awful night. have
also been on guard all day today. The
Germans got two Of our balloons today
as we were eating our dinner. The Ger
man plane came right over our heads
Just before they fred on it. the four
men in it came down in their parachute
all right and the balloon burned 1t was
quite a sight.
July 18th
1t rained hard this afternoon SO we did
not have to work. ] have got to go on
gas guard tonight. Last night Ger
| man plane come over and dropped
bombs on us and killed four men in my
| regiment. l was quite near them. They
have L. S. cemetery about five miles
back from the lines and on the Fourth
| it was covered with flags
Letters to Napoleon Breton, Sc Wash
ington street, Augusta.
Somewhere in France.
July "a, 1918.
Dear Brother:
Just few lines to let you know that
l am well and hope this letter will fin |
you better than l am. Well, Paul, ! am
in the hospital and getting along fine
now. l have the honor to say that l
was the first one to attack the Boche
! / was wounded on the first day of the
battle on the right leg by Boche bay
onet but he didn't slap me at all Be
lieve me, that same Boche won't hurt
anybody else. On the third day l was
wounded by gas which took such effect
on me that / had to go to the hospital.
Now I am safe and getting along fine.
/ am in hopes to go back and get an
other crack at the Boche. ] happen to
be on the right guard Of my company
and in the first wave.
Well. brother, it is a long while since
l have received any news from you.
How are the families? | hope the" are
all well. How is Alfred? This is all
the news for this time so l will close
my letter, hoping that YOU will send me
a letter soon.
From your brother.
James Breton.
Co. E, 1o3d Infantry.
Somewhere in France,
June "a, 1918.