Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-07-04
Another Letter From Lieut.. osbourn.

My Darling Mama-Am sorry to be
| a day or so late about writing, but l
have had military duties before me all
the time Everything goes well. We
have passed through some great ex-
periences here. You doubtless have
noticed two very hurried letters, the
| last two | wrote. When | wrote the
| first of those two, We were in the
| midst of gas attack which lasted Tor
IS hours continuously. But ! am glad
to say that all our battery passed
through il without serious mishap.
We could have gone on for days and
even weeks if il had been necessary.
The Germans shot the worst gas that
thew had, too, Just loads of il, but all TO
no avail, and We now feel more conf
dent than ever.
On the heels of that, our infantry
bows on a certain second all rose up
over the top of the front line trench,
and in an unbroken line marched for
ward over the top of German hill,
and carried both hill and village
(Cantigny) and then established new
forward line. Soon afterward came
gang after gang of German prisoners,
being marched along by our infantry
boys. -Four big groups OF them went
by our battery. Am enclosing a mark
which Lieutenant Evans Of our battery
traded a franc for. The German was
tickled to death TO trade-to get some
good money, suppose.
But no sooner had We established the
new line than here came the German
counter attacks. Eight times they came,
twice with tanks, but each time they
were hurled back. One time our bar
rage stopped their tanks before they
even got up TO their own infantry, and
the infantry, while waiting in vain for
their tanks, were gathered IN by our
BOYS and brought on over. Now things
have settled down again, with our boys
in full possession of the new field. Ii
has been an inspiration for all OF US,
and if Uncle Sam hurrieS on over with
the FIVE millions that Billy Taft and
Teddy Roosevelt want, it will not take
long TO bring on the right end.
Another inspiring sight not long ago
was way up in the clouds. The bursts
of French shrapnel in the air showed
that a German aeroplane was there.
But the German rose up above the
clouds, then in just a few minutes a
flaming plane shot down through the
clouds and headlong TO the ground. We
wondered why, until just afterward an
other plane circled down from the
clouds as if to see what had happened
to his opponent, and then flew on away
to other feats just as the German anti
aircraft guns opened up on him.
There are many other things that !
should like TO tell, but cannot now.
Everything is all o. X, and our boys
have had the best of it so far. One
French officer said that our little at
tack was the best organized attack that
he had seen any army in Europe put
up-that they cared for the wounded
better, swung the telephone lines bet
ter, took charge of the prisoners and
everything tiptop. All that we need is
a larger army over here, and the Dutch
men will have TO look out.
1t is inspiring to be with these boys
their spirit is wonderful, and the hot
ter the fire the greater their spirit.
You asked in one of your letters wheth
er any of my friends were here. Just
lots of them. There are bunch of
Yale fellows and boys from the Uni
versty of Virginia and Washington and
Lee that know-and then we all know
one another now. We have been to-
gether for a long time, and there is
no companionShip that grows quicker
or stronger than that of the army-it
is the real old-time comradeship.
might add that | have had three
chances to go back to America as in
structor-not definite, but possible
chances-but although of course
should love to see you all, yet am
glad to feel as the rest do, that we
would rather see the war through than
go back.
Must get to bed now. With worlds
and worlds of love from your devoted
boy, CLEON.