The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1918-11-14
NEWS AND LETTERS
FROM BEkERAMI co.
SOLDIERS SAILORS
LIEuT SHANNON WRITES

s. LIEUT. SHANNON WRITES
Lieut.. G. a. Shannon, son of Mr..
and Mrs G. N. Shannon OF Bemidji,
writes an interesting letter from
France, he being with the American
expeditionary force. He says;
Dear Dad and Mother: I'm in a
long, low brick building that the
boche probably occupied for three or
four years and it is strongly re-1n-
forced. The only trouble with the
reinforcements is that they are all
placed on the south side of the build
ing as protection against advance in
the old days from the territory not
so very far from Rheims and Verdun.
Our own engineers however have
luckily built few reinforcements
themselves for the structure and thus
shell that might have spoiled my
dinner yesterday as was sitting on
the foot of my bunk, exploded harm
lessly ten feet away and only little
gravel reminded me of what might
have been. However, this was very
exceptional so do not worry.
Yesterday also saw one OF the
most magnificent barrages ever before
laid on the German lines. For four
hours, after, an all night lombard
ment, regiment after regiment OF ar
tillery laid down terrific hail of
shells on the enemy and the boche
sure enough had taste of the inferno
he taught the Allies as possible in
the early stages of the war A
banker captain at brigade headquar-
ters figured that during the barrage
spoke Of 100000 shells, costing over
$2,000,000, had been laid down on
the enemy lines. Then the infantry
made magnificent advance, all about
which you will have read long before
this reaches you. I'll have lots to
tell you when we get out OF the
trenches by Christmas
"The battle continues today, with
the Americans always pushing for
ward--a fitting supplement to Presi-
Z dent Wilson'S answer to the German
peace note wirelessed to us last
night.
Dear folks, /, too, pray often-not
often for my own safety because | am
not entitled to 1t more than others
running the same risks, for you and
that He will keep you safe until /
see you again.
You will be glad to know that
two weeks ago, just before this, the
third big campaign / have. been in
this summer, started. I was made
aide-de-camp to Brigadier-Ge General
Edwin B. Winans. I am still q first
lieutenant of cavalry. have to an
swer all the salutes that the general
forgets when he is pre-occupied as
we ride along and do lots of other
i, ,cnr rrrL al Lc,, ce,E1 1r,N ,-
\ / told his adjutant before accepted
the JOB that / wanted something more
than mess sergeant's work il ! We're
to become an aide, the general has
! managed to keep me pretty busy with
military operations. The general
knew Lieutenant-CoIon James Shan
non at general headquarters and like
many other army officers have met
talked very enthusiastically about
our cousin, whom they all have de-
scribed as having been one OF the
most likeable chaps they ever met, as
we'll as an efficient officer They
made him colonel in response to
his requests and gave him regiment
and sent him into the fight. The
major told me tonight, Your cousin
has done his Bit
Keep up the good work at home
The fourth loan | know will be g
success--we here will subscribe fol-
what we can--and here's hoping that
there will be no peace until the Ger
mans are off the soil of France and
out Of Belgium. Mothers last letter
was No. IL; l am returning Don's
description of his wedding because
we shall want to preserve 1t, it is
so good. Dads letter came; so did
the one with the $5.12 check so
often referred to. Knit me some
more socks--haven' had bath for
two and half weeks, though took
two on the last day we left civiliza-
ton; and maybe II you read my letter
to the Red Cross ladies they'll knit
us fellows here a few more socks
before cold weather, or furnish few
more bandages. I tore up my bed
sheet this week to make bandages for
my horses foot---~he had run sharp
stable iron into the hoof while feel
ing rather nervous over some heavy
shelling and it made an ugly wound.
l hadn't been undressed for a week,
anyhow, SO the loss of the one lone
sheet had doesn't disturb my rest, Z