Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-14
LETTERS FROM FRANCE
Young Harrisburg Lieutenant Conducts General Mccoy to
Observation Post

Since the official censorship of
news from overseas has been modi-
fed to some extent it is expected that
the American soldier will feel more
free to tell the thrilling experiences
through which he has been passing
since America entered the war. Re
cent letters (written in October) in
dicate the terrific nature of the tight
ing in which Harrisburg and other
soldiers have been engaged. Lieu-
tenant Albert II. Stackpole, of the
one Hundred Thirteenth Field Ar
tillery, narrates some interesting
incidents of the bloody conflict i'll
the Argonne sector. Referring to
letters from the home folks, he says.
The last big bunch-August ones
came when | was lying i'll Il little
pit not much more than Il shellhole
while my battery v as giving them
HI little distance from me. The
hole was my bed, diningroom, etc.
Rather suggested a grave in appear
ance and darn lucky l en- that ii
wasn't. We had two boys wounded
i'm that position and the batteries on
both sides of us lost several killed.
Hello. Here's chance to be
old Mrs Santa Claus herself, I'm
writing i'm pencil and in a hurry that
it 1.-THE Christmas LABEL may reach
you in time for consideration. Only
three pounds, but such Il variety OF
little things to eat-namely, the old
{ Of 90 4
tarts con, boyD, etc. ad infnitum.
Under date of October 19, Lieu
tenant Stackpole writes:
I'VE moved our position two
nights ago away from the Boche
dugouts and | was bewailing our
fate, but, joy of joys, we relieved a
French battery, and if you know
how the French construct their po-
siuons-well. The captain and
have a little place all to ourselves,
with table, a good stove, soft hunks
and all that sort of thing; and last
night we sent detail down to IL,
an evacuated Hun village on the
plain Cwere on top of the hilD and
YOU should have seen the plunder
they brought back. Anything in the
world we could wish for to make
ourselves more Civlized-pots and
pans for the kitchen, vegetables
from Boche gardens. mirrors, tables,
a small bathtub, buckets. table linen,
towels crockery enough TO equip
three or four messes-well. it was
surely a sight. SO this morning we
sorted ii out and arranged things.
We've got a fine little home now.
Last night and this morning we
had a French lieutenant of the de-
parting battery as a guest and hay
ing discovered a new cook. ! had
them prepare a fine mess. If it does
not bore YOU, I'll recite the menu of
the last two meals. which are the
best by far that | have had in sew
eral months.
For dinner we began with some
fine old fat sardines. garnished with
pickles and what not; passed from
them to steak and beans with to-
matO dressing. having on the side
hot Southern biscuits and toast with
jam. Then for dessert awfuly good
pears and coffee. Altogether it was
a most successful feast, and the
Frenchman certainly did mop it up,
which was great compliment. This
morning, having spread the Boche
tablecloth and put his dishes and
cups out. we served peaches and hot
cakes and syrup, with butter. too
q mention these because everything
is awfully hard to get-we had no
butter for dinner); steak and French
fried potatoes and coffee. 1t was
an enormous meal and I'll admit
the Frenchman thought so, too, but
We're only eating twice a day and
it has to be large. If they'll only
IA IL g. 1, eIy
for anything better than Just to live
here.
"On the way to this town IA town
near his battery positionl 1 passed
fhrnnrh a nnnrtnrn1 Stnr hnn dnma r