The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-12-05
LETTER FROM LIEUT.. ENGLE
Somewhere in France,
n,lal.o. a sntQ

II has been long time since
wrote you, just about month
In the first place I have scarcely
had time, in the second place we
could not have sent any mail Out
no matter how much we had writ
ten, and in the third place I only
managed 10 get hold OF an envelope
yesterday.
The month Of September, 1918, is
a month shall never forget as long
as live. You Of course have read
the papers about the big drive by
the American Army on the st. Min
iel sector that began on the evening
Of September ~, so there is not
much | can add 10 what you have
read in the papers, and also I could
speak from certain knowledge OF
only small part Of the sector, for
instance the few hundred yards on
which my regiment made its ad-
vance.
On the Sd OF September took
the Company up TO the front line
trenches on a certain part OF the
St Mihiel sector, which by the way
covered a great deal OF territory
so you don't know just where was
yet, and I have been going ever
since. The first week was about tho
hardest Of all for il rained all the
time, the mud was knee deep in the
trenches and sleep was almost i'm
pc ssible. The Germans had an idea
that something was about 10 take
place so they sent over a raiding
party on some part Of the line every
night to get information and capture
a prisoner. But they had no luck
whatever. Out OF every raiding
party they sent over. they always
left few killed and wounded, a few
prisoners and they never captured
a single prisoner. One night they
made a raid on the Company next
TO mine, (by the way | was in COM
mand of the Company from August
20 to September 20, but the Captain
is now back and also on our Com
pany. They captured one man
from f Company on the left and got
him within 100 yards Of the Gerlnan
lines but they overlooked a trench
knife he had stuck down in his leg
gins. When they got within 100
yards Of their lines they had to take
shelter in shell holes from the
9rtillery and while there this man
jerked out his trench knife ard got
away from the SIX Germans who
had him. He killed two of them
and wounded one other. They
wounded him three times but he
got back all right. We got six pris-
Oners out Of the party that made the
raid on us the same night and cut
Off about twenty more who had to
surrender to another Company the
next day.
We all knew that we were pre-
pairing to make a drive, but did not
know just when it was going to
start. At one O'Clock on the morn
ing of the 18th our artillery began
heavy bombardment which kept
the sky alight for six hours. The
cannon were way back behind us
but the shells screaming over
head were almost deafening. At
a. m. the advance was begun and
before they had advanced very far
it began 10 be very evident what the
bOmbardment had done. A great
number of prisoners were captured.
After every one else had gone over
two corporals and three privates
from my Company went into a dug
out and brought out 25S Germans.
That morning when we started
out we were all wondering how the
country would look ahead Of us for
we had been holding the line OF
trenches just under the crest OF a
hill, and all we had seen for a week
was Just the high ground in front Of
us about 700 yards, all covered by
barbed wire and cut up by trenches
and shell holes. When we reached
the top Of the hill we saw spread out
before us the most beautiful scene. .
A wide valley stretched out before
MS dotted with clumps of trees. viii
lagos and large towns. and green
fields, and miles away the high
mountains. II was certainly a won
derful sight. The advance was so
easy and the troops in front met
with such little resistance that on
the first day they had gone as far
as they were expected 30 go i'm three
days, and had 10 wait there for the
artillery TO come up. Since then we
have been living out in the open,
digging holes in the ground at night
to protect us from the artillery,
and keeping out Of sight during the
day. We are just resting easy here
now while the big drive is going on