The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-11-01
LETTERS FROM BRAVE MEN WHO
ARE FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY

Mrs. Hattie E. Cooper received
the following letter from her son
Sergeant M. c. Cooper:
American Expeditionary Forces
September 20, 1918. Dear Mother
Well here l am still sound as a dol
lar only maybe not as bright, Probab
ly if some of our ancestors had haC
brights disease l would have beer
brighter am back again at my ole
trade, the show business, only here
we call it the theatre of war. The
scenery is a little. ragged in places
but We expect to get it patched uI
before the next show is put on. We
used to have fellow in the outfit
who was splendid singer, but he
was caught in gas attack and il
ruined his pipes, we had to send him
to the plumbing shop. Well l guess
had better quit this fooling and gai
down to sense. l am glad you arc
all well and getting along fine and
dandy. l expect to see Bert next
week, won't that be fine. l wish
could find Donald also. l haven't
had a chance to look up any of the
Mankato boys as yet and don't know
if l will get chance or not. l am
going to go to school up where Bert
is cooking. He does not know it yet
and l guess l will take him by sur
prise. Well, mother here's hoping we
are all home to eat Christmas dinner
with you year from this next one
Well as there isn't thing doing in
the news line will close hoping tC
hear from you again soon. Love tt
all. AS ever l remain your loving
son, Mike.
Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Brown received
the following letter from their so1
Charlie who is Somewhere in
France" Mr.. Brown was member OF
Company H, which left here Septem
Der 81, 1917: France. September
16, 1915 Ny Dear Mother and All:
Well, suppose that you are some
what worried about me because you
have not heard from me lately. I'm
well and hope that you are the
same.
Well, Mother, l have been "ovel
the top" We went over the top the
18th and We made very big success
CT it. Our company was very lucky
we only lost one or two men. You
ought to have been there to hear the
artillery. l thought the way it open
ed ur that we were going to blow
Germany off the map, and believe
me we sure can do it. We captured
prisoners and a large amount of the
supplies. Believe me, the boche sure
II ade tracks.
wanted to get you q souvenir but
we were told that most every place
a trap was laid so l kept my hands
off of things. l got German sweater
and pair of gloves from supply
wagon that we captured and it sure
came in handy as it was cold and
rainy.
The country that we had to fight
in was very hilly and had thick
woods in places. BY the way the
boches acted l guess, they were
scared to death. AS we passed a
"dugout" l and two other fellows
saw boche come running out say
ih6 IAdACl du otuu uG lSll Oh Ills
knees. We used most of the prisoners
as they went back to carry wound
ed. Leo Lorentz and Ray Rosenberg
are alive and send their best regards
to all.
The morning that we made the at
tack it was raining and it was very
muddy and hard to travel but as you
know nothing can stop us Americans
when we get started and l guess thar
the boche knows that by this time
We captured one town that the
Huns have had since the war started
Ihere were some Belgians in it am
they were tickled to death when they
found out that they were prisoners
OF the Germans no longer. There
was one old man there and he told one
or our men that the boche made him
work very hard every day and was
very mean to him. By the way
things looked behind the Dutch
lines you would think that they in
tended to stay there the rest of their
lives.
We'll, mother, l must close this
letter for this time hoping to heal
from you very soon. l will write YOU
just as often as l can. Must close
with love and kisses to all, your low.
ing son, Charlie.
+. S. Don't worry as I'm well and
nappy. Please say hello to all my
friends, and write soon.
The following letters from Ser
geant Engwal Olson in France ;nf
Odd" at New Jersey were received
by the home folks.
September II, 1918. Dear Sis
1 believe have answered your let
ter written at Cousin Ragna's home
While we are having a nice rain,
spell and chilly weather, will keer
under shelter and do bit of writing 2
we are now located in nice clear
homes and am getting things read,
for Jack Frost.
Sunday night some of us pals walk
ed over to the "Y'' and heard a goo,
lecture given by "Y" secretar,
about the battles which took plac,
since July Is. We little realize tn,
actual fighting by the brave A,neri
can boys at the trenches. On th,
night OF July, IA at sharp II o'clocl
the Hun started his new drive be
tween Soisons and Rheims. All
along the lines continual shell fir
from every cannon came. In return
salute came from the Sammies
For eight hours the heavy firin
kept on. During all that time ga
masks were worn as the boche wa
sending over gases of all kinds
During all this time at a fold dro,c