Putnam patriot., 1918-11-29
Likens No Mans Land to Drawn Out
Connecticut Lake.

Here are two letters written by
Truman Woodward, 1oSrd Trench
Mortar Battery, 26th Division, A. f.
F., to his father and mother. Rev. and
Mrs. W D. Woodward. Attawaugan:
October IA, 1918.
Dear Folks
Mine are hardly the paths of glory
tonight, for while some of the boys
are doing things more exciting, l
sta9 here in my temporary capacity
| of second assistant company clerk Tor
some such positionl, and write these
lines by the light of the candle We
are in a famous city that has seen
more of the war than almost any 9TH
err city IN France, Our billets are
very comfortable, and we could 81
most wish 10 stay in them for some
time. We are quite intimately asso-
eiated with the French soldiers now.
Have been on the move so much late
ly that it will probably be some time
before my mail overtakes me in my
wanderings. Keep writing Just the
same. though. and I'll have all the
bigger time when the mail does catch
me.
Oct. a, 1918.
Dear Folks =
Il hope l have not made you un-
duly anxious by letting longer than
usual time lapse without writing. The
enclosed fragment of the 14th inst
proves that did not mean to neglect
you. l can't help thinking that sis
ter's birthday has just passed and
that brothers is tomorrow. How |
would like to have little home birth
day party with them Though l have
been absent in body, | am with you
all in spirit. Wish that it had been
so that | could have sent birthday
presents, but have had no opportun-
ity
I'VE have all been very busy lately,
but have had good fortune as to the
things which count most-lives spar
ed Naturally we have not escaped
unscathed. Yet since | have seen how
the infantry can and do bear I'M
dreamed of hardships, know that we
of the artillery have comparatively
light burdens Over here lately the
talk has been strong for peace, but
the actions have been strong for war
How they do move US about Hardly
a stretch of the front that we haven't
been somewhere nearl Now | am no
longer somewhere in France, but
somewhere in Belgium | have seen
many battlefelds in a short space of
time,-spots where the deadliest
struggles have taken place. But No
Mans Land | never really saw until
| came to Belgium. We marched on
foot across it-some ten miles of
waste Do you remember how Bolton,
Conn. lake looked when the water
had been greatly drawn off? Just
mess of mud, water-holes, and dead
tree stumps, Truly No Mans Land
in Flanders is almost the same, if you
supply a few soldiers, and a few
wrecked aeroplanes and tanks. We
begin to gain some idea of how long
war has ravaged this country, when
we see grass growing richly in the
muddy earth which covered parts of
long-wrecked tanks. 1t seemed good
to get through the waste ground and
see green foliage again, trees grow
ing as God meant them to grow on
the less ravaged land recently retak-
en- by our heroic allies. Already the
Belgians are coming back looking for
the ruins of their homes. Those who
find habitable shelter are fortunate
indeed. In No Mans Land whole
villages are ground right into the
dust so that only red brick fragments
betray where once they stood. Last
night went to bed at 6.45 p. m. And
| was neither sick nor crippled I'm
agine that It's just 7 p. m. now
nearly my bed time So, with love, |
say. Goodnight.