The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1918-12-19
INTERESTING SOLDIER LET
TER
Charles Crosswtite Tells Some of the
Experiences of Man in the
Ambulance Corps of
a the Army

and which he kindly permitted us 10
publish:
On active service A. +. F. France,
November 9, 1913
Dear Lee and Bessie: received
your letter some time ago and was
glad to hear from you. 1t has been
my intention to write you long let :
ter and tell you all about where
have been and something of what
have seen! but like other. good reso-
lutions it failed to pateralize. can't
begin to tell you about this war II
is too big thing. have just return
ed from doing. turn up front
Peace is almost here but the fighting
up here is fierce. 1t is clear tonight,
the first time for many nights and the
artillery fire is so heavy that at times
the ground fairly shakes. Air raiders
will be out after awhile-they come
every night that they can. Last
might we drove through shell fire so
thick that it seemed that no one could
come out alive, but someway we got
through and went up to another
dressing station. They were Smelling
the town. That don't matter SO much
but at that particular time they con-
cluded that it needed little extra
"stratng' and we got it. We chased
the Germans so far that they have no
more Notifications for them to get
into. An occasional wine cellar at
fords little protection. Out in the
open one must jump into shell hole.
Last night the shells came SO fast that
1t was no use to duck or dodge. One
could tell where they burst by seeing
the red hot peices flying i'll all direct
ions and hearing them sizzle when
they struck in the pools OF water. /
won't forget these experiences very
soon. was either lucky or unlucky
in last nights fracas. We had just
PARKED our ambufances and were rust
ling up something to cat when hur-
ry UP call came in. | dropped what
ever | had and ran to the car and
grabbed box of medical supplies and
started to the dressing station with it.
1t was raining and everything was
slippery and | stepped ON a loose rock
and fell into a shell hole. box and all.
The result was that | wrcnched my
! lSlt SINS 81 .'d'lly tl'tt 'l'u ~ idy
up the rest Of the night. Another OF
the boys took my place and the car
went on out They attempted to go
through a stretch OF road that was
being shelled when Il tire blew off
and as the shells were bursting all
around the car the boys decided that
that was not the place to set a tire,
SO they promptly did Marathon
back to town. We figured that the
car would be riddled by morning, but
it was not hurt except from the mud
that the exploding shells threw on it.
| worried, too. because my mess kit
to be in the car and Il mess
kit is a>rather important article Of a
soldiers equipment. As it must be in
all cases of heavy and extensive bonn
there are many casualties.
Yesterday we cared for the wounded
and dead. and this morning. | stood
in the church yard and watched them
bury the dead. 1t is bad enough to
see man blown to bits, but | believe
hat it is worse to see the remains
collected and piled on a stretc!er,
nuch as you would pile butchered
log, only in this case the pieces were
III mussed up. To-day received
opies of the Butler Times IRON
mother. saw where SO and So had
lied and | couldn't help from think
ng of the scenes that | had ;;.l,t wit
Iessed and how sad it was that we
ould not do more for he dead here.
his morning the men we're brought
n, identification made, lowered into
he grave, the chaplin gave brief
ervice and business went on as usual,
ome one. happened to be banging
way on an organ in the church and
lrells were dropping all around i'll
hat vicinity during the service.
When the people restore the country
ne graves will be always well cared
Or. The French people have very
eautiful graveyards. We are getting
long nicely, have plenty to wear and
lenty to eat when we can get it. We
ave been in action since August 5th !
nd will quit when it is all over. Our +
lief pleasure is in thinking how we
sed to be at home and wishing we
ere there, where there were no
lells and no airplanes humming.
,erhead. l would give A5o francs
ght now for two good Missouri
,ples. A good many nights | have r
und myself and partner stalled in !
e road, in the rain and mud and no v
ance to get anywhere before MORN !
g. We would eat canned willie,
!rdtack, smoke a pipeful of tobacco c
ID roll up in our blankets and go to $
eep. A few nights ago we were '
owing to a new location and several p
us had truck load of supplies e
1ich we ran into a shell hole. We {
d to unload the whole load and do L
all in the dark, except the light Z
I'm the explosion of an occasional a
ell. Water is so scarce. mean wa
!. to drink, that at times one has to tt
ink wine or go without, especially
the road. The wine is not near
good as water to most of us but n
drink it all the same. Tonight =
are in a good place. Fritz either =
it reach US or is busy elsewhere, q
that the only danger is from some #
sguided German aviator dropping
bomb on us. We are in a house,
] have a good room with four COM
lions, a canvass cot and plenty OF
nkets. Have washed my face and
ids for the first time in three days,
...sn int he'd for Iii