Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1918-11-30
". HURST
BASIL WRITES ABOUT
DRIVING THE BOCHE
Interesting Letter Written From
Rest Camp Tells What Lo-
cal Boys Are Doing
PUSH HUN THOUGH
WOODS OF ARGONNE
Believes Prayers Of Loved Ones
Brought Him Safe Through
Dangers Of Battle

No finer letter has been written by
one of our boys across the sea, than
that which Mrs. William H. Basil, of
his city. has just received from her
husband, Corporal Basil, Machine Gun
Company of the 115th Infantry. In
fact, in no other letter has it been
made so plain as to just what the An
napolis boys encountered on their last
drive. and what they accomplished.
The letter was postmarked on No
vember 9TH, just four days before the
armistice, so that the loved ones of
Corporal Basil. and of the other sol
diers who have written since October
29,h, or from whom news has been
heard, can feel that they are safe.
The letter follows:
Il just received your letter and one
from home and another bunch of Cap
itals, and l have received all of the
Capitals, and sure did enjoy them ALL
Il guess that you know that we have
been driving for q days and have just
reached our rest camp two days ago.
Believe me, we have been through it,
and we certainly did drive the Hun
We hiked all night and reached the
lines at sos in the morning and went
over at $3.50 on an empty stomach too;
what do you think of that? After our
artillery barrage lifted, we started
after them and forgot all about some
thing TO eat until that night, and then
we had driven them about five kilo-
meters, which is about three miles"
I'VE sure did capture a bunch of
prisoners our first couple of days of
driving We had about 5000, and, just
think, we we're up there 81 days. We
captured bunch of machine guns, for
| used one of the guns we captured
from them against them. One morn
ing we hoped over, and altogether
we used ten of their own guns against
them, besides our own guns, for they
sure did leave plenty of ammunition
behind and everything else, for the
grounds covered during their re-
treat were a sight-guns, helmets
clothes and everything else they own
ed. We searched their packs, and
everything worth taking we would
take. We got enough cigare.t ties and
cigars for several days.
I'VE had plenty of hardships to go
through, but they are all in the game.
l came out of il with nothing but a
suit of clothes and my pistol and a
helmet on my head. That is all | had
left, and, believe me, it was enough.
We lost few men and quite a few
wounded, but that is also in the game,
and have seen the Hun fall and help
ed a lot of them to fall They give
strong resistance, for we had to drive
them through woods, and they had a
bunch of machine gun nests in their,
but it did not take long to get rid of
them, for we want to finish the war,
and when you see a few of your own
men lying around, that's when you
want to get after them, and. believe
me, we did.
Il guess you have noticed in the
papers that we met with the strongest
resistance of any of them, but the
Blue and Grey has shown what it is
made Of There are thousand things
would like to tell you and cannot,
but ! can say this, we have been
through it and through it hard. and
have seen everything there is to be
seen, and los more than many who
have been here longer than we have,
and got what we started out for and
more
Everything is sure going o. X. ....
/ know the good God brought me
through this drive and / thank Him
for it, and it was yours and all of
your prayers, for / have seen men
pray who never prayed before up there
and l know you all were praying for