The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-27

/ think he Will be coming home be-
fore I, being that he was still In the
hospital.
l am stationed near a large town
that was bombed quite often from
the Huns. My camp is at Toul. Say
Hello to mother and the rest from
me also to Grandpa hope these
lines find you all in the best oil
health. Here's wishing you all a
very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year. Also give my best wish
es for a Merry Christmas and a Hap
Ply New Year TO all who ask for me
From your loving son Henry.
The following letter was received
by Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Kroeger, ST., OF
Rapidan from their son, Corporal E.
J. Kroeger.
November 10, 1918. Dear Folks: ]
expect that this will be the most well
come letter you have ever received
from any of us. We tried to write
sooner but at this stage of the game
you will have to expect to hear from
us less often. We are through fight
ing and all of us are in the best OF
health. The influenza has not spread
among us as you hear it has. You can
at least expect us home some time
now. We don't know when but it
won't be so awfully long. When l sit
by the fire / just sit down and think
how it was possible for us to live
through it all, but we did it and are
stronger than ever. There were
twenty two of us from Tyler, Mimi,
and home and everyone are coming
back home. A few were wounded but
all are safe. We are now doing quite
bit of hiking. We hike two days and
rest two. We have about fifteen more
days to hike. We sleep in billets
where Germans slept the night be-
fore and it's that way every night.
The French civilians sure are hap
py lot after four years of captivity.
On our birthday we were lodging
shells and machine gun bullets and
liberating the civilians, it was glor-
ious to free them all.
Well folks, l will have to close now
and will write again as soon as get
the chance. Edwin will also write.
Take good care of yourselves and
Sport. Have the car shined UP and
a lot of pancake mixture. With lots
of love, Corporal E. j. Kroeger.
Mrs. o. A. Scherer is in receipt OF
the following letters:
England, November Is, 1918. Dear
est Folks: l have neglected to write
know, and am ashamed but when
there is so little one can write, the
tendency seems to be, write seldom.
First, I'll tell you I've been out OF
the hospital over week. The first
two or three days out were hard and
the weather bad and l had to crawl
under the covers a couple of days
again. Then when l got out / was
offered a job as assistant in the camp
headquarters and here is where I am
tonight 1t is only office clerical work
do. l am quite tickled with the
place and hope it is permanent while
in Europe-unless l can go to France
later.
/ have not received any mail yet
and am hoping I'll get some about the
18th, it would be a fine birthday pres
ent.
Well, at last the long looked for day
has come. I should have liked to be
in Chicago or New York when the
first news of peace arrived. I'll bet
the Loop" went crazy. There was
considerable O. ponstration here but
the people don't have the Yankee
fire in their blood
l hope the censorship will soon be
lifted. I think I'll write book now
and send it home as soon as 1t won't
have to be read by others.
l feel pretty well now but seem to
be unable to rid myself of my flu
cough.
Hoping I shall hear from home soon
and that you are all well, I pray all is
well at home every day and know
there are prayers for me, too. must
say good night, Your loving son and
brother, Earl.
Liverpool, England, December 2,
1918. Dear Brother and the Rest:
Your letter of don't remember the
date, arrived about week ago. 1t
was written before l sailed however.
You foolish but lucky boy-fretting
because you were not old enough to
get into this big war which is now
over.
Last Friday / was doing police duty
at the camp limits near the outskirts
of Liverpool 1t was raining hard and
very dark l halted a bunch of men
entering the camp in order to check
their passes and naturally looked in
to each ones face to see whether or
not 1 knew him.
Imagine my surprise on looking up
and finding Lawrence Pew standing
there. You can imagine what l said,
but Lawrence raised the ante, so to
speak, and his surprise brought forth
even wilder EXPLANATIONS. / saw him
again next day and had quite a chat
with him. He is sergeant now in
the engineers and is well liked by
the fellows.
Yesterday, Sunday, attended a
concert at st. Georges hall here. 1t
was wonderful, especially the boys
singing. They are from st. Sylves
ter's Catholic church. Continually
during the recital, English girls were
cigarettes to the fellows,
and well alike from every
corner of the world. In the evening
1 attended an Evangelistic service at
a down town theatre and also enjoy
ed that Being about the only Yank
in the house, the preacher was espe-
cia11v attentive t0 mo