Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-09
RED CROSS WORK
Guy P. Gannett Tells Of
Activities
Quotes Figures and Details In Section
Where He Is Located-Difficultle
Experienced in Keeping in Touch
With Fighting Line

1he people OF Augusta have known
III Il general way of what the Red
Cross has done with the money thar
has been entrusted to its care but it
has fallen to the lot of one Augusta
man. Guy +. Gannett, to serve the
Fed Cross at The front. to assist =,
he distribution of Red Cross goods
right at tie firing line ard to see fir;t
hand what the Red Cross has done
and is doing for American troops in
France. The following extracts from,
his letters from Oct. "a 10 Nov. II are
Of especial interest in View Of his
early return to America end in view
of the coming drive which starts
Dec. IS to enroll the people Of All
gusta as members Of the Red Cross.
Mr.. Gannett writes:
Il am sLre the members of the
Augusta Chapter of the American
Red Cross would be pleased and
proud II they could know the amount
OF goods which, the Red Cross has
been distributing TO the fighting me-,
in France. l do not know the amount
that the REQ Nross has supplied 70
the whole army but do know that
Cross. supplying only relatively
limited number of troops, distributed
in less than one month over one hun
dred thousand cups Of hot chocolate;
fifty thousand packages of tobaccn:
fifteen thousand daily papers; three
thousand magazines. three thousand
blankets; five hundred pair pajan1as:
four hundred pair slippers, Three
thousand sweaters; twelve thousand
sheets writing paper and hundreds Ct
other things. That drinking chocolate
took seventeen hundred cans Of
milk, two thousand two hundred
pounds of sugar; two thousand
pounds Of chocolate and one Thousand
pounds Of cocoa. When you realize
all this stuff has to be carried in lit
tie Ford cars up mountains mile
high. and some Of It at least fifty
miles you can imagine few Of TIL,
difficulties. especially when the Fords
are always having something, done
10 them, which takes time. but rain
OF shine the Red Cross was on the
job.
Right here I want to say that Har-
ris WoOdman has been a very great
help to me. for he is a wonder at this
sort of thing. 1t doesn't make any
difference how hard road is being
shelled he goes through with the sup
plies just the same. He deserves :he
highest credit for doing difficult and
dangerous work without any thought
Of his personal risk or without any
desire for personal credit.
''Since writing the above orders
have come to move and am going to
be near a famous city now oil ruins
but never taken {Verdun).
Nov. s.
1T is now over a week since +
wrote 20 you last and cannot finish
this today but will make a start
anyway. Have to be travelling most
Of the time and hustling around for
supplies and get them to our troops.
We are moving MP close and trying
to find the enemy. 1t is very difficult
moving around. az this territory has
heen sheiled by the Germans until
few days ago. The roads are very
muddy and rough being all full Ct
shell holes, and the congestion is
something fierce with miles and
miles Of trucks, carts. autos, guns
and everything else. To-day sent a
car down to get Harris who was III in
the hospital for short time. Hope
he will be able to come as he hated
to be left behind. But 1t was the on =.
~ thing to do as he was not strong
enough to stand the cold and wet va
are up against. Have already had
one Of my men leave on account OF
the rough life.
Yesterday ] met Loyal Sewall on
the road. Saw whole fleet OF tanks
which he is in command Of. He was
slightly wounded. leading his tank in
action.
1--WE are now getting into open war
fare with all the excitement which
goes with a pursuit
Nov. 1l-Could not mail this until
now as we have been going every day