Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-04-10
OUR BOYS UNDER FIRE.
Tells of Narrow Escape from Shell.
Gets Souvenir off Dead German.

Tells of Narrow Escape from Shell.
Gets Souvenir off Dead German.
The following letter is from Sgt.
James M. Durkin to his sisters, Mrs.
Cornelius and Mrs. Jerre Buckley of
Barton. Mr.. Durkin is an Albany
boy, the son of James Durkin. He
is with the 101st U. S. F. artillery:
With the Colors at the Front,
March 3, 1918.
Dear Sisters:
Just a word to let to let you know
am we'll and hope you home folks
are, too. Did not have a chance to
write last Sunday and after this
don't expect 1 shall have a chance to
write often. Received your letters of
Jan. 10, on Feb. "a and Julia's Of
Jan. IA. On the same day received
the Christmas box from you contain
ing box of candy from young lady
in Barton. Thank her for me and tell
her 1 enjoyed it so much and will
write her soon. Have been under
range of German guns a month now
and none have been hit yet. The
Americans have stirred the Huns up
We came. Artillery duelling nearly
every day and night and much aero
activity. Some infantry action, but
no real battle. Everything has been
favorable to the Americans and be-
sides we have done a lot of damage
to the Huns with very slight losses
to ourselves. This is no joke, but
one American will Outright three Ger
mans we believe. The Liberty aero
planes are wonders and if plenty
come over will need few soldiers to
get "BilPs" carcass. Have seen one
good air battle and three weeks ago
today German aeroplane was shot
down by French aviator less than
mile from here. / saw the whole
fight and they were one and one-half
miles up, but the air was clear Ex-
amined both bodies and had chance
to get some good relics and enclose
part of his wireless sending wire.
They fight nearly every day when it
is clear and on moonlight nights. A
bomb was dropped near our horse line
and killed a French sergeant and
gave us all good scare and shaking
up. l had one close call from shrap-.
mel last Tuesday and if it had burst
one-tenth of a second earlier I would
not be writing today. Went up to
the guns with a wagon of supplies,
leaving here about p. m. Had four
uOIScS dIu IITcc OIHcT Hleh duu IlduC
good time until the last one and one
half miles so as to get there before
dark. Just before we got to the last
hill we saw shrapnel bursting near
an observation balloon just back of
the ridge and close to it and about
ten rods from the road we were on.
1t was up high, probably mile but
the shells made it come down back of
the ridge just as we passed. Just as
we got over the ridge about 200
yards I heard three shells burst and
looked back to see if the balloon was
up again, for the wagon is covered
and makes lots of noise SO they did
not seem. to be as near as they really
back over the top, when bang! went
a shrapnel shell directly over US and
about 80 feet high and less than 70
feet inside the road fence. 1t passed
exactly over the wagon and II timed
shorter we would be awfully sick.
The horses were as scared as we were
and needed no urging to make
| quick getaway down the hill where
they couldn't see US. Some Of our
men have had closer calls, but only
| two were hit and then only by spent
particles of shells. Just enough
force left to stick into the skin and
| Cney plCkcu Cilc plSSSo oue
selves. The roar and shake from the
guns is almost continuous but we do
not mind it now. 1t is exciting at
least and we like it better than the
training camp. There is no sickness
here and we feel fine and can buy
plenty to wear and little extras to
eat. All we lack is lots of mail to
pass the time away, so get wise. Get
the Monitors o. X. Did not get any
new mail from the last of January
until this last week and only part of
it then. Had two from Julia, and
two from Nell and the last was dated
Jan. 80. Love to all,
Sgt. James M. Durkin,
1O1st U. S. F. Artillery.
The following letter is from NAL
colin Buck to his parents, Mr.. and
| Mrs. F. r. Buck, of Barton:
Somewhere in France,
March 3, 1918.
Dear Folks:
Was very glad to receive your let
ter. The boys have just got back
from the trenches recently.
am driving Ford now. You see
we have 25 Fords for the company.
Two machines for each squad.
The drivers did not go up, but we
had to go up to the trenches once
| each day with supplies.
Ii is queer that you have not re-
ceived any of my letters acknowledge
ing the receipt of your packages as
1 have mentioned that L received
them all right in every letter l have
written for the last six weeks.
/ suppose you received the papers
1 sent to you in regard to my state
pay.
When you send the next package,
fill it up with any kind of pastry so
long as you think it will keep, also
hard candy, peanuts, nuts or choco-
lates will be a great luxury.
We think we are having a great
treat if we get little bar of French
chocolate