The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-10-31
Us WITH THE RAINBOW DIVISION
AND BOYS. FROM HOME
YAHKS ARE AFTER SOUVENIRS
Huns left Trench Homes in a Big
Hurry Are Bum Shots. Cant
Faze Our Merry Boys.
Doing at thetFront.


imitable letter writer, Captain Earl F.
Bridges. BY courtesy. Of w. r. Bridges.
AT the Front, Sept, %, 1918. Ny
dear Will: l wanted 10 be able to send
you some Boche souvenirs, but am out
OF luck this time. Did not get up here
until several days after the push, and
everything was gone that is, personal
stuff. Had an intelligence officer for
wnom l built prisonertof war cage
promise to get me something from
prisoners he Intercepted, but after
$500 had been pnt through. he had not
been able TO get so much as belt
buckle with "Gott mitt uns1 on it. They
all come back stripped-even of but
tons. You know ii Is said over here
that the British fight for glory, the
French for their native Land, but the
Americans fight for souvenirs. The
doughboys certainly strip them. am
sending you several Boche propaganda
newspapers, OF which we found thous-
ands in these buildings They are
printed with the idea OF dropping them
behind our lines from balloons. Some
OF the stun is rather cleverly put to-
gether, as you viii notice. Those in
tended fo2 US were printed in English;
those for the French in French
Huns in hurry.
In the last drive they left in such
hurry that they had no time TO de-
stroy railroads. material dumps, etc.
and they had no reserves. Our losses
were very trihing. compared to the
number Of men engaged. In that re.
spect we were extremely fortunate.
Wish could describe these quarters
we are occupying They are of the
rustic summer home type, finished in
bark on the outside. The inside is pa.
pered and panelled with stained wood.
The dining rooms have plate rails.
fire places, etc. We also found covered
out door places to eat. They are stu
ated in dense forests, and make quite
little village. The Germans had pi-
amos, bowling alleys, billiard tables.
SIC. Had been here four years and
probably thought they would etay til
the end OF the war am writing this
letter on a Boche table, in one OF these
houses formerly occupied by Boche
officers, and by the light Of Boche
candles. And the heat is being fur
nished for the winter. The food have
been eating is captured food. And also
am being bitten by Boche flcas, which
are about the size Of cur hous. Gg,
and which have the faculty of making
things most interesting. -all day and
all night They are III ag bed, my
clothes and everything. ] am figuring
on taking bath in sheep dip tomor-
row Is understand That drives them
away @
A Night Raid.
Last night between the feas and a
battery of heavies about Is yards from
the house, which opened about one
a. m, j got very lille sleep We pulled
a raid last night; a company from the
town about Is miles south got nine
prisoners. and killed as many more
who refused to come along. And an
other party from a famous southern
outfit went out and got twenty pris-
oners. Each party had very Tight loss
es Their raids are interesting and
certainly would like TO 70 on one Of
them. Maybe might get belt buckle
or 4 Lager pistol. But there is no
chance / guess, as the doughboys pull
these tricks and don't ant any com
pany along when they do IT,
Rainbow Divisions Reputation.
This regiment and division which
our boys are in is the most fau,ous in
France. They have up 70 date done
more fghting and done il well. than
any other division here, and have that
reputation all over France. ] az, 10, a
week or SO gi.a fhe engineers Of the
division in which our boys are placed
] talked with Mcmillan and also with
Dewhurst, the latter telling me that
he has charge Of the regimenfal run
ners. He was around regimental head
quarters the other morning and rec
ogniEed Iae.
The boys are cheerful bunch, and
have made great reputation for
themselves as the best ail-suound
bunch Of soldiers In France. An officer
from California told me this before
he knew ! was from the same state,
- know be was sincere. They are al,
ways there for anything they are
called on 10 do. it doesn't make any
difference whether it is work or fight.
After hearing OF their exploits from
these engineering officers who have
been serving in the same Division,
I am always proud to say that am
from the same state. and belonged 10
one OF their companies for four years.
Springer viii probably be home by
The time you get this. Am sorry he
was gassed and has TO leave the out
iii. The officers Of the regimens speak
serg biehly of him, and were sorry 70