The Mankato free press., 1918-06-21
FROM THE
BOYS IN ARMY CAMP

49, 6ttV usVbs ssbs :
BOYS IN ARMY CAMP
The following letter received from
Henry Wigen while confined in the
base hospital This letter was received
by the parents of Corporal Wigen. and
was written May 2S. 1918:
Dear Mother and Father and All:
At this writing happen to be in the
hospital although I am not very sick.
was brought down here couple of
days ago from our rest camp. 1t
seems to be a fever which many are
getting but of course there are not
many of the same cases here. I am
feeling pretty good just now but /
don't think l will get away from here
for some time. This is very nice
place and really don't care about
leaving it right away. 1t is the best
resting place have found since left
the trenches. Words can't express
The feeling cf the patients as they
are given the very best of care. I,
in person am very much pleased. I
never expected our hospitals to be so
L
came here my company left for the
trenches again so / expect they are
there now don't think I will ever
see my old company any more unless
luck comes my way. You see any
one going to the hospital for any
length of time are sent to a replace
ment camp, from there they are sent
wherever they are wanted So you
see what chance l have for getting
back to Co. &c" 9th Infantry. I will
let you know if I get transferred or
not and also my new address. You
had better keep writing to the same
address until notified of the changing.
How is everybody at home? l sup
pose you all keep well. How is moth
ef and father dear, do hope you won't
worry too much about me now as
may soon be perfectly well again. Is
grandfather keeping well? He has
probably received the card l sent him
by this time. How about the weather
"over there?" / don't believe the
weather we are having can be beat.
It is just as lovely as it can be. What
are the activities of the city now?
suppose it is pretty busy at present.
l must not forget to tell you before
bringing this letter to close that all
the nurses here are, American Red
Cross Girls" They are all very
pleasant nurses too at least that's the
way / find those that / have met.
There are soldiers from almost
every alien country here in this hos
pital. / expect before get discharged
from here / will have to put few
days in on the farm to fatten up
again. All the rest of them do it.
Will bring my letter to close with
best regards to all who ask for me, I
am, your loving son and brother.
Corporal Henry B. Wigen. Company
G, Ninth Infantry, co base hospital
No. 6e, A. E. F., France.
The following letter was received
Dy o. T. Mclean from Nicholas A..
Kiffe Somewhere in France:
A. d. F., France May 20, 1918. Dear
Mac: This will be letter entitled
"a few lines between shots" and
they fall pretty fast at times.
Wrote you almost month ago so
| it's high time I'm writing again al
though yours hasn't been received
at this date
Regular summer has set in and
living in the open is fine now as our
! home is either under the ground or
in the woods and like it fine. Have
been on the. front since the latter
part of January and the only time
We haven't been there is when we
move from one front to livelier one
and this sure is live one as the
guns roar day and might and the
"Heinies" get little reckless at
times but we always quiet them down
and they haven't even as much as
gained an inch on the fronts we've
/ been on but have gone bcak a few.
There still is lots of fight left in the
| first division. Don't get to see
much war news except from Mankato
papers and sure read them from
cover to cover even if they are a
month old as it's all news to me for
we are away from civilization and
the towns around lis are deserted
with the exception of the Y. M. C. A,
and they follow us to the front line
where they sell only after dark as
it would be dangerous for them to
keep open in the day time. A
"Weinie" observer might see soldiers
| going in and out and send whistler
over but to everyone of theirs we
send five back and in a little while
they quit so we know they had
to hunt their holes.
Must close Mac as darkness is
setting in and no lights allowed but
hoping to hear from you soon am
sincerely, Mic.
i Mrs. William Cleaves received the
following letter from her brother, J
w. Mayer, on the U. S. S. Florida.
| U. S. S. Florida, May %, 191S.-Or
; Foreign Service. Dear Sis: Received
your letter yesterday. You see ]
just returned from a six day leave
here and do not know when the let
ter came aboard, but l sure had g
good time. Was in London Sunday
May 10. the pights they had an all
raid. There were about thirty-sever
, people killed. Have some pieces OF
the German raiders that were brought
down and also a piece of shrapne
from one of the bombs.
Well, Alice, will close this tim.
hoping to hear from you soon. l re
main your loving brother, J. w. May.
er.
L