Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-10-25
Charles Gose Now in Army Officers
Training School "Ovcr There"

Training School Cover There"
Somewhere in France, Sept. 4.
Dear father:
/ am afraid you will something is
wrong, because you have not gotten
any letters from me. They have not
mailed any, because they did not have
a censor stamp. They hope to get out
some letters today, and know there
will be at least three of mine to you
all, as | have written on the average
Of once a week. l received Nello's
letter of July 9th, the last that /
have gotten. 1t takes your letters
just one month to get here.
Nello was telling about the dinner
you all had Oh the Sunday that Hen
rietta and Clara Peery were there.
She asked or wondered what / had.
Well, to be specific, / had nothing.
happened to be on the train coming
back from school and failed to get
any dinner. But such thing as GO
ing without a meal is a small thing
compared with other things one has
TO go thru with.
The last time l was on tn front
all had for two days was two sand
witches and one canteen of water,
and laid in shell hole all night, too.
But that is part of the game; such
incidents as that happen only at fire.
uuent intervals. 1t is marvellous how
they get things to you in the trench
es, anyway. One really gets more
there than he does while out. We
sure have been on the hike. Have
hiked seventy miles in four days ana
with heavy packs most Of the time,
and light packs the rest of the time.
We have been taking a good rest
yesterday and today. We are in the
mountains and by a trout stream.
Floyd Repass ard three other boys
caught 35 yesterday; another boy and
l caught six this morning, one eight
cen inches long. We caught them
with our hands. 1 got out yesterday
morning and got some eggs and gooer
sweet milk for breakfast. The boys
buy all the eggs they can get their
hands on and if you are not an early
| bird, you are out of luck. | saw Lee
land Edwards and Hubert Meredith
yesterday. If you don't get letter
from me every week don't worry for
we move often and Bob Whitley just
now told me that could not mail
this because we have no orders as to
return address. Love to all.
Your devoted son, CHARLES.
Charles Gose, to his father, John p.
Gose, Burke's Garden, Va.
Sept. 10, 1918.
Dear Father and Mother:
| Received your letter of August 9th
Saturday. / don't understand why
you have not received any letters
dated after June 21st as have av-
eragcd one letter a week. l think it
was two weeks between two writings.
You see we are moving very often
and it is hard to get letters written
and after they are written, it is hard
for the officers to censor them, but
have good news for you in this let
ter. l have passed successfully the
examination for the Officers Train
ing School. Suppose | will leave in
the next day or so for the school. II
came as surprise to me. l was or,
dered to report at Regimnetal Head
quarters on fifteen minutes notice
for examination.
The order came in yesterday that
| was selected. l will do my best ant
by the aid of God, will endeavor t.
do that which is right, and / know
/ will get the commission. An Officer
has a chance to do world of good II
thlS army, aituo suPPoSc d. 10 oiiS W
the worst places, or at least the
hardest place to lead Christian life
One has so many temptations ant
hardships to bear and one often feel:
like just giving up. But when ont
reads his Bible and goes in prayer t.
God he sure feels much stronger ant
: it is a great aid 1 think l realize j
more and more each day. One always
thinks of God and the wrong one ha
done when he is in danger. Yet on.
is prone to wander, when he is bacl
from the trenches and out of danger
l have found this to be the case witt
myself and with others, too. en-
deavor to overcome this weakness
There is only one way, and that is II
reading ones bible and by prayer.
A number of the boys have toll
me that when shells were bursting
all around and some so close as I
z Ialmost fatten you against the sid
OF the trench, everything they ha
done that was wrong passed bcfor
: them, altho l myself have never .fel
:. uneasy. l have been scared, but
t somehow l always felt safe. O
:. course this is my experience in bein
3 in two heavy barages. feel sure