The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-11-30
CLOSING DAYS OF THE WAR
Descriptive Letter from Capt. A. E
HoIle.

HOile.
Following il a portion of letter re
ceiyed from Capt. A &. Houle who
went to France early in the summer
with the 2Gth engineers:
When | wrote to you last, was at
Brest, in rest camp We left this
camp, one morning about 200 o'clock
to take a train that would carry us to
the western part of France. After
travelling for number of days, we
got off at Lemans, where we complet-
ed our gas mask drill instructions,
and were issued our steel helmets.
These helmets are called by the boys;
tin lids After four days of instruc
ton, we, once more boarded the train
this time, to not get off. until we
reached Clemont-en-Argonne We
We're fit to take physical drill, so tired
we were from sleeping in the French
Pullman" This car consists OF
several compartments, access to
which is gained by doors on either
side Of the car If YOU wish to com:
municate with the fellow next door.
you get out by the side door, and
reach your neighbor by clnging to an
iron rail, and walking on a running
board. such as you have on open troll
ley cars. The bed consists OF up.
holstered seats and You sleep in the
sitting posture. IN that way you are
always ready to alight
Arriving at Clermon-en-Argonne at
noon, we prepared to unrol our bed
ding rolls. and spread, them out on
wooden hunks, the spring part OF
which. was made of chicken wire
screening. But Oh how good that
did look to us anything for a chance
TO extend the lower extremities No
one sat up to visit. on the contrary
all went to bed very early, with the
ayOwed intention Of hitting that bunk
for all I was worth until reveil fol
we were called at a. m. THAT hour
seemed 10 be fatalistic to u.s. We
were told to prepare to 90 for a hike
Can You imagine going for hike at
such matitunal hour?
Our hike lead us up in the neighbol
hood of Vergennes. where the road.
had been blown up by mines Thes,
roads had to be put in shape to allow
the great amount of traffic to move t'
the front The boys all cheerfulll
went at It with cheer and Zest In th'
afternoon. we were ordered furthe
up to another crater in road Here
we found the fields around this i'm
mense hole in the highway. complete
" mined. Such was the demoniaca
intentions OF the Boches. that the.
must have said; a detour will have Il
built here. so we will mine the fields
Ii was at this spot. that we had on
frs. casualties from these inferno
mines TWO killed and y seriousl
wounded
An the time we were at this place
she Is were constantly droppin
around us. machine gun fire from all
planes and add to this the incessan
pounding of our artillery located nea
10 us, and you may have some idea q
what noise we had to put up will
At night. our shelter consisted
abandoned trenches, while some o
the boys preferred their pup tents,
is surprising how one gets used to a
this inferno. for we were not long ge
ting to sleep ! might add that "
were subjected to two gas attacks /
the afternoon, and one during n
= nigh;
While located at this spot, it wa
there that ] saw the greatest amour
of traffic that ! had ever seen in m
life We were on the line of cor
munication Of Pershing's Army
c was a case Of one auto truck after II
other; then came automobiles carr
3 ing officers. then whole string
r tanks, to be followed by whole AZ
8 munition train. these to be follow,
4 by infantry, supply trains of all d
$ scrptions. what Of motor cyclisi
r cavalry and artillery trains Pc
d nsylyania Ave. Washington. d.
k and Fifth Ave, y. Y. are like con
y try roads as compared to the hig
e. ways leading to the front 1t may
consuling to the people back home,
" know that one OF the principal,
Is well as most heavily loaded Of trail
d. is that carrying food to the boys
a. the front lines.
n. one day having to 80 to ihe toy
I'd Of Les elettes. we did not rcmrn I
ls late al night Progress was slow
We account OF the amount of traffic a
ne pitch darkness no light allowed
night in this sactor) Not being all
he to locate our unit ON account OF {
at hlackness OF the night I told the tru
ke driver to pull along the roadside a
we slept ON the floor OF the trul
Some time in the wee hours of {
morning, was awaken by my neil
Dor named Wilson He said to M
nv "Captan. think we are I'm ",