Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-12-25
SOLDIERS LETTERS

A letter from Ralph Miles Of Bar
ton, to his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. G.
T. Miles:
Somewhere in France,
Nov. II, 1918.
My dear Folks:
Well, / am q good many miles
from where / was when wrote my
last letter. We are away up in the
mountains now and it is very cold up
here, but don't think we will be here
very long. We had a hard time get
ting up here, Is Of us being on guard
over our tractors and guns and had
to sleep on fiat cars. I came near
freezing to death, and / wasn't the
only one either. We are in barracks
now and have a stove and plenty of
good soft wood boards to sleep on,
but they feed us well, so guess We
will get along all right. have had
bad cold but am better, only ! am
some tired. We have had to work
three nights in succession, but to-
morrow is SundayT, SO we. can rest:
Well, our band is playing this at.
ternoon. / tell you it sounds good
to us. We haven't had any music
Off a long time, on account OF that
terrible sickness, influenza, that has
Well, expect everyone at home IS
glad of the good news. How / would
like to be there to help you celebrate,
but YOU bet we did some celebrating
here.
I can't understand why / don't get
more mail from you folks. l have
not heard word for three weeks.
would like to hear oftener, but l
won't say much, if you both will only
keep well until / get home.
49, Nov. 10Th.
Still in France, but moved again.
Have just received two letters from
YOU, and you bet was glad to hear
from YOU. I wonder what the wealth
er is in old Vermont. We have had
a snow storm today and it is very
cold and the ground is white with
snow. We went for hike today
with overcoats on, so you see 1T must
have been cold. We walked for three
hours without any rest at all.
There is a lot would like to tell
YOU if l dared to, but l don't think
the censor would let it pass.
You asked in your letter If got
the pictures all right. l did and they
were fine. I had to have good
sauall; but I've got over it. 1t made
me think of the good times We used
to have at home.
About the Christmas package, l
got a coupon to send you, but l
thought it over, and there isn't any
thing I want that you could send ex-
cept some of mothers good old home
cooking, and that would spoil before
it reached me, so I didn't send the
coupon. And about money, l have
all I want. or ] should say, all /
ought to spend. Of course, we can't
buy much for dollar or as they
figure here, a franc! The French
certainly know how to charge the sol
diers for grapes, nuts, figs, apples,
spend a few francs a week at the
Y. M. C. A. for hot cocoa and cookies.
Let's change the subject. l wish
you could see this camp where we
are now. 1t is a great place and the
Y. M. C. A. is a nice building. You
know I have spoken many times
about Brown. He and went for a
walk Sunday and went into an un-
foreground trench for nearly half a
mile. Beyond that we picked up
many pieces Of exploded shells and l
wish you could see what holes those
things can make in the ground. This
country where we are now is very
rough.
Well, I guess / have scrubbed
enough this time. hardly know what
/ have written and don't know as it
will interest you, but. one thing I
know will interest you, is that I am
well and tough as ever, so don't you
worry about me. And whatever you
do, take good care Of yourselves so
we can have a good time when I get
home. How l wish was there to-
night. I'd talk more than ever.
Oh, there have been so many of the
boys taken away. We can't all come
home, much as we would like to, but
we will leave it with the Almighty
God, our King, and he will do the
right.
I must close now, with lots of love
From your soldier boy,
Ralph.
The following is part of a letter