The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1918-08-22

July II, 1918
Dear Friends:
Well, today is the French 4th OF
July, or Independence day, as near
as possible we are observing under
Gen. Pershing's order. But there is
never any complete holiday in the
medical department.
From what hear you have good
crops. Stopped few minutes with
the Butler Quartermaster bunch the
other day and we snapped news. 1T
we can still get the good reports,
Aug. IA we will know you have a
good corn crop. None raised where
we are here. Mostly small farms and
patches of wheat, rye, barley, oats
and vegetables, but lots of hay
Some fields almost perpendicular, but
they have fine. roads. Easy grades.
They haul with one horse or oxen,
sometimes two, but on these roads
one horse does the work of two or
four in our country French people
are working hard raising all they can
and also taking care OF the orphan
children of which You find some in
each village, in most all cases the
mother is dead and the father either
dead or fighting They have military
teachers tsoldicrs of advanced age
usually teaching them. Rather a
pitiful sight, the hardest of the war,
perhaps. Some are only three or four
years old
We were in the trenches days and
saw about all there was to see, |
guess. We went up on a hill one day
while we were up there and with our
glasses had good view OF the valley
OF the Rhine, the ruined towns; but,
we did not finish Our sightseeing as
the Germans did not appreciate our
looking We were in range and had
to leave We got we'll acquainted
with modern warfare while up in the
trenches, except the real large shells
Our men are anxious to get at them
and when they do there will be diff
ferent mode of warfare i'll Germany |
and France We are not allowed to
write much. II you folks there could
see and talk to these people here
you would have different idea OF
the Germans. These French were
fighting for their freedom just as
sure as we fought England for ours
in the revolutionary war. have
changed my mind considerable about
this war. thought the charge of
conques: against Germany was rather
overdrawn, but their ideas will never
be fully known until the war is over.
But they were fully prepared to dom
nate all Of Europe and thought they
were really to do it.
The Americans here (and there are
egions OF them; you meet them at
Every cross roads almost) are waiting
md it is hard to hold them i'll, but
when they do go they will win this
var Now remember that few
months from now.
We lost some OF our men, but that
S unavoidable in war, but we got Off
pretty lucky. Another bunch, not
ours, but near us, stood II hours of
gas last night with very few casual
les, but all OF our men are fine.
Dung, strong, full of vitality and
lfter this first introduction to shell
ire stand it like regulars
We have done plenty of travelling
ince leaving New York. | think we
lave been all over France, except
What the Germans hold, but we were t
,vcr enough OF another country join
ng France to make up for that t
Well. ! would like to be back and |
&c you all. but could not be salts
led while the war is going on, but |
ont think the war will last long.
Germany has all their men placed and
ant move as formerly without los
ng, while we have wonderful re-
erve of men, food and equipment.
Well, write soon. 1t is about sup
er time and a good soldier never
misses meal intentionally. #
Chas. A. Lusk,
Capt. San. Dept. I3oth Inf, ]
A. E. F.