Smyrna times., 1918-11-13
SMYRNA BOY WRITES OF
HIS EXPERIENCES IN FRANCE
CORPORAL KINSEY BECOMES
SEPARATED FROM HIS COMPANY
Letter Was Received By Mr.. and Mrs.
Harry COle-Kinsey was a Member
of the Family of w. A. Watson.

Harry COle-Kinsey was a Member
of the Family of w. A. Watson.
Corporal Harry Kinsey, former
boy of the Smyrna vicinity, who left
with the Delaware Boys of the 59th
Pioneer Regiment for overseas, is
now Somewhere in France" He is
a member of Company A. In a let
ter written recently to Mr. and Mrs.
Harry Cole, he tells so many interest
ing things, we are giving it space in
full below Corporal Kinsey was
raised by Mr.. and Mrs. William A.
Broadway, near Bayview and has
many friends who will be glad to
know he is safe and comfortable in
France. Corporal Kinsey is brother
of Mrs. Nellie Slaughter, wife of
Edward Slaughter also of near town.
The letter follows:
Somewhere in France, Septem-
ber-Dear Friends Mr. and Mrs. Cole:
Well, | guess that you knew we had |
some place, believe me. 1t is not at |
all like dear old Delaware. The |
houses are all built of stone and con- |
crete. have seen quite good bit of |
France already more than some of |
the boys, who have been over here a
year or more, no doubt. have |
travelled from the Coast of France
nearly to the Front. have been
within five miles of the Front couple
of times.
believe me, two of US have had
hard time of it already. l will tell
lowed to tell all we know, and each
letter has to pass the censor. Well,
on Sunday morning about four o'clock,
three of us had to get off the train,
and when we came back to it, the train
had gone. We did not know what to
do at first, but later we reported to
r. T. o., and from there W" were
sent to a Casualty Camp. Two days
later we were sent to look Tor our
Company, and we have now been look
ing for it twelve days, and are still
ooking. We had a hard time OF AT
first-especially to get something to
eat and place to sleep, but after a
fellow travels a little he soon learns.
We slept in box cars and trenches at
first, and sometimes we got something
to eat and sometimes we didn't, but
now we have learned to travel here,
and when meal-time comes we know
how to get something to eat; also, how
to get a bunk for over night. We
were nearly put in the Guard House
one night, but we showed our travel
ing orders, and that saved our hides.
The A. p. M. then saved us a good
meal and a place to sleep. The next
day he gave us a pass to travel by
truck, so we wouldn't be picked up
by the NJ. P. I'VE were directed to re-
port to the 51st Pioneer Headquarters
in large city about one hundred
miles away, and from there we were
to be directed to the 59th Pioneer
Headquarters, but when we reported
to the 51st, we could not get bit Of
information concerning the 59th, Sc
you see we were as bad off as ever
We hardly knew what to do, only re
port to the R. T. o. and the A. P. M
as we had been doing for the pas
week or so. Anyway, we haven
found our Company yet and it look
as if we aren't going to, so l suppos
we will be transferred to another out
fit and as it cannot be helped now, w
will have to make the best of it. w
lost one of the fellows after we wer
out a couple of days. The other on
is drafted man and was in my squaC
He is from Trenton, N. j., and ha
! only been in the Army two weeks be
fore we left Camp Dix. He is a yer
fine fellow and we are making the bes
) of it together. If l am lucky enoug
to get back home after the war, wi
: be able to tell you all a lot more abou
my experience.
. French No Different From Other
Some of them are very poor, Will
others are not so bad off and til
majority of them are fine people.
have seen some of them eat what tt
Americans leave. They will do an!
thing they can for an American sol,
ier. We see quite a few prett
French girls on the streets, it is hal
d at times to tell them from the Amer
: can girls, but you sure can tell Il
difference when you start talking vii
them. Some of them can speak
little English. We also are learnir
2 to speak a little French, so we dor
9 have so very much trouble maki1
8 each other understand. Things a
about as high over here as thew a