Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-23
PVT. LEO HALLAGAN
NOT WAR PRISONER
LETTER ARRIVES FROM OTTAWA
BOY DiSPROVlNG RUMORS OF
HIS HAVING BEEN CAPTURED
BY THE HUNS.

Mr., and Mrs. Richard VI. Hallagan
62o East Superior street, have re.
ceived very interesting letter from
their son Leo, a member of Company
NJ of the Twenty-eighth Infantry, who
has been through much active service
in France Private Hallagan was on
the march at tne time his letter was
written, Nov 20, and had been with
the Yank soldiers who paraded
through some Of the largest cities
in France.
He was unable to write home for
several weeks previous to the time
this letter was written, and false
rumor gained circulation around the
city that he and several other OF
taWa boys had been taken prisoners
caused great deal Of distress 10
their many friends His letter reads
France, Nov 30, 1918.
Dear Mother, Father and All:
Well, | guess it has been over a
month since ! wrote you last This
though, has been the first time We
have been allowed to write since then
We are in a French village now. We
have been hiking all the time since
| wrote you last
It is kind OF cold here. 1t freezes
ice about quarter OF an inch or bet
ter | don't know whether you wi
be able to read this or not; my fin
gers are kind of cold and can hardly
write, but we haven't much time tc
get these letters in, so | am trying tt
write with cold fingers. Well, | have
been receiving all kinds of mail. /
sure seems good. | have received
eight or nine letters from you
mother, including the one with the
money in it, ! don't need money;
have plenty You can't spend il here
However, let me thank You for it.
received the letter with the gun
| in IT, and was sure glad to get it, Il
| is the second stick of gum | have haC
since | have been in France Frances
is sure very thoughtful and more
| than appreciate IT, | received seyera
bars of chocolate from her, which ar
| rived in fine condition. | received
sixteen letters one day and anothe
| day nine. 1t takes about three week
for the mail to come over. Yes, tn,
letters sure have been coming fin
and | am only sorry | am not able t,
| answer them all. | have received
some fine letters from Marge and r.,
and wish ! could answer all of them
We will keep on hiking for a Will
to come, and when we get to a plac
where we stay a few days we are a
lowed to write, because then the
have time to censor them. However
if you don't hear again from me for
couple Of weeks don be worried, be
cause | will be all right.
Well suppose you know by now
or you viii know before you receiv
my letter, that the war Is over. | AZ
more than glad and know that yo
are to know that it is all over
don't know how soon we will 2
home, but it won't be long ! CUES
we are going to be the first divisiO
to so home, as the First Division wa
| the first one over. We are to be i
sued new clothing, and this will /
, the last clothes we will get. We al
! to do a great deal of parading in som
of the big cities over here, but don
: think it will be long before we wi
! be started home.
r Well you sure did have a big tin
/ celebrating the last time you heai
peace had been declared Well yo
p can have another big time again, b,
, let's hope it don't turn ont like Il
+ last time. Well, | guess | have TO
, you about all for this time, | su
=. appreciate all the writing you ha'
v all been doing, for such little that
can do in return. Hope YOU all ke'
4 we'll, and | don't think it will be lol
n before we will all be back.
II WIN say good-by for this tim
With love to all. As ever, LEO.