The Press., 1918-12-19

to Guer to an artillery training cam
 where we put in a stiff four month
 drilling in mud and snow with greer horses, and from there went to Sois sons where we went to the front fo
 the first time, Feb. 8. I went up witt the signal detail as a telephone lines
 man and operator and they told us a
 school that the life of a linesman il this war was about ten minutes, bu
 you see somebody was off on the timC as I am here now, though there were many times when I would have swapped my chances for a package ol Bull Durham, thought so little o1 them. Soissons was very quiet al this time, and toward the last oi March we pulled away from there over the road for two weeks of drill ing, and toward the last went by forced marches through all sorts oi weather. Easter Sunday we were on the road from daylight till after dark in pouring rain and nothing to eat until we pulled into Fox De Pagny and there had a hot supper. 4 few days after we were in position on the Foul front where we saw our first fighting, the Seichprey affair, and we thought that was some fight, but it was easy beside the later ones. The Huns had things pretty much their nIa 1arv used to take pot shots at our tele- phone men, if the balloon observers happened to see them and would reg ister their guns on us. Several times I have had to drive into a shell hole or ditch, or just lay fiat on the ground until they stopped smelling, and you can't imagine the feeling anyone has to te lying there expecting shell to land right on top of you. Toward the last of June we were relieved and ex- pected rest, but instead, after a ride found ourselves up near Chateau Thierry where the Huns were coming through. On July 18th we started that drive after having had numerous battles and hair-raising experiences and you know how we stood Joe 3Oche on his ear and chased him out of that region. Our infantry was re- ieved toward the last of July, but the artillery kept on till August 9th when we were relieved for a rest and we lOped furlOughs, but after week or BOis, near ChatillOn sur Marne we
 ntrained again, and after few hikes landed on the front again, this time not far from our old positions near Foul, only farther north around St. Mihiel. This drive started Sept. 18th and we made quick work of the
 hey could, but after getting on the plains they put up more resistance md made it warm for us nearly every night. Our Eattery was in position at Les Eparges and every night we would have a sniping piece go up )ver the mountain to take sixty or seventy shots at the back roads of the Germans, the same as they did to us, md it sure was warm ride back and Orth when the road was being shelled. The horses all on the gallOp and can 1Oneers riding the pieces holding on Or dear life. We were finally relieved again and immediately started over he road, and after hike of nearly twenty-five miles landed at Verdun. They say over here that you are not a :oldier until you have fought at Yer lun; well we can say now that we Ire soldiers, for the last two months were the toughest of all and we were
 helled continually day and night. The tattery was in position in what
 yas known as Death Valley, and it vas we'll named for the valley was ;trewn with skeletons and partly
 uried bodies of Frenchmen and Ger mans from the fighting of two years
 efore. We lost several of our fine
 OyS ucEc, COO1 anu OuS OL lily IclS-
 hone men. I was in charge of the ietail as the sergeant had gone back
 with a touch of shell shock. Well,
 he word came over the wire finally
 hat the fighting would stop Nov. 11th md we counted the days until Sunday
 light when we moved forward again md pulled into position at eight next morning. We fired right up to Il o'clock when everything stopped and lot sound after that, the Guerre was 1nis. There were plenty of bOn-fires
 hat night and afterwards, and two
 avs later we pulled away from the ast front and the next morning was ordered on my seven-day leave and lere I am at the best hotel, sleeping a regular bed and everything. I suppose Sunday finishes it and we go ,ack to the battery, wherever it may ,e, so I must close now with love to Ill the folks and wishing you ali .Ierry Christmas and a Happy New Tear. Will.