The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-11-12
LIEUT.. FERGUSON'S
SERVICE IN FRANCE

LiCui. Isout. -. IcI uooii3 Ai. ", cA0IA
Ambulance Co., 305 Sanitary Train,
80th Division, France, to his wife.
Lieut.. Ferguson before leaving was
one of Marion county's leading young
doctors. He is the oldest son of r.
w. Ferguson of Fellowship. Since re-
ceiving' this letter, Lieut.. Ferguson
has been wounded, Oct. s, in the left
leg. While attending the wounded
bomb came thru the roof and burst in
the room, killing a lieutenant across
the table three or four feet from
Lieut.. Ferguson The poor man had
his spine penetrated in three places by
shell fragments Ten others were
wounded. The piece of shell that pene
trated Lieut. Ferguson's leg was
about the size of a half dollar, but
fortunately only made flesh wound
and he hopes to be out in five or six
weeks.
Lieut.. Ferguson has many friends
Throughout the county who will prob
ably be glad to hear of him again.
Lieut.. Ferguson has two brothers who
are doing their bit in Uncle Sans
navy. tours respectfully,
Miss S. E. Ferguson.
Somewhere in Franct, Oct. 2.
My dear Edna: Yesterday passed
and / did not get to write and today
has almost passed. am writing this
on German paper. 1t and the enve-
lope is some we found in dugout
when we advanced and set up dress
ing station in it.
Last Thursday morning l was
awakened by a most terrible barrage
which l could hear going on several
miles away and from its sound / knew
nothing could live in it. Also part
of the company having been carried
up the night before, knew it was our
boys getting ready to go over the top.
| Soon after daylight orders came for
, me to bring the ambulances up and
when / got up I found the Americans
had swept the "Jerrys" off the ground
| in front of them for several miles
back so we just took the cars along,
and when we got carload of wound
ed we sent it back We kept going
that way all day and night overlook
us near village of dugouts, SO we
brought in the wounded, the stretcher
bearers. We cared for them and
! gave them some hot coffee as in one
the dugouts we found kitchen and
lots of food and on the table was set a
nice meal and they had evidently just
set down to eat it as the plates were
partly helped. when the barrage start
ed. We used the coffee for the wound
ed and there was plenty for us, too.
Those who liked limburger also had
some, but no thank you, / do not wish
any. 1t is one thing they say is good
was sausage, canned beef and their
Ihardtack is the best have ever eaten.
We were quite busy that night. |
slept an hour or two sitting up, never
lay down at all. Next morning / went
on forward to the next little village
and found mass of stones where nice
buildings had once been, but we found
two dugouts and two rooms in fair
shape, so / set up dressing station
which proved later to be very central
lily located. Then two smaller ones
were set up farther ahead in the wods
beyond and mine was used as the
base. / had to dispatch all cars as
Iwell as handle many wounded. Twelve
additional ambulances were sent t.
work under my directions so had two
dozen of them and with all that for
three days and nights, scarcely stop
ped. Our troops had reached their
objective, but German long range
lguns shelled them terribly and caused
many wounds. They also shelled the
roads and quite few shells almost
got my dressing station. Several
times mud was thrown on the table
where by instruments and dressings
were.
i The division surgeon and the COM
manders of the train were up several
times where / was at work and were
highly pleased. Sunday night orders
came that we were relieved and an
other company would take over the
work. The other ambulance company
of our division did not get up SO our
company with the extra ambulances
did the whole work for the division
In five to six hours we put the wound
ed men from the battlefields back
Ieight to ten miles to the hospitals, a
thing that has never before been done
in an advance.
! When we came out and got back
to one of our field hospitals for rest
we were commended by the command
er of the sanitary train, the command
ing general of this division and the
commander of this army corps saio
I'VE were the only sanitary train that
had evacuated the wounded so cred
Iitably. All these came in writing, sc
you see it meant great deal to us
Our company just covered itself with
glory. That means that this com.
pany will be cited for its work The
colonel told Capt. H.: "That man IRE.
ferring to mel never saw man like
him." so | feel very proud of myself
Received some old mail from yor
yesterday written from North Caro-
L lima Tho Y M q and Pod Gross