Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-27

Mrs. Bert Reynolds of Summer St,
Oakland. has received the following
letter from her son Carl Reynolds or
Co. Z. 9th Reg. L. S. Engineers:
Sunday. Jan. 10. 1918.
Base Hospital No. -.
Somewhere in France.
My dear Mother:
/ have been sent to an army hos
pital farther inland, as YOU can see 10y
the number of the hospital. | am al
most well again although l have not
walked much yet. / rode on a stretch
Ell coming over on the train. | wish
you could see the French train es
pecially the engine The train goes
between eight and ten miles an hour
stops at every station and farm house
breaks down every 80 miles, and has a
whistle like a tin horn, although a
captain told me it was the best Hos
pital train in the allied Army. There
were about IS cars on and you could
put one Of them inside one of our
Pullman cars. One car is connected
with another by a loose chain, there
are two iron bumpers on each side of
the car, and when the cars start or
stop all the cars bump together one
after another. The car has only four
wheels two under each end. Can you
imagine what the trains are? No heat
in the cars, and the floor was wet, and
the worst was, that the men who took
care of US were French soldiers, and it
was job to make them understand
what We wanted, but l got along
fine for knew some French from my
book. But "trebou" we got here all
right, and from what they tell me it
is a beautiful place. The Hospital is
fine with a lot of Red Cross nurses,
and the food is fine. And say, the
bread is the kind we used to get in
Fairfield sometimes, You know, the
bread with both ends picked and big
in the middle. The boys who are at
PENDANTS here are University of Pitts
burg boys. They are fine boys too, but
| liked the sailor boys at the other
hospital better. The steward up there
would bring me things after every
meal, SO | got custard, apple pie. and
apple dumplings outside Of my regular
meals. ] have been trying to get some
fudge, but it is no use, perhaps you
can send me some. Can you send me
some caramelS? 1t is hard to get
American tobacco.
The grass is green and things are
growing. and women and girls are hoe
ing in the gardens and doing other
work. They also tend the railroad
crossings. All the men you see at
work are very old men and boys. The
woods are beautiful; no underbrush,
they are just like parks. l have seen
quite lot of wooden shoes. | saw
some German prisoners at the other
place where | was stationed.
Jan. %
! am up and have my clothes on to-
day and hope to be discharged so
can get back to my regiment by Fri
day and | hope there will be a letter
and a package there for me. We had
q Nictrola in my ward this morning
and we had 4 great time. have read
quite lot since | have been i'll with
pneumonia and sometimes YOU can
send me book sill vous plait".
have not set a foot on French soil vet
and | have been here a month What
do you know about that? But III soon
he out and hope to be home for next
Christmas.
Jan. 25
| am still here but am up and out
doors. We go over TO the little Y NJ
G. A. and rlay checkers and the Vic
troia i'll the afternoon. The doctor has
just examined me and I'm to he dis
charged and sent back to my regiment
within ten days. light duty. Write and
tell me all the news from Oakland. Is
the High School playing much basket
ball. | wife YOU every few days /
hope you got the letter | mailed from
the boat as we were leaving the states.
And say. milk chocolate is very hard
to get here. too.
Jan. 90
| will leave here in few days. I
have been discharged as a patient. but
they are :rying TO locate my regiment
have pretty good time here. but T
haven't hardly anything to smoke, but
am pretty good on cumming cigars so
J get along. | have good food and a
good place to sleep and I am salts
fled. Just think next Saturday will be
seven weeks I've been in the hospital.
Some time. what. | will close telling
YOU | like fudge as we'll as ever.
Write, write. write
| remain always.
Your loving son.
PVT. CARL y. REYNOLDS.
60. =, 9Th Reg, L. S. Engineers,
american Expeditionary Forces.