The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-12-07
tom" LEONARD WRITES
VERY INTERESTING LETTER
Tells of Many Interesting Things
That Have Occurred Since He Left
Home-BOat on Which He Went
Over Carried 1880 Persons.

Leonard who has just arrived in
this country, after having served in
the Army in France, where he was
wounded:
L S. A, Debarkation Hospital.
No :. Staten Island, N. y.
December 4, 1918.
Dear Father:
| received your telegram today and
was very glad 10 hear that all are
! we'll at home. The last letter | re-
ceived was dated August II, and
had heard so much about the inf1u-
enza epidemic that l was quite anXi-
Gus for information.
You will doubtless be interested in
my experience since l left Camp
| Meade. Up until now the Censor
has not permitted me to tell you any
thing
We left Camp Meade on the even
ing of July 5, and went directly to
Hoboken, where We were loaded
aboard the steamship Leyiathan. for
merly the German ship Vaterland,
the biggest ship afoat. We were the
first aboard and therefore had to
wait until she was loaded. We sail
ed OH July 8. carrying IA, 500 troops
and about 1000 sailors, in addition
to the regular crew of 1000.
Arrived at Brest on July 15,where
we camped in our dog tents for two
days, and were then loaded on those
little French box cars, As men to a
car. We rode for four days and
nights and were finally unloaded at a
little French town of about 100 in
habitants, where we were quartered
in stables and hay lofts.
After about a week we We're load
ed on motor trucks and rode for a
day and night, when We arrived at
Champlitte, a town of about 1000.
We found that the 115th Infantry
(the regiment III which the Company
C boys were placed) had just moved
out to make room for us.
Champlitte is located in the yicini-
ty of the large towns of DIXON and
Gray and is long distance from the
firing line We remained here for
six weeks, during which time we I'M
derwent training of the most inten-
sive sort. We were up every morn
ing at five o'clock, and did not have
minute to ourselves until seven at
night.
After we had finished ou.: training
we were again loaded on box cars
and moved to small town called
Longeville, which is not far north OF
Bar lie Due, and not far south of the
front line trenches. We remained
here about a week, when we were no
titled that we were going up near the
front as Reserves. We were accord
ingly loaded on motor trucks and
carried as far as it was safe for them
to go. We unloaded on Friday, Sep
TENDER IS, and after five hour hike
reached our dugouts, which were
about three miles back of the kEast
line trenches.
1t was here that we first came in
contact with the war. Our artillery
was back of us, and shells were con-
stantly whistleing overhead. going in
both directions. None of them, how
ever, were landing near us. Many
times each day we were able to see
battles in the air, which were very
exciting.
After five days in the dugouts, We
started out to take over the front
line trenches. The Germans appar-
emily had exact information as to
when we were TO make the relief, and
made their plans accordingly. When
a company is relieved in thetrenches,
for a short time the trenches are
very crowded, as both the old COM
pany and the new company are there.
There is not room for this many men
in the dugouts. and in case of a
ties are apt to be very heavy.
We were very fortunate in that
our guide lost Us, and We were de-
layed in reaching our sector Just
as we were about to enter the tren-
ches, the Germans opened a tremen-
dous bombardmant of high explosive
shells, which lasted for over two
hours. Shells exploded all around
us, but we did not have a single man
hurt. The Company in the trenches
had one man killed.
After the bombardment was over
we made the relief without Difficult
ty. The first four days in the tren-
ches were rather quiet. with the ex-
ception of the daily bombardment
and a limited amount of rifle fire
each night.
Early on the morning Of the fifth
! day, however, the Germans threw ov-
er an extremely heavy artillery bar
rage, which practically leveled out
our trenches. a great number OF
Germans advanced behind this bar,
| rage and attacked one platoon OF ouI
Company. A platoon is Sc men. The
boys beat off the attack, but we lost
Is killed, one taken prisoner and .
| wounded. The boys claim the Ger
man losses were heavy.
Among the killed were boy nam
ed Gray, from Elliott's Island, and
Pearson, whose home was on Race
street. You may remember Pearson
landing oysters TO US last iall.
| The night following the attack, we
were relieved and marched back
| about miles and pitched Our tents
in a woods. We rested here for two
or three days, during which time we
made preparations for taking part in
| the Big Drive, which our officers told
us was to end the war. These prep