Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-02
OTTAWA BOY WRITES.
Of BIG BATTLE Of.
THE PRESENT DRIVE
SERGT. MAJOR JULIUS RICH
ARDSON, IN A VIVID LETTER,
WRITES OF BATTLE IN WHICH
"OTTAWA'S OWN" COMPANY
TOOK PART.

"OTTAWA'S OWN" COMPANY
TOOK PART.
A letter was received in Ottawa this
morning by Gus May from iSergt,
Major julius Richardson, who left Of
tawa with the boys of Company { and
was later transferred to the head
quarters of the 33d Division, where
he is now stationed. His letter con-
tains one of the most interesting and
vivid descriptions of battle from the
present big drive yet to be published.
That the Ottawa boys are having
experiences worth going through can
readily be learned from Cergt. Major
Richardson letter, which reads in
full:
France, Oct. 4, 1918.
Dear Gus:
received your letter OF Sept. 8
and. believe me, It was a welcome
one.
Your letter come TO me last night,
but | had such terrible headache
and pains in the back OF my neck that
| really couldn't stay up to write
you word, but retired to my blankets
toute de suite, but this evening ! will
endeavor to pound Que few notes on
an Underwood and will give you a lit
tie dope and news of late.
Yesterday bunch of us got a lit
tie dose of ptomaine poisoning from
some kind of canned stuff, mostly
bully beef, but littie things like that
don't make much difference. How.
ever, after a good nights sleep ! feel
much better today, and go into the
game with renewed vigOr. | am very
fortunate just at present, for We have
pretty good dugout and It's pretty
comfortabe--in fact. the best place
I've had to sleep for a long time.
The dugouts heretofore were so damp
| dilin't care to inhabit them, so just
took the chance OF ducking when
Jerry shelled or dropped his pills at
night.
Since last writing you we have
again moved, and this time it was tc
I better place. These scores OF
| French villages that we strike are
! ike picking a bunch OF peaches ou
| Of a basket. one is bad, the other is
worse, most of them awful, and some
times we get a fair one. Most o
| hem are shelled to almost nothing
| and OF course, We see no civilians AM
| much less any women for weeks at {
| time. Kind of hard, with a pocke
| iull Of francs and no place to spen
them.
These towns were once inhabited,
will say. for at least Judge 50 by th'
signs on parts of the walls or IN
buildings that are left standing, bu
this far up you find no one, of course
but troops The last week has bee
busy one, but just now things ar
rather quiet, as is usually the cast
the lull after the storm
Our division has been in a grea
battle and surely did wonderful worl
and Illinois has right to be prou
as she wants to be of her men owe
E here For weeks preparations OF tn
+ coming attack had been made. FC
weeks all night long the roads wei
/ | crowded to their fullest capacity wit
G miles OF marching troops, tanks, ca
non and tractors of every description
1 ammunition trains and supply wagol
going into their POSITIONS at the fror
1, At times Is was almost impossib
4 to pass on the road. All this vi
4 done at night. From sunset TO su
+ rise the roads were a mass of INC
l. ing armies; not light to show &
way, and the only noise that could
! heard was the tramp of the troo
= and the rumble and the rattle of t
d motor trucks and wagons. 1t was
Of wonderful sight, and although | ha
* seen this before this time it was
Ii greater magnitude. Many of
De nights were dark as pitch and o
il could not see five feet ahead of hi
d Many nights it rained and blew,
&c. this did not stop the continual maj
ed of our armies to their positions.
The night before the attack we tr
en- eled on the road and in a coal bl;
Mt night for FIVE hours to our new p'
gh tions. The roads were just a m
ed Of traffic and it surely was an ms
ing scene. Finally everything '
he set for this affair. A week ago
.et Thursday was the time set for
Ike attack, and at 1880, on Wednest
he the barrage started. Five minutes
mi fore this hour everything was as
so as death. Precisely at 30 the 81
Continued on page 3. col. l.)