Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-07-31
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE" "
Brave Edgeheld Boy Writes to
His Beloved Mother. Ev- s
licences Very Fine
Spirit.
July d, 1918.
NV dear Mother:

so earnestly hope your health is no
worse, also hope you have improved
since l last heard from you. That
was about the same day | left AM
erica. I have been expecting letter
from you, though it never comes. |
have written you several times since
coming here. You must be certain to
write me always. 1t may be some
time before will get your letters
but I will be proud to hear from you
at any time.
Well, am spending an Independ-
epce day in France. Little would l
have dreamed of such thing few
years back. It is certainly true that
we know little of what the next day
brings forth.
All drill formations were called off
for today. We have certainly enjoy
ed the rest for we were real tired
from the last few days of work, they
being a little harder than usual. l
spent most of my day washing my
few little clothes and trying to sleep.
I hope by the next Fourth I will
be in good old America, for there is
no place more dear to me. I guess
by the time you receive this letter,
today will be old. y
We are still working as usual but
some day before long we will be
fighting more than usual. NJ
Mother, it is very dry here. We.
would like so much to see some rain.i
We had a few days of warm weather
real summer, though the nights are
still cool. The crops here do not seem
to suffer as much from drouth as they.
do in our country. The wheat here is
in full head. 1 suppose it will be the.
middle of the month before it will
do to harvest. All the crops you see:
of any Importance are wheat, beetss.
land pota toes: They have a fe,ss ffessEss..s 49,.
and clover sown. 1t is very interest
ing to see them cultivating their
beets. They crawl on their knees to
thin and hoe them out, which is very
slow work to US Americans. 1t seems
as if they stick to their old methods,
there being very little Improvement
in their cultivation in the last hum
dred years. Take for instance their
two wheeled carts with which they
do all their hauling. They are the
same you see in pictures of France
years ago. You never see or rarely
ever see, four wheeled vehicle.
Mother, my address is, Corpl. W.
F. Manson, Co. D., ia NJ. G. Bn.
Inf, American EXpeditionary Forces.
My serial number is 1165029. This
number you should always include
on the address just before or after
my name. l hope you have received
some of my letters for l know you
were anxious to hear from me. The
mail is very uncertain 1 know. l am
certainly disappointed by not receiv-
ing letter from you. Mother, if you
are not able to write get some one
of the family to write.
I do hope Papa and yourself are
both we'll. How are you getting along
with cultivating the crops? l know
it keeps everyone busy just now.
do hope you all will make good
crop this year. 1t will mean much
help to all.
Well, I hardly know what to write
you today in regard to the world at
large. 1 can tell you, we are here, but
how long, 1 do not know. Home now
is very uncertain for soldier in the
theatre of war. All the troops are in
good spirits and their health is fine.
think 1 told you in my last letter
that I had received my baptism OF
fire. I have seen and experienced
what war is in the trenches. l was
in a certain sector of front line
trenches under all sorts of fire. saw
the ways of slaughtering human life.
l was in a gas attack for few hours
and I think 1 behaved very we'll for
my first time. l was never the least
excited for there is no use to be. l
have better conception of what war
is now. Where the good qualities are
am yet to see.
Mother, l have not heard from
Grady yet. Is he still in America?
You must tell him my address and to
write me. If l knew where he is l
would write to him. Tell Alma and
M. L. not to think hard of me for not
writing them. l know when l write
you they will all know how am but
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