The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1918-11-16
LETTER FROM CAPT. M. X
WILSON.


Is going Oh than we do, who are
over here; but if you could see how
we Yankees have taken charge of
this country and are running things
you would be ready to cry as the
French, Vive La AmericaniA. i"
The truth of the matter is, if we
had been situated like the French
were at the beginning of the war
with their standing army, we
would have had the Boche licked
long ago-for the sim pie reason
that one American can do more
work in one day than two Eng
llshmeu and two Frenchmen, and
this is a war of work more than it
is one of fighting, and we can
fight like hell, too.
l have been on the go for the
past six weeks, which has made
it hard for ME to get any mail. l
have Travelled from one end of
France to the other since l have
been here and will move again in
few days.
Just now l am somewhat of
big bug" myself. l have three
com panies in my command (about
$50 men) and, of course, as is al
ways the case with the command
ing officer, l do not do anything
myself. My past experience as a
junior officer taught ME what to
to do. During the past year l
have trained myself full compile
ment of non commissioned officers
which l have managed to keep
with ME, so now l have easy sail
ing, as l make them responsible
and they do all the work. Lieu.
tenants are no good only to fight,
and in that respect, poor fell
lows. eXpendable like shovels or
T, picks. We are sure using many
one Of them over here.
The Yankee soldier is a great
proposition and somewhat hard
to har die. In coming over here
there was a Uboat attack, and
when the Hun took a crack at the
transport with his trouble maker
the dough-boys, instead Of making
for their life preservers, rushed to
the side of the boat to see where
the torpedo would strike, and
when she went off. filling the air
full of water and steel. they all
cheered like so many school boys.
The work of the destroyers was
something great, In less than
! five minutes they covered the spot.
circling around like fish hooks,
dropping depth bombs nearly as
fast as you could count, and about
t he fifth bomb up came wrcckage
and oil showing that the Hun had
"fnished," as the French say
when a man meets his fate. But
for the Lille of me. I couldn't cheer
as the rest of the men did, tho |
came from a race of soldiers and can
nut a man out with as good grace
as ANYBODY. A submarine that
attacks a transport guarded by
destroyers simply takes his life in
his hand and they know 1t. All
7 could do was to bow my head
and say a prayer for good men
who were going out" The
depth bomb has solved the subma-
rine warfare, and, as l wrote yor
last winter, the airplane produced
bv us is solving the fight on the
front. Today the enemy is bllnd
w. can see, as we have the all
sup,e emacy. Their lines OF com
munication are at our mercy.
Winter is about to begin II
France. We have already ha(
, several good frosts and hundred
oood rains. This climate doe
not compare very favorably Will
orrs. but to the Americans owe
here there is nothing as good a
ours.
If it is possible, would like TO
the people of Rosedale to DO some
thing in the way of Christmas 10
Company L. Very few or ny
mon have any folks at home, bein'
foreigners. and they would appre
ciate any attention.
Yours,
M. K. WILSON
Capt. Inf, U. S., A. P. o. 7oo