The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-06-20
ALETTER FROM A /.
RED CROSS nurse

The above letter was sent by our
former townsman, J. J. Engen:
1s@ Jefferson Barracks.
Dear Revillo Friends:
Next to the Guard House, the lso-
lation Hospital is the most DIRE AIDED
place here. :. But when you get there
you find patients, corps OF men, and
nurses quite contented with their lot.
I was transferred to this building to
take charge Of the floor having the
scarlet fever and spinal meningitis
cases. I,Afind this work very inter-
esting.. All the patients are recov-
ering and a few are discharged Tor
duty each day, and Of course new
ones coming in, but this number IS
decreasing and l hope the warm
weather and sunshine will eliminate
the contagious diseases altogether.
What worries theseeager youths the
most is that the invasion of Berlin
will be delayed by their being kept
out of line.
The weather here is fine. We en-
i0v our long walks back and forth
| from duty. When it rains the am
bulance is our means of conveyance
and we enjoy it immensely. Ten OF
| us went to the city in the ambulance
| to ,,,sshear Schuman Heinck last week.
There is a good street car service be-
tween the Barracks and the city,. but
! / prefer the ambulance to ten mile
street car ride. ~u =,
! had heard a great deal about the
Missouri mules, but l had no idea
that they were so numerous. Wher-
ever you hear wagon you can be
sure there is a mule near. Ihey
! seem to be very popular in military
life (if YOU can speak Of beasts as
being POPULAR. l imagine mules to
he nuisance near the front line
trenches. until read that a slight
surgical operation is performed on
their noses. over in France. This
removes the "bray' and leaves a
| harmless wheeze that cannot be heard
by the enemy. -. ,.,
We have open air band concert
every, afternoon. Our military band
IS considered very good. One OF the
band boys happens to be one OF my
patients. He is Russian by plrtn'
but is a true American man: nave
observed great number OF our SOL
diers to be Of foreign birth: ms
does not prohibit their patriotism Tor
"the land Of the free and the home
of the brave"
The officers here treat us very cor
dially. We have been invited to tnelr
lectures which are both Instructive
and entertaining. The officers and
their families are also taking us into
their social circle. They try to make
us feel at home and we 40.
The Archbishop of York, Prlmate
Of the Church Of England, lectured
at the city auditorium this week; ne
urged us to speed soldiers and 1000
I wish you could see how beautiful
.his Mace is now when spring is here.
The weather is warm, in fact so very
warm that l am dreading July II II
is as warm in comparison.
jefferson Barracks is located on
the west bank of the Mississippi, ten
miles south of the city OF st. LOUIS:
Il is United States military post, not
fortified. Being situated on the
bluffs it commands splendid view
of the river. l have been told tnat
the most renowned leaders on both
sides of the, Civil War, were some
time stationed here.
The National Cemetery, covering an
area of twenty acres, is located to me
south of the Post There are 1905
graves. the names of 1856 soldiers
being unknown. On these unknown
graves there are only the numbers
engraved on the slabs. The slabs are
ali uniform. There are no MOUNDS
and no flowers, just the green veivety
carpet of grass following the natural
fluctuations of the ground: Old state
" everygpeens stand like sentrles
along the outer walls. There is rev.
erence about the place that seems 70
saw: Crest on, embalmed and salnted
dead, dear as the blood We gave: NO
impious foot steps here shall tread
The heritage of your grave.
While there my thoughts went 20
the many graves across the sea ana
the many more that will be and these
lines came to me: o:,
"Your own proud lands heroic sou
must be your bitter grave: me Chains
from war his richest spoil, the asnes
Of the dead" ,.,,cr>,
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