The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-08
GRANITEVILLE
Letter from Lieut.. Murdoch Campbell, in
Officers School at Chatillon- sur Seine.

Letter from Lieut.. Murdoch Campbell, in
Officers School at Chatillon- sur Seine.
Another letter has been received from
Lieut.. Murdoch Gampbell written Feb. 9
from Chatillon-sur- Seine, France, as fol-
lows: In France again. In a way. it
seemed good to come here again although
it seems much colder than the weather
on the Rhine. There is no snow here,
however. 1t was the coolest and most un-
comfortable train trip that | ever took.
Two days and nights on the train. We
left Bendorf, Germany, on the morning
of the 9th. We had a special train and
there must have been some 400 officers
from the different divisions in Germany.
1t is a great education to meet 50 many
men from different ports.
"On the way down we saw the devas-
tated regions in the vicinity of Verdun.
1t was a very cold day, and few inches
of snow covered the ground. Here and
there was a soldiers cemetery on the
battlefield. A soldiers cemetery, espe-
cially as they look now, is a sight to
move most anyone's heart. On all sides
were ruined houses, trench systems and
old barbed wire entanglements. You know
Verdun is the French city that the Ger
mans never were able to take. The
crown prince of Germany threw away
half million men trying to take that
city, and the French lost even more de-
Tending it. Our train stopped short
time at the station in Verdun. There
the Y. NJ G. A gave us hot chocolate and
cakes, which we were very thankful to
receive.
'"The station had been hit many times,
and no windows were left unbroken.
Anyone with a longing for war would do
well to visit that sector, and If he didn t
come away with horror for such a stu
pendous waste of life and materials, !
miss my guess.
"On my way to the front, passed by
Mont Fancon, the hill from which old
Bill watched his legions 60 to defeat at
Verdun
Guess who | met on our train; John
Miles. You spoke of him in your letter.
He is in the 32d division
Lieut.. Campbell continued his letter on
Feb. Is:
Sunday night and nothing to do. My
mind turns towards home and good old
Vermont. Our cold spell broke up early
last week, and now it looks much more
springlike. II is raining tonight and
roads and drill fields are muddy.
"One week of the school is over, so that
can tell you more of what it is like.
We are not working hard, nor is the
studying hard. Our eats are very good.
For hunks we have hospital cots. There
are lao officers in this large building,
which was built for nail factory by
the French government. They intend to
convert the thousands of miles of barbed
wire entanglements found on the various
fronts into nails. 1t ought to keep them
busy for a long time.
"All told, am very well satisfied with
the school and my trip to France. Four.
teen hundred officers and enlisted men
came down from Germany out of the
army of occupation to attend the school.
We are spending a short time on all the
ways and means of fighting. Told you in
my last letter about meeting John Miles.
See him often. Was over to see him to-
day. He is we'll and looking good.
'There are five of us in this building
from the old 57th, four of then from
Vermont This makes it pleasant for
us all.
To-day took trip down to the vii.
lage. | met two fellows who were at the
training camp in Georgia with me. Who
hailed me from the street but boy that
was in the seminary when ! was. It's
about eight years since we saw each 9th.
er last. He knew me at a glance. Guess
haven't changed so very much. In fact,
am heavier than at any time since com.
ing overseas. The uniform that bought
in the States is getting very small for
me. Also saw a Norwich university man
named Hart, He married Mortified girl
when downtown ! visited the ruins
of an old fortress built by the duke of
Burgos, Nearby was a church, part OF
which was built by the Romans when
they invaded France in the year 500 A, D
II is very old, and in it are many statues
of saints, etc. Saint Bernard used TO
preach in this church. There ia one statue
of famous French soldier that q Ger
man pierced with d bayonet when the
Germans invaded France in 1870. 1t is
all very interesting, in a way.
"Am anxiously awaiting my return to
Germany, as my mail had Just started
coming. There ought to be good DIT
there on my return. Am glad that you
are getting my letters. How are Alex
and John Campbell5 Perhaps they are
on their way home.
"Will always be thankful that | got
across. Have learned lot that ought to
help me in later life. The first of next
month l can wear a gold stripe on my
sleeve for six months service here. AL
though / put in application for full and
immediate release, it may be some few
months before l get out. When | do am
going to settle down to the practice
of law
Tell Lester that have two nice Hun
pistols that were picked up on the bat
tlehelds. When I come back will make
a soldier Of him, but not for infantry"
Her Souls Employ.
A comma often makes lot of differ