Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-02-14
LIEUT.. EDWARD GRAY
KILLED TWO GERMANS
Madison Boy Writes Sister of Great
Experiences He Had In War Be
fore Huns Captured Him.

His sister, Mrs. harlan Combs, has
just received letter from Lieut.. Edw
was captured by the Germans at the
Marine, where the Americans stopped
the rush toward Paris, and then had
to spend several months in German
prison camp. He says:
Jan 1, 1919.
My Dear Sister and Family-As
this is New Years day, will write
you a few lines to let you know how
am getting along since / was re-
leased from the prisoner of war camp
lin Germany. l don't remember if /
have written to you since my release
or not but If so, maybe it won't do but
little harm to duplicate some of my
morer letter to you as no doubt you
already know that / arrived back in
France about Dec. LIST via Switzer-
land and while travelling thro that lit
tie country, received from the Swiss
people some royal welcome, especially
in Berne and Geneva where the Amer
lean Red Cross society met our train
and simply came in and dragged US
from our car to show US a good time
and that we were welcome there Just
before arriving in France, we passed
thro one of the longest railroad tun-
nels in the world. 1t passed under
large mountain near Mt. Blanc and
was something like six miles long.
We arrived in little town in France
called Bellegarde, where we were met
by an American Red Cross train and
from there taken to Allerey, France,
to large American base hospital,
where we were guaranteed for a
few days until they were satisfied that
we had no kind of contagious disease.
All this time we were treated like
kings. being waited on and cared for
by the pretty nurses and while there
I sent telegram to A. E. F. head.
quarters to get reassigned to my old
regiment, the It'll infantry and there
fore, in few days, my request was
granted and on Dec. 9th, left there
with few days leave of absence be-
fore reporting for duty. So here are
some of the cities which visited or
my leave. You can get a map of
France and Germany and find these
places easy, They are: Paris, Tours.
Chalons, Verdun, Nancy, Toul, Cam
bari, St. Quentin, Metz, Treves and
my old historic battle field Chateau
Thierry. As you know, some of these
places saw some of the bitterest fight
ing in this war.
| was in Paris on Dec. 14th, the day
that President and Mrs. Wilson came
there and talk about a crowdl That /
was the largest and the hardest one /
to get thro that ever / was in. / man
aged by the hardest to see the Presi-
dent and his wife and believe me, he
certainly was welcomed to the CITY (,
by all and it was a big day for all
Americans.
Wen. after this fine trip around thro q
France, / rejoined my outfit. Dec. % 4
at Coblenz, Germany, which is on the /
cember 26th and then came back to
sur Seine, France, where / Il
am in an infantry weapon school now
then go back to Germany. So this |.
ends my history from the time of 4
lease from Deutschland to now do Il
not know just how long win be over ,
here. Would like to be back home and |
see all you folks now and again. as |,
was with the first TO set foot on Euro |,
pean soil. / wouldn't mind to be the
last to leave and If that be my luck I,
look to be here for at least six months
longer. |.
Since have been in the army, II.
have travelled something like 10000
miles; have been in Mexico, France.
Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and
Switzerland and in 81 states in Amer ;
icr. all the way from San Francisco
to New York and have seen some beau
tiful country and grand cities in my
travels. But if l was back in Rich |,
mond. KY, today think it would look
better to me than all the rest. guess
you think it is high time that Lam
coming back there. Well, believe me, h
am as soon as possible and I think 1,
will pay you one long visit when Ii
do come, as you know have had near |,
ly six years of this army game, altho
like it just fine, but then I think |.
Just a few weeks at home would do
me a whole lot of good / sure am |,
anxious to see all of you. guess the |,
children have grown so much would Il
not know them and it is very doubtful |,
4 l would you or Harlan, but guess
we could get acquainted soon, don't |,
you? How did you all spend Christ Ii
mas this year? I suppose old Santa ,
Claus brought you and the kiddies all
kinds of presents. I had very good
Christmas in Germany but / received
no presents whatsoever, only some
hard looks from the Germans. hope
by next Christmas will be near
.nough to spend it with you all. Since
Harlan got rich off his tobacco crop
asst year what is he doing now for a
living? hope he just keeps his good
uck and makes money that way every
year. ! have now coming to me six
months pay from the government, L
which amounts to something Ike Ii