Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-02-26
WAS IN MANY FIERCE BATTLES

by Corporal John A. Burnard. Ito his sister,
Mrs. Edward Turner) Battery B, 18th, Some
where in Germany, December 1871
My Dear Sister: l will try and answer your
letter of October 81. which 1 received some
time ago. have been moving much that
have had time to write to any one. We
have at last reached stepping place, at least
for few days, will try and write to all of
you back home.
As censorship has mostly been done away
with l will try to write a little more than
heretofore. | think l wrote to dad about the
different battles | WIS in, bus you may be
moved to your home before he gets the
letter / will skip them for your sake.
When we left the training camp at Bordeaux
we were sent to Chateau Thierry to help out
in the drive which was going on there. We
were in reserve and just followed up the more
advanced artillery until the 9th of August,
when went into position on the line. We
staid there until the 18th when were re-
lieved and went back to a little town some
distance from there. We staid there for a few
days and then started for the St.Mihiel front.
We were only there few days during the
drive of September 18th and 18th, then we
drive which started September 2sth. We staid
there almost a month and then went back
for three days, and then went right back into
the line again and took part in the drive of
November LIST, which turned out TO be the last
big drive. We left that front the 10th of No
vember, the day before the armistice was
signed. We went TO a little town near Com
mercy. France, which is near Toul. We staid
htere few days and they started us for Ger
many. We started the hike on November 20,
and finished il yesterday. December 18th, but
hiked I6 days from Commercy and 4 days be-
fore got there SO that makes 20 days since
we left the front on the 10th of November.
We are now in a little town in Germany
about SO or so kilometers between 80 and 80
miles, from Coblentz. | thought for while
we were going to Coblenz. but did not.
We came through some beautiful country on
our way here. Nicer than any ! saw in
France. The people here treat fine, too,
that is most Of them do. | am billeted with
some German people now and they use me
fine. ] have a bed to sleep in and they give
something nice TO eat most every day. This is
the first real bed have had for some time.
suppose you hear lots about the Germans being
short of food. and of they are, but they
appear to have more than the French did
at that One thing you don't see here is
white bread. but in most places they seem to
have plenty of the dark bread. Fats and
grease of any kind very scarce and butter
very high priced. Kerosene and such stuff
is very
| don't know how long we are going TO stay
here but will be here for three weeks at
least, think. Will stay here until after the
9TH of January and then | don't know what
will do, but | hope start for home.
When / read your letter got TO thinking how
odd everything will seem when l get home.
places and lots of the old faces gone and
won't know where anyone lives. The du
must have been pretty bad back there from
all | have heard. l was sure surprised and
guess there are some cases of the flu over here
but not many that have heard Of
Only one week till Xmas. II makes a
fellow think of home when he is so far away
at this time of year and way Of getting
home. / didn't have much Of a dinner on
Thanksgiving day, but hope to have more for
Christmas but nothing like you will have
know l would sure like to get some of your
pies right now.
December 10. Ii showed a little this morn
ing, just enough TO make the gound white but
il is all gone now. That was the first snow
We have had. We had few days of freezing
weather the last of November but since that II
has been damp and rainy most of the time
Well ] am Out of paper SO will close for this
time Write soon.