Mansfield mirror., 1919-03-06
FROM d. d. AsHWORTH.


5th Machine Gun Battalion. Amer
lean f. F.. A. p o. No.7l0, ,Weiters-
burg. Germany.
Dear Papa and Mamma:-Your
,e ter reached me last night. 1t was
he fist letter had received since
av ng the I'm ted States Yod can
imagine how much 1t pleased me.
You and mamma are in my thoughts
constantly, and I truly hope to be
bic to spend month with you be
.Ure | .ettlc down after getting out
Jf the army. You viii. notice that /
IN now in Germany. This is a small.
town on the Rhine river, a few IN les
G.oa the large city of Coblenz. W
are he for the purpose of keep ng
! eye on the Hun, to see that h
'rr Cs out the terms of the armistiCc
e.. pas pae. lie is meek and
.fy 3ubmis i've now. TIL Hun Ilc
e tn ir hats TO IS on the stree.
Il Must stand atten ion uncovered
h.lo THE Star Spangled Banner
3 being played. So far everything
Is b ell quiet and orderly: our
IN are quartered in Germ houses
s.e fed wei, but want to get back to
the L S. A I've cen qui great
Ieal of the world .ince | joined the
army-Canada, France. Belgium.
Luxembourg, -Lorra ne and part
of Germany, and the hope to visit
England. the home Of the Ashworths
at Manchester, Lancashire No.
have not had an opportunity to learn
to speak French. was fighting
practically all the tine before com
ing to Germany, bat can speak en-
ough French or Dutch to get any
thing wish, or AL that Is nece sary
in travelling through either country.
Both nations have Their peculiarities,
one in common being that everyone
huddles together in villages and Cit
les. hence no farm houses. The land
is well titled. all in pate hes, about
the see of garden. Even wheat i
grown in small patches Vegetables
are grown and eaten a great deal.
Wine and beer is used at all meals
by both young and old. IN add, to
please you, that I've not been intox-
Gated the slightest since pdtting on
the uniform. was promoted to
first lieutenant on August %; did
not know it until December 10.
am now in command of Co. D. 5th
NJ G. Bn. while the captain is away.
so viii c'oSr. Writ" n" often
Praying Thar you will have good
health and hoping to see you about
June or July, your boy. Dave Ash
worth.
More i am brimfull of talk, and
tore paper out of my note book to fin
lsh writing to you. The chief relis-
ion of this country is Catholic. The
country of France must be 80 per
cent Catholic. attended church
one Sunday in the Argonne forest.
We had Ne hodist Chapla n.
Shells were bursting in the valley be-
low US In another small town We
held church services in Catholic
church. The Catholic priest held his
services at 9 a m. and we held ours
at 10 Z. NJ. On the battlef elds all
denominations flocked together and
knew but one God. | Ike the
French very much The Germans
treat us vel, but can never like
hem after witnessing their crimes
in one town in Belgian tina; we
came through. the Germans lined up
800 women and children against q
church and shot them down with 4
mrchine gun. n 1918. No, I've not
s,rn President Wilson. I've been in
Germany ever s'nce he came over.
Brother John stopp,' off to se' me
one night. We spent the nigh. tG-
sc her and talked almost all ght
This was the first time I nal seen
II m in seven v,a,s We AT" now
about 500 nils =, art and perhaps
W.! not sc. t.. - each 9th rrt,
we get back 70 'he States. 7 have
nc. seen cousin Pen. Int had letter
from him this wv'l. have n"
room, a big feather d, gt d ste, .
anh am living tine When YOU write
a.a:n, tell me all the news y)C have
from all the family. Often letters
are never received over he"e. Per
haps Lo' Robert and the rest have
W. tten me ani I haven't received
their letter.. have sent them
cards and have wr ttcn frequently
do hope hey have received my let
ters and know my address. I wish
both you and Lulu were he'e to eat
pper with mo There ne just fou
'.her Licu'enarts te7ides myself OF
ur mess We would have o"e GOO
'nmily dinner Again with al Low"
">rr hrv Dave A hwo' tn J'n. 25
1919. To C V. Ashwor.h and wife