The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-01-10
CHRISTMAS LETTER FROM
SERGEANT DALLAS MARK
Tells of Trip Across France in Box
Cars-Co1dest Ride He Ever Had
Where Do We Go From Here?

, CarS-SoldeSt Ndde he Ever Had
Where Do We Go From Here?
Sergeant Dallas M. Mark has writ
ten his parents the following letter
from overseas:
Dear Dad: Merry Xmas. This let
ter l understand will reach you on
Xmas day SO while you are resting,
which you must today, l will give you
little insight of our long journey.
You know of our long movements up
until the time we left New York. That
was long night. Orders came for
us to be ready to move at midnight
Sunday, November Is. Left Camp
Mills at 2 o'clock Monday morning,
then short distance on the railway,
then a trip on the ferry which landed
us at Hoboken pier, where we boarded
our transport about 9 o'clock. And
| Daddy I'll never forget how it seemed
to leave the solid foundation of old
America. The day was spent prepar-
ing for the voyage. That night we
started away and continued for IA
days. We had a very eventful trip.
No "Subs" showed up for our amuse-
ment. Only now and then a large
| 1911 Vi oOiiiC MIL W thC WHdlC. ltoW-
ever, at night, or rater in the even
ing, as we were ordered to our hunks
at $50, many men were to be found
along the rail watching the phospor-
GUS lights on the surface. We were
lodging the big waves as they came
overheard during the storms. About
the mess I'll wait until later and tell
you about that, it might make you
hungry and want to leave home
However, We are all fat and lazy.
The dav before we landed at ST.
Nazaire we were on the lookout for
land, some one sighted a dark cloud
on the horizon and then the argument
began, some for and some against the
issue, but no land appeared.
The trip across the bay was very
rough as we were nearing the harbor,
all the transports formed in single
line. Three days later we were walk
ing again on old Mother Eath, which
was much preferred to the closely
packed boat, We saw Franch box
and flat cars near the dock but owing
to the size of them we supposed they
were for some use on some small rail-
road. They are about IL feet long
and standard width. France being
so much smaller country, in fact
smaller than the state of Texas, a car
the size of ours would not be practical
here. We were at the rest camp for
five days. 1t was very cold and damp
there. A large number of our men
were transferred there and all their
clothing records had to be completed.
We had no stoves to keep our fingers
xxya vrya he ata1
trio iron we had with US and used it
as finger warmer. 1t worked pretty
we'll. Then the order came to get
ready to move at o'clock next morn
ing. We packed our chests. rev some
more clothing, and we did not have
room for Surgeons sewing machine
which we brought from the states. We
have longed for it several times since
we arrived at Anglers.
That was one of the coolest trips
ever made. We were in the small
French box cars, fourth class" for
six hours, arriving at La Cortine in
central France in the late afternoon.
We had very good quarters there with
stoves and beds, board beds which
sioped to the foot and were fastened
to the wall with a hinge arrangement
We had good Xmas dinner there,
Max Gibbons being on the job with
lots to eat. We had the room decor
ated with holly and evergreen. A few
days later we received our first mail,
and Oh Daddy! that was a great day.
About two months and no mail We
were surely an anxious bunch. Nearly
every man received at least one letter
Glenn was ordered out January 9TH.
went down to the train with him. He
got away on second class, but wrote
back he was travelling first class be-
fore he reached his destination.
| We left there for little town
called Sells-Sur- Chur. where we were
biIlited for three weeks. had the
supplies in barn and slept in the
hav loft. l took bell about six
inches in diameter and weighed about
eight or ten pounds and fastened It
to the ceiling Of the barn with a slat
hanging down so the door would ring
the bell when anyone would come In.
The captain always enjoyed ringing il
when he came In. so a few days later
while he was enjoying his morning
exercise. the bell came loose and
dropped on his head Wood Wagner)
went down to see who was there. and
saw the captain wandering around out
IN the yard holding his head. He told
Wood that the d bell came d.
near putting him out OF the game,
However he survived and stayed with
us for while.
When we received orders to leave
there each company was assigned one
box car for eQuipment. barrack bags
and bedsacks. Wood and made our
beds In the box car on those bad
sacks filled with straw and hay and
had very comfortable trip to Anglers.
We arrived here February 9TH, 1918
and have held the fort through many
hard battles. Probably you know
what our work has been these past
months, have not drilled since be-
fore we went to Montace. but we
surely have furnished lot OF men
with combat equipment. Our regi-