Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-01-18
LETTER WRITTEN BY
 HARBACH SHORTLY
 BEFORE HIS DEATH

Ellis Harbach who recently died in France wrote a letter dated October 20, little while before his death. He said: ..
 "l hope you will not think l am intruding in taking the priviledge of |. writing to you, but l find myself with a lot of leisure time on my hands, and have been killing many an hour writing to some of the old friends.
 I have been lying around the big town of this country for eleven days, awaiting transportation to a replace ment camp. was released from the hospital the 18th, after spending two weeks there with slight shot of gas. Some of our records have been lost, so its hard telling how long we will be hung up here.
 Have enjoyed myself immensely here even if 1 was minus cash when l landed, I was luck enough to bump a touch. I haven't been paid since l landed over here, but perhaps when they get the new paybooks out, We will have better luck.
 I would have liked very much to have cen youas I came through Kingman in June, but the militia mayor we had in charge of us was afroad to let us off the train or give use any liberty.
 Just five weeks after we passed through there, l went over the top, and have been over number of times since, and with the exception of a slight wound, I got in the drive that started the 18th of September, have come through slick as a whistle, un till 1 bumped into the gas shell.
 The company l came over with was split to the four winds, and 1 was lucky enough N land in the best divi- sion over here. It is the same one the Marines are in, and while they de- serve all the credit in the world they haven't thing on the two regiments of dough boys who are in with them.
 When this thing is over, and the public is allowed to know who really did the business over here, our divi- sion sure ought to be in on the glory part of it, for they have hit every tough place the Americans have been in yet.
 l don't suppose guy who can't sling English any better than l can has any business writing anything about ones impressions as you go over the top. By far the worst thing you are up against is the waiting after you are all set to shove off, once you get moving you most go nutty and it has lasted until we started digging in, you ought to see the boys root, they would make badger ashamed of him self, and its generally done with your bayonet and your hands.
 If you are lucky enough to have mess kit, it comes in very handy, or a shovel at such times. One sees so many things that force such variety of impressions over you, it's hard to make coherent string of thought out of the jumbled up mess you come out with, let alone writing anything about it.
 had very choice collection of souvenirs started, but they vanished in some mysterious way, when I hit the hospital.
 l have never found but one other Mohave County boy in our regiment. | l tllIik ne was Cilc lliSI liuldH lO SO in the draft. I understand he was killed the day I left the front. Such reports are very often wrong, and i am hoping it will prove so in this case.
 Wednesday Morning.
 They closed this joint up on me last night, so I''ll finish up my letter this morning. I went over and re- ported again this morning, and found i out that we are due to leave here to- night. We are going to replacement ! camp where we are outfitted, and l routed back to our different outfits. 1 suppose it will be a few days be- | fore we make it back.
 I have felt very much ashamed of | myself for not answering the Christ mas card l received from MT. and ] Mrs. Jones, and yourself. In my us~ ual poor manner of taking care of such things, I kept putting it off un- til it seemed too late, but believe me have thought many time of it and . especially since have been over here.
 The American papers printed here, also the French, are full of the latest Austrian dope, and it looks very much as though this thing was coming to the closing chapter. sure hope so, for I've seen more than enough to satisfy me. Those old cactus patches would look like the sweetest rose gar den in the world if I could only drop down in their midst. Here's hoping I can before lOnp anyway"