Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-01-22
FROM sEsGr. ENNIS e. ABBOTT.
"A Good Letter that Gives Details OF
Trip and Life.

J. S. Abbott, who lives near Wal
halla, has received the following
very interesting letter from his son,
sergt. Ennis Abbott, who has many
friends In Oconee who will be glad
to learn Of his whereabouts and
that he is in good health and enjoy
ing army life:
Sergt. Abbott's Letter.
Battery "D", 31sth Field Artil-
lery, American Expeditionary Forces,
Chateauvillain, France, Nov. 26th
1918.
My Dear Father:
Since l wrote you last a new
general order has come down from
A. e. f. Headquarters, which makes
it possible for me to tell you where
we are located, and something about
where we are and have been.
You will note that this letter is
headed at Chateauvillain, France
1t IS just possible that you will not
be able to locate Chateauvillain on
any map you may have at hand. If
such Is the case, then look for Chau-
mont, France Chaumont Is a rather
large railway center, and is located
in the central eastern part Of France.
Draw line about 18 miles south Of
Chaumont and you should be able
TO locate us.
AS per information contained in
my former letters to you, we first
| landed In England. We disembark-
ed from the steamship Lapland,
| after having been aboardship since
the morning of August 7th, 1918, in
the harbor at Liverpool, England, on
| the morning Of August 81. Spent
one day in a rest camp just outside
| Of there, but were not permitted
to visit the city. We left Liverpool
| by train for Southampton, England.
Southampton is an important ship
ping port, located somewhere on the
Southeastern coast of England.
Leaving Liverpool we went very
near London, going through Leices-
ter, where we detrained and had
coffee. We also went through Ok
ford, Sheffield and other more or
less important towns. We arrived
In Southampton d. ring tho night.
On our way from Liverpool to South
ampton we saw some Of the most
beautiful parts Of England.
We left Southampton during the
evening OF the 23d Of August, going
aboard the steamship Yale, an
American ship manned by an "Hon-
est-to-God" American crew. (The
Lapland was, manned by a British
crew. The Yale, though much
smaller boat than the Lapland, was
very much faster, and we did some
riding across the English Channel.
I'VE were told that they used the
Yale for transportation across the
Channel because of it's speed, and
the way it travelled that day made
lis believe this report.
After crossing one of the most
dangerous stretches of water known
to the civilized world we landed
safely at LIE Harve, France. 1t was
| only about siX-hour run from
Southampton to LIE Harve, but we
did not arrive at the latter place
until about 10 o'clock p. nj. on the
evening Of the 23d. so it was neces-
sary to remain aboardship until the
next day. We disembarked at LIE
Harve OH the morning of the Oath,
and, like we did at Liverpool, stop
Fed only one day, just outside the
city there. Left LIE Harve about
noon on the 25th of August, renew
ing our journey by rail. Leaving
lie Harve we went through Rouen,
very near Paris; through Versailles,
Melun, and followed down the valley
OF the river Seine, passing through
Joigny, Tonnerre, Montbard, Dijon,
Dole and Besancon. We detrained
at Avoudrey, small station some
l8 miles out from Besancon, after
having been aboard the train for
two days and nights. All equipment
was unloaded at Avoudrey, and we
"hiked' out across the country
ABOUT II kilometers to the village
| of Pierrefontaine. Here we chung
up our hats and called it home for
nearly two months. We left Pier
refontaine on the morning OF Octo-
her 10, moving up to La Valdahon,
where we were placed in a very nice
camp for the purpose Of completing