The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1919-03-21
Lawrence County Men
Write From Germany
Andernach, Germany, Feb. 25th.

Andernach, Germany, Feb. 25th
Editor Big Sandy News:
| Just few lines to let the home
folks of dear old Kentucky know about
the A. r. f. in Europe. III begin with
our trip across the stormy Atlantic
We arrived in Camp Mills, N. Y. July
! 3. 1915 from Camp Wadsworth, S. c.
Spent five days drawing equipment
and preparing to become real sol
dier in France.
on the morning of July Sth we
started across the broad Atlantic
Great cheers went UP from the people
of New York as about 10000 of the
boys in 0. ID. sailed down the broad
| Hudson. Everything went well for
labout "a hours, then some of the boys
started charity by donating their meals
10 the little fish. However, this only
.asted few hours. We kept a steady
watch for the Kaiser's playthings-
submarines-bu was never positive of
seeing one although we made an at
tempt to destroy what was thought to
be one by dropping depth bombs. This
occurred on the evening of the fifth
day Nothing further appeared to at
tract our attention except an OCCASION
al whale.
On July 18th, at IL o'clock the shores
of fair France became visible. About
1880 we anchored safely in Brest har-
Dor and once again on land we imme-
diately took up our march towards
Berlin. We were greeted by crowds
of madamoiselles (young ladies' and
little children. We marched about
i've miles and pitched camp for the
night where we remained four days.
Then one bright morning, July %, we
We're loaded on troop trains for the
front. These trains We're not Ameri-
can sleepers, but French box cars
bearing lis sign. 40 hommes or s
cheveauH meaning 40 men or eight
horses. fter riding for 4S hours
across France we landed at LaFerte
on the Chateau Thierry front, where
we We're in hearing of the big guns
Here we remained peacefully for six
days. in the meantime receiving gas
masks and helmets which We're two of
your best friends. Your rife ranks
third. In the afternoon of July 3Dth
we started forward to try the old army
game against Heinie, making our first
appearance at Apea. (This is small
French town pronounced A, p. Al
Here, we received our first shells and
gas. One has to become accustomed
to the rumble and roar, so for the next
AS hours I'll admit / didn't sleep much.
Both dead Germans and Americans
greeted our eyes. We We're in close
connection with the following divis-
ions of U. S. infantry: The 42nd, Goth,
End, 4th and 77th; there We're also
some French units. We the Ameri-
cans, never stopped for an hour but
kept driving Heinie nearer the Rhein
until Sept. H. There were times when
food was an impossibility and l have
eaten food dropped by my less lucky
who had so nobly given their
lives for the good old U. S. A.
On Sept. IL we were ta',en off the
front at Fismes on the jle river
This town Cor the place where a town
was before the war; being about 55
kilometers Il kilometer is SIS of
mile) from Apea, the town where our
took an active part in
the game. We We're relieved on Sept
18th and taken back. Rested two days
when we were again loaded on trains
TO be transferred to the famous Ver-
1un front, this being where the French
and Germans struggled SO hard over
in 19t4-15, costing in all about three
and one-half million men. We trav-
sled for about 30 hours via 40 hommes
'r s cheveaux, and were again within
'ange of Heinies long range artillery.
We unloaded at a small French town,
Soule, and remained very peacefully
enjoying corned willie and hard tack
Until Sept. 25. The evening of the 25tb
We again received iron rations and
made all preparations to give Heinie
mother visit
Exactly at 10 O'clock Sept. 25th, the !
American artillery started the greatest
~s -