The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-01-06
Sergt. Claude
Windham Anxious
To Get Back
To U. S. A

Mrs. W. j. Perkins, of 40 South
New York avenue, Is in receipt Of the
following interesting letter from her
brother, Sergeant Claude Windham,
which indicates that he is arxiously
awaiting orders to move toward home,
having had sufficiency of france
now that the war Is over. His letter
follows:
La Traverserie (Charente Inferieurel, |
France, December 10th, 1918.
Dear Sister: Have just returned to
the Office from dinner and as there is
not much work to do will consume
few minutes in writing to you. There
is very little news but I can at least
wish you and all the folks Merry
Christmas and tell you that am we'll.
The censorship has been modified to
certain extent so will tell you some
thing about my trip over and nv
movements since I arrived on this
side. If you will remember you wrote
and asked me If mailed you picture
of the Leviathan and at that time all
could tell you was that I did but
now I can tell you that came over
on that boat. It was formerly the
German boat vaterland, the largest in
the world and am quite sure it is
the largest I have ever seen. There
were about eighteen thousand men
came over on it, so that will give you
some idea as to it's size.
We sailed from New York on June
18th and landed at Brest, France, on
June %, which is considered very fast
time, especially when you are lodging
Submarines good part of the time.
ta After debarking at Brest we hike!
about six miles through rain to
Camp Pontanezen, where we slept on
the ground, or at least where the
ground had been, 1t being all mud
then, for five days then We went to
Camp Genicart and stayed two days
then at Saint Sulpice-Izon. 1t was
there that I met up with Hatcher.
Although we had been there month
before knew he was on the place.
We Jared pretty we'll as long as we
were there, as 1t was a nice camp
with good barracks but since leaving
there, which was some time in Sep
TENDER, we have lived in mud.
We have been at this place for about
four weeks doing salvage work and do
not know how long we will be here
as there Is lots of work to be done. l
have charge Of the Engineer Supply
Office and 1t is anything but a picnic.
do not think that have ever seen
as much mud in my life as there is
here and 1t is getting worse ell the
time instead of better as It rains prac-
tically all the time. We are hoping
that we will receive our orders to
move soon and sure do hope 1t viii.
be port of embarkation for I have
enough of this country to last me for
a life time. .@
1t is raining like the mischief now
and a high wind, and I rode about
forty miles in 1t this morning in a
fiivver. was almost frozen when
returned and think I have enough rid
ing to do me for some time to come.
I missed my commission by about
/ two days, as it was approved, but when
the armistice was signed an order
came out saying that no more would
be issued so did not get 1t. l was not
the only one who was disappointed
though as there were four in my COM
pany In the same boat and any num-
Ger IN the camp.
No doubt the people in the states
will have a big time Christmas now
that the war is over but I guess we
will hardly know when 1t comes as the
days are all alike over here. We were
all given a slip to send home for a
package for Christmas and I thought
l had sent mine to you until 1t was
too late. had written you letter
; telling you that was sending 1t tn
. you but laid II down some place and
did not see 1t again until after the
time set for mailing them, 50 will
not get package.
II is time to get to work now 81
will have to ring off.
Love to all, CLAUDE.
Sergeant C. A. Windham, Co. D, 32d
Engineers. American e. F.