The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1919-05-16
WOSOLDIERS WRITE
FROM GERMANY
Audernaeh, Germany, Arrii 20


Audernach, Germany, April 2S
Editor Big Sandy News:
Thought we would write just a Jew
lines TO let you know that we hadn't
forgotten our old home paper and the
good people of dear old Lawrance
county. Well, here we are and we are
both from Lawrence county and are
mighty proud of 1t too,
We have come all the way through
this thing they call fighting Huns and
come out safe so if you will bear with
us little we will tell you just little
of our history for the last ten months
from the time since we embarked for
Europe So here goes.
We embarked from Hoboken, n, J..
July s. 1918. on board Crown Prince
Cecilia, called by U, S. now Mt. YER
non. Dutch ship that was informed
by the U. S. when war was declared,
and landed at Brest, France, July Is,
and stayed there five days, They
called It rest but there wasn't much
rest to it. Then we took train for
the front. The train had little cars
like those they ship cattle in in Amer
lea only smaller. and there was written
upon the side of the cars, 40 Hommes
or Chevaux." Maybe you have heard
of this before and maybe not, but for
the benefit of those who haven't, II
means 80 men or 5 horses. We rode
on this 40 Hommes or s ChevauX train
for two days and nights and landed on
the third day about 80 miles behind the
American front line where we camped
for four days and there we were issued
two of our best friends, steel hat and
gas mask. From there we rode for
about hours in trucks and landed
just behind the American first line.
The American heavy artillery was
all around us and there we could hear
the buzz Of German aeroplane motors
and the sing of shells from Hun rs
centimeter cannon, and there we also
began to hear the gas alarm which
made about the worst feeling a man I
ever had. We began work at this
place which was called Apea and |
might as well state now that we were
not fighting troops. Pioneers do the
ame work that Engineers do. They I
don't go into the front lines and fight
except in rare cases when they are
badly needed and we were never need 4
ed badly enough to be put in the front
lines. We were in support once at "
Fismes but didn't have to do any
fighting We spent our time in maxi +
ing roads and building bridges.
We went from the historic Marine
river by Chateau Thierry to F'ismes on
the Vesle river You have read of all
these places in newspapers at home.
At Fismes the American army was re-
lieved by French and we were trans
ferred to another front. We hiked all
the way back to near Chateau Thierry,
about 25 miles, with heavy packs in (
one day and there took another train
for the greatest of all battle fields, the I
Argonne or Verdun front, where the
French did such hard fighting in 1914, L
and where that great French General
said. "They shall not pass" And there
on the 25th night of September was
started the greatest of all battles
which ended the world war and with
the drive started the First Pioneers
just behind the infantry under heavy i
shell fire al 1.-The time, working day and
night on the road so that the artillery
might have shells to shoot at the Huns
and the infantrymen ammunition and
something to eat, and we kept the
roads clear too. We kept this work
up until Novmeber IL when the armls-
tice was signed. Then we rested till
~
famous hike of about 200 miles up into
Germany to become a part of the Army )
of Occupation. We landed at Cob IS
lenz. Germany, December 14-22 days
on the hike but 6 days of that we rest
ed, so we made the hike in 16 days. 5
We were put to work the night we IS
landed at Coblenz doing guard duty on
the Rhine river and were there about
two weeks. We then moved to Ehren-
breitstein Fortress, one of the biggest &
forts the Germans have on the Rhine. I
We were there until February 4 when
we came to this town. We are now s
working here on the Rhine unloading
hay and oats that is shipped from
Rotterdam, Holland, for the Army Of
Occupation. We have with us quite
number of Lawrence county boys. All | (
are getting along fine. The two of us
are sending our pictures, which were
made here in Audernach. II
We had better close for we are COM
ing home one of these days and if we
tell it all there wont be any thing left
for us to tell when we come ourselves.
Tender our best regards to our many Is
friends in dear old Lawrence county. r
Very truly yours, r.
PVT. CHAS. II. JOHNSON, IS
CORPL. FRED SPURLOCK.
Co. B, LIST Pioneer Inf
A L aria /