The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1919-02-06

to get in place that is not entirely in
ruins
There have been lot Of peace rum
ors. so maybe we will all be back soon
and then we can tell you more about
our times. That friend of yours surely
had some imagination of what we do
over here. I've never seen dance hall
yet I'm tickled all over TO have good
shell hole sometimes We are i'm nice
place just now and hope we get to stay
n few weeks. but I'm afraid few
weeks will be about the size of il.
Please write soon. Lovingly,
HENRY.
Company A. 363rd Inf, A. j.. +.
In letter to the home folks written
from Newport News eli January Goth,
Sam Kennedy, son of Mrs. Rachael
Kennedy, gives an interesting account
Of his activities since leaving New York
on July I'll. Mr.. Kennedy was in the
telephone service and Nbilc engaged at
his regular work up II; tie front lines
he was wounded In the leg by a piece
Of shrapnel enc has since been inca
pacitated. As he states in the letter
he did not think his wound severe for
several days after receiving It, when
an X-rly examination showed piece
of Shrapncl lodged in the member. He
writes as follows:
will try and tell you about the
times | spent In France. | left New
York on July 18th and arrived in France
on the 10Th, at La Harve. Was in camp
there three days and then rode three
days on the train to Nogent. where we
were in training until September 9Th.
and then started for the lines. Nogent
4 is a little larger than Grangcville but
( the way the town Is laid out Is more
! like a puzzle than anything else The
streets are narrow and wide; hardly
any sidewalks in places. Also in the
small towns the people live under the
same roof with the livestock. We were
put In reserve in the st. Mihel on Sep
tember 10Th, but did not get into action.
Was then sent To the Argonne, near
Nerdun. Stayed in reserve there until
the morning of September 26 From
September 9th until October 2nd, the
night | was hit, we slept in the timber
and most anywhere we could find Had
plenty of rain and mud to help things
along. On the night of September 18th
our company was moved up to the front
lines and put in big dugout to wait
until the barrage raised. The barragc
started at > 30 a. III. on the Goth and
lasted until 4 "a III. II sure was a great
sight We could see fire from the ar
tillery for miles and the noise was so
loud that YOU could hardly hear per-
son when talking. At q IA. IN. the in
fantry went over the top, and we were
just behind. We walked as fast as we
could all day, carrying telephones, wire
and buzzer phones. The German artl-
lery fire was not very heavy the first
day, and our company did not get
close enough for the machine guns. but
the remainder of the time l was there
we were under both
Il was hit ON October 2nd. mt Epion-
vile, about II 80 at night. while put
ting in some new lines. The old ones
had been blown up by German artillery
fire Was sent to evacuation hospital
No 163 at Fleury, the next morning.
hut on account of the bad roads did not
get there until night. Was dressed
there the next morning and sent by
train to ContreXeville. arriving there
on the 18th. At that time | did not
think | was hurt very badly and did
not get operated on until the 10th. and
by that time my leg had swollen up so
! iuui ttulu llol Stl dFOuuu Was ~
rayed and operated on the same after
noon. have the piece of shrapnel
that was in my leg and will keep il for
Il souvenir. Was in bed until Novem-
her 9th and then transferred to base
No 81 ut Nantes. 1t took us five days
To make the trip. The train was lost
for day. That was the first tim"
ever heard of train getting lost, hut
n fnlinu .All1 har,l1x- J.
else because they are about like the
ones we used TO get for Nmas Base
No. IS is just outside of Nantes but
did not get to see the town. was OPP
Grated ON again the Tuesday before
Thanksgiving and had "A hole in my leg
sewed up and still have another place
that is not much better than the day
| WAS operated on. but | can walk pref
t. good. EOw.
We had fine dinner both Thanks
giving and Xmas-chicken and al, the
trimmings for Xmas. All the patients
received pair of soX filled With candy
and nuts.
We received orders to get ready to
come home on the Bird of January. and
that afternoon were sent in trucks to
the Red Cross train, then to st. Ma
Zaire. where we loaded on the s. s.
Huron and sailed the morning of the
18th. The first two days at sea there
was big storm and Il great number of
the fellows were sick. but the remain
der of the trip WAS tine-just like sum
mer.
Il am going to send mother copy of
the hospital laper-it tells about our
trip.
Arrived here January 18th. was
sure tired of the sea. and have made
myself IL promise never to cross it
again. This hospital is just outside of
/ Newport News There are three large
] Red Cross huildinrS here whera a FOL