The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1919-03-20
CLARENCE S. RALPH WRITES
GOOD LETTER FROM FRANCE


Mr.. E. E. Ralph has recently re-
ceived the following letter from his
brother, Clarence S. Ralph, written
from France on February is:
Dear Brother-I received your let
ter a few days ago, and was very
glad to hear from you.
Well, I am still in Sunny France,
where it rains eight days a week.
guess you have heard quite a lot
about the front. Well, you can be-
llieve it all. | didn't think there was so
much barbed wire in the world as
there is on the front. Believe me,
the western front is "shot up" some.
The towns are shot to the ground. |
don't see how anything lived; there
is not a foot of ground that is not
torn up by shells.
Well, Ell, I will tell you about my
trip across the Atlantic. We left
Philadelphia Sunday night, July IA,
lat 9:05 o'clock, went down the Della
ware river out into the Atlantic, then
up the east coast by Atlantic City,
thence east to Halifax. We stayed
there two days; left there Saturday
morning, July 20, for Liverpool, Eng
land. On the 30th of July, lust off
the southern coast of Ireland, we ran
into a nest Of submarines. We had
q little fight there which made things
more interesting. Things were get
ting dull without anything happen
ing. On the 31st of July we land
ed in Liverpool, after IL days at sea.
On August we left Liverpool for
Ramsey, England; left Ramsey Au-
gust A for Southampton. Then on
the night of August we sailed
across the English channel and land
led at La Havre, France, on August
Is; from there to Lathus, then to the
artillery range at La Courtine.
/ will also tell you about David
VanMeter. AS you know before now,
we couldn't tell much about the men.
He and | were together all the way
at Lexington, KY, and Camp Meade,
Nd, and then on the ship all the
way. We arrived at Liverpool on
July 81. We had to march about six
miles to a rest camp. It was real
hot there, and lots of the men fell
out. He and ! were marching to-
gether, and he fell out on the way.
He was carried to a hospital, but
died the next morning. August /,
about $3.50 o'clock, at Hospital No
40, Notify Ash Rest Camp, Liverpool
It seems that Mr.. VanMeter's family
did not know the exact date of his
death.
! | have had real good health over
here; have never fallen out on any
hikes or marches so far.
/ have been in Verdun since the
war closed. 1t is a ruined city. We
are billeted near st. Mihiel, which is
also ruined city. Verdun was &
strongly fortified city. | have hearC
about cities with walls around them
believe me, Verdun had some walls
around it. / don't think l woulC
come over here on a visit to see thC
western front, but I am real glad
had the chance to see it
| don't expect to get home fol
some time yet. / wish was there
to go to town on rainy days, but j
one went to town over here on rainy
days he would be in town every day
hut rain, snow nor anything else does
not stop the armyev heavy artil
Ilery fire doesn't stop the American
army.
/ guess all the boys who were il
the United States are at home By
now. guess they thought they haC
been in the army, but they had just
been away from home a little while
/ will send you our Division q!
insignia. We wear it on the left
shoulder and gold service stripe OF
the left arm; and those who arr
wounded wear gold stripe on the
fright arm. The insignia is a white
Lorraine cross with blue background
| Well, / guess will be home
next summer about reunion time.
don't see what good we are doing
here. All we do is march up and
down the road, 60 off on a pass once
lin while, get our tractors and cam
mons out cleaning them up, then dress
up and look pretty. Then at night
we go to the cafes and stay till taps.
Well, / will wait until / get home
to finish telling you what ! have
been doing and what ! have seen. !
will close for this time, hoping to
hear from you all soon.
CLARENCE S. RALPH,
312 Field Artillery. Battery D.,