The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-10

Private Robert E. smith, or Com peny B, 9th U. s. Engineers, Ameri. can Expeditonary Force, who was formerly engaged in mining in Shu- shana district, operating the Surprise fraction, now with the army of occu- patton, writes from Archtandung, Ger. many, as follows:
 Received your letters some time ago but have been too busy to do much writing I am located now about ten or twelve miles from the Rhine river, nearly straight west of Coblenz. My regiment, the 9th U. s. Engineers, which Is part of the 3rd Division, wEich is one of the divisions of the third army, or the army of occupation, is located between here and the Rhine. We reached the Rhine at Bach arach nearly a week ago but only tain but think our march into Ger many is at end. do not know how many miles we marched but know tbat it was plenty far enough. We were relieved from the Verdun front about ten days before the armistice was signed and at that time we were billctted at little town named Nan cor La Petit, about ten miles south east from Bar Le Due. My company regiment and division were making the push up the Mouse river on the western bank at the town of Mont faEcon, which is about fifteen miles northwest of Verdun. We were about four m lies north of Montiancon at was certain some fighting done in there along the Mouse. The country is rolling along the river and about half or more covered with timber and brush. Fritz had held his lines through there since 1914 and was certainly ready for action. About a week before we were relieved the 9th Engineers took the place of infantry and went over the top. Our captain was decor ated for the little stunt we pulled off. l was assigned to the 9th Engineers and reached the front on the Marne near Chateau Thicrry on the night that Fritz started his last trip to Paris, July IA. The Engineers did not mix with Fritz there, but he certainly mixed us with shell fire and gas. We were in reserve in the second line as infantry but didn't get the satisfac- tion of fighting back. When we were relieved from the Marne we were sent to the Foul front and got in little work when the Americans pinched of the St. Mihiel salient From there we went to the Verdun front and opened up new roads and lines of communication in advance of the re- serve infantry. Fritz had all roads under observation so we cut and built roads and trails through the bush for the infantry and machine guns. We got plenty of action on that last front. I can't write you all We did but have mentioned the names of these places thinking you might care to look them up on the map.
 My latters are mostly written on the installment plan. I'll try to out line our trip into Germany, so if you can get fairly large map you can trace it out. We went from Nancoisle Petit near Earle Dac in trucks to the town of Billy, which figured in the St. Mihiel drive. We left Billy the night of November IS and marched to the rear of the front line or more properly speaking to the edge of what was, "No Mans Land," when the armistice was signed. Billy is about ten miles northeast of St. Mihiel. The first town we occupied of any size was Couffans and the civil ians there gave us quite a reception. They had been practically prisoners for four years. The next town of importance was Briey, which is one of the great mining centers of Europe, and although 1t is located in France 1t has large percentage of German residents. Briey is the only place we hit where the people showed any dis respect to an American and that was done by two little kids. We were standing in the street below them and they spat at us and ran inside, We crossed the line into German Lorraine near Briey ct 10 g. m. November 20. We crossed the line at little town called Joenf That night we slept in a theatre building that had been used until the armistice as . Russian prison billet, in the town of Rosse- lange which is about six miles nearly north from Metz. It is needless to say that we accumulated 2 good batch of cooties there. The next town of inn portance we occupied the following