The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1919-01-09

from America came the food and the |
capital and other sinews Of war long
before the nation began to give of its
man power.
Here is what Soldier Es has to say :
Souilly. France. Dee. ., 1918.
M Dear Father: received your
letter dated October 18th yesterday,
and, of course. waS glad to hear that
all at home were well My mail from
home has been very slim for some rea-
son. Have had only one letter each
from mother and Min since reaching
France. and they were written some
time during September. Ed t1lld me
that he gets his mail pretty SECULAR,
and it is possible that my mail is fol-
lowing ne up somewhere. as we do not
stay in one place very long.
Well. Papa, the war is over and
everybody over here Is anxious to get
hack to the States, AND am among Tint
Lunch. Am very ankious to get back
home. but if Uncle Ram sxants me to
stay after peace Is *fgiied, will gladly
stay and do my bit. though | do not
think it will be necessary to keep
American troops over here after Ger
many has come up to the arAistice
terms. for she will then he without
means of starting another war.
have seen quite q. hit of the battle
| front and it is certainly sight worth
| seeing. Have been through Chateau
Thierry up to Verdun. through the st.
Mihiel battle front and through part
of the ArgOnne forest. and it is impos-
siible to describe on paper just what
the conditions of these places are. If
you remember. Chateau Thierry is
where the American Army made itself
famous during July. 1t was the Amer
lean drive there that saved Paris. Yer
dun. of course, has been IN the midst
of bombardment since the beginning of
the war. and it is certainly a dilapi-
dated city. Verlun was Il city of per-
haps $4,000 or 100000 population. and
| don't believe there is single build
ing standing to-day that has not been
damaged by shell fire., Now you c;tn
imagine the condition df Verdun. for a
city of that size has many buildings
in it,
passed over the st. Mihiel front In
Il Ford car. and must say it was GER
tainly rough ride. The roads had
been torn up by the iig shells and it
was possible to hide the car in some OF
the big shell-hOles. As far as the eye
could see there was nothing hut barbed
wire entaIgfementS and trenches. The
.Argonne forest is where the American
dough hoys" were SO hot after the
1t is thick forest aud Fritz had it &c
well camOufiaged that his trenches
We're almost invisihlen but the keel
eyes Of the Americans found his rest
ing place. and things were made very
uncomfortable for him. Fritz had or
dinary chicken wire strung from on
tree to another and NO well cannon
tagged that it was impossible to distin
guish it until one had gotten right NJ
to it. The Boches were pretty comfOr
tably located. and no doubt would hav'
enjoyed the winter there if those mis-
, cllievouS Americans had not broken "
his playhouse.
Our battalion was never in line o
, battle. and consequently l did not hav,
the pleasure of ''ducking" the bi
shells. When we reached France Ou
division was made replacement di
, vision and our battalion sent to tn
signal area in the :. o.. $. division
i, which Is quite ways from the firm
;, line. However. we We're OH our wa
; to relieve a battalion when the armis
:. tice was signed. and. Of course, if tn
arnistice had been delayed day o
O two we would have been III the mix-ul
n Can't say that am sorry that l didn
;. get In the real fighting. for | knoN
4 there were no pleasant hours spel
+ there. We We're close enough to he;l
/. the big guns and to see few al
: fights. which isn't so bad.
Have been in France three month
to-day. but must say that it certainl
seems longer than that. and | Onl
hope that l will not spend my ne,
t three months here.
Write tn me often, for am anXiot
to hear from home. Had Il card fro
It Ell the other day and lie is gettil
10 along fine. Love to all. -Es.