The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1919-01-09
Somewhere in France
LIE Mans, Carte, France,
Dec. 4, 1918.

This 10 the first chance that have
had to write !! GU a long letter and tell
you where ! have been and what l
have been doing. since have been over
here. Now, that the censorship mas
been practically raised, will tell yo1
everything that couldn't have toI:i in
the past: We sailed from Hoboken
on the President Grant with about
seven. thousand on board, on the . st
Of August, and landed at Brest on the
third Of September. There were twelve
trans; orts in the convoy, and al! were
well gunned. A sub would not have
had ghost of show, as the gunner S
would hre at every suspicious-looking
object on the water We did have lots
of excitement though. One day was
taking . bath, and the signal for
''abandon-ship" sounded. l threw on
my slieker and hurried upstairs.
got - tar as the railing and stopped
to take in the excitement. The gum
ners were all firing at sub to our left
rear. which had managed to fire tor
pedo at the boat on our left. We could
see the wake of the torpedo as it came
thru the water. 1t passed the stern of
the ship 1T which 1t was fred, and
came across in front Of the bow of our
boat. At first, everybody thought that
it was the sub, but it was travelling
much too fast. When we got within
about 1--WE hundred miles of this coast,
eight sub chasers came out and met us. |
We stayed at Brest in a rest camp for
i've days. and then one morning at 8 |
o'clock We broke camp, and took the
eight-forty about five O'Clock, bound |
for l didn't know where then. After
ihhlE'ss days. ride we got off at St.
Florsnt, which is in central France.
md hiked about twenty miles to our
,illets. We were not here but week.
when We sent every private in tie
right to the front line. A
lew days later, Huck and l were sent
o the training school at Langres. The
course Was six weeks, and the school
'nded two days after the armisti.e was
ignsd. Thirty per cent were recon-
nendsd Tor commissions. and Heck and
we're included. We signed our dis
hargps And the oath of office. We
vefe p b sworn in two days later and
$780, our tshsl statement. The next
81 1 telegram Came aitiip.p the War}
department., saying mo more Incl, !
vAl b commissioned in the A. E. F."
taturally we were all disappointed
W got certificates, though, saying 4
hat " had finished the course and
'ere eligible for appointments as Sec
I'd lieutenants. If the war starts
gain ~ Kill get commissions. Other
Use We xpnf. 7 hope l don'tget one. s
70 ~ Langres and came here to !
. Mass This is camp Of GONZALES L
nts aad easssk. We were formed intoj
company, % Is to have some form Of
rganisation, temporarily, and where >
. 80 from here l couldn't say. We l
~ 70 back to our outfits. I saw in
. paper yesterday that the 89th Dr. q
sion Was listed among the first to re-
I'm home. Wayne got letter from
eorgs POLICEMAN. He is working inl
sntrd Records Office at Bourges. \
hat 3 about an hours ride from st :
ogant. There will not be much use =
wrIts, - ] move about so much, the 8
tier viii hardly catch up with me. La
nyway. ] will probably be bGNk in the !
sites soon. Give my love to evert =
'dFy-Aad may you all have a Merry a
aFtafHla. Your devoted son, 4,
~ OVTnE