Arizona republican., 1919-01-12
TELLS IF LAST B|G BATTLE THE YANKEE
 BOYS ENGAGED IN

The following letter from James Will son to relatives in this city, written from France, is of interest to his many friends.
 James Wilson formerly was aSsociat- ed with T. A. Nichols of Florence, Ari- zona, who holds land and cattle inter ests there and in various parts of the state. The young man, previous to his Florence association, was connected with the Hurley meat market in Phoe- nix and is well known in this city. His many friends will be glad to learn of his safe arrival on the other side and of his continued good luck. The letter is as follows:
 La Bourboute, Nov. 2S, 1918 Dear Aunt Julia:
 Well here I am sitting here in this hotel by fire place and enjoying my self immensely, I am sending you a cablegram Fist November. Well the big battle is over, and we are all glad of it too. 1 can tell you where I was at. We landed at De Havre then to Lucy, miles northwest of Foul. I was sta toned at Lucy when the drive was pulled off at the St. Mihiel salient Sep tember F the big battle started and it was awful too, we pushed them back 12 miles anG then my move at Enveyin and there was where We got the big shells put right at us and we would have to hide in dugouts which was un- comfortable and sleep in them too. Two days after we left, the Germans got wind we were located there q sup posed) and they sure tore things up in general with artillery fire. Then we switched to Nerdun front, stopped two nights in Commercy then up on the bloody battle line. The hardest of all the fighting took place in this vicinity We moved to Epponville and then to Gesnes. then to Tally, about F miles north of Mt. Fechon and while in Tally the news came, Tt is finished" the 11th l.month. 11th day and 11th hour. l saw ! thousands of prisoners they gave up in l big droves, the barage or cannon fire i that the Americans put over was some 1 thing awful, how a, man can live in it l I can't see, 1 saw d shel Init a mess | line, (boys in line to be fed) killed s, wounded 10 when the shells would come ! and where they would strike near by would make a whistling noise. You | could hear the German cannon, then the ! whistle, then the shell bursting and when they are striking in a half block from you, you just have time after the whistle to fall down. I was never scratched but I had some Git looked i like impossible) narrow escapes. Talk about people being happy. you ought to have seen the French civilians captur- ] ed by our boys, would bring tears to any body's eyes to watch them. old women and men happy, there is no name to it. The French say, the Americans are the savior of the world
 The sights I have seen is something awful, hate to think about them, had hard job but I handled it fine and still hold it.
 1 am now in a summer resort resting up. l.200 of us from the S9th Division 1 got passed I am now something like 300 miles from the battle line. days ? nights on train. everything is govern ment expense Am here for seven days then rejoin division and I hear we in- wade Germany which will be some fine trip and then in little while I will see you all which will suit me about right
 It is very cold here, snow on the | ground but it is much warmer where go to, not so high. The people treat us | royal here, cant do enough for the Americans. l expect to be homeward bound in six weeks, this is just q guess, it might be six months, a soldier here don't know anything, you know more about what the S9th Division will do than 1 myself. I had some eggs to- day to eat the first in five months Things are very high here, people arc poor This is what I want to eat wher 1 get home at your table: Hot biscuits butter, eggs, bacon, coffee, milk, cont honey, hot cakes, fried chicken witt good gravy Sugar which is very scarce here) 1 get all want to eat but there is d spot that these here eats can reach You would die laughing to watch me talk to the ladies. I have an awful ; time trying to tell things.
 see by the paper where all the can , tonments there are being vacated ant , soldiers are going home. Suppos' . John and Curtis are in the bunch. Will l close with my very best love to you all Glad you and Nerva had good tril P to the coast How happy l will be t l see you all again, but there was tim | when it looked very very Doubtful whel , my friends were being killed all aroun'
 me by shell fire. My best love to you
 Your devoted nephew,
 set. JAMES WILSON, , Hdgs. Troop S9th Division.
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