The Democratic advocate., 1919-01-24
Letters to the Folks
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FROM FRANCE
SAW AN OFFICER SHOT.
Refused to Shell English COAST
Bombed Own Ship - Then Open
Jails and Liberated Prisoners.

Bombed Own Ship p- Then Open
Jails and Liberated Prisoners.
The following letter was received
BY Mr. Joseph r. Little, this city,
from his brother, Charles Little, who
was prisoner OF war:
Liverpool, England, Jan. 2, 1919.
Dear Brother:
Suppose you have been looking
for letter for some. time but about
a week after / wrote the last
letter 4 was expecting to
leave Germany at any time and SO
kept putting it off, but now that
am here will write you a few lines
to let you know that 7 have arrived,
though through great deal Of dan
ger, all right. -..-...
"WeI, III tell you Of my trip from
Germany and then you will under
stand what danger L mean. ! feel
as though I could write book, but
will make it as short as possible as
T want to write another letter today.
So will start with leaving my camp
in Lubbock where spent most of my
time while prisoner in Germany
You will notice on the other letters
that / have had you send my letters
to Gustrow, I. M Germany. Well
that is because they would not let
us send my letters from that other
place Lubbock, 50 we had to have OUT
letters addressed to Gustrow. Joseph,
Of course you have read the papers
in regard to the Armistice. Well |
will tell you little about 1T and
the Revolution which I saw in the
sections Of Germany which | was in.
1T started i'm Kiel, if you will look at
a map of Germany, and follow me on
the map you will understand better
/ think, and another thing I will tell
you that this revolution was carried
through the German navy and ma
rines at kiel where the principal
part of the German fleet was laying
tied rIo Anyway they gave orders
70 this part Of the fleet to 60 out and
lombard the English coast. In
reply they hoisted the red flags on
the ships and said to the command
ers, "you have sent note to America
asking for peace and now while you
are waiting for an answer you want
us to 60 out and shell the English
coast" 1--WE will not do it" was the
reply, so they bombed couple or
their own ships in the harbOr ,and
went on shore, then the war began
there. They threw open the jails
and let all prisoners out who had
refused to 60 to the front and there
were few thousand OF them lock-
ing up all officers and others who
would not join them. OF course
there were good many killed in the
fight in Kiel, but they finally con-
quered it and hoisted the red
flag. Then they sent forces to-
Hamburg, Berlin, Lubbock where
was and to all other principal cities.
In Hamburg and Berlin there
was good bit df trouble, but they
finally won out AS for Lubeck
there was very little loss Of life, in
fact I think that only six people
were killed and several wounded.
Then two cruisers came in at night
and in the morning they had the
W city captured L saw one officer get
N shot right outside of the barrack we
were in He refused to give up his
Ny sword and so they just shot him
down.
well then the armistice was sign
ed and after that we were expecting
to leave the country anytime and it
was not until then that we had any
decent treatment at all, but we were
allowed to 60 out into the city with
out guards. Then we were shifted
to GustroW to await transport out
IL Germany. After waiting there for
two weeks we were sent to Wanna
.munde where we took ship to
Aarhus, Denmark, which is about
hours run, but on account of floating
mines which we passed going over, six
that we could see, it took about 16
hours to- make this trip, so you see
NJ. where the danger was which I was
speaking Of. Anyway from Aarhus
we took train to Viborg, Denmark,
where about miles outside Of this
city. we went into quarantine camp
fer one week; then we took train
hack ITO AarhUs where we boarded
ship for Edinburgh, Scotland. 1t
took us two days and nights to make
this trip. OF course, on account OF
II the same danger again, ON this
trip we ipassed IA floating mines
.,thafnMe could see and counted them
ftfWell we stayed in Edinburgh over
night and at o'clock the next even
!; ing we iboarded train for Liver
, pool and arrived here the same night
:. abolIt 40 O'Clock and have been here
Snce, waiting for transportation 20
the States. .I do not know just when
this time will come but hope that 1T
will not be long at least. L hope
that by the time you receive this
letter IA will be well on the way
across and if we do not leave any
way soon will write again. If do
not write again before leaving here
X will let you hear from me as soon
as r get to New York or wherever we
land. Well Joe guess + will close
for this time hoping that when hear
from you again I will hear that
everybody IS we'll and happy. Love
to all. Don't forget to mention me
to sister and tell her that am writ
ing this letter to her as well az you
and .let her read IL.
wv. "HCDing TO hear from or see you
both soon, with love again to all,
remain,
Your brother,
CHARLES
1l4ai With Army of Occupation.
NJ France, November 27, 1918.
My Dear Father:
rrrN--