Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-01-30

ed TO represent his battalion at the
Presidential Review Christmas. His
Division, the 26th New England) was
also honored by q visit from President
Wilson Christmas. The President ex-
pressed himself as being very much
pleased with the appearance OF the
Division"
Private j. Earl Calvert, Co. G, Sd
Nj G. Bn., writes from G~rosholbacb,
Germany, on December %: "We had
a little entertainment here last night
and had a nice time, and will have a
big dinner to-day Have just finished
dinnt r and had a real nice one. We
were issued cigars, cigarettes, choco-
late and cakes, besides the old Dutch
lady here gave us some apples and
a big piece of Johnny cake, apple
dumplings and coffee cake. 1t sure
was fine. I suppose you were glad to
receive the message of the armistice.
| know / was. l know you worried
about me whether / was alive or dead,
| intended to send you a cablegram,
but / was along the front where there
is nothing left of towns but a small
piece of old stone walls, and come
lOOh Uk0 bOIuO OAO udN hdQlO0 gu II
mense pile of old building stones. l
have never seen any one that l knew
before, for l do not suppose any of
them are in this Division. 1 wonder
if Russell Riggs was killed in the Ar
gonne."
lionel Hartzell, Field Artillery
Band, writes from Benz Castle. West
Prussia on December 10: "We have
passed through Luxembourg nearly
through West Prussia and almost to
the Rhine River since l last wrote.
We came through Saar5urg and some
of US visited the Saarburg Castle
built, so some say, about $50 A. D. 1t
it is built on a high rugged rock hill,
commanding the view of the sur
rounding country. The tower is about
go feet high and looks as though it
had been reconstructed. Benz Castle
was built possibly about 750. Bonn
barbed in 1917 and rebuilt in 1877. l
visited it Sunday, December s., and
took several snap shots. l hope they
turn out O.. k. Benz Castle is in much
better shape than Saarburg Castle.
The entire country over which we
came is extremely mountainous. The
mountains do not extend to any lofty
height but are very steep and the
roads are narrow" On December II,
he wrote from Badbertuch. "We are
now at our supposed final destination
and are comfortably located in a city
of hotels. Every house in town is a
hotel. 1t is a large summer and health
resort. Is supposed to have been a
resort where the kaiser came to spend
three or four weeks out of the year.
The mountains here are high and
steep. l may be home in a few
months"
Kenneth Curry, 18th Co., 9th Ma.
chine Gun Battalion, U. s. M. O.,
writes on December 81: Sam well
and getting along fine. We are at
present billeted in st. josef aus,
Hansen, Germany. Have seen quite
a bit of country since coming across.
Have been through France, Belgium,
Luxembourg, and crossed the Rhine
December %. Am sending you some
views Of places we have seen, also
several souvenirs taken from prison
ers we captured in a German Machine
Gun nest November l. (The souve-
Mrs being some photographs and a
love letter from a fraulein to her
s~Weetheart.) The last time l saw
Trauernicht was November IL. I sure
was glad to see him that day, as we
were in the big Mouse drive on No
yember 10 when so many of our Ma
rines we're killed. Our captain who
brought us cross was among the
killed. One platoon lost all but 2
men Do not know how long we viii
be kept over here, but here's hoping
for a soon return to the good old U
S. A."
Walter Tr%auernicht, of Pennington
who was reported missing, writes or
December % that he is all right. Wal
ter and Kenneth enlisted in the Ma
rines in st. Louis in May, 1918, ant
went across in August.
Corporal James E. Campbell, 55tl
Co, 9th Regiment, U. S. M. O., writet
from Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va
81 am in receipt of your letter o
January 16, and will try and answer il
to the best of my ability. Was sorry
to hear of the report of your son
Russell Riggs death. He was in my
squad and was we'll liked by all the
boys who knew him. AS l was wound
ed on October 4 at $3.50 P. M. l am il
no position to say as to the correct.
ness of said report. | was wounded
on the Champagne front, at the battl,
J of Blanc Mont Ridge. This was thei
position on October 4th and 9th. Yo,
asked me where we were on Septem.
, Der 81, when Russell wrote his las
letter. We arrived at Challons su
, Marne the morning of September 26
liked all day through the burning
sun to a small village, whose name
. do not recollect. Remained in thi
camp 8 days. Left on trucks the nigh
4 of September 30. Arrived at destina
=, ton at 2:30 A. M. This proved to b
the third line trench. Staid there al
; day the Both and October 1, when W,
t again moved to second line. Reste,
. all day the I'd, preparatory to goinl
over the top on morning of the Sd
Advanced all day. Dug in at edge o
a small pine forest. Rested up an
went over at dawn the morning of tn
| 4th. Advance was slow with niue
resistance. / WAS wounded at $3.50 /
! M. The last / saw of Russell was ev
ening of the Sd. 1t is not possible t
v coo a fallnw Whnn adyanninu uulac