Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1919-01-02
cookEvILLE BOY WRITES FROM
FRANCE

L 0&@O"AAAo "A Y " V~AooA oR~ -
from letters written by Jesse Pen
dergrass to his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
F. r. Pendergrass, of this city:
June 20. At last we are here. We
came through in fine shape but was
seasick fofr two days; was so sick
l wish l could forget those two days.
Still we had fine trip, without any
mishaps OF any kind. The boys all
seem to be very much pleased with
everything and seem to be very aux
ious TO get some action.
! July 28. Ann still feeling fine and
getting all / can eat and have moth
| ing to wish for but the end OF the
war to be home again. There is
nothing exciting to write this time.
Aug. 20. Am still feeling fine.
Well, mother, trench life is not So
bad after all, but had much rather
live in civilian home and where
you can look out of doors and mt
see the shells explding in the air.
will never forget the sound they
whiz by us, or the smell of the gas
you have read so much about. We
haven't had any bugs yet Hope we
won't have any because We have To
keep our trenches clean as We have
an inspection every day.
SPIT. L. There is nothing new 10
write, but for fear you will think
am not here any more, will write to
let you know that l am very much
here and will be to the finish of TIE
Boche, and l have sneaking idea
| it will not be long because We have
got lots of ammunition that has new
er been shot and with every one thai
goes over. There are thousands Of
us that are hoping it will find its Il
nal resting place in some German. 1t
will seem good to get out soon to
where we can have a bath and change
our clothes but here we do not dare
do that for We might be caught with
our pants off. We had a little excite
ment here. Dad,that You would have
enjoyed to the utmost, but can't tell
you about it now, but will remember
it and when get back will tell you
the whole story When get back If |
there are no rats there will have to
get bunch of white rats to run over
my face SO | can sleep. Dad You |
would enjoy every mintue over here
and | surely wish you could be with !
us, but some one has to look out for |
mother, because | am afraid she |
would not be so well entertained here
or at least not enjoy it so much, but
since we have become accustomed to
the noise we rather like to hear it
and guess which gun is going 10
make the loudest report 1t is lots
more exciting than q circus and ycu
remember that l would never miss
one of them. The Germans are rur-
ming around like circus but are not
proficient enough to be dangerous
firing backward. If at any time my
letters are a little late don't worry.
bcause / will be cleaning up my pis-
tol to get few more of them.
Oct s. We have just about go.
the Kaiser's nose in the dust, or
should say the mud, or at least viii
have him on his knees in shori
time. l am feeling fine now and ex.
pect To feel better in few days be-
cause We are taking a bit Of rest
Nov. IL. No doubt you are feeling
better today. know / do for there
will be no more fighting and no more
trenches for us. We are having
holiday and It is different today to
what It was yesterday.
Nov. "a. The most of the censor's
rules have been suspended and we
can write more now. ! was in the
St. Mihiel drive and il was sons
drive. It would have done you good
to have seen the Boches running
backward with their hands up going
as fast as they could, but there were
hundreds of them that did not get
far because in places we had to walk
over them and it was some job wren
we had to clean the blood from our
shoes, and that is just what we hal
to do. We lay out in Argonne fores'
of nights just watching and hoping
that maybe we would see daylight
again. have watched the sunset a.
night and wonderer il would ever
see it again.
Dec. 1. Have been in the Officers
camp for some time but will
he leaving this week. Have asked
that be released without commits
sion, as the war is over, would rath-
er be loose and come home soon and