Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-05-16
o. Il. praeit's Diary.

McinOt, france, Apurll II.
Line OF my friends and myself left
the old home town May 10, 1918, GO
ing from there TO TT. Thomas, Ky.
Here is where we shed our civilian
c4othes, which were replaced with Un-
cic Sans uniforms.
We were at Fort Thomas about Il
week. On the morning of May 22nd,
we were marched to Newport, Ky.
There we loaded on the tr:in. We
were on the train all night. The next
morning about ten o'clock we pulled
into Irwin, Tenn, where the Red
Cross gave us a good feed. The Red
Cross cannot be praised 100 highly,
for they are there with the goods.
We loaded back on the train and
resumed our journey. We landed at
Spartanburg, S. c., about 300 D. M.
There we loaded on trucks, from that
place we were taken out in the coun-
Try about two miles to Camp Wasds-
worth This being Detention camp,
we were vaccinated and put in quarn-
nntine for ten days. We were lined
up one morning and taken to another
camp about two miles away. AT this
camp we drew all our equipment, in
Guiding DOR rifles. We drilled here for
ABBOTT six weeks. Then we were taken
out in the country about thirty miles
to = rifle range. Remaining there
Tor week, we hen came back to the
old camp, and stayed there 4 week.
On the morning Of June 28th, we
we're ready to move again.
We loaded OH the train about 200
p. m. We were on the train two days
and nights. The Red Cross gave us
something TO eat in Washington and
also in Philadelphia. We landed IN
Jersey City at =. M, remaining OH
the train until day light We unload
Cd and loaded OH i ferry boat and
crossed The Hudson river, landing on
Long Island. Took train from there
and went out OH the Island, about. 60
miles to Camp Mills.
We stayed there until July 5th. On
the morning of the 9TH we were taken
back to New York harbor, where we
loaded On British ship called the
Belgic. We remained in the harbor
all night and on the morning of July
9th Mt Il. m, the old ship began
to move. Then we all bid good bye to
the Statue of Liberty, hut not for
good ] hope.
We landed ut Liverpool, Eng, on
january 18th, at 10 p. m. Loaded on
q train there, going from there to
Winchester. We stayed there in camp
for four days. We took q train from
there to South Hampton. There we
loaded on another ship, crossing the
English channel. We landed at LIE
Harve, France, remaining there over
night. From there we were taken to
Louvainne, France. Here we trained
for the Huns for two months. We
were taken the nto Alscae-Loraine
front, going all of the way in trucks.
We were on the trucks three days
and two nights. We were in the
trenches here forty-onc days.
There went out every other night
to take shot at the Huns.
On October 18th, we were reliev-
ed by the French, division called
Blue eDevils.
We were moved to a little town
called st. Maurin, where we rested
for two weeks.
On October 9th, we were taken
to the Argonne Forest, getting in the
forest November l, and remaining
there until the Armistice was signed.
/ had been so used to the roar of the
cannon that when the big guns were
stopped | thought 1 was deaf. ] was
tired of all OF that noise and sure
was glad when it stopped.
We withdrew from the front and
were taken to Verdun and from there
to this place which is the 14th train
ing arear of France.
Yours truly,
OSCAR B. PRUETT.