Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-01-02
Tells Of Wars Enl

Regular Field Artillery, Base Hospital
No. IA, France, has written his mother,
Mrs. w. A. Hayes, 425 Third street.
Baraboo, as follows:
November IA, 1913.
My Dear Mother:
Just few lines to let you know
that everything is o. X. in this corner
of the peaceful world-7isn't it wonder
full? All you can hear now is ''Finis
la gave" (the French for Finish the
war'O. 1t is a French saying, but
everybody has adopted it. Everything
is peaceful, everybody is happy, and it
just seems like a new world The
French people have relaxed after a
four years strain. They all seem care
free and don't believe that there is a
happier people on earth.
The fellows were hard at it when
the orders came to Cease firing
that was one order that will never be
forgotten.
It sure is wonderful that we don't
have to look forward to spending the
l1lCI III L1C IlICS. IL ItAO W GA SOh~
tinued we would not be able to start
fire anywhere near the lines-and
I'm afraid that it would have been
pretty cold winter without any heat.
But we will not be able to realize
Just how wonderful it is until they
ship us all back to the states.
By the time you receive this the
peace part will have lost it's newness,
but our return will still be a coming
event-and a wonderful one.
There has never been anything as
welcome to the whole world as the
surrender Of the central empires.
Of course, victory was ours, even
before the exking and emperor ac-
knowledged it-but even so, war is
anything but a pleasant task. We
forced the very terms on the enemy
that our name implies-U. S. (Uncondi-
tional Surrender.)
To the good old U. S. A. comes the
credit of winning the most righteous
cause since the Crusaders. If ever a
liberty bell rang, it sure had reason
to ring at the close of this war. Prob
ably nobody. but real Americans will
give the u. S. the credit that is really
coming to it. / do not mean to say
that our allies are not grateful for our
wonderful work, because l know that
France realized the dark outlook and
the poor chance of victory without our
aid.
But, although the war is over, our
duty in France is not yet at an end.
1t is our duty to see that our defeated
enemy lives, up to his promises, and
that order is maintained as far as
possible. Of course the days will drag
along and the time will seem to go
slow-until we start for those good
old states But, although it will be
much harder and more mopotonous,
we will put up with it as we have for
the past months But enough said for
the war for the present.
am still in the hospital, but | am
just as healthy as anyone in the A. l..
F. I am feeling fine-just wee bit
weak / will be o. X. in week or two
duu LuCn Will 81 O0Ch W 1hJ 5OSA
old battery.
Really, you don't know how fellow
misses his outfit after he has been with
it as long as have been with good
old Battery B. i sure miss the high
x" and "shrapnel"-but it is a, pleas
ant miss. A fellow can get accustomed
to some parts of war, but he can never
grow to like them. A person back in
the states may think that a fellow In
the lines gets used to, and hardened
to, seeing blood-but that theory is far
from correct When first came over
here was far more hardened and had
much less feeling at the sight OF blood
than l have now. didn't mind wax
ing up and finding dead Fritz on each
side of me-in fact sometimes 1t
proved good shelter against wind and
machine gun shells-but | did mind
seeing the works of destruction that
Fritz's machines Of war worked on :
my own pals.
/ have never before, in any of my
letters spoken of the loss OF any or
my pals. 1 haven't said anything
about it because I knew that it would
make you feel bad and make you
worry, but now that it is all over,
will tell you more. Do you remember
the Cudworth boy from Milwaukee,
whom you met at the Raleigh hotel
while you were in Waco? You also
met his mother there.) He was killed
some time ago; also Mr. Porth's broth
er and the youngest McHugh boy. Both
the Malone boys were wounded, but
they are o. K. now. Outside OF that,
I think that all the fellows that you
know are o. K 1t certainly is too bad
about these fellows, but it is all over
now. and there is no need of worry at,
all. 1t is all over but our return trip,
and that certainly is nothing to dread,
or fear.
It may be some time before we start
that homeward bound voyage-but the
time has now come when we can
forward to something besides wars
grim weather.
So, mother, please rest with lignt