Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-01-03

I'D three o ~ shirts on two under
SEn'ts and i sweater. 1t cut SLIGO
out of the sweater, the three o. ID.
shirts and one undershirt. but can
assure you this much: have felt bot
ter many time than did then, but
when it's all over and you don't get
hurt we laugh at it. The only way You
can discourage an American soldier
is to get direct hit on top OF the
head, and then he will die laughing.
From Ciergss we advanced TO Ro-
maine under heavy shell fire all along
the road, bad weather too, and here
we were under heavy shcll fire every
minute for over a week. This was
what | called the heart of the war,
the midst OF it. 1t was awful.
wouldn't begin to tell you what hap
pened there, it would melt the heart
of an iron man to think about it, but
of course you know how it is, YOU
don't mind il so bad or study much
about it until later; well, in fact, UNI
i'll it is all over. Now, my humane
feeling is beginning to come back to
me, but it all seems like dream. I
will tell you when | come home, and
here | have had several holes shot
through the shield of my gun, and
lots of gas to contend with, too. That
stuff is awful, but while we were get
ting lots of it, we were sending bacl;
ten to one of worse gas than he was
using. o, hate that stuff. This was
Inc first time We were ever called on
20 get our rifles and pistols and pro-
tect our guns. The battery comman-
der came down the line and said,
Boys, we are going to stay with
these guns, amt WEI" This was the
answer and yell he got, "You are
dam right. Captain, we will stay till
hell freezes over and slide into Ger
many on the ice. He then knew and
could realize he didn't have coward
in his command We had no rest
much here, but fought like wild cats
all the time, but we got them run
ming and kept them on tho gallop UNI
til the armistice was signed. We
then moved to Banthcrville, but only
got to fire eighty rounds per gun I'M
til they were out of our range. There
they were going some, too, leaving
big and little cannon, trench mot
rars, machine guns, horses, wagons,
md all kinds of war material be-
hind.
We had advanced about twenty kill
ometres, took up our position near
Tally, fired 33 rounds per gun, then
they were out of our range, having
fine success all along, altho weather
was bad and the mud awful, but the
Weather and mud couldn't cut ice
with us, we were Berlin Bound"
We then went to Barrincourt, only
fired few rounds to let them know
we were right ut their heels. | was
lifting on the gun there and hurt my
side. 1t bothered me for few days,
but is all right now, the mud was
bad and we got in mershy swamp,
and had hard work to handle the gun,
but just the same we came out, nd
vanced rapidly to Mouzay, but Lefore
we got our guns laid the armistice
had been signed. We are now at Ste
nay, waiting orders and hope we
get orders to hike to some sea port
and take n ship for home.
have done what | came to do, SO
now ! am ready to come back to you
all with the honor of victory pinned
to me, that have done my bit to save
the world for democracy and that
may the rest Of my days live in peace.
Our artillery brigade was the only
one which we can find record Of
that staid in the lines from start to
finish without rest and we were the
first to cross the Mouse river. We
deserve n great honor, which think
we will get. We have fought with six
divisions and ut the present / don't
know where our old division is, but
anyway we are resting in peace, and
not lodging shells.
You will pardon me for not writ
ing more often, but can count on
my fingers every leisure hour l have
had since we firstcamc into the lines.
hope this letter gets through, but
its little doubtful.
Best regards to grandmother end
the rest of the family; also to my IA
Their and mother. I am,
Your devoted grandson,
SGT. l.. e. WHITMAN
To Major Jas. p. Whitman, Horse
pen, Va.