Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-01-02
JOHN H. cRpDs.


Tho0oy, france, NOV. -, lSl6.
Dear Dad: Well. how are all Of
yuu folks getting along By tits time!
I en- flne and dandy ana think that
viii be on my way homo IN short
t19A, tho way Il loo1n inst now.
Well. ! viii tell you about my trip.
~ Il II fathers day In france 90
thn4 the boys can write q letter
home and the censor will let It 60
without stopping to read Il. When
10 left Camp Merritt We had to hike
about six miles to boat ON the Hud-
son river. We had our packs and
rifles. The packs just weigh about
80 or 100 pounds. When we reach
ed the boat we got on and went down
the Hudson Is miles to Hoboken,
N. j.. where We loaded on the big
steamer. This was Wednesday af-
ternoou. the 25th of September. On
the 26th about 4:30 O'Clock we left
the States. There were about 34O0
ON the ship that I was on. There
was q sister ship too, besides q large
French liner. There were just
three boats in the convoy. We were
lust seven days from the time we
lott Hoboken. N. j.. till We landed at
oB0Ute I8uCo luO Hku VI 0CSOuCis
We stayed on the ship all night. So
the next day was Saturday. the 9Th
We went to shore and then had an
other big hike ahead Of us with our
packs and rifles.
II was six or seven miles out to the
camp there. so we put up our dog
cents a. We call them. and went to
bed. The next day we were loaded
An trucks and went down to Brest
- work. We worked that day and
m night. then We went hack to our
osats the lne1t morning and that
night We went back again to work.
Wo worked again that night and AZ
ter that q bunch would work In the
day time and another at night. We
worked there three nights and one
day. On the fifth night we got or
ders To roll our packs about seven
O'Clock and at eight We were all
ready to 60. Well, then orders
came to be ready. but We did not get
out Of there till the next day at ten
O'Clock. SO you might know Va had
. lot Of fun because we sat on our
packs all night till We started. II
vained all that night and all the next
day. So at 10:30 We started back
70 Brest to catch the train. 20 ve got
there and got loaded about 1880.
We had beds on the cars. ! wish
that all of you could sec the trains
that they have here. The cara that
10 rode in were box cars With four
snail wheels under them. The cars
ware. about as large a. our spreader
box, and there were 48 men in al
- ~ l.
packs. So on Thursday. the 9Th
about four o'clock we started. We
were on the cars all that night and
the next day and all that night till
noon the next day. Then We got
on and left our packs and went about
two miles to dinner. and then after
dinner they run US through the
slAasiacation camp where we were
classified. We then went hack to
our packs again and got our rifles
and belts, and loaded our packs on q
blk truck. Then we started on an
,sther big hike. II was a nice one
too. II was just Is miles. We
rot started about two o'clock and
sot to Point Levoy about 1880 and
hen separated. After they were
Aeoe with that We got our packs and
vent for another hike with our packs
on our backs instead of on trucks.
hal ha! 80 then part of as had 20
30 to Thenay. II was about q mile
an da half was there Just a
week before I went 20 the hospital
With the humps and was there II
days and then went to Thenay where
I stiil am located ana will be for Q
Anv 0P tWn vat I hav> hoan hoHA