Graham guardian., 1919-03-21
FROM "oyER THERE"
SCHONECKEN, GERMANY,
January q, 1919.

SCHONECKEN, GERMANY,
January q, 1919.
MRS. S. v. Pollock
Thatcher, Arizona.
DEAR SISTER, will write you
| a few lines in answer to your
letter / received this evening. |
received one from mother also.
| | am always glad to get mail,
especially from home.
We are having some snow here
now and it is a little colder than
usual. Those gloves | got in my
Xmas box come in very handy.
You said in your letter that
father received telegram from
Washington saying that ] was
slightly wounded on September
26th. They have surely got my
name mixed with some one else
for Lhave never been wounded,
or at the first aid station. There
is a Sergeant William ]. Webster
| in Battery r Of this regiment.
He told me he got hit with a
piece of shell but wasn't wound
ed badly.
The night of September 26th
was a lively one. A big drive
took place at Verdun early that
morning. Lots of prisoners were
taken, and the Huns retreated
on a big front.
We were on the St. MihieI
front and the drive made a horse
shoe-shaped line of the front,
and we were in the toe of the
shoe. So there was nothing for
us to do only to hold the line.
Well. on the night of Septem
Der 26th, our sector started firing
a barrage at eleven o'clock; it
took place on a seventy-mile
front.
That night Idon't Il / k any one
got much sleep. The shells were
going through the air by the
hundreds and causing a stead
roar, similar to what the wind
sounds through the timber Of the
mountains, only a great deal loud
er. The flashes from the gu
lit up the heavens like a great
lightning storm, only the flashes
were much more frequent; and
the report from the guns was
almost a continual thunder. This
lasted from eleven o'clock till
seven the next morning, while
the Yanks went through on some
of the sectors, as well as the
British and French.
At seven on the morning of
the 9th, the firing ceased some
and then we watched a few air
battles, for the Hun air planes
came over in punches. They
seemed to be looking for the
guns that sent them a constant
stream of fire the night before.
They were very determined that
they would find them for they
came very close to the ground.
i counted as many as eighteen
over Us at one time.
A few days later they came
over again. and this time they
had papers telling us how to stop
the war. They threw them out
in punches; the air was full of
them. will send you one. so
you can see what kind of advice
they gave US.
You know this part of the
country had been in German
hands for four years and they
didn't aim for this part of the
line to be broken, but they were
taken by surprise. They surely
had some dug outs for protection.
Some of them had steel and con-
crete tops, three and four feet
thick, and were fixed up inside
like homes. l think they were
for officers. They had every
thing nice in them plush chairs,
nice beds, a piano, nice tables
and electric lights.
Well, it is all over and l. hope
there will be a lasting peace for
the world.
! am sitting at an old German.
table writing. The lady washed
and ironed my clothes today and
wouldn't take, any pay for it. |
We are staying in the house with |
them and they are good to us. |
Seven of us in this home.
! have some cards that | got
tonight. Twill put one in this
letter.
Twill close for this time, with
love to all.
Your loving brother,
MINER WEBSTER,
William Miner Webster, Bat
terry E, 340th +. A., A. E. F.
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