Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-01-24
Battery I'D" Goth F. A.
American Ex. Force,
France.
Dear Dad:

To-day is Fathers Day so we allowed
to write anything choose, and wont be censored
Three days from today will make six months foreign
service for and believe me have had some hot
old times during that six months We left the United
States the twenty seventh day of May and landed in Mon
treal Canada that same day where boarded His Maj
estes transport Novara We sailed from Montreal the
2Sth and landed in Liverpool June 18th from Liverpool
we took train Winchester. We stayed in Winchester
night and took H. NJ T., St George for France We
arrived in Lahavre France June 10th and left the 18th
We arrived at Valdahon, southern town in France
the 10TH We had some pretty stiff training in Camp
Valdahon- learning gun, the French Vs. We
hiked from Valdahon the Fosges front where land
ed the first day of August That night put
guns into position and ready for action. On the
night of August 18th received orders to throw bar
rage the city of rapelle and during that night
we took Frapelle 1t sure bloody battle. They
gassed us terribly One Lieut. of battery got gas
and he will be of any hereafter. We cited
German SOIL so they gave division mark, red
for taking this town. being the first American division
diamond the left shoulder. We left the Vosges
front August 22nd and arrived here on the ST. Mihe
front Sept 11th The battle of St Mihe started early in
the morning of Sept, 18th in this battle
and the night of the lth received orders pull up
of the doughboys and get my orders The night
dark you couldn't thing feet ahead of you
I hoofed about II kilomeers through mud and water
half foot deep and came up in of the third line
trenches just the guns began banging 1t seemed if
the whole earth covered with guns and the sky turned
blood red from the flash of them found for
just how many guns had but they say there
sixteen hundred. You imagine what it sounded l;<e
We the top at day break and advanced about
nine kiometers. 1t bloody old battle. No
mans land was fairly coveredwh dead and wounded
took hundreds of prisoners Germans Austrians and
Hungarans all mixed together
After we had found place for Diyisicnal
Headquarters received orders direct the battery
position in what is known the Grard Woods 1t
just dark night when found them the opposite
side of no land. | repeated my orders to the Cap
tain in charge and he told me he could not make
before morning the roads blocked with trucks
unton trains and guns and besides he says my horses
all in started back No land about nine
clock that night and believe / had some time get
ting back. 1t dark as pitch and the rain fairly
poured down before nothing but trenches shell
holes and barb wire entanglements. crawled less
than quarter of mile my hands and knees my
clothes to pieces barb wre fell in trenches and shell
holes and skinned myself from head to foot Gosh but
awful looking thing call human after got in
10 Headquarters that night After had reported the
Major hit the earth the first place because
sure all in down and out 1t had been three days
since had anything to eat and all the water got
from mud holes. lost my blanket roll saddle bags and
everything else the night of the bombardment Sc had
notng to sleep and at all but theless -
slept TIL dawn the next morning when did wake up
was almost frozen stiff had slept in Maud hole all
night long and my clothes wet with rain guess
have run about three koneters that morning trying
o get warmed up finally discovered I about half
arved liked it back across no mans land until ran
nto kitchen where got good warm chow and lots
If hot coffee The day turned my job
'her man and took my place No 7 in gun squad
where have been since We have given the
'osh hell since have been here | pulled the trigger
wenty two hundred times. God only knows how MANY
len old gun got We had his name carved right on
ie breach George Washington, He never lies.
We had several men gassed and shot up while were
the Girard Woods but of them killed
ave said my prayers hundred times guess because