The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-08


Dear Folks:
If you get tired reading this letter
you have my permission to lay off, for
I feel that it shall be a long one Just
here let me say that shall write
weekly bulletin. to the family in gen
eral and you can pass it around. MY
letter writing time shall be given over
to the men VINO can not write FOR
themselves (and there are so many OF
themj and if people really care for me
and wish me success in my work they
won't wait for me to write. Don't
you home folks get the idea that be
cause the fighting has ceased that the
work has ceased with it. While the
fight continued the men had some
thing to occupy their minds; now they
begin to worry about their home folks,
their mail and anything else they can
think Of The American doughboy
e0cels in kicking just as in any other
line My job is to relieve all mental
troubles, besides trying ito make it
easy for the home folk. There are
more than thousand men in my hos
pital, so you can readily see that l can
keep busy. I have been here just
twelve days and in that time have ex-
perienced more Joy and sorrow than in
the rest of my life. Just to mention
one or two Incidents: A dying man
dictated a bright, cheerful letter to his
wife when he knew and knew that
the effort of speaking was taking min
utes from his life. We buried him
Sunday and now I shall write a letter
to his wife telling her every little de-
tail that I can. The little American
cemetery is just outside of Nantes
rows and rows of white crosses; and
as I first saw them, thought Of the
women who would give all they pos
sessed to stand where I stood. The
French keep flowers on the graves.
and just below the American flag,
flies a French flag with the inscrip-
ton in. French, GA memory from
France to the heroic Americans who
died for France
The greatest happiness anyone can
have is to be appreciated, and the Red
Cross is appreciated. The boys are
positively motherly to us. Two OF
the convalescents take care of our
fire for us and get US everything we
express a wish for. One Of them Isl
IS and has a Criox de Guerre, D. S.
O., and three cititations- He asked
me the other day why I looked so
solemn and I told him I was about
to tell a man of his mothers death.
He said, 'It will help to have a wo-
k41I L..
it goes. The patients here are men
who are just back from the front
and they are hungry for the sight of
IN American woman. The mademois-
e.les are a back r-~ober when an
American girl appes Sunday af-
ternoons, the place is. filed with
French. About dusk I passed some
men from B. H. 38, and spoke to them
After passed I heard one say;
1Dawgone it, that's an American |
.irl and we didn't speak to her"
Then he ran after me and said, "Ex-
;use rae; howdy do!''
There are four hospitals at |
Grand Blottereau," the name of
;hateau just outside Of Nantes. There
s another hospital in the city ana
here is big camp nearby. The
chateau is on the style Of Milford.
rhe attic is most unusual. The beams
ire put together with pegs. The floor
Of the attic is made Of bricks about
i've inches square, which seem to be
terra. Gotta. IN front of the chateau
are two palmetto trees. Red and
white holly both grow in great pro
fusion and there is plenty or mlstle-
toe and japonicas. The climate is
similar to ours except the excessive
rain. Nantes reminds me very forcl-
bly, Of Charleston because Of the hlsn
walls and iron gates. The Huguenots
ceartainly set the style in Charleston.
The streets are paved with cobble-
stones and the side walls are nag
stones. We are in the province Oh
Bretagne or Brittany and the peas
ants wear sabots, kind of woocen
shoe. The women wear queer little
futed caps. Dogs are used for draw
ing carts, especially milk carts.
Last week the captain sent me on
an errand to army headquarters in
I had to miss noon mess ana
the captain told his French chauffeur
to take me to a good place for lunch.
He took me to the most interesting
place on the banks Of the Loire, just
between two picturesque bridges.
Maurice (the chauffeur) is a great
friend with the French family and
they served us a wonderful meal.
The tables are set on a terrace under
an arbor of wisteria. 1t must be
beautiful place in spring. The meai
was cooked before an open fire.
The trip from Paris to Nantes was
quite thrilling, as it was my first trip
without a convoy" since I left New
York. It is an eight hour trip
through the historical valley Of the
Loire. We passed through the old
cities of Anglers and Orleans. My
travelling companions as far as An
gers were a French couple and three
French officers. The rest Of the way
I had five Americans-two leuten-
ants. two majors and colonel.
Our quarters are luxurious for ar
my life. We have sure enough Amer
ICON ol,1nohino and everything IS