The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-03-13
LETTER FROM HERBERT BURK
Germany, Dec. "a, 1918

lAEITEB FfUDM HEItBEIST BURH
Germany, Dec. "a, 1913
Dear Sister:
Received your kind letter few
days ago. and was certainly glad TO
hear from you.
This leaves me well and trust n
reaches you all the same. landed
In Liverpool, England July 2, STAYED
there one night and left the next
day for Southampton, Eng. stayed
there over night and took the steam
boat across the English Channel tina,
being the evening of the 9Th. landsd
in LaHarve, France, that night
stayed in camp there OF 3 days and
then took the train for the training
camp where we stayed till Aug. II
and then started on our way to the
front. After we came In about 20
mile of the front line trenches, we
moved up at night about 6 or 8 mile
till we came to the front. We took
over the front line trenches the night
of Aug. 90 and held our positions
there Z days was then relieved and
went back few miles. there we
stayed till the night of Sept. 18th
and we then made ready for the big
drive which started the riorning OF
Sept. IL. The artillery began pour
ing its big shells over on the Ger
man lines at 100 o'clock that morn
went over the top. The artillery
continued its fire all that day. while
we doughboys were pushing our way
forward steady but sure, by 10000
o'clock that day we had driven the
enemy back about mile and cap
tured hundreds Of prisoners and many
machine guns. by evening the rum
ber of prisoners amounted to several
thousand. besides what was killed.
We lost quite lot of men but
nothing compared to that of the en-
emv.
We held our positions which we
gained that day, for about 5 days
more with the same results as he
fore, only the enemy had begun to
retreat making 1t easier for the in
fantry to advance.
This being on the St. Mihiel sec
tor we were relieved and taken to
another front known as the Ve-dun
front we went over the top times
on this front and made our last drive.
on Sunday Nov. 10 which was the
worst battle we had ever fought We
we're on the front when the armis-
tice was signed and at 1900 o'clock
on the 11th day, all hostilities ceased
and believe me what happy bunch
OF dough-bOys we all were. Will
mention here that Frank Morey of
May was killed on next to our last
drive. Our 9Oth division won such a
70 hn hnt a
cupation troops OF us our duty being
to go into Germany and occupy the
frontier and do guard duty. We
started out from little town in
France on the oath day OF Nov. on
our way to Germany, we had to do
all our moving on foot we marched
In day time and stayed in little viii
lagos at night. we kept this up till
Dec. 18th. till we came to our stop
ping place. On our journey we crossed
Belgium and Luxemburg are now To-
Gated in Germany in nice town
with good beds to sleep on and plen-
and every thing is as convenient as
lty to eat. We have electric lights
could be expected.
The people of Germany like tina,
Of France are odd, their ways Ol
working are quite different to thai
of the states. 1t is not an uncommon
thing to see a man driving oxen to {
cart or plOwing in the field with
them. I saw a man the other day
driving a team of dogs to cart pull
ing a pretty good load. The crop,
around here are mostly a little whea
and large vlnyards of grapes which
they use for making wine. The,
don't have coffee like we do. The,
take some wheat and rye and roas
II and make what they call coffe,
from that. and II makes a nice drinl
too. in fact I like 1t better than ou
coffee. Everything is awful higl
here. shoes cost 100 marks which 4
about $500 in our money, they bu,
dress goods by the pound instead o
the yard.
Cigars are csc apiece and are no
good cigars either like we have in tn
states. Men labor is scarce. The.
employ women for brakemen on tn
railroads and many other publ
places. The buildings are all mad
of rock some I noticed were date,
back as far as 1860, the kind o
rocks they use here makes real mic
houses you never see a building mad
of lumber. Well as my time Is lin
tied l will have to close. Could tel
you much more II l could see you.
Floyd Starke and all the Harpe
and Beaver Co. boys are still togeth
or. Give my best regards to all.
am, Your Bro.
Private Herebert L. Burk
Co. l., 357 Infantry
American Il. II.
A. p. o. 770.
Goth Division.