Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-20
Steelton Lad Tells of
Closing Days of the War

Joseph Wolf, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Joseph G. Wolf. 639 North Front
street. Steelton, describes some of
the gruesome sights he witnessed
after the fighting at Deaths Valley,
In letter recently received by his
parents. 1t follows:
This is Sunday night on Hill No.
2s7, where at one time not so many
weeks ago, there was a fierce battle
where the crown prince lost his army
of 100000 men.
When we came up here to the
front we had a march of about
twenty-five miles. We started about
o'clock in the evening and reached
our destination about 8, o'clock in the
afternoon, and the mud was up to
our knees. We had no place to sleep
but in the mud, and the roar of the
cannon was intense, but what did
that matter to us when we were dead
tired, so we made our beds in a shell
hole and went to sleep regardless of
all the noise from the guns. When
we got awake in the morning ii was
the same guns, the same men at the
guns, and for days the noise of the
big guns continued. We were given
two days rest before we started to
work repairing roads and bridges
that were destroyed by the Germans.
So you see we are playing the part
of engineers.
THE shells we were most bothered
with were gas shells, which did not
do much damage except on q few oc-
casions when some of the men were
gassed and some we killed in differ
ent manners.
Very close to where we stayed at
night 1t was in a place where there
were a lot of little shrubs and
bushes, where we made our tents so
they could not be detected by the
Germans. At this place I speak of
there were quite few railroads
which the Germans would bomb very
often at night. Although we could
not see them we could hear them,
and the powerful searchlights trying
to locate the machine, that is, when
could get out of my tent to see IL
they were coming close or not. At
that time we were working on ca
nal I do not know the name. but 1t
is near the Meuse river. This canal
was entirely destroyed by the Ger
mans.
Not far away was place called
Deaths Valley. I did not see the
battle there, but was there short
ly after and 1t sure was sight.
American, French and German dead
were to be seen everywhere. and all
along the edge of the Argonne for
est there were tanks and ruins of
war, and the mud, IL you will take
notice, I speak quite freely of mud.
We sure do have 1t here, but we have
gotten use to 1t now and don't think
any more of 1t than we do OF little
snow at home.
Just at present we are living in
dugouts and tin shanties. We have
stoves and real good beds. which is
much better than living in the
bushes in a tent.
when the war stopped we were
working on the canal getting It ready
to let the water run so 1t could be
used. We got the news that on the
eleventh day of the eleventh month
all the guns were to stop firing and
we sure did wait and listen for the
given time. And at last the three
elevens came and the guns did stop.
but we could not believe the end of
the war had come. because we didn't
think there was an end.
''It was a wonderful thing to see
the trenches and dugouts. Some of
the dugouts are about sixty feet un-
der the ground, and resemble an
apartment house. This place seems
to be to be the most historic place of
all. think the greatest experience
was. when we were coming across,
the battle with the submarines.
There are many other things I
would like to tell you about, but I
must close. Our candle is going out.
1t IL z o'clock 80 there is nothing
naoEa to do but 20 to bed"