The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1919-01-09
'tLstters From, Our Boys
From Corporal Dennins
Nov. "a, 1918
American E. F. at
Sampigny, France.

Nov. "a, 1913
American E. F. at
Sampigny, France.
Dear Mother:
Well dear mother in good old U.
s. A. where my heart longs to be.
It surely is the grandest country in
the whole world. This is supposed
to be Dads letter but for mine it is
mothers letter.
The censorship is somewhat re-
laxed now and we are allowed to tell
good deal more of our trip and
of what we have seen in France, so
here goes for the best that my men,
ory can give of where have been
since landing and starting for France.
Be sure and keep this letter as it
may be of some benefit to me also,
when get home, and in later days
when can tell you more of my so
journ in France.
Well, we left Camp Dodge about
the 2Sth of April, not quite month
there and not long enough for pay
day, from here We had good accommo-
dations to Camp Mills. going by the
way of Chicago. Ill.,, Ft. Wayne, Ind,
Cincinnati, o., Buffalo, N. Y, and SO
on to Camp Mills. Stayed in Camp
Mills three days and got the rest of
our overseas equipment there. My
you should have seen our packs and
barracks bags, how they were
jammed and filed, for we sure were
rockies" then and hadn't got wise
to the army yet.
We started sail on Friday and
were on the water thirteen days.
Laid in Liverpool. England, harbor
one day and landed on a Friday
again, and thirteen seemed to follow
us for long time. 1 was all o. X
on the ship the first couple of days.
I think l ate too many apples and
English chocolate bars, for on the
third day got pretty sick but it only
lasted for about a day and half
and 1didn't eat anything that day
and a half. We had physical exer-
cises every day and inspections and
the like to keep us busy so as not to
let time get on our hands. Gee-but
some 9f the boys were sick and sick
almost all the way across.
After landing at Liverpool, Eng.
land, we entrained and rode to Win.
chester where We rested for three
days and fed us up good From there
we entrained and rode to South
Hampton, England, where we took
the canal or channel boat to La
Harve, France, and from here we
hiked out to camp and stayed about
week and rested. Here we turned
in our barrack bags and left lot of
our personal belongings which I
wished I had never brought with |me,
for am quite sure 1 never will see
them again, but am quite satisfied
If I get back with yours truly as the
only souvenir bring home as have
seen some that can't do that good.
From La Harve we entrained to Eu
and stayed over night and then hiked
to Bethelcourt and Winecourt, where
I Joined my present organization.
At Eu, Jack Nolan. Henry Nelson
and in fact most of the other boys
left me and have not seen many of
them since. Frank Hammond was
in G. Company of my Reg. George
Lund in A. Company and is now,
'vm. Brown from Glendale in Y
Company, VIM. Gamble from Ellen
dale in D Company, these are all
think of now.
We stayed at Winecourt some
little time in training and then hiked
three days and then entrained the
night of the third, rode about two
days and nights then hiked some
more and finally landed at Raon de
Ba'ux where we stayed for some little
time. From here We took trucks to
Alsace country and landed at Kruth
and spent the 4th of July. From here
1 had my first experience in the
trenches and under shell fire. We
were then in the Neral sector for
fifteen days and then went back to
Cornamount and LaBrest for a rest
and then had another whack at hold.
ing another part of the vosges Mts.
or near LeCollet for about twenty
days, then back to Oranges for about
three days and then hiked away al
night and entrained and landed in
about Nancy. We were encamped
as reserves backing the st. Michel
drive but they didn't have to use US.
was there about the 14th of Sept,
or the time of fathers death. From
here we hiked to the Argonne. woods
and stayed about a week, and on the
26th of Sept. at about s o'clock in
the morning our boys started over
the top on the Argonne drive which
we stayed in for five days and were
relieved the evening Of the fifth.
The 35th Division sure made them
selves a name here and they say 1t
was the hardest drive. The drive
was around Charpentry, verennes,
Baulny Cheppy, Exermont and are