Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1919-04-03

zee trenches everywhere, you see no
or houses, as they arc all shot
Town. You see dead horses every
where, all kinds of guns that have
been broken. You can see dead men
time six deep in places. 1t is
some sight. When l first went on
The front and saw the boys dead that
had been dead three weeks and not
| almost died myself. But |
had not been there long unit. | did moi
mind getting them by the leg and
dragging them out o fthe road so We
could get by with ammunition. You
imagine how many times that |
have saved my life by falling into shell
holes. The good training that | got
while l was in the infantry put me
through. l knew many things that
the other boys did not know, that had
not been in the infantry. One of the
main things was when you heard bull
lets or shells to lie down IN the
ground. If it was impossible to get
into a shell hole. | have jumped into
she'll holes up to my neck in water a
lots of cold nights to save my life.
Some of the boys at first thought me
to be a fool to jump into ice water.
But listen, Sis, hose that thought me
to be a fool are not with me today.
They are in a grave somewhere III
France" ?Some of the boys dld the
same as | done and they are sitting
around the fire telling something
about saw-dust. | have dropped into
the mud and would bury myself as
deep as | could. | have put my face
in the mud so deep that when | came
out | would take my fingers and
pull the mud out of my eyes so that
| could see how to go.
went three weeks with wet clothes
as we could not make any fire to dry
our clothes at night on account OF
airplanes. We could not smoke or
even have a light Of any kind on ac-
count of air raids which We had plenty
of. You would think it to be bad to
go without washing your face and
hands for two weeks. But | did and
did not get dirty either as it raincd
so much ahtat it would keep you clean
all of the time. | went two nights and
only had one cup of coffee, did not
have a bite to eat. 1t was when we
were making the last drive. The Ger
mans ran so fast that they got after
them in trucks, so we got started out
to find the artillery one night and
they had moved sc far that the rest
of the company did not catch Us until
two nights and one day. So we did
not have anything to eat and | found
a place where they gave me one cup
of coffee and believe me it was appre-
ciated.
Clara Belle, | guess | am telling
you too much. But it is all the truth.
| have told you and these are small
things and no hardships at all. |
have seer worse and have had much
harder things while | have been in
active service. | must not tell you
too much. | could write ten thousand
g and then it would not be all Of
it. But | will wait until | come home
and then | will try and tell it to you
all. 1t is all over with and why should
we worry. | am glad that | went
through this wal as it made a man
out of me and nothing but a gentle
man. | learned many things that
would have not learned in my life if
| had not taken up arms with Uncle
Sam. / began this letter this after
noon but | did not have time to fin
ish it so l had to finish it tonight.
| hope tht these few lines viii find
YOU all in the very best of health.
We are expecting to sail soon but don't
know when. All of the boys have
gone to bed so l will ring off for this
time and chit the hay"
With much love to all.
Your loving brother,