Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1919-01-03
10Th and

nlNCu 10 lLIlS plNCo, N!4hs'S -SuT-Sclne
distance Of over 200 lometccs or
ccmbcr LIST, 1918, tired. ragged look
ing and eager for a nuch deserved
rest, which wo AFRO now enjoying in
every sense of the word.
Our official orders are to malae
preparations for at least tlree
months stay here, of course we
would have been much happier if
we had been permitted to go straight
home, but will have to content our
selves with the worst that may come.
There have been so many hardships
and sacrifices thht what would seem
hard is civil life before, are not
noticed.
1 leave the 18th Of this month ON
u z day leave. exclusive of travelling
time. Don't know where we go, but
suppose it will be to one of the rest
areas in tho south. The Government
pays all expenses and all We have
to do is to behave and have good
time, so why should l worry.
i | most assuredly long for the dry
when i can be mt home with loved
ones and forget the cares and pri-
vations of army life. volunteered,
crossed the Atlantic, and reached
the scene of action and was ready Mt
all times to net rs those in authority
ordered and now that l have done
my duty for my country and those
ut home. am thru and am anXious
to return
There are no attractions IN Franco
That interest me enough to make me-
have n desire TO stay minute lon
ger than absolutely necessary, not
even the good looking French Ia
dies.
Here's hoping ! may see you and
all the. rest of the folks ero many
more months pass. Have not bcen
sick day thus far and feel fine and
dandy. An abundance of love and
best wishes TO NIL.
Devotcdly,
BENO.
From Sgt. Beno f. Howard, to
Mrs, Amanda Howard, Wittens Mills,
Virginia.
Headquarters Detachment, SO6th
Field Signal Battalion, A. p. O. 791.
Chattcauroux (Indrc) France, Nov.
"a, 1918.
Dear Father:
This il Gathers Letter Day." or
rs some call it "Daddy's Victory Let
ter Day" because everybody in the
A. f.. +. is supposed TO write to his
father and tell him how The wnr was
won and how his boy caused it. to be
won! My purt in it was so small
TINT to tell you how l causcd it to be
won would not make very long lot.
ter, therefore, I'm going to change it
n bit and make il history of your
your boy in France. The censor has
had his rules cancelled, cut and bad
ly mangled and lost good hit Of his
powers, md in fact got what we have
been wishing for. The names OF plac-
es and such MS Tint can now be use.l
freely, 30 here goes:
January 23rd | sailed from Ilo-
boken with Co. b, 23rd Engineers on
the old German ship, Huron. This
ship was Mt one time the Wilhelm der
Gross. but when civilized owners rot
n hold of it n civilized name was Civ
en- it. We had very pleasant, me
ventful trip and landed Mt Brcst,
France on February 9th. From Brest
we went to st. Nnznire by train, lenv-
ing Brest the same day wo landed.
1t wns understood that we were head
cd for st. NaZarie Mt first, but the
docks were 30 full that we could not
get in, but stayed Mt St Nnzaric
about two weeks and then Co. b was
split into tire dctachments and sent
to different parts of France The de-
tachment | was with went to Nevers
in the department of Niviers TO re-
pair roads there. was in charge of
the supplies for this detachment then
road work got interesting and ] was
put out with about so negroes to
l,ps1l
The rest of the boys j was with were
ordered to Issadum, about 80 miles
from Nevors, and then began my
spells of detached service. The ne
grocs were ordered to some other
port of France and was given 100
German prisoners to finish the work.
This job was finished about the 10Th
of April and ] reported TO my de-
tachment mt Issadum, was there about
two weeks working Germans on the
national highway. Our detachment
was then ordered to Abionville, which
is small town in the department of
the Mouse. The job there was to put
up n repair shop and to build n mar
row gunge railroad up to the front.
The front was then only about 20
miles away, and every time we put
down mile of track we were iust
that much nearer the fun. We had n
few air raids there and could hear and
see the fire of the big guns. The front
north of us was Mt times very quiet.
The Americans were not yet ready
TO invite the Hun to party, the sup
ply. road was not ready. On July ehe
18th / was sent to Chatteaurenux to
load some light railway material and
while on the train coming here tho
drive on the front north Of Alimvillc
started. and after / got here moro
and more material was wanted at
Abionville, so shipments were contin-
ued to that place until the armis-
tice was signed. While there / did a
little bit Of everything the first few
weeks. Had charge of road that
was being built for trucks across the
yards. Then was put to checking
cars and loading and unloading cars
with crane. The 4th of last July
! got my first and only pass since I
joined the army and went to Nancy,
which Iuau fhap opl,, about ~,