The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-01-17
A Letter From France.

The following is a Letter from
1st. Sergt. Harry Jenkins, of Suit
land, who is in France with. the
326th Regiment, SIND Division.
Nov. 9th, 1918.
Dear Lloyd:
It's been long time since
| have written to you, but have been
so busy that | don't know which way to
turn.
Although didn't get my commission
l have been promoted to 1st. Sergt.
and just coming out of action with
everything so badly cut up have more
than | can do to attend to my work. l
have clerk in the Office all the time
and runners to carry messages and
orders back and forth to Bat. and Reg.
Headquarters.
AS the censorship has been loosened
up quite little | can talk more
freely. At present am about thirty
miles southwest of Dion. We hiked
here from away north of the Argonne
Forest. After l left school l got back
to my company just in time to take
part in the Argonne offensive. You
know that it was this division that
finally got them out of the forest. We
were in the lines about twenty-five
days. When we came out we had forty
men in the company and l was in COM
mand. | was in command during the
last eight days of the fight and remained
so until we were out of the lines. The
story of those twenty five days can
never be told in letter. The horrors
were something terrible, but the divis-
ion made fine record and scored five
points more than any other in the A. E.
F. During the off ensve we were cited
five times by GeA Pershing.
am now glad in way that | didn't
get commission because l would be
out of this division. We drove the
Germans about twelve to eighteen
miles. The casualties were awful-out
of 2l2 only 80 in my company came out
o. K. For about eight days | thought
would never live to see home again,
but came through o. K. as you see.
At times there were places on the
battlefield where on could count 200
dead without moving from the spot.
Men were blown to pieces so complete
ly that you couldn't see speck OF
them. Others were torn in half. Some
had heads off. In some places a mans
leg in shoe would tell the story O
mis- death.
The only thing that l had any trouble
with was gas. 1t made me sick for
about four days but didn't go to the
hospital with it. We had number OF
gas casualties.
Well l guess this is enough of war
for this letter and take it for me it is
no fun. Three or four days on hard
tack and water, and not knowing what
minute would be your last. | am glad
though that | have been in and done my
bit.
You speak of seeing half doz planes
up at once. / have seen about two
hundred in the air, at once, in groups OF
about twenty or thirty (Ailied and ger
MANI fighting and dropping bombs etc.
all at once. 1t is wonderful sight but
really not any fun to it.
| am sorry that | cannot come home
with a commission because | know that
everyone was interested in the boys Of
our Church, but l have put the best l
had in it.
1t is no cinch being LIST. Sergt. just
now as all records were lost in action
and there are lots of men yet whom we
do not know what became of.
1t took US seven days to hike here
from the Argonne besides twelve hours
on trucks. The name of this village is
Courcelle. Its very small. There are
only three companies billeted here.
Some of the French people here are
very nice though and seem to like the
Americans. However they never fol-
get to charge US when we want any
thing.
bet there were big times in the
States when Germany gave up. We
had just finished our first day of hiking
and arrived at town when the news
came. The church bells rang and the
people cried for joy-some scene.
1t is pretty cold here now. 1t has
been raining for two days but has
cleared off cold now.
Eight or ten of US boys are just talk
ing about trying to get. chickens for
our Thanksgiving tomorrow dinner
| have been drinking some good milk
in this village and it's the only thing
that's cheap-50 confines per Of.
Well l must be closing now. Please
let all the folks and friends read this
letter as l am so busy now adays. Night
before last l was up until three A. M
before could leave the work. You
can't imagine how muddled up things
are just now. l hope to telegraph you
from New York soon.
Love'to all,
HARRY.