Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-01-03
SAW BOYS DIE
ALL AROUND HIM
Charles Roesler Has Several
Narrow Escapes.-Finally
Severely Wounded

/ Charles Roesier writes a very inter
esting letter to his sister, Mrs. Henry
Wilson. of this city, from hospital in
| France undpr date Of Nov. 81 Charles
| tells OF many thrilling experiences and
narrow escapes before he was finally
wounded severely, which put him out
of the rest OF the fighting. The letter
| follows:
Dear Sister and All: Well / am
| Just dropping you few lines to let
you know that l am nearly all O. X.
again. | have put away the hospital
| clothes and crutches and wear a uni
| form again, which makes me feel like
myself once more. | am not as strong
as l was as yet, but will come back
again. | and four others are on kit
chen police. We have to get the eats
from the big cook house for At men.
With the help Of the nurses, we dish
out the eats then eat ourself, as the
Norwegian says. Then we have to
wash the bis pile of dishes; clean up
all around and make our own beds.
Most all the boys in this ward can
walk and can help themselves. Each
ward has certain kinds of wounds to
handle. One ward has fractures, an
other has wounds and another has
medical cases and so on. Our doctor
ranks as captain and he knows his
business. too. This hospital can take
care OF 5000 patients.
I can tell you where | am at. The
name of the city is Rimaucourt. 1t is
close to Clfaurmont, where General
Pershing's headquarters are. They say
Napoleon had his headquarters here.
At ST. Die is where / run that French
sawmill for five weeks last summer.
Then we went to the st. Mihiel sector,
working on roads. until we were need
ed to help out, which we did in good
style. After that drive we worked on
the roads to Metz.
Then we had long march with full
pack on our backs to take part in the
fighting on the Meuse river working
on the roads over Dead Mans Hill,
and Hill No. 304. Here is where we
slept with the rats for the first time. /
have seen lots of rats in threshing
time, but never saw as many as here.
On the main road they would get killed
by the autos.
Our company kept track Of the num-
ber Of trucks and wagons and III II
hours 1900 had passed a certain spot,
all going toward the front. When the
trucks and wagons were empty, they
had another road to go back on that
saved a lot of time 1t was a God
send that France had such good roads,
or the war would not have been won
yet.
Every once in a while a big shell
would come over and blow hole big
enough to put small house into. Then
we would have to get busy and repair
Tie road. 1t is saying over here that
shells are just like lightning -never
hits twice in the same place-but it
fails once in awhile, ! had several
close calls from shells. Our command
ing officer sent another lad and | on a
high piece of ground to see where
the picks and shovels were laid
when we left early in the morning.
This was just at dusk. Well, when we
got nearly in full sight the Germans
they let fly three big shells, which ex-
pIoded very close to us. We got into a
shell hole and then looked and found
the tools. Another time the lieutenant
told me to hunt up Corporal Paxton.
Just ahead Of me d shell fell and ex-
Dloded and killed another corporal
and wounded five more. It was in the
night time,
The day before / was hit we were on
the march and high explosive came
over and exploded right over our
heads. That shell got % men, eight
killed and fifteen wounded. All back
Of me. were hurt or killed. All felt
was a few small pieces of iron hit my
cheek. / believe those Germans had
some way OF telling when troops We're
on a certain spot and let loose on them.
Just ahead was a ruined village on
a hill. In one of the towers there the
Crown Prince watched his men get
moved down like grass at the battle of
Verdun This was before the Z. S. got
over here. /, along with the rest had
other narrow escapes which | will tell
you about when / get back.
The Germans certainly figured OH
holding that section of France They
had big iron rails on the railroad and
concrete foundations under buildings
and bridges. The road was in fine
shape but our shells put it out OF COM
mission in hurry bending rails like
pieces of hay wire. / mentioned in my
last letter that had been shot when on
German soil | have found out since
that it was not so.
/ guess I Will not send home the
knife and bullet as now the war is over
and I expect we will. soon all be on our
way home | don't know if | will be
sent back to my company or not.
They are upon the German border and
belong to the 9Th division | wish /
was with them.
I'll bet on the night of the day the