Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1919-03-13

Jy, Dut VINO LOT Huilluei VI years
has resided in Lenoir City, has just
been received by his sister.
To Home:
Well, how are all to-day? mailed
you a card and a letter yesterday,
didn't get the letter finished SO
promised to write soon again. We
are getting plenty of writing paper
now, and the most of us are making
good use of it. The censor on our
mail is not very strict, in fact very
little of it is read. | am sealing my
letters now. There has been nothing
said about it The mail that | re-
ceive, none of it has been opened, if
it has | couldn't tell it. Write all
the news you can get hold of. Just
you hear doesn't matter
it is true or not | have
already learned not to believe any
thing | hear. 1t will not effect me
unless you say it is true. | havn't
seen any one since we came over that
knew before | left home. As fast
as you hear of the Lenoir City boys
write and let me know of their where
abouts.
You told me in one Of your letters
that Robert Wilkerson returned home
Joe Abbott was in on a furlough and
that you received a letter from Joe
Hudson in France.
R. S. Smith from Powder Springs,
Granger county, Tenn, is in this
Co. He went to Camp Gordon on
he same train | did, were both put
n 327th Inf, went to camp Upton,
,ame across on the same ship, he was
n the first Battalion | in the second
md we never got acquainted until yes
,erday. | heard someone ask him
where he was from when he said
Tennessee | asked which end? So
We made acquaintance right away.
Oh say, what became of the Home
Guard? | havn't heard Of it since
We left home. Do you know whether
my of the Bussell boys came over
II not? Someone told me in letter
sometime ago that John had gone
o camp. Guess he got in some Tffl-
,er's school.
We had some real nice officers in
,ur company. Our Captain and two
were. from Georgia and
believe two other Lieutenants were
rom Tennessee. j. w. Lendsay was
,ur captain, he was sent back to the
,tates August first and was promoted.
o Major. He was a fine fellow, a
perfect gentleman. Fifty of US went
'ut with him as a raiding party
'ew nights before he left. We had
some fun but it was a little different
rom what | had been use to.
Lieutenant Neal, a banker from
Georgia (his father was a millionaire)
vas our acting Captain after Captain
Iendsey was sent away. He was
lilled in action September 18th.
Well, | will try to commence where
left off in your last letter, as you
will remember if you get the letter
stopped to read a letter and didn't
get back to the subject.
| commence to tell you a little of
ny experience since | left the hos
,ital November 18th. Don't suppose
t will be very interesting to you.
3ut you know | have to use some
hing to make a letter out of. | left
he hospital November 18th, thought
was going back to my company, we
we're sent to an evacuation camp.
There we were separated fellows
rom different divisions were put into
;roups. We were shipped from there
md were hauled and hiked around
or two or three days. Then were
,ut in the 80th division, the others
lad been hiking three days when we
oined them. Then we hiked sc
more days, made as high as thirty
i've lilometers in a day. We only
at twice a day, before day light and
lfter dark. There was three days
hat | did not see a thing | ate. All
he old fellows in the company were
full packs. | was both
ucky and unlucky, two blankets and
| mess kit was all that had been is
ued me. They take all equipments
rom you when you go to the hospital.
We are having some pretty frosty
lights about this time and | found
t rather chilly sleeping out with just
wo blankets, but | came through on
he hike all right, didn't hardly fell
t till the last day. Was a little bit
,ired when we landed here, made
lbout twenty-five miles that day.
But there was lots of fellows who
lidn't make it so easy. 1t drizzled
ain day and night the last five days