Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1919-02-07
WOUNDED At FERDUS
Huntingdon Boy Gives Interesting
Experience

the lOlOWll& t6bte4 II O1A UOhh
Darlington, who is 10 the Y. NJ. G.
A. work in Franca, will be inter.
esting to his friends here:
Nice, France, Nov "a
Mr.. Richard Darlington,
Huntingdon, Tenn.
Dear Dad-Now that the war seems
to be over and / have had time to
rest up a little, l viii try and do some
writing | have been neglecting for a
time.
There is so much to tell now that
we are permitted to tell it, that it
is hard to know where to begin. |
have travelled from one end Of
France to the other, not once but
several times, have been on all the
important parts of the front and have
gone through four of the hardest bat
ties of the war.
If you have a good map and can
find the places on it you may be able
to get some idea of my movements.
The first three months after reaching
France / was stationed in Paris all
the time but after that / commenced
to do lot of moving about. From
the first of November, last year to
the first of February, this year |
spent most Of my time at Lyons, one
of the large cities in southern France.
From the first of February to the lat
ter part Of April, | was on the Brit
ish at Arras, Boupomme, Perronne,
Albert and Amens. / was near Arras
last March when the Germans made
their big drive. l think wrote you
something about it sometime ago.
1t was there / had to run away and
leave most of my clothes.
After we were driven back on the
British front and there was nothing
more | could do there, / returned to
Paris and a few days later went to
the Toul sector in the eastern part
of France which was the principal
part of the line being held by the
American soldiers at that time. We
had it very nice and quiet for about
two months, but July 1st brought
word for us to move and we started
out under sealed orders without hav-
ing the least idea where we were go
ing. Two dogs later we found our
selves in the vicinity of Meaux, where
we spent July 4th and on the 9th
we moved on La Ferte. We all knew
by this time that Chateau Thierry
was our objective and in few days
there would be plenty of hard fight
ing for everyone. This was the time
the Germans were in the height of
their success, and Chateau Thierry
was the closest point to Paris they
had been able to reach. Everyone
felt they were going to make another
big drive at that point in an effort
to reach Paris and that was first
the thing they must not be allowed to
do.
There had been hard fighting for
a number Of days but it was July
18th that the Americans really be-
gan to warm up, and by the heavy
attack they made they succeeded in
driving the Germans back, killing
many of them and capturing many
prisoners and large quantities of guns
and ammunition. This was actually
he turning point of the war and from
hat date to the date of the signing
If the armistice, the Germans did
lot make any important gains. In
Irwin G the Germans out of the
Chateau Thierry section the Ameri-
ANS succeeded in turning the tide of
he war and the French are quite
rank in giving them credit for hav-
ng done so.
About July 23rd the troops / was
With were drawn away from the
'front.' lines, and after few days rest
We moved to Chatillion in the eastern
,art of France, not a great way from
he Swiss border. All of US thought
We wer there for a long rest as every
rcunrc rnnm clmnrM