The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1919-01-02
LIEUTENANT cHoATE IN
FRANCE
Writes an Interesting Letter to His
Mother Describing the Trip
Across the Atlantic.

ae MOSueE 0e9Ct1Oau8 tue Trip
Across the Atlantic.
Dejon. France, Dec. 10. 1918.
Dear Mother:
l received seven letters today, the
first since l arrived here and to say
ahat enjoyed them is putting it
very mildly. One of the worst
things about being SO far away is
not being able to get mail from home
regularly. Was here just six weeks
before receiving any mail and that
seems long time to a fellow five
thousand miles from home. How is
the flu over there by this time?
Hope it has flew away and that you
folks all escaped it. l was greatly
worried about the time sailed for
EuroDe for fear some of you would
get it for it was sure everywhere in
the old U. S. A. We had several
burials at sea from our convoy COM
ing over.
My trip across was very enjoy
able one Nothing of note occurred
enroutc and was never seasick al
though we had some real rough
weather. | was comfortably located
in good quarters and enjoyed every
meal. Since the war is over | can
tell you when | sailed and where |
landed. We left New York ON board
British liner with fifteen other
TRANSPORTS on October goth and
landed at Liverpool, England, Octo-
Der goth about eight O'Clock in the
morning. We boarded train and
went across England to Camp Cod
ford. where we rested for day and
then pulled out for South Hampton,
England. where we went aboard the
boat to cross the channel, landing at
laHarve. France, the morning of
November end. We were in La
Harve at rest camp one day and
then went to Tours, headquarters for
service OF supplies, where | turned
my company over to the Signal
Corps and went on by my lonesome
to Advanced Ord. Depot No. 1. A
trip up the front from there and
back here; have been instructor in
the machine gun school since the
armistiee- was signed Don't have
any idea when | will be coming back
home, but the school is going 20
close soon, SO l am due for a move
somewhere. We had quite scare
coming across the English Channel.
The boat ! was on ran into a trawler
(smal tug boat about an hour out
OF LaIlarve. It was late at night
and OF course it made an awful noise
and shook us up quite a bit. The
whistles on our boat began to blow
the pumps began. working and the
wireless began sparkling. Sailors
were running around with their life
belts on with only a flash light in
their hands, SO OF course we thought
we had been torpcdoed. Coming
across only officers were armed and
we had orders to shoot any one who
started riot or stampede in case
we we're "subbed." SO we officers all
rushed to the Hatchways to keep the
men down below deck and quiet un-
til we got the orders to abandon
boat. but OF. course we learned in a
few minutes that we had hit another
boat and were not hurt much our-
selves. We got into port O. K.
without any help, but our boat had
to go into dry dock for repairs. The
trawlcr was cut in halves and most
of the crew were lost. We lost two
men overheard. but | understood a
destroyer picked them up. They
were sleeping on deck and the jar
threw them overheard, but of course
they had their life preservers on. |
was little frustrated for awhile, but
of course the officers had to stay
calm in order to give the men conf
dcnce
So Must close now and attend t.,
some business. Trust this finds all
well as it leaves me fine and dandy.
Love to all.
Ever lovingly yours,
Leslie.