The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-05-25
LetterSFrOmSOIdierS
aETrER FROM PRIVATE JEWELL
Am. Il. f., Germany,
April 81, 1919.

Am, IL. ~ OeTmdnyp
April 81, 1919.
My Dearest Sister:
Sometime ago you wrote me. ask
5ng me to write and give you mar
wative account of my experiences
ssfnce | have been overseas. Well.
SITS a pretty long story that will
haFe TO be boiled down." so to
speak. Here goes.
ON August IA, 1917, the First
Brigade of Artillery, consisting of
gSe 5tb. 9Th and 7th regiments of
CHE lst Division landed at st. Ma
.saire. France. We remained there
raz one week. Leaving ST. Nazaire
sye went by train to those Hammer
90. Chevaux 4 kind to Camp Val
saiahop, France. There we went
tsknoagh some very extensive train
mag IN French methods of warfare
suin a school OF fire.
About the hrst of November we
made our first trip to the front. This
was very quiet sector, near the
city of Luneville. There we suf-
Fered our first casualties. Three
Las@n were killed. We stayed there
awo weeks and then liked to a lit
lie village called Beincourt. While
ahsre we did very strenuous ma
r8Szoyering with the doughboys, ex-
y1eT1encing the most severe winter
eyyss-y experienced by American sol
n9iers since Valley Forge.
About the first of January, 1918,
vwE began to turn in, all surplus @.
NJ property etc. II was then that
we knew that we were going into
the real fight January the 18th
Found us in position in the sector
northwest of Toul We remained on
this sector until April. Then we
Ieft for the Montidider front. While
on this front we fought and won the
yarst battle of the American army in
Ehe war, The Battle of Cantigeny.
MAY 2S. This sector was a very hot
,s0Re and there was constant harass-
8ng fire from both sides.
In July we were relieved from
this sector and started hiking for a
supposed rest. and God knows we
needed IL. But one night we were
halted on the road twenty kilometers
from Paris ito await orders" The
orders came. They were to proceed
immediately to the front, near Sois-
sions and attack there on the morn
ing of July Is. at 4:3O. We
ma1cbed for three days and nights
without sleeping or eating, stopping
y3uly long enough 10 let the horses
drink; and July is. 430 a. m.
Tound us with our guns in position
and waiting for the signal barrage.
went over with the doughhoys in
she battle and believe me IL was
pretty tough
After this battle we went to a
quiet sector near Panta MussOn. But
thts was too good TO last. and we
only stayed there two weeks. We
then went back TO our old sector
northwest of Toul There we made
Ene ST. Mihiel drive. which was
sEaik away. After this. October End
foand us beginning the drive in the
Argonne Meuse. In the morning we
drad the harrage for the advance
that ended the war. and on Novem-
Der 18th, at II a. m. we were the
lnppiest bunch of men you ever saw.
even though we were sleeping in
The mud and water etc.
November 18th we began our
5sAmous march 10 Germany. On Fri
tsy December 10. we crossed the
8hne. Here We are on the Rhine.
The First Division has never got
es any credit for what they have
tone. We didn't want t. We had
-1o ewSpaper correspondents or any
lsuE Of that kind with us. The
pnblc doesn't know what we did
Bur down at G. II. @ they know
what We did, and we know. And
~ have done our bit. It's all over.
haV we can't go home.
Cfver the hill at Cantigny:
Tbrough the wheat fields near Sois-
sons;
Through the hills and fields at st.
Mihiel.
'Tken mp through the Argonne.
Then a short stroll down the Mozelle
FU q hob-nailed Pullman car.
'TEen we held the front line
On the banks Of the Rhine.
The L. s. First Division
look for me by August list
Lovingly.
TURNER c. JEWELL. PVT.
zattery F, 9TH F. c.. Am r. F.. Ger
Epany A. p. o. 729.