Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-06
ENGINEERS HAD
NOTABLE PART
in ENDING WAR

"A FlYlu picture Oh the great work
done in the front ranks in the final
drive of the war by the engineers is
told in letter just received by Nat
LeAlaster from his brother, Sergeant
IL. G. LeMaster, who is in France. Ser
geant LeMaster is a member Of CO. C.,
3niih Engineers, 18th division, and
has been through some of the hardest
fighting of the war-and without a
scratch. His home is at West Palm
Beach, Fla. He was resting when he
wrote at Aix-Les-B ains, the great re-
sort at the foot of the Alps. His let
ter was written from the Grand Cir
Gle there, formerly gaming resort
secopd only to Monte Carlo, but which
long ago was turned into soldiers
club Dy the French government. His
letter follows:
"Aiv-Les-Bains, France.
My Dear Brother: I have wanted
to write to you ever since my arrival
ever here, but we have been kept too
busy winning the war until few
weeks ago to think of writing. How
ever, thought of you daily. l have
written home several times and they
have probably kept you informed as to
ny safety.
Our outfit had a. very strenuous
time of it the last two months of hos
tilities. Went to the front early in
September and built new roads and re-
paired old ones in the Bethelainville
woods preparing for the big offensive
which opened up on September 26th
We went over the top with the infan-
try at Avocourt on that morning under
Tire heaviest barage of the war And
10 one that was not there can ever
imagine what it was like and those
taat were can never describe it.
The whole earth seemed to tremble
Under us, and the big guns made such
q tremendous roar that we couldn't
hear ourselves think. 1t was our duty
tC keep the roads cleared up with the
infantry and to destroy mines, etc, so
that The artillery could come up. We
surely had our jobs cut out for US
What Jerry didn't do to them our big
guns did. We had to build new roads
entirely for about three miles under
she'll fire, rifle fire and machine guns
You have never seen men work like
we Orked. Not a man faltered until
he Vas knocked out. The ground we
went over was literally blown to pieces
and the barbed wire ENHANCEMENT was
simply dug into the ground The
woods were torn into shreds You can
imagine how we worked when we had
covered the three miles and had the
light artillery over by 10 o'clock that
night.
We went from Ayocourt TO Malan-
court, then on to Montfaucon, where
we were held for only a short while.
Then we got the Boches on the run
again and didn't let them stop until
they got into the Argonne forest. There
we struck snag, as you probably
know by the paper.
THE fighting here was fierce, and
i, was give and take for several days,
and then we got them moving again.
AT that time we were relieved and sent
to another part of the front. Our In
fantry had been relieved several days
previous and we were attached to this
division. We joined our infantry again
about twelve miles north of Verdun,
where we finished the war and where
the hardest fighting of the whole front
was going on at that time.
Il came through all right without a
scratch, though l was knocked down
by mud several times thrown up by
bursting shells l was in most every
form of gas, but always got into my
mask in time. l realize more fully
that higher power than my own
good luck brought us safely through.
haven't any wound stripes or medals
of honor to take back with me, but
am just as happy as if l had all
could carry of both, for my conscience
is clear and l know that / have done
my full duty under all circumstances
tand have had some circumstances
Il was sent out with a salvaging de-
tail as soon as hostilities ceased and
was still at this work few days later
when runner came out from the COM
pany with the glad news that I had
been selected with few others to
leave the next day on several days
furlough. l went and left early the