Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-01-10
FROM GREY LIVESAY.
December IL, 1915.
Dear Mother and Father:

Dear Mother ana rather:
1t is raining some this morning
md we are not drilling so I thought
would write you few lines. Hope
THIS will find you all we'll. am get
tin. along all right. Well as the
censorship is not SO stric, now I will
rive YOU an outline of what l have
r,an doing.
Atter l had trained about two
Nncks in the 106 Am. Train l was
sent to report at twenty sixth divi-
>;unal headquarters for duty. After
Hr had gotten to the limit OF the
railroad Uhey were allowed so close
10 the front) we had to wait until
after night for transportation by
trucks The trucks were late so we
lad to wait until twelve o'clock that
light and while waiting I laid down
on the ground and went to sleep in
;nc rain and snow and the results
we're that I was sick for two weeks
afterwards. We reported at head
quarters and the trucks were all oc-
cupied SO they put us into the 1O9rd
+. \.
My service record was lost dur
ing that time and I havn't been paid
since. and naturally I have not seen
i. since or been paid since then.
have only had five francs Cor approx
imately one dollar in American mon
cy) since the middle Of August.
was in the supply company for
while then sent to Battery E. on the
81. Michel front. Our Division alone
captured seventy thousand prisoners
while there
was in the Echilon Chat is where
the horses ETC., are kept in reserve)
tending to horses.
We were ordered TO the Vercfun
front in short while afterwa rds.
We hiked all night for a few nights
and hid In the daytime but work
ing most of the day After we got
Icady for action I was sent to the
gun positions on an ammunition de-
tail which was what call hard work.
Our guns are six inches and the shells
weight 100 pounds.
We were called out at all hours
in the night to unload trucks of am
munition or carry it for a barr age.
One night while it was raining, at
eleven o'clock, we heard the cry
ammunition detail" and to our sor-
row we found $4,000 pounds of am
mhnitiOn to unload
y few days after that six Of us
were going up the road and shells
were ziZzing over our heads pretty
'Aick. we sat down on the bank t.
rest and large piece OF shraDnel
landed just in front Of us so we
started to move out. We went a
snort distance when we heard shell!
coming Gas We could tell by the
Sonhd) pretty close behind us, we
'''i down on our faces and as it was
my hrSt experience began to get I'D
""r"ncerned like and saw everybody
running. looked back and saw the
ar iuil Of dirt and rocks so l began
t. double time also. The rocks and
"ii began to fall all around us hut
"S we hii our helmets on none
were hurt.
me! continued TO come over this
I"S ana every night they covered our
""Sout with new earth Our dug
,H are only beds dug into the bank
ca" covered over with boards so we
80, ieei very safe. One night one
vi III front Of two OF the boys dug
I"'H and covered them with about
inches Of earth and rock but did
l'' hnrt them. That was only little
rom me so got little shak-
~. '',hking they would get me next.
,' kept this up until about Novem-
,,,.,. me 4'h, when they began re.
"''hs so fast we couldn't catch up.
~, "eS" from the way they worked
I,e must have been putting over
'c 10 their one SO the enemy
u'' nave thought 1t q bad deal and
,,..' logan to double time 1t to the
t,.a one evening we went to within
rr,, .'ii'eS or their lines to dig new
L,h Plus and the next morning thew
ra some so far that we couldn't
'hem with our six inch guns.
rn, we didn't move them the guns,
Cd line .ne Armistice terms were sign
ann ,en we began to hike to the rear
e. 49, aveled about seyerly-five mile,
,"e hrst three days.
r.. turned in our guns and eouin.
dr,i, ana have been having doughboy
Of n.h ".er since. This is an outline
1n WA" 'a,, we been doing but as some
roam. "h,' words cannot tell how e.
who" was. viii tell you the rest
yhnm get home but don't know
tho ,u ,""' VIII be. Got some mail
rrbIonu' DAY the hrst have had in
.~"'een weeks. ' ;"
,..' nopo wont have to write anv
~ ,.'n '', ! get home. This is about
,',.. T." mink Of at present so will
ana hoping you all a merry Xmas