Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-02-20
Letter From Sergeant Snyder.
Still in France,
January Is, 1919.


January IS, 1919.
Dearest Dad--This has certainly been
an eyentful week, and the result may and
undoubtedly will have very. far-reacn-
ing effect on the company. In the hrst
Mace. CAPTAIN Edwards, who was oper-
ated on for appendicitis about six weeks
ago. has moi been improving as ne
should. and the doctors have ordered
MIN back to America. at once. lie VIII
probably leave within week. Our Sec
ond Lieutenant Eek has also gotten orders
for his return 10 the States, and since
our First Lieutenant has been gone for
over a month, il means that we are go
ing to get new officer. we nave no
idea who II will be, so we are more or
less worried, for there are oihcers ano
officers and we might not be so lucky
this time. The men Of the company 20
moi know that the Captain IS going 10
leave. for the whole unit has troubles OF
inc own and we did not wish 10 add 10
the general low spirits. AS | wrote 10
YOU, had we been scheduled 10 ledve
ihls camp for home some Time IN re1lu-
ary, and we were all patting ourselves
on the pack and some OF The fellows
were getting their French money cnangeo
10 The green kind, when like bolt from
the blue came the order that we were
relieved from the aeroplane work and
assigned TO the Motor Transport corps
for duty. Since all American trucks are
TO be sent for repairs. salvage ana over
hauling, there are some months OF WORK
ahead OF us. can't tell you any OF Inc
remarks that were passed, tor they are
moi III. but the air was blue Tor some
time: and since it will probably mean
that we will be taken from the list OF
those who are outgoing, we are mol reel
ing so happy as we might, Tor we mao the
idea that we would soon be on the way
home-and here we are for the duration
of peace. OF course there is a possibility
that we may not be kept so long. Tor we
have been here some time, and perhaps
for once we may get justice.
II is certainly hard TO think that we
have TO do someone elSe'S work, when
we have been working our heads OH 10
finish our own allotted taSk--and then
TO be pushed to SOne other fellow S
work is rubbing il in just little bit. VI
course. we are patriollc and all that, but
we are wanting 10 come home, and 10
have been nearly started and tnen thrown
off IS kind OF diSconcertlng. ne men
are taking the transfer remarkably well,
and | believe that they will work ard
DO their bit as they have always done IT,,
and perhaps we won't be here so long
alter all. What hurts is that organlZa-
lions that came here to work after we had
built the camp and gotten things ready
for them are packing up and leaving us
here to clean up after them, and we saw
them march in after we had done The
worst part of the work; and now we
are seeing them go out and we are again
doing The worst part OF the work. They
beat us coming and going, and that Is
me part that hurts. Personally, the
ocean at this time of the year has no
particular attraction for me, and II mlght
be more pleasant to start home some
where about July or August, but were
given the cnance l think would De
tempted TO start back in canoe Just 10
get there, tor | have had enough oil
France and want 10 come home. but
here we are and here we stay until Inc
IA, T. c. turns us loose. Some one told
us that there were only fifteen thousand
trucks and touring cars 10 be worked on,
so we do not have so much work ahead
of usi | think that is about enough TO
happen to us in one week, and am glad
that this is Saturday night, so that al
least the week is almost over. Perhaps
the coming week will treat us better.
AT that, though, have had some pleas
ant experiences. Last Sunday Captain
Edwards went out TO the Chateau Veian-
cay, where the Y. M. c. A. has estao-
llshed an officers club. We went oul
in an automobile, and since Velancay is
about ten miles out in the country, II was
most enjoyable ride. We went through
number OF small French towns on the
way, and everyone had the usual NUM-
Der OF American soldiers, Tor there is
scarcely a town in France that does mol
lie in the path OF the Americans. AS we
approached the Chateau we saw II tower
ing on big hill overlooking the town
which lay at the foot OF the hill, and
since the scene was typically French.
the usual tiled roofs and stone walls and
houses and the tall-Spired church were
not out OF keeping with the French style.
The Chateau from a distance showed
massive stone walls and towers that rose
TO an unusual height, and 1t was easily
seen that il was an enormous building.
We went slowly through the streets oil
Velancay, for being Sunday the town
market was in full swing and the streets
and market-place were crowded with
the French folk who were laying IN
supply OF food and other articles Tor the
coming week. on one side OF the square
and every town no matter how small
has its public square-were the stalls and
stands with the various articles display
ed, and on the other side OF the open
space were those who had chickens,
geese, turkeys, pigs, calves, sheep, cows
and various other animals for sale. Now
these French are mighty thrifty, and
have seen woman argue Tor twenty
minutes to get the merchant to lower the
price OF an article ten centimes, SAID
centimes being less than two cents IN
our money, and a market scene II you
take the time to look closely is mighty
interesting. Velancay was having a big
market day, for the sun was trying 10
shine and the people were all out, and
they were sure having a great time. AS
we passed the buzz and hum OF the close
bargaining titled the air, and since Ameri-
can soldiers are no longer curiosity
they did not pay much attention to US.
The Chateau lies at the edge OF the
town, and the first intimation you have
that il is close is a high stone wall which
surrounds the place. We drove along
the wall until we came to the gate and
turned into the grounds. The outer
garden was laid out with flower-bedS
and walks ard trees and was most
beautifully kept, and probably contained
fifteen acres. Being the winter season.
there were no flowers, OF course, but
can imagine what fine appearance the
garden must make when the flowers are
IN bloom. Then we came TO another
wall which surrounded the courtyard,
the wall being about twenty feet high
and perhaps six feet thick, the gate be-
ing OF heavy timbers and pulled up TO
allow entrance and held by heavy iron
chains. The inner court was also
laid out with flowers and trees and was
perhaps half as large as the outer garden.