Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-04-01

was operating in the Argonne Forest,
we decided that the name of the viii
lage where Talbot was buried was
misprinted in the newspapers and
should be La Chalade. That is the
place that l directed the driver to
drive us to.
The morning was wet, rainy and
miserable and the others told me
it was foolish to think of taking a
camera. 1 still have some of my
old time faith, however, and informed
them that the sun would shine before
noon and that we would come back
with a photograph. About II o'clock
the sun came through, but shone only a
few minutes. About 80 we reached
the poor old shattered village of
La Chalade. 1t has been a beautiful
place, in wooded valley, surrounded
by hills, not unlike those we are ac-
customed to in Marathon county. The
church was the first building we
reached, a very large and impos-
ing church as it has been, though
the village itself was small and
inconsequential aside from this
great church edifce. Across the
road from the church we found a.
cemetery, through which we quickly
passed. but soon discovered that all
the graves were those of French peo-
pie, largely French soldiers. We
noticed, however, that there were
other graves beyond the church and
went there, but noticed before we
reached them that the American ceme-
terry was further back toward the
trees at the west of the church. We
passed over a fiat level stretch of
green lawn in going to these graves,
which lie in two rows, the graves all
marked by neat wooden crosses, and
well cared for. Near one corner of
the little plot stands large tree. At
the end nearest the tree in the first
line we reached we read the aluminium
plate, "Lt. F. T. Montgomery, 305th
NJ. G.. Btn., Buried October 5, 1918"
1t is all so neat so simple, so near
what one would choose as the ideal
burial place of a soldier We looked
yonder into the hills clothed with their
forest growth torn and twisted and
shot away, but all peaceful now, where
he did is life work in so short a space
of time and then laid down his life
as his last full measure of devotion,
| for the emancipation of the world.
There by the side of the lot stood the
great Christian Temple from whence
| his soul departed for his heavenly
home. He had won in the battle of
! life, had grown weary of the stress
and ere his body lies in the most
peaceful surroundings possible. There
are very few people living in the
vicinity now, but you may rest assured
that these French people, in their
own simple homely way, but in
a way that speaks of the love and
admiration they bear toward the
American soldiers, who died for the
cause they understood so much better
than most people did, will tenderly
care for these simple, plain soldier
graves.
The sun was hidden behind the
clouds while we were in the church
yard, but the light was good and we
took time exposure photos. l hope
at least one of them will turn out we'll.
While Mr.. Carpenter and / were at
tending to the picture the others
found few little shrubs, about foot
high, OF variety, whose name !
know not, but which is used quite COM
monty for hedge ornamentation here
and we planted one each side of the
cross at the head of Talbot's grave.
We went into the church, which
shows the signs of war and desolation,
and picked up some little fragments,
which you may be pleased to receive
and which / will mail to you. They
will probably not reach you as soon
as this letter does, but viii be sent as
soon as / can arrange Il fhsfs are
some fragmthts of marble from the