Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-13

Hospital No. 3. 4. r. f., at Dernba IN,
| Germany, writes as follows to bis
mother Mrs. Charles Murphy. 10
South Chestnut street, Augusta, as
follows:
Dernbach. Germany,
January Is. 1919.
Dear Mother:
Received your welcome letter today
dated the sth and was very glad to
hear from you, and hope this letter
finds you and everything O. X, at
home and the family. Same old thing
here, we have built a cook shack out
of lumber so guess that we are
doomed to stay here for awhile.
Things are quiet In this part Of Ger
many. although we understand that
the square heads cannot agrce to
each others terms around Berlin,
possibly the army of occupation
| might have to straighten things out
for them, which l can assure you
would not take very long.
They have been on maneuvres
around here and the old artillery sure
has a quaint remembrance of days
gone by. although we boys would not
take millions for what we have been
through. we would not give two cents
to GO through 1t again.
So you seldom hear of the first
division and chances are that YOU
never will, because it is not a ma
tional GUARD and national army
division, it is the old regulars and
they are not, and do not get much
fr,. hDi
papers pictures Of marines going
over the top at Cantigny and the
famous rainbow division which was
supposed to be there, but l can as
. sure YOU that they were nowhere
around there.
The list also was the division which
made that big drive at scissors and
took MountSee in the st. Mchiel
, drive. where the French lost over 5O,-
900 men trying to take it in 1914 in
the first battle of the Marine Also
about the capturing of the big rail-
head at Cedan which cut German
supplies to the big Notifications
around Metz.
We were on eight fronts and it was
the first that lead six of the American
drives yet the reason you do not hear
about 1t is as I have said because
they were regulars.
And that is the reason we are to
stay here until peace is officially
signed. II there should be trouble to-
, da.' again the 1st division is leading
all others, first across the sea, first OH
the front, first to make a Annex
drive (Cantingny), first to cross the
, Rhine and first at the head of the
American army into Menic but sad to
say the last to go home.
This division was twice against
the German famous Crown Princes
! army. and this Is the subsistence of a
Hun eoloners remarks we captured
in the Argonne, when learned
yesterday that the 1st division was
across from my men knew that
there was no hope for us, and when
your artillery barrage opened 1t was
so dense that absolutely nothing
could live through it and we were un-
able to get out of our dugout until
! the Annex 1st division soldiers cap
tured US. We did not believe that the
Americans could develop division
such as the 1st in at least Ave years.
Some day the people of the States
will realize that there is such q divi-
sion and pass along the credit to
them that is due them which has
been handed to other divisions.
There is another branch which has
got very little credit for their work
over here and that Is the Salvation
: Army. one of the finest orSaniza tons
ever established. And I am afraid
that that SO called organization the
Y. M. c. A. will be rudely criticised
by the Annex soldiers when they
get back absolutely (pas bonne) as
the French say.
Well. guess I am not in the right
mood to write tonight so will close.
Love from