The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1919-02-07
Somewhere in Germany, December

AosuS 4O4Os ~.
Dear Mother:-I received today
your welcome letters and ss have time
! will be prompt in answering them.
We are away into Germany now, near
the Rhine river at last. We were at the
front on the firing line to the last min.
ute, 2 a. m. November II, 1918, guess
the most enjoyable day Of my life. I
will try to describe to you the details Of
the doings of the Third Division of the
American forces. The second battle of
the:Marne, at Chateau Thierry on July
18th, the Battle of st. Mihiel on sepsem-
Der 18th and battle of the Argonne.
On the Meuse, northwest of Verdun,
our last battle Of the war, and think |
it was the battle that brought Germany
to time. Our first battle was at Cha |
teau Thiery. We had finished our
training at French artillery camp and
loaded our guns and horses on train
and started for the front. The Germans
had just been driven out,of Chateau
Thiery before we got there. The rail-
road was quickly fixed and we pulled in
to the yards and started to unload green
troupes. l glanced over to the depot
and saw wounded men on stretchers in
double rows the full length OF the plat
form. In passing them l saw one whom
l knew we'll, having formed his acqualnt-
ance in camp. I handed him all the
cigarettes had and told him to brave
it out.
We unloaded and went up the road
six miles and went into our first position
in wooded district just. vacated by the
Germans. Here we opened fire on the
enemy and gave them good pounding.
The 42nd and the " New York we're
with US. Here we fought intermitently
until September 18th, when we had the
enemy half encircled.
II the enemy had not retreated we
would have captured the whole bunch
of them in short time.
On September IL l had novel exper-
fence. I was sent with two Frenchmen
to stretch telephone line to place Of
observation. The district was covered
with timber pretty we'll and We gained
our objective point. saw sight
will always remember. In my elevated
position could see with my field glasses
for miles around. I could see the Ger
mans in their trenches,s others on duty
parading around but everybody busy
getting things in shape'to stem the ad-
vance of the American forces that had
been instrumental in driving them back.
OF course the French divisions had
been doing their share to drive tine Huns
out OF their strongholds. I worked my
way back with the information I had
gathered and left parties in charge of
the observation station for while. All
along the line were five thousand can
mons, or more all calibres, in position to
make the attack as soon as the order
was given. We understood that at one
In the morning was the time set. AsI.
was laying on top of the observation
place in the afternoon looking at the
Germans to our front and then sizing
up the endless string of cannons with
piles of ammunition ready for the as
sauIt could not help to think of the
fate of most of them before they would
be forced back again. The program
was carried out as arranged and the
strings of prisoners and destroyed pro-
perty blocked the road for miles after
the retreat.
1t is all over and we have won.
Here IN Germany there is a little snow
on the ground, the first for this year. 1t
is not cold. The hike here was hard
one but we stood it we'll. With best
wishes to folks at home am
Yours,
WILLIAM r. SHAW,
Headquarters Co. l3, F. A.