USA > Illinois > Lee County > War history of Lee County, Illinois, 1917-1919 : a history of the part taken by the people of Lee County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1919 > Part 21
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Wound Finished Him
It the bullet had been taken out of my head the first time and the small splinters of bone I would be a well man today, and perhaps leading my division into Berlin.
Yes mother there is four infantries in a division, in ours was the fighting 58th, 47th, 39th and 59th. Well the 58th was the best infantry in the 4th division, that is why we were pieked out for all the parades. You know I belong to the 4th division 1st army corps being with one of the 1st divisions to go on the line. I suppose you saw the piece Gen. Pershing had in the paper about the war.
Well mother I wouldn't take a million dollars for my experience, and wouldn't care to go through it again for five million.
Well, mother and all I will close by writing a little poetry where my division won their fame. As you know I was always good at poetry.
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CHATEAU THIERRY
On the road out of Chateau Thierry,
By the hill where we halted the Hun
Near "Suicide Lane" and "Death Valley;"
Where the Boche treat was begun.
There is an aere of crude little erosses,
Where we buried our boys in a row,
And a crowd of their comrade crusaders;
Whose names we may never quite know
And some day that road will be teaming,
With Pilgrims who venture to go, To Humanity's Holy of Holies
On the road to the Bois De Belleau,
Some will be looking for brother,
Others for fathers and sons, Many for husbands or sweethearts,
Or comrade who stayed with the gun.
God grant they come in the sunshine,
While the spring flowers bloom on their graves
And may they he proud of our comrades, And glad for the gift that they gave.
What do you think of that for a doughboy.
Don't think I wrote this for hand shakes as I only answered your letter wishing to know some of my experiences.
My only wish is to get well. Love to all.
Your son, Corporal Herbert D. MeDermott Gen. Hospital No. 11, Cape May, N. J.
From Sergt. Leshe Squier, Hosp. Dept.
Dee. 12, 1918.
Dear Mother:
Well, I suppose you would like to know how I passed my Thanksgiving. Will start on the beginning to tell you. On Tuesday afternoon we were given about thirty minutes notice to move and we were marched to another camp, arriving at 4 p. m. We were fed supper here, 6,000 men going through one kitchen in six lines. The clerk of our "hotel de Canvas," called up at 2:30 a. m. Wednesday morning, we fed at 3 a. m., and at 4 a. m. started on a seven mile march with full paek; arrived at 7 o'clock and waited around until 9 a. m., for the R. T. O. (railroad transportation officer). Finally entrained and fooled around all day, making a run of about forty miles, arriving at thepresent eamp at 1:30 p. m. We were marched out to a temporary barracks and put up for the night. The next morning we were fed after much doubtful waiting as there had been no notice of our arrival. This was Thanksgiving morning and finally we were fed a good breakfast which was appreciated, since it was the first meal since 3 a. m., the morning before, with the exception of a couple of sandwiches I was able to buy. Some of the boys, in fact most of them, were broke, thus out of luck. We were marched to our barracks and in- formed that no one woukl be allowed to leave that day and that a kitchen would be set up for us and we would be fed right there. The prospects looked rotten, but finally about
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
3 o'clock we had a dinner that was mighty good to us, but to you it would have been quite ordinary. This was the finish of the eats for the day, but about 5 o'clock they gave us liberty and allowed us to go down town. Was able to go to the Y. M. C. A. and get warm and buy a cigar and a small piece of chocolate, which made me feel very thankful.
Now we are assigned to a camp hospital and have a comfortable billet, having been moved the day after Thanksgiving. It is in the same town and located in a chateau, a 200 bed hospital. We are getting the finest cats I have ever had and it is the best place we have been in. We have not started to work yet; we start in the morning, so I don't exactly know what the work will be. We are billeted in a room about two blocks from the chateau in the village.
Well, the war is over, but when we return home is a question, as we were classified in Class A which means we have to stay the longest. I figure I will be lucky to get home by March or April.
Our regiment being all split up made us casuals and as casuals we have received no mail. The last letter I had was Maud's letter of Oct. 13th. Now we are assigned here I expect to get mail again.
Had a very interesting trip through an old chateau owned by the French government. the former home of Louis XIV and Henry IV. It certainly was a wonderful place and the grounds are immense as well as beautiful.
Am enclosing a Christmas card and a sprig of mistletoe and holly which I gathered myself. The mistletoe is very plentiful over here, although I have seen only a little holly, and that having no berries.
Was home in thought Thanksgiving day and will also be Christmas. I hope you receive this letter before Christmas.
Things are going along good and look brighter every day and with the prospects of home nearer every day I feel quite contented, even if I am in a strange land.
I can picture all the good things to eat Christmas and wish I could be there to share it with you, but if they continue to feed us like they have in this new place I am going to be well fed Christmas, too.
With love to all, I am,
Your loving son,
Leslie Squier.
From Walter Mueller
Nov. 23, 1918.
Dear Father, Mother and All:
Under provisions of an article in the Stars and Stripes, we are permitted to write where we are and where we have been. so here it goes:
On the morning of May 25th, 1918, we were called at 3 a. m., marched seven miles to Alpine landing, got on some kind of a barge there, drifted down the Hudson about 25 miles, got off and boarded the ship called "Henry R. Mallory." The sailors called it the "Hell Rolling Mallory." Was not on the water long until I realized the nickname was a good one. Anyway, was not on the boat but a few hours until one of our men fell down in the hole two deeks; luckily no bones were broken and was in the hospital only a week. Sunday about 5 p. m. we were all ordered inside and the boat commenced to move. After a few hours we were allowed out; could just see shore. Later our boat joined a convoy of 12 other troop boats and one submarine chaser and two days before we landed about 9 more submarine chasers met us. June 9th we debarked and marched to a camp in Lorimont, about 4 miles from Bordeaux. Was fortunate enough to secure
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a pass to Boradeaux for one day. June 15th about 4:45 p. m., the company split, part of them going to Rochefort, two men to St. Nazaire, and the balance of us to Lieusaint, about 25 kilometers from Paris, where we pitched pup tents in an alfalfa field until our barracks were erected. This was the beginning of Army Park B. July the 2nd the men who left for Rochefort June 15th, joined us. July 4th the men started out on their first trip for the front, trucks loaded with an evacuation hospital from Paris to Chalons. After being up there about two weeks, were chased out of the woods by German airmen-that was when the big Chateau Thierry drive began. From then on the trucks were moving practically all of the time, day and night, carrying ammunition, clothing and rations to Chateau Thierry and Soissons. While they were at Chalons for a couple of weeks the Germans came over to get a station one night but came so close to the trucks the men were ordered out in a wheat field. Some of them ran out in their B. V. D.'s with their helmets and gas masks on. The men were worked quite hard on the front until August 16th when we packed up and left for Longres. This was a three-day trip, about 300 miles of two companies, 58 trucks. Of course we did not run at night. August 18th the train pulled into Longres for repairs. This is where Bose caught me in the mess line trying to get some flapjacks.
Left Longres Aug. 22nd about 6 p. m. to be attached to a division at Bricon, arriving there about noon Aug. 23rd. Did not stop here very long. On Aug. 27th we left Bricon in a convoy of a hundred trucks for a place called Remiremont, getting pretty close to your home, dad. Anyway, we arrived at Remiremont, Aug. 28th about 2 p. m. We worked at this place about ten days, had my office in a truck that was out of working order, located at the foot of a big mountain. The Boche planes would pay us a daily visit but did little harm. We left Remiremont Sept. 7th, arriving at Gerardmer the same day. This is where work began to pick up again. Trucks rolled day and night up and down the steep mountains on into Alsace. From the tops of some of these mountains we could see the tops of the Alps. The men worked real hard in this area as most of the hard driv- ing had to be done at night without lights as the Germans were just across the valley and the lights would show through the camouflage on the side of the road. When we left this place Oct. 28th, had to leave nine men behind in the hospital. Arrived in Futeau, just back of Verdun, Oct. 30th, parking at a saw mill there, trucks working from this place to Grandpre, where the sixth division was going into action, some of them in one battle, as we were preparing to move to Grandpre some poor old lady came up to the mess ball to tell us, "Boche finish." We left Futeau at 7 p. m., Nov. 17th, arriving at Verdun at 10 p. m., the same night, where we are now located. Gee, the city of Verdun sure looks a wreck. Took a number of snap shots of the ruins. Will have them developed soon as we get back into civilization. Have not seen any people (civilians) for over three weeks. We were booked to go to Metz but orders have been changed and Monday we leave for Recey sur Quere just below Longres. Understand this division is going home soon. I am under the impression that we will be detached from them before they sail.
The above places mentioned are the names of the villages and cities we were stationed at since in France but have gone through a number of other large cities and villages. Passed through Neufchateau, October 30. That is where Leo Miller is, according to the A. P. O. number you gave.
Mailed you a German helmet several days ago. Have another on hand in case it never reaches you and a number of other souvenirs and postal cards. Have some shrapnel that I dug from the building we are staying in. I have a very nice room with a large fire place in it. Will write you again soon, Merry Christmas to all,
Walt.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
December 28, 1918.
My Dear Mother, Father and All:
I have not heard from you since we moved, Dee. 19th, when I received your Christ- mas card. We left Rocey sur Quere, Dee. 19th, and arrived at Montigny the same morn- ing. No billets being available there we moved on to the next village, called Gevrolles. We own the place now as you will understand after reading this letter. Gevrolles is a small village not far from Longres, very quiet place. Have had rain every day since we arrived here but one and it snowed on Dec. 25th. Have a very nice room in a cheese factory that I am using for an office, large fireplace in one side of it which makes it very comfortable.
Day before Christmas we decorated a large room in the factory that we had been using for a mess hall for a Christmas program. Some of the men had to leave in the afternoon to transport troops from this area to Longres for a parade there given in honor of Presi- dent Wilson on Christmas morning. These men did not get back until 5:30 p. m., just in time for our second performance. But we men who were in, in the afternoon, about 2:30, decided to light the Christmas tree at 3:30 and give chocolate, candy, nuts and gum to the French kids of the village and for admission each member of the organization was to bring one or more French kids. At 3:30 we had 500 of them, also a number of the mothers, older sisters and nurses, full house. Had a little show which lasted about a half hour. In the meantime one of the fellows fixed up as Santa and immediately after the perform- ance Santa came out and gave them their candy and stuff. It certainly made a big hit. At 7:00 we had the big show for the men of our organization, only; of course, we had a Santa Claus, too, a regular comedian. We put all of our Christmas packages that we received from home, the Y, and the Red Cross, around the three and had him call them off by name and what he would add to it was enough to make his act successful. After everything we took flashlight pictures.
Well, mother, will write again as soon as I receive a letter from you. Love to all, Walter.
From Sergt. Clarence White, Medical Corps.
Cruckten, Luxemburg, Nov. 29, 1918.
Dear Father:
Inasmuch as I was unable to write you a letter Father's Day, I am going to write now and give you an idea of what I have been doing and where I have been since coming over here.
On Dec. 1, 1917, we left Ft. Harrison at 4 p. m. We took the New York Central lines and passed thru Muncie, Ind., Union City, O., Marion, Manchester, Cleveland, Erie, Pa., Buffalo, N. Y., Syracuse, Rochester, Albany and down along the Hudson to Hoboken, N. J. We boarded the George Washington," a large liner next in size to the Vaterland. The latter was in a dock beside us before we pulled out on the 5th of Decem- ber. We were" on the water during which time we encountered no U-boats, but got into a terrible storm on the Bay of Biscay. Finally we landed at Brest Dee. 22. I got off the boat before some of the rest and was fortunate enough to see a great deal of the town. We boarded a train at Brest and started for our training area. We passed thru the town of Laval, Le Mons, Tours, Longres, Chartres, Chaumont and on Christmas morning got off at Bourmont, which was west of Limeville and to the south of Neaufchateau. We stayed at Bourmount all winter and ran a camp hospital there. On March 14, 19IS,
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
we started in trucks to the front. The division occupied a sector extending from Verdun south for about 18 miles. Our stations in Genicourt near Ft. De Genicourt, one of the outer works of the fortress of Verdun. We were shelled every day at Genicourt at pre- cisely 12 noon. After about two weeks we were stationed at Sonully, a fair sized place back of Verdun. Here I ran onto many fellows out of the 10th Engineers, R. R., out of Chicago. They were operating the railroad to Verdun.
On May 15th the second division was relieved and we pulled back thru Bar-Le-Div for a rest stopping at a little town called "Beurey." We stayed there a few days and then started on a long trip to the British front. It took us a couple of days and we passed through the towns of St .. Dizier, Vitry le Francois, Chalons, Epernay, Meaux, St. Denis, a suburb of Paris, Pontoise, and stopped at La Fayella. We were in this place when we got word that the Boches were driving toward Chateau Thierry to Paris. The division was ordered to the scene of trouble. We went back the same way we came, through Pontoise, St. Denis, Meaux. We went north from Meaux to meet the oncoming Boche. On June 1 the division was ordered to plug a hole in the line through which the Boches were pouring. Our sector was west and a little north of Chateau Thierry. Our company came near being captured near Vimy, so were moved back to Cacharel and then to Chateau Rue on the road out of Chateau Thierry. I expect it is useless for me to tell you of the work done at Belleau wood, Torey, and Vaux. These places have been made famous by the fifth and sixth Marines and the ninth and twenty-third infantry and the second engineers. Our company was next moved to Luzaney on the Marne river. We stayed there until about the 10th of July when we were sent of La Tille for a rest. We were shelled out of this place the night of the 14th. The next day we were ordered to Villers Cotterets near Soissons where the first and second divisions with the Scotch made a six mile gain the first day of the battle. They continued to gain and after two days were relieved. We forced the Germans to evacuate the Chateau Thierry salient. We next went to Oguy, a little town near Nanteiul and Seulis (Gen. Foch met the Ger- man peace delegates at Seulis).
From Oguy we started on another long trip, going through Meaux, Vitry le Francois, St. Dizier, Toul and Naney. We stopped at St. Nicholas, south of Nancy. From there we went up to Millery near Pont-a-Mousson, but it was only for a few days for the purpose of getting acquainted with the terrain. We then went to the south of Toul to a town named Faviers. We stayed there two weeks and then were very much in evidence when the St. Mihiel sector was cut off. We captured Thiancourt and Xammes-Zalny ridge. It was at Thiancourt that I nearly got mine.
We next struck with the French near Rheims and took Mont Blane ridge which had been holding up the French advance for some time. We worked near Suipps and at Sommepy, where we were pretty hard hit by shellfire. On Nov. 1 the second division was given the post of honor in the front rank in the final attack which swept by Buzaney, Stenay and was stopped at Sedan only by the signing of the armistice. We were at Landre- ville when the armistice was signed on the 11th of November.
On the 14th we started for Germany with the army of occupation. We have already gone through Buzaney, Stenay, and Montmedy, in France, and Viron, Belamort, Ethe, and Arlon in Belgium. We are well into Luxemburg now, having passed through Noer- dingen, Colmar, Berg, and several other towns. The company is now at Kruchjten, about 23 kilometers west of the city of Luxemburg.
In a few days we will go into Germany and I will tell you where we have been in another letter. I am also going to give you a copy of each of our citations. We have a good many. With love, your son, Clarence
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From Howard Metzler
Nov. 24, 1918.
Dear Dad:
As this is supposed to be Father's day will drop you a few lines telling you something of what I have seen since leaving the States. We left New York on the 20th of May and after zigzagging around the Atlantic for eleven days we landed at Liverpool, England. Were marched about four miles out of the city and spent the night, leaving the next day for Winchester where we stayed for five days before taking a boat at Southampton for France. We spent the night on board a cattle boat and debarked for Havre on June 14. Here we went into another rest camp for a couple of days and then they loaded us into box cars and we headed for Valdahou. After we spent three days in traveling we un- loaded and were marched to the little village of Epenoy, a small village about the size of Eldena along the Swiss border. Here we entrained on the French guns and incidentally here it was that truck drivers were called for to go to Bordeaux for trucks for the brigade.
I was sent in charge of the detail and it certainly was an interesting trip driving all the way across France and I was lucky enough to get the General's car, a big eight cylinder Cadillae, to drive back instead of a truck. About the twenty-sixth of July we moved into barracks at Valdahou and after firing our range course were prepared for the front. Five thousand rounds were fired over the range here and my job was to see that it was on the grounds in time, and, believe me, the old trucks worked as late as ten o'clock at night, getting ready for the next day's firing. On the 23rd of August we left for the front and as usual I had the truck train to take overland, a distance of 220 miles. We found the regiment at Boureq, a small village in a forest in the St. Mihiel sector. Here is where the real work for the trucks come in for we had to haul our supplies a distance of seven miles and there was rain ten days out of nine and mud half way up to your knees. There were more nights that I was on the truck seats than there were when I was in bed, for my drivers wouldn't suit the captain for he always wanted to go like hell and the boys were afraid of the quads so whenever he went I had to go and he sure was a soldier for when- ever anything was wanted. it didn't make any difference what time of night it was, we always went after it.
After the drive here was over we left for the Verdun front. Here I had to drive be- hind the wagon train for we had lost a bunch of horses and it was quite often I had to push a wagon out of a hole. Also the Spanish influenza hit our outfit and all of my men I turned over to the Supply Company, except the sick and these I kept in the trucks, for they were too weak to walk and there were only a couple who went to hospitals that came back. From the time we left the Boureq woods at seven o'clock one night until three o'clock of the second morning I was at the truck wheel only leaving it long enough to help out some of the fellows and get some hot coffee that was always ready for us in the field kitchen.
When we stopped I and a pal of mine from Walnut took our blankets and flopped in a French graveyard and were awakened the following day at ten o'clock by the follow- ing speech from a captain of the quartermaster's corps: "No wonder you can't beat these Yanks when they have guts enough to sleep in a graveyard."
After reaching our camping place in the Argonne I had to haul supplies from the main warehouse a distance of one hundred and ninety miles so you see it wasn't such a snap after all. When we weren't hauling supplies we were hauling ammunition and I sure saw some funny sights then.
One day a shell struck the truck right ahead of mine and took the engine out of it
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without exploding. If it had there would have been some damage done for there were about fifty trucks lined up loaded with high explosive shells.
Here was the only place we saw much real fighting, and, believe me, it was real, for we were located at a cross roads and Jerry had our range. Here also we witnessed several air battles and, believe me, those Jerrys have the goods when it comes to aeroplanes.
Around the middle of October we were relieved and sent back for a rest when the order came to motorize our regiment.
We left there about the 25th of October and as the old trucks had from 11 to 13,000 miles registered upon them we turned them in for salvage to get new ones in their place. About two weeks ago I took a bunch of lads to Dijon and drove back thirty trucks, five touring cars and ten motorcycles, and, with the exception of five or six cars we stole, or as the army calls it, "salvaged," while at the front, this is all we have.
We are now stationed to Doulaincourt and orders, or rather rumors, came in today that we were to be occupation troops and move into Germany for six months.
I certainly hope it is only a rumor for the States are good enough for me.
We wired our shack here and have electricity whenever it is on but they turn off the current so often you never can gamble on lights. They were turned off about five minutes ago and I have to finish with a candle, so will cut it short and hope I am on the way home by the time you are reading this.
Hoping this reaches you in as good health as it leaves me I am,
As ever,
Howard
F. H. Messer, from his son, Lisle R.
Dear Father:
I am in gay Paris and believe me, she is gay, as Wilson has arrived O. K. Saw his smiling face twice in a parade each time. I talk French like a fish. Hope to hear from you soon but as the organization I am in is continually moving I doubt much if I will ever get a letter.
I mailed you a souvenir, a German helmet, which I hope you received O. K. It is a helmet found near Mt. Sec. Was taken from a dugout and was left behind in his hurry to get out of the American's fire or the owner was killed. It is not a very fine one but half of the helmets in America are frauds. The boys are bringing back helmets from Metz that never saw a battle. Have merely been made to sell to Americans. Mt. Sec. is a hill that cost the allies 70,000 men to capture. We were stationed there some time. It was taken in the St. Mihiel drive.
I do hope I am with you soon and hope you are well. Write me same address. 1 am in Paris now and surely do enjoy myself but give me the U. S. A. The Parisians are a different class of people than elsewhere in France and are almost cosmopolitan.
You can believe all the accounts of their celebrating Wilson. Today is the third day of it and the men on dray wagons are going along hitting their horses and hollering "Vive Wilson." The Rue de Rivoli is as wide as Michigan Avenue and for a mile around De Opera and Madeline you never saw such crowds and happy and care free, appearing so after so many years of war. And the Americans are the cause of it all; they are the heroes.
I wish all the boys in France could be in Paris and see the gratitude of the real French. Well, I may miss something so will finish.
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