Pages

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Letters From France, J.H. Barnes, Floyd Felton, 1918

“Over In France,” from The Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Oct. 26, 1918

From J.H. Barnes

September 13, 1918
Dear Mother:

I will write you a few lines to let you know I am well and hope you are the same. I sure would like to see you and be there tonight. I could tell you a lot more than I can write.

Well, we have been in the front line trenches twice and only lost six men and got some wounded. I got out all o.k. I haven’t been sick since I have been in France.

Well, I guess you heard about Dewey Adams getting wounded but I think he is getting along all o.k., but he is still in the hospital.

Well, you bet we sure do have some time in the trenches. We can’t have any hot meals at all, except what we warm, and they won’t let us have any fire except can heat.

We sure did have a big long hike in the rain yesterday. We went to see some big battle tanks at work. They crawl in the mud like a terrapin. They have 10 men in them and machine guns, and they sure are hard to tear up.

We don’t have any watermelons to eat; they don’t raise anything but sugar beets to make sugar, and turnips; don’t have any corn. They raise hops to make beer and they have plenty of wine and beer to drink.

Captain Gliddens has left us and we have a new captain. I think I will like him fine.

Well, I will tell you while I was out in No Man’s Land I got me a German’s rifle and a steel hat and a canteen. The Germans don’t have any trenches like we do. They stay in holes in the ground. I saw lots of dead Germans lying in No Man’s land, and we captured some and brought them in with us and put them in prison.

Well, I will close. Answer real soon and tell me all the news and how everybody is getting along in the U.S.A. and write often.

Your son,
J.H. Barnes

-=-

Floyd Felton

In France, Sept. 20, Thursday
My Dearest Mother:

Will write you a few lines that you may know that I am well and enjoying good health and in fine spirits, and truly hoping that you also are well.

I feel sure you are all well pleased with what the Americans have done in the past few days. I will mail you the Stars and Stripes next week, which will give you full account of what happened.

Well, Mother, I wrote Dott yesterday and as I told her I guess you will be upset because I haven’t written in such a long time, but we have been real busy and I haven’t had much time to write but now is better than never, and I have a long electric light to write by for the first time in a long while. Of course, as you know, we don’t have the privilege to write much about war conditions, but I can say I don’t go in the trenches although I go very near them sometimes with ammunition.

Gee, mother, but it raining outside, it’s just pouring down and I have got walk about three miles back to camp, and it’s as dark as pitch. I didn’t have any paper, so I had to walk up to the Y and get some, and so now I have got to hike it back in the rain, but I’m not worrying about that, just had to write to you all. I had about 10 letters to answer, and so I’m in a good place to do it.

Mother, did you ever receive those papers I sent you all some time ago? I hope you did, it’s a pretty good paper and it gives you straight war news right from the front.

Well, mother, as it’s getting late and I have so far to go in the rain, I guess I will close for this time. I want you to write every chance you get. With love and best wishes to you all, I remain,

Your loving son,
Priv. Floyd E. Felton
American E.F., France


No comments:

Post a Comment