The following letter was written for The Robesonian and found its way to the paper through Mr. J.I. Carter of R. 5 from Lumberton, who home it was first sent:
Somewhere in France
Nov. 4
Tonight it is a lonely place, it is so far away from U.S.A. I am going to write a short story home for the boys and girls. I have been over here quite a while and sure have had some experience since I sailed to France. H have been over the top four times and I never had a scratch so far, but have been in some machine gun fire and heavy artillery. Boys, when we soldiers have gone over the top and when we have reached the object, and we have all stopped to rest and eat a snack, and when some of the boys’ corn beef have had a machine gun bullet shot through it and have rained and wet our hard tacks and then we are in the mud and wet and cold, will hear some of the boys say, ‘Don’t I wish that Stone’s girl could see him now.”
Oh, what a history this will be to all! If we just can get home safe to tell mother just what a lovely old war that we have been in! I can remember years back when I liked to sit and hear the old soldiers tell about what a time they had in the old war, but now just wait until we younger ones get back and then we can tell them a lot they never saw. Then, O friend, I will tell you about the gas mask. What a wearisome time it is to put on your mask and shoulder your rifle and go over the top to meet the Germans, and Boys I never will forget just how I felt the first morning when I heard the major tell the captain to line his men and stand too. Then you will see each Corporal will get each one of his men a hand grenade and an extra banddelow of ammunition for his rifle and all at the same time they will keep down as much as they can. Then you will see the S.O.S. signal light go up and then is the serious time starts with us until we have reached the object, then we’ll be so hungry till we can’t hardly talk to each other. O what lovely war this is to us American soldiers! I heard a letter read from a lady in London and she said that British soldiers and French were fighting for their country and the Australians was fighting for the souvenirs and the Americans was fighting just for the fun they could get out of it. And I sure think she is right, because there is nothing else over here that we care for.
I will close my story. Please excuse my mistakes.
I belong to headquarters Co. 117 infantry, American E.F., U.S.A., N.Y.
Roy Turner
France
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Mr. C.M. Britt of R. 4, Lumberton, was advised by the War Department Friday that his son, Private Edmund W. Britt, died in France October 15 of pneumonia. Private Britt went to France last September.
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Sgt. J.C. Snoddy Jr. in Hospital
Mr. J.C. Snoddy of Red Springs is a Lumberton visitor today. Mr. Snoddy received recently a letter from his son, Sgt. J.C. Snoddy Jr., in which he stated that he was in Base hospital No. 29, St. Anne’s Road, Tottenham, England. Sgt. Snoddy was wounded in both legs and one arm September 30, when his division, the 30th, broke through the Hindenburg lien. As a result of his sounds he has lost the toes off of one foot.
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Theris Walters Wounded But Getting Along Okay
Through the Bureau of communication of the American Red Cross at Washington, Mr. D.H. Walters of Lumberton R. 3, received the other day the following letter from his son Theris, who at the time the letter was written, was wounded and in a hospital in France:
Rouen, Oct. 23, 1918
My dear Mr. Walters:
I met your son Theris in one of the local hospitals the other day and he asked me to wrote you to tell you that he was coming on right well, although he has several wounds. He has been hit in the right side and forearm and the left knee, but none of them are of a serious nature. He is resting quite comfortably and I want to assure that everything is being done for him to give him comfort and to hasten his speedy return to [letter ended in mid-sentence]
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Mr. R.H. Davis of R. 1, Lumberton, received last week a letter from his son, Corporal Walter G. Davis, who belongs to Co. H, 321st infantry, now in France. The letter was written after the armistice and was signed and Corporal Davis said that he was getting on o.k. He added that he was sleeping in a hay loft belonging to a French farmer.
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Mr. J. Carl Nye of the U.S. army stationed at Camp Hancock, Augusta, Ga., left yesterday for his camp after spending a few days visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E.C. Nye at Orrum. Mr. Nye went to camp July 24th along with 85 young men from Robeson district No. 1. Most of the boys have been transferred to other camps, a number of them going to Camp Cody, New Mexico. Three of the number died of influenza-pneumonia. These were Messrs. George Lawson of Orrum, Martin L. Stewart of Rowland and a Mr. Lee of the Fairmont section.
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Mr. Roger Pittman returned yesterday from Washington, D.C. Mr. Pittman’s furlough had been extended to January 2, 1919. As has been stated, Mr. Pittman was given a furlough home from France three months ago. He was to have returned to France November 2, but his furlough was extended to December 2.
Mr. W.A. Rice of R. 4, Lumberton, returned Friday evening to Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S.C., after spending a two-month’s furlough on the farm. Mr. Rice was given an agricultural furlough.
Sgt. David Brill, Thos. Goldman and Jack Nickol of Camp Green, Charlotte, spent Thanksgiving day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. Weinstein.
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