LETTERS OF INTEREST
FROM OUR SOLDIERS
Vrmm IjMt (>wrm %. Mtrtm, Cm.
C. ISM* Inf.. .Wtk IMrtaum. H. K. F„
Ort. 7. •• Ma »tl», at HIIMmk (Tfcia
lattnr waa tppanaUy •HIIm abmil
!»• wrrh pnar la lW dat* that ha
anatainad *MMla iMfr—tfUm hia
«iw4alr tranafn la a l.nMh>n hoa
pilal. witirf of which waa contained
in a hriaf cablegram laal
»i*k hy hi* family in IlilUhoro.)
Sinro I wrote y<>u taut we have been
in the Una and in one of the biggest
battles of the war. In fart, we broke
through the Hindenbuig line, at it*
strongest point. It ha* nlways been
Mid that the llindenrmi g line was im
pregnable, but thi* regiment of our*
surel., proved that it want. Our boys
fought like demons and like heroe*
ton. and North Carolina and their di
vision may well be proud of them,
not one faltered and not one seemed
to know what fear wan.
One dny last week everything *M
moving along smoothly and we were
having absolute quiet and peace—ex
cept for a hard (lay's work each day,
and we didn't mind that—when sud
denly everything seemed to he in ron
fuaion. Order! ios were running here
and there, and ,iooa orders came in
Mying we were to move to , near
the front, a* nine P. M. This mo uit
an all night trip by train or by lor
ries. We had already -keen told ere
were preparing to take some part of
a strong line.
Well, we traveled all night on mo
tor busses, and reached our desti
nation about six miles behind the
lino. Hera we rested for a couple of
days, making oar Anal preparation
aad plana for what proved to be oae
of the hardest and largest battles of
Two dan later.
open, for thia we were to follow to one
of the strortfeat point* on the Hin
denhurg line. For three day* thous
and* of gune had been harassing the
enemy from all nidee. At dawn on
Sunday. October the heaviest ar
tilery and machine gun barrage that
ha* ever been laid in thia war opened.
I was lying in a shell hole juat in
front e# ay platoon when it opened,
and never have I heard sueh a terri
(I\e noise. Too couldn't hear a man
shout, standing right next to you.
For a minute I wm paralysed fur 1
had never witnessed such a barrage.
There were guae ta such aeaeber
that one gun was firing on each yard
of our front and millions of round*
of machine gun ballets were (bad.
And then we advanced—slowly at
first, for the tanka had coaM ap, and
we were to follow them. There waa a
fog In the bottom aad the smoke from
the sheila made it impossible to see
more than Ave yard* in front. In a
few seconds, I forgot all about the
shell* Frits waa beginlng to throw
all around us. We pushed on raptur
ing ail kind of Boche, and by eleven
A. M., we had reached our objective—
four miles away.
nere we nem iot iwu nnji, wnvn
we were relieved. We had bunted
the Hindenburg line! We had also en
abled the Australian* to go on over
us, and they went, too, believe me.
We are hearing rood news now.
Bulgaria has surrendered and Turkey
will follow, soon. The end is cer
tainly in sight. The Boche is on the
run and general Koch hits him ia so
many place* at one time that he has
neither the time or the men to con
centrate his troops to meet the at
tacks. We are determined to end it
before the New Year, and every man
and every officer is devoting h«e lime
and energy to the task. Frit* has
seen the folly of trying to reeist the
whole world, and He knows, and we
know, he eaa't last much longer.
This week we have been mevjig
enij day. and have been hiking on
an average of ten miles a day. We
havenl stayed in one place more than
• day. Laat night we reached this
place, which ia nothing but a fleld full
« of ah -II holes, about eight o'clock with
rain falling heavily. 1 found a truck
and slept ia it all night with only my
overcoat for protection.
We are rooking over an open Are
and sometimes sleeping in 'pup tents
My home right now i« a shell hole
with a piece of canvas rtretched over
K. We ere going hack into the line,
We have been in town* recently
that the Cm-man* occupied laaa than a
Mik before we got there. but you
couldn't tall they had avar haan there,
for they loft so hurriedly. they didn't
have trni to daatmy everything aa I
they usually do. In one plar* ano
ther lirutanant and I were billeted In
a i-hataau. with a hundred fiiohu to It.
At <>ne tima it mu«t have iieen vary
nlogant, but hail been neglected since
the war ->tarte«l. There wet two hug»»
xtore towers, between whrih the
hataau was hulit. These tower* wera|
built in the ljth century, and even!
today are in perfert condition. Die i
stable* were built of atone, iind look-1
ed large enough to accommodate five:
or »ix hundred home* and thousands,
of ton* of hay.—Reprinted from thai
Greensboro New*.
Letter fr»m Corp Kirkard C. Wood
ruff in Fraare to his mother, who
Uvea at Kllua. !». C.
Somewhere in Franca.
Oct. 12, 1918.
Doar M rther
It is lime to write you strain, I hope
this Ands you all well, anil not wor
rinu about me. You havent any
ran Mr to worry now from the look* of
the papers. We get a New York Har
old printed in Paris every day for
Ave cent*. I can read the French
paper* too and all the news ia exact
here and wa can depend on them.
I nm in better heart today than I
have been in a lone time, although 1
haven't hear from you foraevaraldaya
and ita doubtful if,I aee a tetter soon
for T am not with my company now.
I am taking off a few daya for a
rest and ilont even know where my
company ia.
Well mother my faith atiU sua
teine — ma* >■■■ Ma | )|| fta
•riff ySi trfmi taao wften things
go wrong which they very often do.
Ita hard to keep *traight hot the rood
Lord help me. Don't you be uneaay
about my soul's Salvation for I am
alricht. I know T will aee yon ail
again and have full confidence it will
be on earth.
Well mother when I do cone you
want to have plenty of aweeta, for
wa can't ret anything1 rweet (Vt all
over here. A quart of jam over here
will bring (2.00 easily. I paid $1.00
for one-half pounds of cake., aad was
very glad to get them.
We get to aee air battle* every once
in a wtiile and they are very pretty.
Mr. Han allwaya gete the worst of It.
I have been a little aick, but am
well at the present. I am feeling jaat
fine. Just to show you how wall and
strong I am I hiked 23 miles the other
night with my pack and full equip
ment, about 90 lbs., and climbed sev
eral Mountains. I made it just aa
good as anybody in my company.
Mother your letters r.re a great
comfort to me, and so is your good
advice. If it wasnt for your faith
my hopea of returning would have
Ion* since fled but something seem*
to tell me that if I wait long enough
that I will aee you all again. I am 1
on the front.
I Mother, I think that my faith has
been sufficiently tried and it atilla
, stands. I expect it to carry me thru
and bring me back to you. Re good
and write all you can. May God bleae j
you all.
I
Letter* from Wade Hatcher, in
France to hi* mother. Mm. T. D. Hat
cher, Mount Airy.
My dear Mother:
Although I have not hoard from
yon all in aome little time now, I
will write you a few line* thia even
ins to let you know that I am well
and I hope that thia will And you all
well. I am atill working- in the can
teen. A French family lirea in the
same building that the canteen m in
and the madaine help* a* in the can
teen by (erring lemonade. Her hu»
hand U a French officer. They lived
in Raima bofooa the war began. Hia
home in Raima hu been deatroyed
and he rayt that he 11 going to Amer
ica after the war. He waa hone last
, week on a furlough. Hi U a flne ar
; tint. and he drew several nice picture*
I for u* while ha waa her*. All the
French people are very kind and
rourteoua to a*.
I am having quite a time laarning
to apeak the language, but ! am not
making much pragr***. I am kind
jly like one of the aegro to)(iter* ata
i tioned near her*. "I ipeak French
uc
\
• Aifocittioft*
aowDiBEB
Dear Mother:
I received your letter of the fourth
of August .Saturday. I also received
two copies of The Mount Airy News.
I had already read the one for July
the seventeenth but I had not read the
one for the twenty-fifth. I dont Me
why you have not received more of
my mail, an I wrote to you twice while
I wan in Knirland and have written
every week since I have been in
France. It ha* been raining here
for the taut two or three day*. h
I believe that If the Allien will keep
up their good work" for two or three
more months that th« Kaiser will
come to his knees, don't you? I am
still working In the canteen and hav
ing a good time as we are not open
hut 4 hoars a day during the week
and two hours on Sunday. Of course
staying hare because It will give me
some practical experience in business
and in bookkeeping.
Sept, 22, 1918.
Although I have not rwthral any
latter* from you in Mm* littia time
now I will writa jrou a ftrm tinea this
evening. I received The Mill Airy
News Saturday.
Yesterday evening Mr. Hoy, one at
the " Y" secretaries mr<ie arrange
ment* for a Ford car and the canteen
force want out for a drive. Mr. Hoy
rirald not drive the ear himself, so I
had the pleasure of driving the "John
Henry." la all I aapoae we drove
MNMthing like fifty miles and sure
did have a nice time. We aaw soma
tobacco and a little corn, but the to
bacco nor the corn did not look near
so good aa that which (rows in the
States.
Mr. Hoy lays that ha i*tends to get
the car every Sunday that the weath
er is favorable. It seems like a wasta
of gasoline for as t* go out pleasure
riding especially when I know that
some of the cities in the state* have
rut out pleasure riding on Sundays,
but Hoy says that he thinks we de
serve a little pleasure as we are in the
canteen nearly all the time and are
denied the pleasure that most of
the boys get. Jrmes Roberts one of
the boys from the 106th died at the
hoept-cl near here one day last week.
Ha was sick only a weak. He was in
Co. A, from Raleigh. \
/, Letter from J a mew W. Gaat to hi*
mvthrr. Mm. Cant, of Mount
Airy.
Defer Mama:
Will writ* you a few line* to let
you know that I am well. We had a
rood trip scroas. We had about three
bad days and the winds were vary
high, but it did not amount to much.
We did not see any submarine and
had no trouble at all. Mamma, be
lieve me, tkli la tome country oyer
her*. The scenery here is some
thing to loot atjifter coming from the
States. The farms over here are all
small, but they raise a great amount
of food. The/ hare funny houses over
here, they are aU old. Mamma t have
got some f^eneh money, a little, but
1 do not kaow how much I have, Ha!
I will have a great story to tall you
whan I get back. 1 am with Captain
Walker and Eugene Smith and Ser
geant Joe Haynes Tell Sheriff Hay
nee that we are all together. Mama
yoq can give this letter to Editor
Johnson and ha can print it if he
wants to so that all my friends tap
hear fraai me.
WELD SEVEN WAR
WORK AGENCIES
INTO RELIEF ARMY
Great Organizations Which Art
Helping to Koop Up tho Moralo
of Fighting Millions Units in
Campaign for >17Q£OQ,OOOi
With mllllona of American
war front a, la training rampa
tho hu and wit* thonaaada of .
eaa woman oa 'uratga aati, all i
Is tfco •tupondoaa taak of making tho
world aafa far Jamni ncy. a i
Mind tb«m tor tho partod of tho war.
Tho agenda* throoib which thla eaa
ba acrompllabad am Joined la Ik*
Caltod War ffa* Campaign
From gtvaa the cigarette or
rtowlalo bar, with which ba atajra bla
huager la tho iuj af battle. la tho
«C Urtto
te <te
. it ap»a tho iiatoiit effort* of
tho J. It C. A., tho I. W. C. A^ tho
National Catholic War Coaactl and K. J
of C.. tho War Camp Community barr
io*, tho J * with Waiter* Saaii tho
AmorV-an Library A aaoctatloa aad th*
Salvation Army. To carry
tteoa ara aooklag • (aad af $nOJKK
Tfc* I. M. C. A provide* 338 sua ■
American training campa and Bin
than 800 In tin war aooe — centra*
which the fighter* cm* mm a* dabf,
acbool* theatre* nana, charche* It
brarle* and writing rnoaa. Mora than
7,000 men and women had bean aent
oversea* or apprwead ft* imnaai
work by aarij autumn and S.S22 war*
•erring la American campa at home.
T. U. C. A. hut* are the caateena of
the American Expeditionary Force and
are the tbeatrea where the American
entertainer*, aent over by the "T," ap
pear. Noted American public men and
clergymen apeak la the hat* Claaaaa
are conducted there. Mllllona of letter*
are written there ou paper provided
free by the "T." Phyalcal director* e<
the "T" teach and apread rait mm ath
letic*. wing material foralahed fr**
by tha organlxation.
The I. w. C. A do** alaUar work
^tee the thouaanda of American women
In war work overaaaa—*tgnal corp*
telephone operator*, a arece and
French monition work***. It provldaa
cafeteria* rest and racmtlaa centres,
entertainment and i anting tar than*
women and girl*
The f. W. C- A "a outstanding con
tribution to soldier welfare work IB
training campa waa tha establishment
•f Boat*** Uou*** what* the aoldlar
oe anllnr amy aeceive hi* Ml|ar, wife,
Meter or aw ant heart la Ik*
lag* and at
The National ratholte War Oanacfl
co-ordinate* n Catholic wdkre work
In support ot the government and
thnrogh Ma K. of C provftee dab
henna* tee oat fighter* la all Ameri
can training camp* a* well aa having
e*T*nty-flv* centra* la Franc* and
thraa hi England la their hat* the
I if C provldee enlertnl*lngtnent.
movie*, boxisg bout* educational
work, reUglon* aervlce* free station
ery, reading matter and wrttthg rooms
In Franc* tk*lr rot I lag canteen ae
coaapanl** Ik* American army. their
aacretarla* march with the trnop* glv
1 tm
tL < H* "po
rrann at tha hacfnnlng nT tOfnmn
with 4flO mora pmhJ hj the govarn
mant and 300 ofhm signed up. Al
lit* um data thay had 4M aarrataAm
la Amarlran training ram pa, l .10 build
IniK flfty-al* mora la tha eouraa ot
arartlon and contract* lat for lift)
•urn
War Camp Community S*rrlr»
fmvrtlona rrrlualTaly In America, Its
aparlal mlaaton balng to "aarroond tha
ramps with boapltallty" In plara of
loosing the aolillar or Ml lor to tAe
prontanioas companlooa and tlWar
alona formerly hla lot, tfto organisa
tion obtains for htm tbo boat to ba bad
In mmraanltlaa adjoining canlpa ot
through which ha paaasa.
W CC.ll. ohtalna for him Invita
tion* to dine, hatha or spend tha day
In tha boat home* It Introduce* him
to rha be*t woman and glrla at aortal
gathering*. rhurch entertainment*
thaatra partiaa. It arena ea com muni
100,00a Jawlah aoldlera. aaUora aM
■arlnaa with that of tha Gentile sol
diem Tha hoard taarhaa tha Engtlat
langoage, American dslcn aad Ideals
to tkooannda at yoong Jawlah mat
who war* lnductad Into aorslce a ft at
ootf a flaw jeart raniilenre In thl>
country. While safeguarding hla r»
llglooa rltaa, tha hoard aaelets in th<
prorata of welding tha Jawlah soldlo
Into tha aolld Am art ran wit and It
bridging oear tha dllfasanLaa batwaat
him and tha atfeam
The American Liorary Aaaocianon ■
*w*t4iag reading matter for ««o
LaMrtroO aoldler. oalWir, marine im
of war. In addition to i
» I M.
K. of a (rklntlM.
war ao«a, a dioflar i
trlbated la * marlraa training ram pa.
while half a million ara on warahlpo
of transport* Tho aaanrtadoc hu
ereetod and operatas ftwlj «"* library
balldtnga
Tho Sal ration Armj. with 1JM
work era, principally womb, oiarou,
has woo tho affection of tho lighten.
Ita 901 hut* raat and reading rootna
are popular fathering plaeee for tho
soldlrra. The donghnota fried by Sal
ratlon laaalea In hats or trenrhes and
given to tho moo have become famoua
ai iwl tho world. Tho SalTatloa
ifkr gato forty-tow ambulances to
ind
United War Work
A* eampalga
AM VVMt<4 fcy 11(11 IIHUBWi
at tb« QotHMM It Wuhlarton
UM H70.SUJ.00* w«il to «vMad M
i. ml a A..
I. W. a A..... iMJNOfiOO
rutin—i r»tto
lie War Con
di (Including
K a ■ ■ M aof
Coiombua)... mnwi
War Ckat Com
U* 1&00MM
Jowl ah Walfki*
Board MOW
loarlna U>
kfary
■alralto* A nay MOO.M*
Ulnrr luMlMlM norrvlwr* la
Fraaca." mf braond Poadlrh. rtelr
■u of tha Natloaal Cnoimlaalna <>■
Tralntnf Camp A«tt»lttaa. who hu Juat
rrtunod from am >n»nd«l trip «w
■»«». (tartan which h« conducted •
thorough IliniliMlM of I ha work
baing ituaa by tha firtoiu war work
"I found thaa la Jugouta rhlrtjr or
forty faat halow ground, la roar barna
whrra ahrapnrl had blown part* of
tha roof awajr. aa wall aa In tha xal>
■taatlal huta tad tanta Air back from
tha Brine Una
"I hare found rhatn la hoapltala and
draaalng utatloaa: la neattarad villagaa
in tha tralnlni araa whara our man ara
blllatad and »Taa In tba ramota parts
of Frmnrf wbara th>- forrntry uaita ara
rarr>in« out thair lonrljr, but »fflrl<-nt
and aaaantlal work Your boolu ara la
continual domand from tha tlma tha
nold^rc arrt»f In ramp In Amrrira
until I hay coma back homa aftar »ara
lea grar thara"
TBa A. L A. library aarrlea haa
grown tramandoualy within tha paat
faw moot ha and mllllona of book*
bava baaa dUtHbutad whararar »ol
dlara and aailora ara qoartarad. oa Ht
or land
MERCY MUNITIONS
| NEEDED IN TRENCHES
Lieut Coningtby Dawson, Fight
ing Author, Makes Stirring
Appeal for Y. W. C. A.
Llwt Coolngaby Dtwwc, who mot*
"Carry On," aaya of the war woffe
which tlM I. W. a A. la dolus: "T—
1 ft» mm fight wft*%w'rnJa
The T. W. G A. Is offering yoa Jmm
thl» rhance. It garrlaoaa the wnnyn'a
aupport treat-he* which Ha t>ehlnd tha
men a It aaka 70a to sapply them
with munlUona of marry that they
maj be paaaed on to at W# need
auch sappllea bailly. Olve generotialy
that »a may tba aooaar defeat tha
Hon."
What Llaot. Dawson aaya af tba T.
W C. A. he might hare aeld of all tba
national organizations which ara com
ing together far tba btggeat ftaancla*
campaign that organisations hara avar
head ad. All tba 1170^00,000 to ba
raised by tba aaraa graat national or
gnnlaatlona tba week of November 11
will ba used to garrtaon and aapply
tba auyport trancbea bahlad tba llnaa
They ara the T U C. A_, tba T. W.
C A. tba National Catholic War Cooa
cll. Jawtati Walfara Beard. American
I Library Association, War Campa Case
rn unltj Same* and Mntka Army.
Aasrtcaa gl Ha la T^rtoaa unlfoama
mlngla strangely wttb plcturesqaa
Brittany cnattimee la rrance. Tha
Amerlcaa T. W. C. A. ha* a boataaa
houaa la Brittany where tba Slgaafe
Con»a woman lira and a bat »h»r»
tba aarara apaod their fraa time. Both
thaaa cantara ara Sited wttb many of
tha com fort a and convenlencea of
boma. _
"At a tea glren at tba nareee' bat
on a Saturday afternoon," wrltca Miss
Mabel Warner, af Saltaa. Kanaaa, T.
W. C. A. worker there, "there waa aa
<xM gathering—one admiral, a blahop,
a Preabytertan minister, a Roman
Catholic priest, a doctor, an analga,
one ctrlllan and myself."
First Victory Boy's Work.
"Say, I'm via* to yoo. all right.- •
Wee tern Cnloc nwwniir boy whto
pmd to no* of the director* of the
United War Work Campaign la th*
New Tort headquarter* The direc
tor^ desk had only )aar hoea moved
la and the wart of the M« drive had
hardly hagiia
Tb onto your Mat," the hay west
aa aa be awnog a grtay tat over the
daak; "you're goto' to glea ae feilowa
that atot atd enough to ga to war a
chance to aua aa' flva to bach a» a
Ike daah taade him the drat of "a mB
lloa boya behind • all I toe lighter*"
who are to be lined up aa Victory Boy*
daring the week of the drlea.
There will be a dlTlefoa of Victory
Otrla. too aad erary boy and every
girl « rotted will hare to eara every
dollar he or dM girea to the war weat
fund.
Bleep aad Boat
! On* of the mort rotnmon raaaaa af
maoaania and rtmUaaaaaaa la indigna
tion. Take one of fTiaaakrrii'-'- Tak
lete immediately after auyyar aad aaa
If you do a«t reat bettor and iln*
hotter. TWey aaiy *aM a piUir.