Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 188, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1917 — Paul Miller Receive. Letter From Sam Duvall. [ARTICLE]

Paul Miller Receive. Letter From Sam Duvall.

August 2, 1917. Dear Paul: To begin my letter. I will go back : to July 23, 1917, the afternoon of which we boarded the French Iftier Chicago at 3:15 p. m., and at 5:45 p. m. we started directly out to sea, until about 8 o’clock, when we changed our course to the northeast, losing i sight of the mainland at about 9:15. j The sea was rough and choppy for the .first night and day, after which j it became very calm, with but a few exceptions. I Three days ago we entered the sub- : marine danger zone and day before yesterday during a storm off the : northern coast of Africa we experienced a submarine scare. Everyone I beat it to the main deck, where all : lifeboats were half lowered. I was ; sound asleep in my cabin and didn’t wake up until it was nearly half over, and would have been sleeping yet if i it hadn’t been for Bummer and a Red Cross nurse, who missed me and came running down to wake me up. The ship has a French crew and gunners on her, so everyone has lots ! of confidence in them, due to the , experience they have had in the past. Last night we sighted the first lights of southern Spain and tonight at 10:30 we expect to sight the first lights of France, arriving in Bordeaux at 6 o’clock in the morning, providing we don’t run across a mine or submarine, as we are right in the heart of the danger zone now as I am writing this. The mail we write now is not censored, as we give it to a fellow on the boat who is going back to the States, and that is why I speak so freely about the different courses we have taken and where we are now. We have all been ordered to stay on deck the rest of today and tonight with light rations, water, and life belts at hand. ——— There are about thirty dentists on board the ship, all going to the front, many doctors and nurses, about two hundred in the outfit I am with, and the rest are French, men, women, children and girls, going back to France. We have had a dandy time, playing deck tennis, etc., not speaking of the rare times we have had trying to speak and talk to the French girls. They can’t understand what we say and we can’t understand them, so you can imagine the rest. I will write again* when we arrive safely in Paris and get settled. Hope to hear from you some time also, I am, your friend, SAMUEL 0. DUVALL. Address: 21 Rue Raynawed, Paris, France, Care American Field Service.