Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 281, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1918 — MRS. HARVEY MOORE HEARS FROM HER BROTHER [ARTICLE]

MRS. HARVEY MOORE HEARS FROM HER BROTHER

Mrs. Harvey Moore rec eived the' following letter from her 'brother, Earl Parkhurst, who was on the fighting line somewhere in France when he wrote it. She received it Nov. 26. Mrs. Moore has three brothers in the service, one in Camp Sevier, S. C., one in the navy at Fort Monroe, Va., and Earl in France. He left with the Michigan boys. Somewhere in France, 2 October 31, 1918.

Dear Sister:— Your most welcome letter receive* a few days ago, and I was very glad to hear from you so soon again. Although the one you wrote me the 25th reached me a few days before the one you wrote me the 28 th. For the last few days shells have been coming over so much that they have got me all worked up so that I can hardly do anything. - It seems like every time I start over to the kitchen to eat they start shelling and chase me all over the field, trying to keep from getting struck by them. Well, so far I have been lucky enough to keep out of the way of them, but there is no telling how long I will be lucky. I think I will get home some

day and tell you all about this great battle. When Ido not hear the guns roaring and the shells bursting I get lopesome for some excitement. Here’s the way a soldier feels over here after he has been on th front awhile He drives and drives thp Germans until he is tired out, then when he gets a few days’ rest he isn’t content unless he can start again. It seems we are just raring to go over the top and the more we can kill or take prisoner the happier we are. Like when I was up in the Chateau Thierry, that big drive for ten days, I was on the go and maybe I would get a few hours out of every 24 to sleep ‘and maybe I wouldn’t. We were having lots of rain then and maybe I would lay down to sleep and in the middle of the night wake up with rain coming down in my face and be laying in about three inches of water. I lost about ten pounds in the first ten days, so you can see 'it was no easy matter.

Wel l we did not come over here to have a picnic, but come to fight and win victory, and we are going to do it. I have been on toe front (five months and have only been off six ■days outside of a number of days we were hiking from one place to another. That is another strenuous job, as we have to do all our hiking at night and get five or six nights straight. A person doesn’t feel good then. Some nights we would start out at 7 p. m. and maybe would not •get to where we Were gong until 8 the next morning. Oh, this is a great life if you don’t a good many weaken. You see great sights here. It was up on the Soissons front I was carrying ammunition and a shell burst a little ways away and there was a 'French soldier a little ways from me. A piece of shell fiew and struck him in the neck and cut his juglar vein, and that boy lay there kicking and struggling for his life and every time he would 'breathe toe air would go in the side of his neck, and you can’t imagine bow it would sound in all toe blood. WeM, that is the first one and I never want to watch another one die. I have had some close calls myself but as long as they don’t get me I don’t care how close they come. Like a fCw days ago another fellow and I were shaving and he was about five feet ■from me, and when something came down so fast I couldn’t duck but it just nicked the other fellow’s shoulder, taking a large chunk out of it and 'breaking his shoulder blade. Well, I’m still alive and happy and hope you are aH the same. When victory has been won I wall be back to the ones so near and dear to me and tell you more of this life. I am, Your loving brother, •EARL PARKHURST. Bat. E, 117th F. A., Am. E. F.