Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1919 — PRIVATE SCHULTZ WRITES AGAIN [ARTICLE]

PRIVATE SCHULTZ WRITES AGAIN

The following letter was received by Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Schultz, of Union township, from their son, Private Ferman A. Schultz: November 24, 1918. Dear Dad:— I thought I would write you a letter today as it is “Dad’s Letter Day,” and we can tell almost anything we want to, so listen, here goes something that may interest you somewhat. We left America, on Aug. 1, 1918, on the good ship Sidney, after taking a ride on the Henry Hudson. The Atlantic sure is a great sheet of water. It took us until Aug. 12 to cross and we janded in Brest, France, arid rode up ‘the harbor in a French boat. We went to an American camp a few miles away and stayed about ten days, after which time we got on a train at Brest and rode for five or six days and nights and finally arrived at a town named Gondrecourt, and marched about four miles to an Inn named Abenviile and took the narrow guage toward the front to a village named Sorcy, from which place we could hear the cannon quite plain and see air fights. A few days later we moved back a few miles to a town named Void. Here we stayed for a few weeks, when we got orders to move towards the front again, and started out after , night towards the Verdun front. We had been near the Metz front and had worked near enough to see the shells bursting and see the sand and rocks fly as they took the big hill over in the Toul sector. We marched for five or six nights through mud and water and with shells whistling over our heads and bursting back of us. The last night we landed at' Anbreville and were gassed, but we had our gas masks s odid not suffer from it a bit, although we were obliged to move back to a safer place as the Germans were getting a line onus and sent shells near enoqgiuihat I had sand thrown on me once from an 8-inch shell bursting a number of feet away. We v,eYe behind the infantry arid ahead of the artillery most of tee time and such a noise no one ever heard any where else as the American guns made. "'We moved up here where we are now about five weeks ago. We are now near the town of Shippy and right in front of Dead Man’s Hill and Hill 304. I have gone over both several times and have seen things I cannot remember now but will tell y°u about when I get home. The night the armistice was signed you should have seen the celebration on the front. 'The 4th of July celebrations were irf the shade compared with it, believe me. - Rockets were shot up so it looked as light as day and guns shooting as fast as they could, and /since that all has been quiet and <we have not been doing much work. Fifty of us men have been left behind the company with one lieutenant and/sergeant, the latter is from some place out in Washington state. He >is going to come and visit me if he can whence goes out west again, or his home is in Syracuse, N. Y., and he means to stop th®re when we get back. Well, this is about all the history for this time. lam just fine. Hoping this finds all the same, I remain, Your loving son and brother, " PVT. FERMAN A. SCHULTZ. Co. D, 22nd Engrs., A. E. F.