Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1919 — FERMON SCHULTZ WRITES RENSSELAER FRIENDS [ARTICLE]

FERMON SCHULTZ WRITES RENSSELAER FRIENDS

Dear Friend:— Received your kind and most welcome letter a few days ago and decided to answer it today, as it is Sunday and we are free. The censorship has been modified and one can tell a great deal of the events worthy of thought, so I guess I should tell you a bit of history. I left Camp Merritt, New Jersey, at 4 a. m. July3l, and marced over the mountains to the' Hudson river; such a march I shall never forget. We took a river steamer, the “Henry Hudson,” down to the harbor where we went on board the big steamer, “Sibpey.” (I saw the big ship, “Fatherland,” in the harbor.) We left America at about 4 p. m. August Ist. Only a short time out we came upon a sail boat which, upon closer investigation, we found to be feeding subs. It was sunk the same night. On August 10th we were attacked three times by subs but got through all right although we did a lot of shooting. I saw a torpedo go to the rear of us, and saw the depth bombs explode, throwing water and smoke, also saw cannon balls light on the water, bounce and explode. We arrived in Brest, France, on August 12. We marched to Camp Pontasene near the city, and here we staid for about ten days, after which we went by rail for about six days and'nights when we arrived at Gondrecourt, from where we marched to Abenville and took a narrow guage to a town named Sarcy, where we staid for about a week, when we moved back to Void. We worked on the narrow guage at Void for about six weeks. Then we started on a march to the front, marching by nights for six or seven nights. On the last night of our march -the bullets were whistling overhead and bursting all around us. We arrived at Aubreyville on September 22 and remained there while the big drive started, when myxompany went on after the infantry to rebuild narrow grfage railroads and to carry up provisions to the doughboys. I was left behind with a number of sick men to assemble steel at Aubreyville. After four weeks we moved to Sheppy (near Dead Man’s Hill and Hill 304) where we staid until December 1, when we moved to Bantheville and joined the company, where I have been ever since working on the narrow guage railroads. Well, there is nothing much to write, so I will close by thanking you for your kind invitation, and with best regards to Mrs. Meader and Marion, I remain, Sincerely yours, FERMON SCHULTZ.