Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1919 — LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS

Bradley Rom Write* to Hl* Mother From France. Mrs. Ora T. Ross received a letter a few days ago from her son. Capt. Bradley Ross, who la with the A. E. F. in Franoe, from wfcidh we are permitted to publish the following interesting extracts: Rianancourt, Haute-Marne, France, January 3, 1918. Dear Mktffaer: — Every day we hope something will break Which will cause us to move toward home —or dn some other direction. We have been here, our regiment only, ever since Oct. 26, and it’s settling beaucoup tiresome. Tbe rest of the brigade—329th and 328th are at Pont-a-Mousson, where they participated in the 'tail end of the fight. Rimancourt ia 27 kilometres north of Chauanoret, where the army headquarters is located. We were to have gone into position Nov. 12th, but .fortunately (or unfortunately) the doings of the 11th stopped us. We all thought we could 'have taken a right good beating at ithat time. We felt that inasmuch as we were given the highest rating of any regiment passing through the training at Coetquadafl, we should have gone in. „ I wrote you about slipping it over and getting into Paris for three days beginning with tbe night of Nov. 11, 'but as you complain about not receiving my letters, I’m telling you everything which has happened *nce Oct. 24, the last letter you received having been written then. Words cannot desoribe the celebration which took piece. Needless to say I did my bit. An American an Paris at that time was like an only chUd at a Christmas tree —all he had to do was to reach for his heart's desire, and toute de suite ’twas his’n. I didn’t feel deserving of all they handed me, but, tush! what could I do, not speaking French fluently? I saw Col. Healey there at one time. I have a Ford and a motorcycle to gad about in and another 'battery commander and I covered eastern France quite nicely. The first Amencan, or allied, oar to get into Metz was Flivver No. 4564, which can be traced to Battery A. The French engineers very accomodatingly blew up the barricades across the road and we sailed into Metz with two flat tares and a busted exhaust pipe. Awfully nice looking German offleers and soldiers ganged around us with nice 'long bayonets. I never was handy at putting tires on Fords anyway. Nice town and I’d like to go back there, now that the French have formally occupied it. Also got to Strasbourg and Muhlhouse the same week. That was all in the good old days. Now we work more or less regularly, taking our 5 Holt tractors and the howitzers and trucks and things and make road hike sand such. It’s rumored that we have been detached from the 6th army corps, 2nd army, and reassigned to the 85th division. If this be true ’tis well, as the 85th is on the early sailing list. In the meantime the men are behaving wonderfully, and the French people continue (to soak us many times the necessary number of francs. I give the battery frequent parties, getting entertainers from other outfits and buying chickens and turkeys at exhorhitant prices. Just now the sergeants are working up a - minstrel Show. Had a letter from Frank Hardman ’tother day. He is way over on the coast and I am way over in the Vosges, so “they don’t seeps to be much chance.” Your Christmas box came O. K., also some of the men to whom the good people of Rensselaer donated, have found out where their unknown benefactors hailed from and have asked me to thank them. So I’ll pass the buck to you.