Albert Smith
France
Oct. 15, 1918.
Mr. Mcgregor Smith
Cookeville, Tenn.
Dear "Greg":
I received a letter from you a few weeks ago but have not had time to answer for
we have been exceedingly busy. We are speedy[?] clearing France of the Huns
and making Europe safe for you Kids to come over next spring. This wil be the
most peaceable country in the world in about sixty days. You just think that you
want to come over here we wont need you. I wanted to come over pretty badly and
was happy as a lark the day we left New York but that will be nothing to the state of
my feeling when I start back to the states. If the Statue of liberty ever sees me
again it will have to about face and come down south to find me after she sees me Albert Smith tries to dissuade his
pass going into the harbor at New York on my way home. This is the wettest
brother Greg from joining the war
muddiest country I ever saw, it has been raining steadily for seven weeks. I
effort by encouraging him to stay in
stepped in a mud hole the other night and went up to my waist in mud and didnt
school.
get to change clothes and in fact I haven't changed yet. I haven't changed for over
two month and havent even had my clothes off for that length of time. I have not had a bath for six weeks and none in
sight for I haven't the slightest idea of using what little drinking water I get in my canteen for batheing purposes. I shave
as often as possible for the beard on my face keeps my Gas mask from being effective and the germans use quite a bit
of gas. Gas and machine gun is their only effective weapons. I have been on every front in France. You cant imagine
how torn up this country really is. Every where there are wire entanglements and trenches and dug outs. Even out of the
war zone there are entanglements and dugouts to protect the civilians from air raids. I have been from border to border
of France and I mean I made the trip on foot throughout the country like a Gypsy horse trader we would hike a while and
then stop and fight a while. It was a great hike but a hard one as it was raining every day and night. The hardest fight we
were in was in the Argenne Forest Our batterries were the one that destroyed the machine gun nest at Montfaucon. I
was at the Forward observation post the night the barrage was laid during the big drive of the last few weeks. The
barrage that night was the heaviest one ever laid in France. I saw ever bit of it and saw the infantry go over the top. That
certainly was a night that I will always remember. Our doughboy are the greatest men in the world, they certainly have
"Fritz" bluffed: During Aug. When we were in a drive against mount Sac the strongest fortified hill in France we
supported a regement of Negro infantry and when they went over the top and up the hill they were sayingÉto them
germans "take yo hats off white folks no Kazerade [?] to late now." They sure did slaughter the Huns. The southern
boys are certainly hard fighters. The third Tenn. Infantry is the hardest fighting regement over here. I understand that
they have been cited by the British for bravery. At Cambrai they were the americans that advanced thru the heart of the
city and cleared the place of machine guns.
Don't worry about coming over here stay in school that is your service to your country. I am in good health and ready to
come home after the war but not before, I will do my bit here. I was appointed for the officers, training camp this month
for the third time but refused it, I will go later on in the year I want to stay on the front as long as the war lasts. Be good
and study HARD have a good time and write often.
Love to all,
Albert.
Corp. Albert P. Smith
Hq. Co. 115 F.A. American Expdt. France.
Stull Holt
Sept. 1, 1917
Dear Lois,
At last the long delayed and promised letter. You mustn't complain tho because I
wrote to no one. All I did when I had a chance to rest was to throw myself in bed,
dead to the world. I am in Paris now on permission, a month late, and am enjoying
the luxuries of life including ice cream, sheets, cafes and things. What I have done
and am doing here I will tell you in a few days, at present I'll only say your last letter
(Aug. 13) speaking of my trip to Paris, came a day too late.
Now for the Verdun attack you know of course that the French made (Aug. 20) a
very successful attack there taking over 10,000 men and, what is far more
important hills, which cost the boche thousands of lives to take.
The French have a saying to the effect that no one comes out of Verdun the same.
As the fighting is stiff there always the statement is probably true for all times, it
certainly is true of Verdun during an attack. It would take a book to tell about all
that happened there and when I try to write, little incidents entirely unconnected
come to my mind so I don't know where or how to begin.
Stull Holt writes home about being
knocked down by a shell and
becoming intoxicated by poisonous
gas.
We were in historic ground and it looked it. All the hills (and the country right in front of Verdun is all hills) have been
fought over many times and the result is that they are in waves of dirt with one shell hole overlapping the next; no grass
or anything growing; no trees but where there used to be a forest you can see some black spots where the roots remain.
One of our posts was out beyond and between Forts Douamont and Vaux. Everybody even in America must know of
Douamont and Vaux. That post incidentally was about 1800 meters from the boche and they could see us thru a gap
whenever we went out there. We were practically the only vehicles to do so. We used to pass thru the former village of
Fleury but I went thru it many times before I knew where it was and only located it finally when I was told that where the
road turned there used to be a railroad station. Besides the desolation visible to the eye there was the desolation visible
to the nose. You could often see old bones, boots, clothing and things besides lots of recent ones. Every night before
the attack the roads were packed with traffic, guns, munitions and all manner of stuff. These made it bad for us so we
preferred and did (counter to orders at first) run in daylight when it was supposed to be more dangerous. The traffic at
night would move very slowly, would run into you, would always get blocked either because someone went in the ditch
(it was very rainy and muddy at the first) or because as was more often the case some vehicle would get hit by a shell.
The roads were being shelled nearly all the time. Every ambulance (all 20) was hit by one or more pieces of eclat and
three were badly hit killing some of the wounded in them. Just before daylight every morning the traffic would all fade
away leaving the roads all day to us alone. Then we could count the nights wreckage. On one curve about 100 yds long
we counted 15 horses and 8 wagons one morning, all hit during the night. The horses were generally left until after the
attack but the pieces of men were usually collected and buried immediately but not always. There was one spot I
remember where nothing but a mans leg (naked) lay for over a week. We saw a lot of nasty sights and smelt a lot of
nasty smells. I've seen them burying bodies so rotten and full of maggots that the buryers had to wear their gas masks
while doing the job, which consists of digging a hole and rolling the body in it.
We did excellant work which brought praise to us from everyone. Now that it is over it doesn't seem so bad but during it
we were almost exhausted. The hardest time for us was during the artillery preparation for the attack, the attack itself
being so successful we were agreeably surprised. There were on the day of the attack only 500 wounded in our division.
We would drive every other 24 hours and frequently would be called out on our off day. It was a routine of work to
exhaustion. Throw yourself into bed, drag yourself out to work again. That was why I didn't write and why it helped so to
receive letters. There were 3 of us Americans wounded, the worst will probably lose his arm. One fellow got hit but was
carrying a watch in his pocket. The watch was bent in a U shape and he only got a bruise.
I had a very close call with gas which they used a lot especially in one little valley that formed a pocket for it. There was
another American section that came up to take over one of our many posts during the attack and luckily on this night I
took one of their men to show him the road. It was just about dusk when we started (my fifth trip that day to the worst
post the section has ever had) and we got without much excitement to within about 1,000 yds of the post when a big
motor truck 100 yds in front of me got hit by a shell (they were coming in pretty fast) and completely blocked the road. I
couldn't get by and there were too many shells coming in for anyone to try and clear the truck off the road so I and this
other fellow crawled in a trench alongside the road and waited. We huddled there a long time getting splashed several
times by mud thrown by shells exploding, when gas shells started to come in great numbers. I decided we had better go
on to the post where we would be safer and from where we could warn the others by telephone. We started crawling
throwing ourselves flat, crawling again (gas masks on of course). To make a long story short and leaving out several
interesting steps we got to within about 100 yds of the post (a great big dug out almost a tunnel in the hill) when I was
about buried by a shell and a few seconds later a big gas shell went off within 20 ft of me. Something hit me on the
head, making a big dent in my helmet and raising a bump on my head. If it hadn't been for my helmet my head would
have been cracked. As it was I was dazed, knocked down and my gas mask knocked off. I got several breathes of the
strong solution right from the shell before it got diluted with much air. If it hadn't been for the fellow with me I probably
wouldn't be writing this letter because I couldn't see, my eyes were running water and burning, so was my nose and I
could hardly breathe. I gasped, choked and felt the extreme terror of the man who goes under in the water and will
clutch at a straw. The fellow with me grabbed me and led me the hundred yards or so to the post where the doctor gave
me a little stuff and where I became alright again in a few hours except that I was a little intoxicated from the gas for a
while. I had other close calls but that was the closest and shook me up most.
I think the hardest thing I did was to go back again alone the next night. I had to call myself names before I got up nerve
enough.
I could keep on telling incidents almost indefinitely; how one fellow had a badly gased man that somehow managed to
get out of the ambulance and who ran around asking the fellow to kill him and after they got him in the ambulance again,
was dead when they reached the hospital; how often you had to get out and drag dead or wounded horses out of the
way; how sometimes a fellow alone with badly wounded men would have to run over a wounded horse; how I picked up
some men on the road before the doctor had bandaged them; how the new gas burns horribly; how a piece of eclat big
as a fist came in our tent one night; how an automobile was blown on a housetop; how a munitions depot nearly gave us
some thrilling fireworks one night; how I talked 20 ft underground for 5 or 6 hours with some boche prisoners, much to
my surprise I found that my German was good enough after an hours practise to carry on quite an intelligent
conversation; how we saw several thousand prisoners; how some of the fellows collected their helmets, gas masks and
other souvenirs; how well the fellows showed up so that it was a pleasure to work with them, with one or two exceptions;
how the guns would flash so at night that for some time the next day your eyes would quiver; how through a mistake we
did for two weeks twice as much work as any section was supposed to; how the roads were so bad and shot up that the
wounded would be thrown about no matter how slowly you went whereat they would sometimes yell in agony.
All that and more I could tell you but I won't. Instead I'll say that you can't complain that this is a short note. Also that one
reason why I never have put stamps on my letters is because the soldiers mail is supposed to go free F.M. (franchise
militaire) the other reason being that you couldn't buy stamps anywhere at the front if you wanted to.
I sure wish I could have been at H.L. when you were but that isn't all I wish so what's the use of starting and what's the
use of telling you when you are so far away.
I have about 10 letters and want to get them all off to-day and to-morrow if possible so that I can enjoy myself with an
easy conscience. Altho by that time I will have to write again and tell you about how I have - it almost slipped out.
Perhaps I'll have two things of importance to tell you. One you'll like and the other you ought to.
You know how I want to end that way,
Stull
John Douglas
From Capt. J. N. Douglas
317 Sp. Fn.[?]
American Post Office No. 766 - AFF
Aug. 8, 1918
Dear Bib and Dots:
We are located in one of the nicest camps imaginable - so long as it does not rain.
It rains every day or two and then camp life isn't quite so nice. - but as I write the
sun is shining brightly and the temperature is just right for comfort. The night before
last about midnight it commenced to pour - "Beauceau Pluie " - as the French say,
and it leaked through my truck cover until I thought it was time to get up and put on
my life belt. My blankets were pretty badly soaked and I really was obliged to pull
my shelter tent over my head to keep the stream from flowing down my neck. It
was cold and wet - and miserable. No I did not take cold but it was not pleasant to John Douglas writes home to his
get up in the morning and dress in wet clothes in a cold room - but after an hour or wife and daughter on his Corona
so the rain stopped and the sun came out and dried things up. I do not know what typewriter with just enough light to
we would do without the good old sun. We moved out on Sunday and have all
see the keyboard.
been very busy ever since organizing the camp and the means of transportation.
We are now handling all the Divisional supply from the railhead to the regimental dumps and everything is moving
smoothly. I wish you could see me now. I am sitting on an extemporized bunk in an old truck with my Corona on my
knees and a soap box set up on end in front of me with a safety lamp in the middle and a candle on each side. They
afford just enough light to see the keyboard. The tailgate is down and the other trucks are parked within sight. Lt.
Claypool - a new one just over from the U.S. - is Officer of the Day and asked me to relieve him for an hour or so. There
is no place to go nor nothing to do at night - so it isn't any burden to take the job over. The office doesn't call for any
work after the trucks are in except in an emergency. Capt. Barrow is another officer who normally stays in camp
evenings. Lt. Welsh has a French girl somewhere - he won't tell us where - whom he goes in to see quite often. Brandon
is not doing as well as he should - he likes the wines and cognacs too well. I am sorry because he is not well physically
and cannot stand much dissipation - I do not know whether that should be spelled with two ss or one. I received a nice
letter today from Hayden Sampson at Is-Sur-Tille. He saw Bill Nichols pass through there the second night after we
passed through. He has also seen Bunnell who is now at Tours. Hayden is situated where he has a chance to see many
of the boys from home which is pretty fine for him. I mailed his watch from here and he got it without mishap and
seemed very much pleased. Poor Hayden deserves a Sergeancy and I wish I could help him but he is in another
department and I do not come in contact with the officers who can do anything for him. I have him in mind and if I get
the chance at all will speak for him. I am being bothered by someone every minute or so so if this letter is disconnected
you will understand the reason. It got so dark I couldn't see at all so I placed a board across my knees and stuck a
candle in its own grease on each side of the machine. This works fine only I knock one of them down from time to time
as I move up the spacing lever. I did burn myself a little once - also. I am not working very hard at my French. I pick up a
word or two every day and read a little. I bought a French-English dictionary for 12 francs - an awful price for a cheap
book - but everything is very high here. Our mess man learned today that he could trade two pounds of sugar for a
dozen eggs. This makes our eggs cheap and we can get the sugar. Jam is scarce and over here everybody seems to
crave sweets. My candy is all gone - I had a can of lemon drops but did not like them so gave them to Chauffeur Fulton
who did a little work for me. Yesterday I took an hour off and went to see a dentist about my teeth. Strange to relate he
did not find a thing wrong except a few sensitive spots at the bottom of my teeth near the gums - due to the gums
receding from the teeth a little. Gu Can't find them. Will send later. He shall love you "jusqu'au bout" - until the end - or in
English - forever - Pron. - "Juska - boo"
Good night dearies - write soon.
Dad
OK
Capt. J. N. Douglas
317 Sp. Fn.
Edward Luckert
Monday - July 22 - 18
Dearest: It does seem as if we are never going to get any rest I know, but still I guess there's
a remote chance sometime in the near future.
If they wouldn't always give us the hardest work it would be a cinch, but they have
never yet failed to put us in the most foreword position. Then too, we furnish
practically all the patrols that go out, while "B" Co on our left sits and rests easy.
Last night for the third night straight I got another order for a patrol. They further
ordered that we again penetrate the Hun line as we did Saturday. We all knew that
this was quite a dangerous undertaking - but we also knew what weight our
protesting might have, so we kept quiet and prepared to go out. Its quite easy, you
know, for the major and captain to order out patrols. All they do is write the order,
Ordered to penetrate the Hun line,
and then go to bed five miles behind the line with a double sentinel to guard their
Edward Luckert found himself
peaceful slumber. But its quite another proposition for we Lieutenants to do the
trapped by grenade and pistol fire.
work.
Anyway, last night we went out as usual, crawling through thru the Boche wire. A' Hearn lead the way, then me, then
fifteen men and last, Lt. Brown. Practically all the Officers left in the Company outside of Harris were in the scrap. As we
had left quite a few marks behind Saturday, we suspected that Fritz might lay in wait to ambush us, but our fears were
set at rest when we arose and leaped into his trench. It was empty. Listening for a few minutes, we filed down his path
toward the second line and again halted to listen. We paused here almost five minutes and were just about ready to
dash in and start the fuss, when we heard a smothered cough directly in front of us. And then the ground seemed to
spring up in one great roar and flame and we knew it had been a trap.
A'Hearn and several other men dropped the first half second and from the scream one of them let out I knew they had
been hit. Then I have a faint recollection of another burst of thunder as we threw our grenades and emptied our guns. I
also remember shouting orders at the top of my voice. Later one man said I ordered them to climb out and get on a line
- to spread out. Another said I ordered them to withdraw, one at a time. Whatever it was, I don't know, but anyway, the
only thing to do was back out the way we came in and get into a firing position. All this time they continued to pepper us
with grenades and pistols, and finally the man in rear of me pulled me by the coat and I knew it was my time to cease
firing and back out. We dragged A'Hearn out with us, and once outside their wire, he staggered to his feet and said he
wasn't hurt. So he walked back with us fighting all the time. Once again within our own wire - the firing stopped and I
took account of losses. A'Hearn was hit five times all around his hips and thighs. Lt. Brown had his face looking like a
piece of beef and four of the men including Williams had been hit in the chest and limbs. It must have been a sorry,
bloody-looking bunch that came dragging each other into our own lines. Once inside A'Hearn lost consciousness and
we patched them up temporarily as best we could. A half hour later the Surgeon arrived and took them to the Hospital.
Then for the first time I looked at my watch. Only a half hour since we went out until we got back! No - it was about 45
minutes, but such a length of time it did seem! We were all torn to pieces by the wire. I barely had any coat left and was
so bloody from helping A'Hearn and the rest that it took Doc Townsend a half hour to look me over for wounds. He
wouldn't take my word for it that I had only a few wire scratches.
Do you think, Brownie, that this might make or be worked into a good story? Put it away, if so, with the rest, and if some
we desire to get rich, we'll write some more scenarios and purchase a Ford with the small change left over.
Outside of this, nothing has happened at all. Awfully quiet.
Now - what has my Brownie been doing? Let's see - Sunday! I think you went to Willow Grove in the evening. Did you
dearest? Oh - but wouldn't I like to be there with you! When I think of such blessings as were mine, I often picture myself
sitting there by the Lake with you honey. It is dark and such wonderful quietness as to make my ears now ring with the
thought of it. The moon is shining on the water - and best of all - the dearest and sweetest little girl in all the world sitting
close beside me. Rarely would we break that wonderful, peaceful silence and then only to whisper our hopes and plans
in each others ears. "But Ed - think of the cost of furniture! Why we can't think of it until we have saved at least a million
dollars. You know that." Ah! Poor Ed. How he did hate to think of waiting so long!
And then - you honey bunch sweetheart, we got married without a nickel! But dear - you are a sweet little thing. Honest
Brownie Wifie!
But see here - I must leave you now. Its time to climb my sick looking tree and see what I can make out of our friends the Boche.
Be awfully careful of Brownie now - for me yes - and rid her entirely of that cold. And please dearest - how are you
otherwise? Well and happy I hope and pray. Please do be happy - just as happy as possible - and think heaps of that
day, which is soon coming, when the war will be over, and we will be together once more. Won't we be happy then? You
dear (x) there and a million more too! xxxxxxxx
Bye - dearest girlie
Heaps of love from
your Husband - [Hem.]
Ed.