"I have intended to write you a letter for some time,
but my time has been so limited, I have hardly written to anyone.
"I am not with the same organization I came over with
but am in one of the old regular army divisions now.
"The Germans did their best to make a veritable hell
out of a once beautiful peace-loving country and they somewhat
succeeded. It is impossible for one to begin to realize what
the results of this war are.
"My days at the front so far were beyond anything I
ever imagined them to be. Our days were Hell and our nights were
hideouts and now I say the worst that befalls the Boche will
be too good.
"A country once beautiful and enjoying peace is now
a land of shell-holes and the towns are not buildings but heaps
of
rocks - desolated.
"We are now billeted in a small town somewhat in rear
of the sector where we were. And the last two days we have
been busy cleaning up the town to make it sanitary. The French
people disregard sanitation very much, as their cows and horses,
in fact, the people, poultry, stock and all, sleep in the same
building. Their wells are all open wells, where everything can
fall and run into them. The people do not drink much water, but
they do love their wine and they have it for all meals.
"From reports yesterday, it sounds, as if the big game
is coming to an end, and I hope so as this war is away beyond
what Sherman termed it.
"I suppose things have changed somewhat back there with
most of the boys gone but it will be a bigger and more