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Show THRILLING LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS Chesley Seely Tells Of Being Shelled By Huns Somewhere In France, September 19, 1918. Dear Mother, Father and All: 'It has been quite a while since I wrote to you last, but it has been because I haven't had time as I was in the great American offensive, the first all American drive since they entered the war and we sure did let the Dutch know what we were made of. We had been hiking for about two weeks and didn't know where we were going. We would hike at night, and it rained almost every night too, so we would come in every morning soaking wet and tired, until at last we came to this front where we had a couple of days rest before we went into action. Then one night we went up arid put our guns into position and all was quiet and still until the morning of the twelfth at 1 o'clock. All the heavy artillery opened up and it seemed as if the world was breaking break-ing to pieces, and the flashes from the guns lit up the whole Heavens, and from then until five that morning it was just" one continual roar. At five o'clock we started firing a protective pro-tective Barage for the infantry with our seventy-fives. In a little while the infantry sent up some rockets and all the artillery started firing as fast as they could, then we heard a yelling an'd the purring of the machine guns and we knew that the Infantry had gone over the top. We did not stop firing until 11 o'clock, and by that time the ambulances were hurrying both ways, and the Infantry bringing many prisoners. It surely was an awful sight to see the American boys coming back wounded. Then as we moved forward behind the Infantry we sure did see some sights, all the old trenches and barbed wire entanglements en-tanglements and also all kinds of 'German equipment that they had left in getting away. I have got quite a collection of souvenirs. I am sending send-ing you in this letter a shoulder strap off from a German uniform. They had mined the road all the way and made it as hard for us to advance as they could, but still we drove them back. ' The Germans have had the ground we captured since 1915 and they had it fixed up almost like homes. In one place over here they had a dugout with a piano, plush chairs, and all kinds of comforts, and on the other side a bowling alley. But I think all these comforts will be broken up as they won't get time to rest. Well I could write here all night and tell you about it, but will stop for this time. I don't think it will be long before I am home and tell you everything. You ba,rl better keep this letter as this envelope and paper was also captured from the Germans. I haven't heard from home since I left Camp Kearny and I am getting rather anxious to hear how everything every-thing is, but I suppose I win get a letter in a day or two now. Has the papers for my Insurance come to you yet, and also my other Liberty Bond? If it hasn't be sure and let me know and I will look It up. Tell all the folks to write as it gets rather hard to bear over here at times, tin t I am in the best of health and spirits. With worlds of love, CHESLEY SEELY. Battery C, 19th F. A. American Expeditionary Forces. On Active Service With The American Expeditionary Forces. October 12, 1918. Dear Father, Mother and All: It has been quite a few days since I wrote to you last, but I haven't been able to get hold of a piece of writing paper until now. You can always get paper at the Y. M. C. A. but no envelopes, and besides you have a hard time finding a Y. here at the front; but will write you just as often as I can. I am sure getting anxious to hear from home as I haven't heard a word since I left Camp Ke(arny, but I guess I will be getting some mail now in a few days, as it has been over two months since I sent you my address. ad-dress. Well we are keeping Fritz busy now, and I don't think it will be long before we get too busy for him, as he is falling back now on practically practical-ly the whole front and is quiting down in the sector. But the last position we were in he sure gave us a warming about twice a day. He would send over a Barage and try to spoil our chow for us and would pin us all in an old stone quarry where he would drop a shell first on top of the hill just over our heads and the next one would clear the crest of the hill and hit in a road about twenty yards in front of us, but he couldn't put one in the quarry where the' whole battery was flinching and ducking. duck-ing. And the. beauty of it was that Fritz had dug the quarry and we took it away from him in our advance. ad-vance. We have many exciting tales to tell but-will save them till I get home by the fire side. I was informed yesterday that the Utah Artillery is over here and is stationed right close to us, and I am going to look them up if I get a chance as it would sure be a treat to see Claude and Carlyle. I am sending a Christmas coupon which you will have to have if you send anything over here, as a parcel can't pass New York without this coupon pasted on it. We were all issued one today to send home to our folks. I haven't a pen and ink to address it with, so I will address it light with a pencil and then you can typewrite it there. Well I suppose you are all awfully busy now getting the sheep and cattle ready for the winter range, and it is about Fair time too. I sure' wish I was there to help, but Uncle Sam is keeping me busy now; but I think we will "Finish Bosh," as the French say, so that we will all be home for the next harvest. I suppose this new draft law will be hard on the people, but I don't think they will need them from the way it looks now Bulgaria is coming to peace terms, and I don't think it will be long until Turkey will have to quit, and then the rest will get an awful flogging if they don't stop, so I suppose we have them. I will have to close as my paper is getting limited. Praying that you are all in the best of health and enjoying life, and with worlds of love, CHESLEY SEELY. P. S. Tell the rest of the folks I will write them all at my first opportunity. oppor-tunity. Chesley Seely is son of Senator and Mrs. John H. Seely of thia city. |