TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MELBOURNE TIMES JULY 4, 1919 P. 5
Neideriutzingen, Germany.
May 27, 1919.
Mr. Fred Box, Violet Hill, Ark.
Dear Brother:
As I haven't written a letter to you for several days and have nothing to do this evening, I will write and tell you about the hike through Germany. First to begin with, we were in the rest camp at the front when the armistice was signed. We were going to start to the front on the 11th of November. We got orders to be ready to move out on the 11th. We did not get ready in the morning and on the evening of November the 11th, we heard the armistice was signed, so we did not do anything that evening but were sure glad. On the 12th we begin drilling and drilled until the 16th, when we left our camp on trucks. We were told that we were going to the front to do guard duty but we did not know where we were going. About 9 that night we got off the trucks and began to hike. We hiked until twelve o'clock then they marched us out of the road and had us to pitch tents. Well I had no tent poles or pegs so I told my partner we would have make our beds on the ground and not stretch our tent at all. He said that he did not have any so we made our bed down, and I told him I had to have some water if I had to stay up all night so he said lets so and find some so we started out and as we went we heard that the rest of the Third Division was with us. I told him I bet were were in for a long hike. In about 15 minutes we found some water and then we went back and laid down. It was quite cold but I slept very well, and the next morning we had breakfast before daylight and were off on the second day's march. I was at the head of the column, and was getting quite tired when we halted and were told we had one hour for dinner. Our stove was behind us, so we had to eat our rations or do without. I ate some of mine and all the others did the same. The whole of the Third Division stopped and rested one hour. When the hour was up we were getting cold and were ready to go. As we marched along that evening we met a lot of troops of other nations who had been prisoners in Germany and, having been released, were on their way home. They all looked fine and healthy.
About 5 o'clock we went into town for billets. We found that there were no people in the town. It was where the Germans had been drilling their troops. So they found good rooms for all the boys. We had marched about 30 kilometers that day. About 8 o'clock we got some corn and hard tack from the supply kitchen. Our kitchen had not caught up. We eat and laid down and went to sleep. the next morning about 5 o'clock first call blowed and soon it soon it blowed twice more. I did not know what was the matter but soon found out to roll packs and get ready to start.
We did not get any breakfast that morning, so we fell in and got the report; there were several missing. they had fallen out the day before and had not caught up. We started out and had not gone far when we had to stop for the road was blocked with artillery. We got up by the side of some of the boys in the artillery and I asked some of the boys what time they started and they said about 3 o'clock that morning. I felt tough, so I pulled off my pack, which weighed only about 80 pounds, and sat down on it. We stayed there about two hours and resumed our journey. About 3 o'clock we 'hit' a little town and stopped for the night. We all got good rooms to stay in and got supper and breakfast next morning. We had lost some more boys on the day before. This was the fourth days hike we were making. We didn't get anything for dinner but one hours rest.
That night we got to a town and got some barns to sleep in, and got supper and hit the hay. Next morning we got up early and started on our way and at 12 o'clock we stopped at a German hospital and remained here two days. On the third day we resumed our march but about 4 o'clock we were commanded to stop. We got supper and went to bed. We remained here a week and drilled and stood inspection. When the week was up we started out again. This time we had to have our kitchen just in front of us. Each company had their kitchen just in front of them. We got three meals a day from then on. We made it fine; the people seemed to be jolly as we passed through the towns. Then it was day after day until we reached the Rhine.
On December 1 we reached the Rhine at a little town called Bauch. It was a nice little town. We stayed at this place two days and then started down the river. On the 16th we hiked into Annernach, but they said the 3d battallion had to go farther on. We went to a town by the name of ----------- and stayed there two days and then went back to Andernach.
From your brother,
J. P. Box.
Co. M., 7th Inf.
NOTES: John Phillip Box was born on September 6, 1894 and died on April 24, 1960. He is buried in the Violet Hill Cemetery in Violet Hill, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in Co. M 7th Infantry in WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Neideriutzingen, Germany.
May 27, 1919.
Mr. Fred Box, Violet Hill, Ark.
Dear Brother:
As I haven't written a letter to you for several days and have nothing to do this evening, I will write and tell you about the hike through Germany. First to begin with, we were in the rest camp at the front when the armistice was signed. We were going to start to the front on the 11th of November. We got orders to be ready to move out on the 11th. We did not get ready in the morning and on the evening of November the 11th, we heard the armistice was signed, so we did not do anything that evening but were sure glad. On the 12th we begin drilling and drilled until the 16th, when we left our camp on trucks. We were told that we were going to the front to do guard duty but we did not know where we were going. About 9 that night we got off the trucks and began to hike. We hiked until twelve o'clock then they marched us out of the road and had us to pitch tents. Well I had no tent poles or pegs so I told my partner we would have make our beds on the ground and not stretch our tent at all. He said that he did not have any so we made our bed down, and I told him I had to have some water if I had to stay up all night so he said lets so and find some so we started out and as we went we heard that the rest of the Third Division was with us. I told him I bet were were in for a long hike. In about 15 minutes we found some water and then we went back and laid down. It was quite cold but I slept very well, and the next morning we had breakfast before daylight and were off on the second day's march. I was at the head of the column, and was getting quite tired when we halted and were told we had one hour for dinner. Our stove was behind us, so we had to eat our rations or do without. I ate some of mine and all the others did the same. The whole of the Third Division stopped and rested one hour. When the hour was up we were getting cold and were ready to go. As we marched along that evening we met a lot of troops of other nations who had been prisoners in Germany and, having been released, were on their way home. They all looked fine and healthy.
About 5 o'clock we went into town for billets. We found that there were no people in the town. It was where the Germans had been drilling their troops. So they found good rooms for all the boys. We had marched about 30 kilometers that day. About 8 o'clock we got some corn and hard tack from the supply kitchen. Our kitchen had not caught up. We eat and laid down and went to sleep. the next morning about 5 o'clock first call blowed and soon it soon it blowed twice more. I did not know what was the matter but soon found out to roll packs and get ready to start.
We did not get any breakfast that morning, so we fell in and got the report; there were several missing. they had fallen out the day before and had not caught up. We started out and had not gone far when we had to stop for the road was blocked with artillery. We got up by the side of some of the boys in the artillery and I asked some of the boys what time they started and they said about 3 o'clock that morning. I felt tough, so I pulled off my pack, which weighed only about 80 pounds, and sat down on it. We stayed there about two hours and resumed our journey. About 3 o'clock we 'hit' a little town and stopped for the night. We all got good rooms to stay in and got supper and breakfast next morning. We had lost some more boys on the day before. This was the fourth days hike we were making. We didn't get anything for dinner but one hours rest.
That night we got to a town and got some barns to sleep in, and got supper and hit the hay. Next morning we got up early and started on our way and at 12 o'clock we stopped at a German hospital and remained here two days. On the third day we resumed our march but about 4 o'clock we were commanded to stop. We got supper and went to bed. We remained here a week and drilled and stood inspection. When the week was up we started out again. This time we had to have our kitchen just in front of us. Each company had their kitchen just in front of them. We got three meals a day from then on. We made it fine; the people seemed to be jolly as we passed through the towns. Then it was day after day until we reached the Rhine.
On December 1 we reached the Rhine at a little town called Bauch. It was a nice little town. We stayed at this place two days and then started down the river. On the 16th we hiked into Annernach, but they said the 3d battallion had to go farther on. We went to a town by the name of ----------- and stayed there two days and then went back to Andernach.
From your brother,
J. P. Box.
Co. M., 7th Inf.
NOTES: John Phillip Box was born on September 6, 1894 and died on April 24, 1960. He is buried in the Violet Hill Cemetery in Violet Hill, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in Co. M 7th Infantry in WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD