TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ASHLEY COUNTY EAGLE MARCH 6, 1919 P. 1
Insul, Germany, Jan. 12 1919
Mrs. Dora Emmanuel
Dear sister:
I will answer your most welcome letter received a few days ago. This leaves me well, and I thank God that I am here to write. I have been over the top twice: the first time being on July 30th, on the Chateau-Thiery front. We went with artillery and machine gun fire. We didn’t advance far before I got wounded and had to get back to the first aid station, and from there to the Base Hospital, where I stayed about six weeks and returned to my Company a few days before they went back to front. On September 26th we went over the top again, and we hiked until nearly dawn before we met any resistance. The Huns put up a pretty good fight, but we stayed with them till almost dark and then we waited for Co. A. to drop back, and we went back about thirty yards to some woods and spent the night. The next morning we went at them again: but the first thing we did was to show our airplanes our line: then we went forward, then about ten o’clock our artillery fell short and began dropping shells on us, and O, it was fierce! Several of our boys were killed and wounded. We beat it to the rear and didn’t do any more advancing that day. The next day we made for them again, capturing some men and machine guns, and that evening we reached our objective.
Next morning we were relieved off the front line for 48 hours. We only dropped back a short distance to where our kitchen was and got a few warm meals. Then we went went back on the front line and stayed until October 19th when we were relieved. While we were on the front line we were under artillery fire some time during each day. One day I well remember, while I was on the front line an airplane dropped a shell almost in my dugout. My Corporal and I were eating some chow, and O how the dirt and rocks did fall in our mess kits, and a piece of shrapnel struck me on the head, but only went through my cap and into my head far enough to get a little blood, so I stayed with the boys.
As we got relieved we hiked for eight days, and drilled until the 10th of November, and were up near the Metz sector on the 11th day when the guns quit firing: and O, joy, I can’t express the joyful feeling I had. Shortly after the firing ceased the boys began celebrating. It was something like an Xmas chivaree. Then on the 12th of November we marched out in an open field and pitched tents for the night. On the 20th of November we left for Germany, and marched through Alsace-Loraine into Luxemburg. We crossed the Moselle River at Bemich into Germany. Then we hiked about 200 miles over hills and through valleys that were a sight to see. We are now about 25 or 30 miles from Coblenz in the small town of Insul, Germany. I don’t think we will be here long, but where we go from here none of us know, though where we want to go it is easy to know and that is back to the good old U. S. A. where the sweet flowers bloom and the pretty girls stay.
As ever, your brother, Hugh E. Coody,
Co. A. 47th Inf. A. E. F.
NOTES: Coody is stationed in Germany and writing to Mrs. Dora Emmanuel. He was born on August 11, 1889 and died on February 12, 1953. He is buried in the Antioch Cemetery in Hamburg, Arkansas. His military headstone shows that he was a private in Company A of the 47th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY AUSTIN MALONE
Insul, Germany, Jan. 12 1919
Mrs. Dora Emmanuel
Dear sister:
I will answer your most welcome letter received a few days ago. This leaves me well, and I thank God that I am here to write. I have been over the top twice: the first time being on July 30th, on the Chateau-Thiery front. We went with artillery and machine gun fire. We didn’t advance far before I got wounded and had to get back to the first aid station, and from there to the Base Hospital, where I stayed about six weeks and returned to my Company a few days before they went back to front. On September 26th we went over the top again, and we hiked until nearly dawn before we met any resistance. The Huns put up a pretty good fight, but we stayed with them till almost dark and then we waited for Co. A. to drop back, and we went back about thirty yards to some woods and spent the night. The next morning we went at them again: but the first thing we did was to show our airplanes our line: then we went forward, then about ten o’clock our artillery fell short and began dropping shells on us, and O, it was fierce! Several of our boys were killed and wounded. We beat it to the rear and didn’t do any more advancing that day. The next day we made for them again, capturing some men and machine guns, and that evening we reached our objective.
Next morning we were relieved off the front line for 48 hours. We only dropped back a short distance to where our kitchen was and got a few warm meals. Then we went went back on the front line and stayed until October 19th when we were relieved. While we were on the front line we were under artillery fire some time during each day. One day I well remember, while I was on the front line an airplane dropped a shell almost in my dugout. My Corporal and I were eating some chow, and O how the dirt and rocks did fall in our mess kits, and a piece of shrapnel struck me on the head, but only went through my cap and into my head far enough to get a little blood, so I stayed with the boys.
As we got relieved we hiked for eight days, and drilled until the 10th of November, and were up near the Metz sector on the 11th day when the guns quit firing: and O, joy, I can’t express the joyful feeling I had. Shortly after the firing ceased the boys began celebrating. It was something like an Xmas chivaree. Then on the 12th of November we marched out in an open field and pitched tents for the night. On the 20th of November we left for Germany, and marched through Alsace-Loraine into Luxemburg. We crossed the Moselle River at Bemich into Germany. Then we hiked about 200 miles over hills and through valleys that were a sight to see. We are now about 25 or 30 miles from Coblenz in the small town of Insul, Germany. I don’t think we will be here long, but where we go from here none of us know, though where we want to go it is easy to know and that is back to the good old U. S. A. where the sweet flowers bloom and the pretty girls stay.
As ever, your brother, Hugh E. Coody,
Co. A. 47th Inf. A. E. F.
NOTES: Coody is stationed in Germany and writing to Mrs. Dora Emmanuel. He was born on August 11, 1889 and died on February 12, 1953. He is buried in the Antioch Cemetery in Hamburg, Arkansas. His military headstone shows that he was a private in Company A of the 47th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY AUSTIN MALONE