TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE APRIL 4, 1919 P. 3
I did not get to see very much fighting “but I was glad” when the armistice was signed, as it saved a lot of lives in our battalion. We were going over the top again that morning, but the message reached us in time to stop us before any lives were lost. The Boche were about 300 yards in front of us and had lots of machine guns, but we were going to attack anyway. The next day we watched them pull their guns out of position. We had a bunch of them spotted and would have given them hell. The Boche were so happy that the armistice was signed they tried to come over to visit us, but we refused to receive any such visitors. They celebrated that night by firing rockets and flares. You would have thought it was the Fourth of July. Our men hardly realized that the war was over. It took them several days to realize it.
Our battalion was in the front lines and remained there for about two days, and then we pulled back into a little village, which was shot all to pieces. We stayed there until November 16, and then started the famous march to the Rhine, which was some march, too. I do not care to make another one like it. Our men had been in the lines for a long time and were not in excellent shape. We used to start out about 5:30 in the morning and march until we had reached our days’ destination, which was usually late in the afternoon or the night. We had only two meals a day and the men slept in barns at night. I saw many men who were still walking, their feet bleeding because the soles of their shoes were worn out. They refused to drop out. It sure was hard and the men sure had a lot of nerve to stick through. We sure were glad to reach our final destination and get settled. We have been busy with big drill schedules to keep us in shape, as the Inspectors say. What the men need is more rest and less work now that the war is over and troops have started home.
We never did see Inspectors on the front, but now that there is no danger, we see lots of them. All of us are doing the best we can, but of course we do not have the same interest in the military that we had before we came over. From the information we have at present time this division is due to leave in May, but in my opinion we will never get away that soon, as there is always some delay in the movement of a division. If I am home and out of the service by the middle of the summer I will be satisfied.
NOTES: Lieutenant James Thomas (Cutch) Murrey was writing to George W. Rodgers president of the Bank of Commerce of Little Rock, Arkansas where Murrey once worked. His parents were Mr. And Mrs. T. P. Murrey. He was born on September 28, 1896 in Kaufman, Texas and died on June 28, 1970. He is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Lemay, Missouri. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas, 1st Lt Co G 127 Inf 54 Div serving in World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I did not get to see very much fighting “but I was glad” when the armistice was signed, as it saved a lot of lives in our battalion. We were going over the top again that morning, but the message reached us in time to stop us before any lives were lost. The Boche were about 300 yards in front of us and had lots of machine guns, but we were going to attack anyway. The next day we watched them pull their guns out of position. We had a bunch of them spotted and would have given them hell. The Boche were so happy that the armistice was signed they tried to come over to visit us, but we refused to receive any such visitors. They celebrated that night by firing rockets and flares. You would have thought it was the Fourth of July. Our men hardly realized that the war was over. It took them several days to realize it.
Our battalion was in the front lines and remained there for about two days, and then we pulled back into a little village, which was shot all to pieces. We stayed there until November 16, and then started the famous march to the Rhine, which was some march, too. I do not care to make another one like it. Our men had been in the lines for a long time and were not in excellent shape. We used to start out about 5:30 in the morning and march until we had reached our days’ destination, which was usually late in the afternoon or the night. We had only two meals a day and the men slept in barns at night. I saw many men who were still walking, their feet bleeding because the soles of their shoes were worn out. They refused to drop out. It sure was hard and the men sure had a lot of nerve to stick through. We sure were glad to reach our final destination and get settled. We have been busy with big drill schedules to keep us in shape, as the Inspectors say. What the men need is more rest and less work now that the war is over and troops have started home.
We never did see Inspectors on the front, but now that there is no danger, we see lots of them. All of us are doing the best we can, but of course we do not have the same interest in the military that we had before we came over. From the information we have at present time this division is due to leave in May, but in my opinion we will never get away that soon, as there is always some delay in the movement of a division. If I am home and out of the service by the middle of the summer I will be satisfied.
NOTES: Lieutenant James Thomas (Cutch) Murrey was writing to George W. Rodgers president of the Bank of Commerce of Little Rock, Arkansas where Murrey once worked. His parents were Mr. And Mrs. T. P. Murrey. He was born on September 28, 1896 in Kaufman, Texas and died on June 28, 1970. He is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Lemay, Missouri. His military headstone identifies him as Arkansas, 1st Lt Co G 127 Inf 54 Div serving in World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT