TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HOME NEWS SEPTEMBER 27, 1918 P. 1
On Active Service with the American Ex. Force, Sept. 1, 1918.
Mr. Clayton Taylor,
McCrory, Arkansas,
Dear Friend:
I will drop you a few lines to let you hear from me. Well how are you getting along these days, just fine I hope.
I am just getting along fine, I have just spent about two months on the front since I have been in Frane and it is hell, at times, believe me, and at other times it is all O. K., that is while we are not fighting, but we are in battle the most of the time, so I suppose you can guess about how it is.
Well, I have been face-to-face with several of the Germans when on the front and I was just a little quicker than they and they were also out of luck, but I may be the one to be out of luck the next time, but I do not think so if they will give me an even start. I have killed four since I have been here that I know of for I saw them fall. There were some whom I did not have time to watch as I had to watch my self for a while—it pays a man to watch himself sometimes, don’t you think so.
The hottest place I have ever been in was on the 14th night of July when a friend and my self ran into a bunch of about 25 of the enemy. They killed my partner, took my gun and ammunition and started back with me as a prisoner. It was dark and the German who was guarding me was killed by a big shell and I got away from them and crawled across no man’s land and got back with my bunch. You can guess about how badly I felt for I had more than one kind of feelings, believe me.
Well, how are all of the ladies these days, just fine I hope. Tell all of them I said hello and for them to write to me—tell everybody to write for I have not received a letter since I have been in France.
Tell me all the news and tell the folks I said hello and for them to write. Will close for this time, answer real soon to
Your Old Friend,
PVT. P. W. RIDGEWAY,
Co. G, 38th Inf. A.E.F.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY Michael Fredericks
On Active Service with the American Ex. Force, Sept. 1, 1918.
Mr. Clayton Taylor,
McCrory, Arkansas,
Dear Friend:
I will drop you a few lines to let you hear from me. Well how are you getting along these days, just fine I hope.
I am just getting along fine, I have just spent about two months on the front since I have been in Frane and it is hell, at times, believe me, and at other times it is all O. K., that is while we are not fighting, but we are in battle the most of the time, so I suppose you can guess about how it is.
Well, I have been face-to-face with several of the Germans when on the front and I was just a little quicker than they and they were also out of luck, but I may be the one to be out of luck the next time, but I do not think so if they will give me an even start. I have killed four since I have been here that I know of for I saw them fall. There were some whom I did not have time to watch as I had to watch my self for a while—it pays a man to watch himself sometimes, don’t you think so.
The hottest place I have ever been in was on the 14th night of July when a friend and my self ran into a bunch of about 25 of the enemy. They killed my partner, took my gun and ammunition and started back with me as a prisoner. It was dark and the German who was guarding me was killed by a big shell and I got away from them and crawled across no man’s land and got back with my bunch. You can guess about how badly I felt for I had more than one kind of feelings, believe me.
Well, how are all of the ladies these days, just fine I hope. Tell all of them I said hello and for them to write to me—tell everybody to write for I have not received a letter since I have been in France.
Tell me all the news and tell the folks I said hello and for them to write. Will close for this time, answer real soon to
Your Old Friend,
PVT. P. W. RIDGEWAY,
Co. G, 38th Inf. A.E.F.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY Michael Fredericks