TRANSCRIBED FROM THE JONESBORO EVENING SUN FEBRUARY 12, 1919 P. 4
A.E. F., Dec. 23, 1918.
Somewhere in Germany,
Mrs. Cleveland Mayes,
Dear Sister:
I received your kind and most welcome letter the other day and was sure glad to hear from you.
Well, as the war is over I can tell you where I have been.
We landed at Liverpool, England and went from there to Southampton, England, then we crossed the English Channel to Harve, France, then we went to Ferta Sor Avbe, and then trained there for about a month and in May when the Germans started their drive on Paris we were called up to help stop them, as we were a Mostorized Machine Gun Battalion and were the first American troops to land In Chateau Thierry, and believe me it sure was some hot fight for the Germans sure did come fast, but when we got our machine guns placed and started firing on them they soon stopped, as we were on one side of the river Marne and they were on the other and it certainly is some funny feeling the first time a fellow is under shell fire. Then on the night of July 14th they started another drive. They started their barrage about 12 o’clock and it lasted until 5:30 a. m. Then the infantry started to come across the river but were met with such terrific machine gun and rifle fire they could not make any advance.
What I mean by a barrage is that the artillery commences firing about 8 hours before the infantry starts over the top. The barrage is to try to clear every thing from the line back 5 or 6 miles. So you see that it is not very safe to be in a battle as the shells are falling so fast in a barrage that no living being can hardly get through them. But I always felt that there was a place in the U. S. A. that I needed to get back to, so I was lucky to get through it.
I only got hit once and it did not hurt very much. I was standing in a shell hole while the Germans were shelling us and a shell bursted in about 25 feet of me and a piece of shrapnel hit me in the side but the force was very near spent, so it did not hurt much.
We were in the St. Mihiel drive in Sept. and it sure was some tough fighting. We were relieved and on the 25 of October we went back to the rear for a rest and on Nov. the 11th the day the armistice was signed we started up again and got about 10 kilometer from where we were and got orders to go back that the armistice was signed, so I sure was proud joy. Well it sure is terrible feeling to have one of your comrades shot by your side, in a battle. the noise is so great from the artillery that you can hardly stand it, but when you see the infantry start for the Germans with their bayonets you almost go wild, for you don’t care whether you get killed or not, but there is sure a big bunch of boys killed every time, but that has got to happen in every battle and I sure claim that a fellow is sure lucky to get through it. I have a lot more to tell you about a battle that I don’t want to put in a letter. I am sure glad Carroll and John did not have to experience what I have been through with.
Carroll got over too late to see any of the fun, but I am glad he did.
I have been all through Central France. There sure are some sites to see over here. Some of the villages are blown to bits. You cannot tell there was any town except by the big piles of stone and brick. We came through Lorraine, then into Germany. We went through Coblenze and along the Rhine for a long ways. So we are in a town of about 1,000 inhabitants. The Rhine is about 500 feet wide. I will tell you a lot more than you have ever heard of. Well there is one thing you can feel proud of, it is that you have a brother that went through it all in the roughest of it, and got out all right. Well I am very sorry to hear of Tom’s death, but it has got to happen sooner or later. Well I will close, as I have told about all for this time, and when I get back to the States will tell you very much more. Well I will close, wishing you a very merry Xmas and looking for a quick reply.
Your brother,
Pvt. David C. Roberts,
Co. A. 7th U. S. M. G. Bat.
Via N. Y. A. E. F., France,
3rd Division.
NOTES: David C. Roberts was writing to his sister, Mrs. Cleveland Mayes, of Lake City, Arkansas. He was born August 26, 1898 and died March 26, 1968. He is buried in Pine Log Cemetery, Brookland, Arkansas. He was served in World War II.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.
A.E. F., Dec. 23, 1918.
Somewhere in Germany,
Mrs. Cleveland Mayes,
Dear Sister:
I received your kind and most welcome letter the other day and was sure glad to hear from you.
Well, as the war is over I can tell you where I have been.
We landed at Liverpool, England and went from there to Southampton, England, then we crossed the English Channel to Harve, France, then we went to Ferta Sor Avbe, and then trained there for about a month and in May when the Germans started their drive on Paris we were called up to help stop them, as we were a Mostorized Machine Gun Battalion and were the first American troops to land In Chateau Thierry, and believe me it sure was some hot fight for the Germans sure did come fast, but when we got our machine guns placed and started firing on them they soon stopped, as we were on one side of the river Marne and they were on the other and it certainly is some funny feeling the first time a fellow is under shell fire. Then on the night of July 14th they started another drive. They started their barrage about 12 o’clock and it lasted until 5:30 a. m. Then the infantry started to come across the river but were met with such terrific machine gun and rifle fire they could not make any advance.
What I mean by a barrage is that the artillery commences firing about 8 hours before the infantry starts over the top. The barrage is to try to clear every thing from the line back 5 or 6 miles. So you see that it is not very safe to be in a battle as the shells are falling so fast in a barrage that no living being can hardly get through them. But I always felt that there was a place in the U. S. A. that I needed to get back to, so I was lucky to get through it.
I only got hit once and it did not hurt very much. I was standing in a shell hole while the Germans were shelling us and a shell bursted in about 25 feet of me and a piece of shrapnel hit me in the side but the force was very near spent, so it did not hurt much.
We were in the St. Mihiel drive in Sept. and it sure was some tough fighting. We were relieved and on the 25 of October we went back to the rear for a rest and on Nov. the 11th the day the armistice was signed we started up again and got about 10 kilometer from where we were and got orders to go back that the armistice was signed, so I sure was proud joy. Well it sure is terrible feeling to have one of your comrades shot by your side, in a battle. the noise is so great from the artillery that you can hardly stand it, but when you see the infantry start for the Germans with their bayonets you almost go wild, for you don’t care whether you get killed or not, but there is sure a big bunch of boys killed every time, but that has got to happen in every battle and I sure claim that a fellow is sure lucky to get through it. I have a lot more to tell you about a battle that I don’t want to put in a letter. I am sure glad Carroll and John did not have to experience what I have been through with.
Carroll got over too late to see any of the fun, but I am glad he did.
I have been all through Central France. There sure are some sites to see over here. Some of the villages are blown to bits. You cannot tell there was any town except by the big piles of stone and brick. We came through Lorraine, then into Germany. We went through Coblenze and along the Rhine for a long ways. So we are in a town of about 1,000 inhabitants. The Rhine is about 500 feet wide. I will tell you a lot more than you have ever heard of. Well there is one thing you can feel proud of, it is that you have a brother that went through it all in the roughest of it, and got out all right. Well I am very sorry to hear of Tom’s death, but it has got to happen sooner or later. Well I will close, as I have told about all for this time, and when I get back to the States will tell you very much more. Well I will close, wishing you a very merry Xmas and looking for a quick reply.
Your brother,
Pvt. David C. Roberts,
Co. A. 7th U. S. M. G. Bat.
Via N. Y. A. E. F., France,
3rd Division.
NOTES: David C. Roberts was writing to his sister, Mrs. Cleveland Mayes, of Lake City, Arkansas. He was born August 26, 1898 and died March 26, 1968. He is buried in Pine Log Cemetery, Brookland, Arkansas. He was served in World War II.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.