TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DEQUEEN BEE MARCH 7, 1919 P. 2
Time on the road, 16 hours, Transportation, White Staff Observation Car. time, Nov. 12 and 13, 1918. Those making the trip were Lt. Henry, Doyle, Lieut. Peter Lejurne, Cook William R. Stewart, Cook Victor H. Robinson, Private James L. Russell, Private Guiseppe Lorello, Private Henry P. Sullivan, Private Frederick Lawler.
We left St. Mihiel on the morning of Nov. 12, at 7 a.m., and the first place we visited was the city of Verdun, the strongest fortress in Eastern France. It was besieged for four years by the Germans, but never fell. There is not a building in the city that hasn't been shelled. Went through the big cathedral which was once beautiful, but is now a complete ruin, nothing but the walls left standing.
The next place we stopped was Bethincourt. It had been a city of perhaps 800 inhabitants, but was all ruins, not a wall standing high as a man's head.
From there we went to what had been a town in No Man's Land, Montfaucen. Here the town was shot down, nothing left at all. Not a building of any kind. Here we saw a shell hole made by a 16-inch shell about 20 feel deep and 50 feet around.
From there we went into the Argonne woods. Here we saw sights that one will never forget and scenes that that can never be told in words. The Germans were laying all over the ground, all ages, from 16 to 60 years. We found a dugout; as it appears to be from the outside, but on further investigation it proved to be two large rooms about twenty feet under the ground. All plastered with cement, furnished with fine furniture that had been taken out of someone's home. There was a nice piano and gold bedstead, and a beautiful art square rug on the floor. The place was lit up by electric lights.
From here we went on up the front lines and visited the towns of Buyancy and Le Chemes, Rancourt and into Sedan. Here we ran into the Germans at dark. Got permission from a French lady to stay all night. Her husband had been killed in the early part of the war. She and her five children and her mother had been living in the room for three and one-half years. The German officers had been living in the other part of the house. We were the first Americans to reach the city. The Americans were fighting within 1 mile of Sedan when hostilities ended, but had never been in the town. This lady gave us supper that night and breakfast the next morning. She brought out some silver she had hidden for three and one-half years. She had been drawing rations from the American Red Cross for over two years.
Left there about 7 o'clock the next morning. The Germans were still in the city and the enlisted men were celebrating as they had been told they had won the war.
On the road back we stopped and looked over the towns of Mauyay, Removille, Dann Villers, Natronville, Genocourt. All places mentioned are shot down, nothing left but a few walls. We drove 65 miles through No Man's Land and never saw a tree, nothing but shell holes and dugouts. We passed miles and miles of convoys of soldiers coming out of the trenches, both French and Americans, and they sure were happy.
Got back to St. Mihiel on the evening of Nov. 13 at 7 o'clock all tired but happy, because we had seen things that we never will want to see again. Well, I will quit for this time, as I am home now, and believe me, Arkansas is good enough for me from now on.
Yours respectfully,
Victor Robinson.
NOTES: This letter was written by Victor Robinson.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Time on the road, 16 hours, Transportation, White Staff Observation Car. time, Nov. 12 and 13, 1918. Those making the trip were Lt. Henry, Doyle, Lieut. Peter Lejurne, Cook William R. Stewart, Cook Victor H. Robinson, Private James L. Russell, Private Guiseppe Lorello, Private Henry P. Sullivan, Private Frederick Lawler.
We left St. Mihiel on the morning of Nov. 12, at 7 a.m., and the first place we visited was the city of Verdun, the strongest fortress in Eastern France. It was besieged for four years by the Germans, but never fell. There is not a building in the city that hasn't been shelled. Went through the big cathedral which was once beautiful, but is now a complete ruin, nothing but the walls left standing.
The next place we stopped was Bethincourt. It had been a city of perhaps 800 inhabitants, but was all ruins, not a wall standing high as a man's head.
From there we went to what had been a town in No Man's Land, Montfaucen. Here the town was shot down, nothing left at all. Not a building of any kind. Here we saw a shell hole made by a 16-inch shell about 20 feel deep and 50 feet around.
From there we went into the Argonne woods. Here we saw sights that one will never forget and scenes that that can never be told in words. The Germans were laying all over the ground, all ages, from 16 to 60 years. We found a dugout; as it appears to be from the outside, but on further investigation it proved to be two large rooms about twenty feet under the ground. All plastered with cement, furnished with fine furniture that had been taken out of someone's home. There was a nice piano and gold bedstead, and a beautiful art square rug on the floor. The place was lit up by electric lights.
From here we went on up the front lines and visited the towns of Buyancy and Le Chemes, Rancourt and into Sedan. Here we ran into the Germans at dark. Got permission from a French lady to stay all night. Her husband had been killed in the early part of the war. She and her five children and her mother had been living in the room for three and one-half years. The German officers had been living in the other part of the house. We were the first Americans to reach the city. The Americans were fighting within 1 mile of Sedan when hostilities ended, but had never been in the town. This lady gave us supper that night and breakfast the next morning. She brought out some silver she had hidden for three and one-half years. She had been drawing rations from the American Red Cross for over two years.
Left there about 7 o'clock the next morning. The Germans were still in the city and the enlisted men were celebrating as they had been told they had won the war.
On the road back we stopped and looked over the towns of Mauyay, Removille, Dann Villers, Natronville, Genocourt. All places mentioned are shot down, nothing left but a few walls. We drove 65 miles through No Man's Land and never saw a tree, nothing but shell holes and dugouts. We passed miles and miles of convoys of soldiers coming out of the trenches, both French and Americans, and they sure were happy.
Got back to St. Mihiel on the evening of Nov. 13 at 7 o'clock all tired but happy, because we had seen things that we never will want to see again. Well, I will quit for this time, as I am home now, and believe me, Arkansas is good enough for me from now on.
Yours respectfully,
Victor Robinson.
NOTES: This letter was written by Victor Robinson.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD