TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKADELPHIA DAILY NEWS JANUARY 16, 1919 P. 1
Longwy, France
Dear Roy:
Before leaving the states I promised a great many friends that I would write to them when I arrived over here, but have been too busy ever since I landed to even think of writing, but now I am going to let them all hear from me at once through you The Daily News.
First, let me say that I am O.K and am enjoying a fire in a fine place for the first Sunday morning in some time, and believe me, a fire feels good to a fellow when there is lots of ice everywhere, and especially so to one who has been in the places I have, where there was lots of ice and no fire. In the trenches up front there was much of the time that we had no fire and the weather was exceedingly cold. In this business a person gets to realize that all he can get along without fire when necessary.
Well, the war is over and the boys in France are proud of it. Guess things will soon be better back home also. I hope soon to again be walking the streets of old Arkadelphia. I got to the front along the first day of October, and joined in the “Hunchase,” and kept it up until the last gun was fired. Sometimes it looked almost impossible to go on through the rain and cold, but we just gritted our teeth and went ahead anyway. Some morning I would get out of our trench with the water in my canteen frozen. But with all the hardships, I have had some experiences that I would not take anything for.
I went over the top many times and came through without a scratch, and you may tell my friend that I “got” that Hun I came 3000 miles to get. Must, say, however that I had to get on my toes to do so as they were doing some tall running during the month I was in there.
We took lots of small towns and several pretty good sized cities such as Brandyville, Dainvilla, and on Sunday evening, the 10 of October we occupied the town of ___ and there had some real hard fighting. We had not had anything to eat for several days, and after taking the city found cabbage, and believe me, those cabbage heads looked good to us. We had cabbage for supper that night and again for breakfast. That morning we were held up in the edge of towns as we started to advance again by the Huns, but we dug in and kept right on firing until about 10:45, just four minutes before the hostilities ceased. I was with the boys when the last shots were fired.
By twelve o’ clock the Huns had come over offering us their hands and saying, “Comrad, we finish.”
Now I am at Longwy, helping take care of Russian prisoners. Must say they are some joke, and I am not surprised at Russia never doing us any good in war. They are the laziest bunch I ever saw. Don’t want to do anything but sleep and eat.
Well, Christmas is coming and I wish for everybody at home a big Christmass and a Happy New Year. There is no reason why this should not be the happiest Christmas you folks have ever enjoyed. It sure will be with me. Although in France I expect it to be the happiest of my life.
Will close now, hoping that I will see my many friends in Clark County again before many months pass.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all.
Your true friend,
Sgt. GUY C. RUSSELL,
Co. I. 11th Infantry, A.E.F.
P.S. Excuse this French pencil.
NOTES: Guy Clifton Russell was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi on April 18, 1890 and died on August 22, 1988. He is buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery in Joan, Arkansas. He enlisted on May 27, 1918 and was discharged on July 31, 1919. He departed New York, NY on August 31, 1918 onboard the Dunvegan Castle. He was serving as a Private in the Camp Pike July Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry Co. 20. He departed Brest, France on July 11, 1919 onboard the Plattsburg. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 20, 1919. He was serving as a Sgt. in Co. I 11th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART
Longwy, France
Dear Roy:
Before leaving the states I promised a great many friends that I would write to them when I arrived over here, but have been too busy ever since I landed to even think of writing, but now I am going to let them all hear from me at once through you The Daily News.
First, let me say that I am O.K and am enjoying a fire in a fine place for the first Sunday morning in some time, and believe me, a fire feels good to a fellow when there is lots of ice everywhere, and especially so to one who has been in the places I have, where there was lots of ice and no fire. In the trenches up front there was much of the time that we had no fire and the weather was exceedingly cold. In this business a person gets to realize that all he can get along without fire when necessary.
Well, the war is over and the boys in France are proud of it. Guess things will soon be better back home also. I hope soon to again be walking the streets of old Arkadelphia. I got to the front along the first day of October, and joined in the “Hunchase,” and kept it up until the last gun was fired. Sometimes it looked almost impossible to go on through the rain and cold, but we just gritted our teeth and went ahead anyway. Some morning I would get out of our trench with the water in my canteen frozen. But with all the hardships, I have had some experiences that I would not take anything for.
I went over the top many times and came through without a scratch, and you may tell my friend that I “got” that Hun I came 3000 miles to get. Must, say, however that I had to get on my toes to do so as they were doing some tall running during the month I was in there.
We took lots of small towns and several pretty good sized cities such as Brandyville, Dainvilla, and on Sunday evening, the 10 of October we occupied the town of ___ and there had some real hard fighting. We had not had anything to eat for several days, and after taking the city found cabbage, and believe me, those cabbage heads looked good to us. We had cabbage for supper that night and again for breakfast. That morning we were held up in the edge of towns as we started to advance again by the Huns, but we dug in and kept right on firing until about 10:45, just four minutes before the hostilities ceased. I was with the boys when the last shots were fired.
By twelve o’ clock the Huns had come over offering us their hands and saying, “Comrad, we finish.”
Now I am at Longwy, helping take care of Russian prisoners. Must say they are some joke, and I am not surprised at Russia never doing us any good in war. They are the laziest bunch I ever saw. Don’t want to do anything but sleep and eat.
Well, Christmas is coming and I wish for everybody at home a big Christmass and a Happy New Year. There is no reason why this should not be the happiest Christmas you folks have ever enjoyed. It sure will be with me. Although in France I expect it to be the happiest of my life.
Will close now, hoping that I will see my many friends in Clark County again before many months pass.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and all.
Your true friend,
Sgt. GUY C. RUSSELL,
Co. I. 11th Infantry, A.E.F.
P.S. Excuse this French pencil.
NOTES: Guy Clifton Russell was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi on April 18, 1890 and died on August 22, 1988. He is buried in the Bethlehem Cemetery in Joan, Arkansas. He enlisted on May 27, 1918 and was discharged on July 31, 1919. He departed New York, NY on August 31, 1918 onboard the Dunvegan Castle. He was serving as a Private in the Camp Pike July Automatic Replacement Draft Infantry Co. 20. He departed Brest, France on July 11, 1919 onboard the Plattsburg. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 20, 1919. He was serving as a Sgt. in Co. I 11th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY ADIN TYGART