SECTION 3
1918 Correspondence
1918 LETTER #17:
LETTER SUMMARY:
This "letter" appears to be an un-dated ACCOUNT OF SERVICE written by Bootus shortly after the Armistice.
SOME EXCERPTS FROM THIS LETTER:
Two 3-page handwritten in pencil --accounts of wartime experiences. Both appear to contain an identical account. Either or Neither could be the original. The account is transcribed in its entirety as follows:
Mil and I were in the American engagement at Seicheprey last spring and in the last one at Verdun and came through it without a scratch.
Perhaps you would like to follow me for awhile on your war map now that the censor has let up a bit.
We were the first full Division in the trenches and went in the 5th of February 1918 on the Aisne Sector near Soissons. Some of the towns were Perion, Allamonde, Charignon, and the famous Chemlin des Dames where the great battle was fought last fall. We left there three days after the Boche's first big offensive March 21. He just cut the corner of our Sector.
Easter found us on the Toul front where we had the first three American engagements, Seicheprey, Apremont, Xnaray. On the first of July we pulled into the suburbs of Paris and thought we were going to parade there the 4th, but they put an engine on the other end of the train and took us to CHATEAU THIERRY where we relieved the 2nd Division (Marines, 23rd and 9th Infantry). Victor Fowler is in the 23rd Infty and we met him there.
Some of the towns were Chateau Thierry, Vaux, Lucy and Torcy. We drove there on the 18th July and the YD little old New England covered itself with glory and there are no French today but who know of the "Vangtsia Division."
After driving them until we got tired we moved over to the ST. MIHIEL SALIENT and drove them through St. Remy Dommarten, Hannonille in that direction.
We then moved over to the right of ARGONNE FOREST and drove for Grand Pre. We then moved over in the real VERDUN SECTOR, Bras, Channiont, Beaumont and around there. We were there when the Armistice was signed.
On the night of the 11th the front line looked up a 4th of July celebration, hundreds of different colored flares were in the air all night land and No Man's Land was lighted up like Broadway. The Boche joined in also and bands played right in the lines.
Bootus
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