Letter from an Adair County Doughboy in France, 1918

(Transcribed from the November 20, 1918 Adair County News, page four. The letter was originally printed as one long paragraph.)

Somewhere in France

________________________

Mrs. L.M. Watson,

Holmes, Ky.

Dear Mother:--

I will again write you as am out of the lines again. I have just received a letter from Lindsey. It was written Sept. 9. I sure was glad to hear from you all. Well, mother I sure am a lucky boy. We started on the 29th of Sept. to break the Hindenburg line and we have been after them ever since. but I think we are out for awhile now.

And mother I have went through some awful dangerous places. I don't see how I got through. I am sure the Lord was with me and he will always be with me now, and I am not afraid now, and I think I will get through all right. So don't worry about me. I feel like I will come home some time, and I don't think it will be long.

We run the Dutch back the other day and captured some French people that the Germans had captured the first of the war. They sure were glad to see Americans and to be free again.

You all wanted to know about this country. It is the prettiest place I ever saw but is badly torn up. The towns are torn to pieces.

Carley Ballou got killed. He lived close to Columbia, and Deed Smith was killed too. They are all from near home that I know of.                         

I guess you all have done read in the papers about our big drive and are uneasy about me, but I am all right, so don't worry. I don't want you to send me anything, as I am getting plenty to eat and wear. You all use all my money for anything you want to.

I have just received a letter from Alice, Era, Eula and Ollie. I haven't paper to write to all. You all tell them I am all right and will write them soon.

Well, as it is about time for dinner and we have to move again this evening, farther back so I will have to close.

Tell all the folks hello for me. This is all for this time. Hoping to hear from you soon. With love to all I am your soldier boy,

          Pvt. Owen P. Watson,

          Co. G, 120 Inft., American E.F.*

                [*American Expeditionary Forces]

(From a forthcoming volume.)