The following World War I letter appeared in the February 15, 1918 issue of the Lebanon News.
"Somewhere in France,
January 6, 1918
Mr. E. R. Combs,
Lebanon, Va.
Dear Uncle:
I have your letter of December 5. I was very glad to hear from you. It takes a month to get a letter over here, but they read just as well as if they had been written yesterday.
When does Stuart's company go into training? I suppose they will go to Ft. Monroe.
I imagine you have had your hands full this court. I wish I was near enough to help you out some but you see how it is. Of course you had the usual December Term docket.
We appreciate everything you are doing for us there thru Red Cross and Y. M. C. A., and feel that all the people are making a great sacrifice. We are in the war and the only thing to be done is to lick the Huns good and proper, and come home.
I would like to be there now, but we have a good sized job to be done yet. When we do it we will come home alright.
We can't write much about our experience, but we had a fine trip coming over, and after we got here had a nice little ride on a box car. The weather was cold and nice for a ride of that kind. I can't tell you how long we were on the aforesaid box car but I had enough of it. Since that time we have had a nice little hike - heavy marching order, and it snowed most of the way. I can't tell you how far we hiked either. My bed room, most of the time since we have been in France, has been a nice, warm barn; however, I'm not kicking at present.
I hear the conscripts are having a very hard time. Some of the boys heard from one of the 'critters' and he wrote that the steam pipes had bursted and he had to sleep in his clothes for two nights, and they hadn't any butter for two days. You don't know how sorry I am for them.
Wood is very scarce here and coal isn't much good, however, our steam pipes (!) are perfectly good! I just naturally love hard tacks, bacon, etc.!
I am doing stenographic work, as usual, and my work isn't so very heavy - about two hours per day. I don't mind that much, but am on duty all the time.
I have received several copies of the Lebanon News and we get Roanoke, Lynchburg, and other papers from the States. The New York Herald, Chicago Tribune and Daily Mail are printed here in France and we can buy them for 15 centines (3c) per copy. they are side issues of papers printed in the U. S.
I didn't know there could be so much difference between two countries. There is so much difference in the machinery, and the buildings are all masonary and the houses and barns of the poorer classes are built adjoining. All they have to do when they want to feed is to open the door and they are in the barn.
I have seen a good deal of American farm machinery over here. Instead of hitching their horses side by side they hitch them on in front of the other. I have seen as high as 5 horses hitched in this way. When they hitch up 4 they put one between the shaves then two and the other in front of the two. I have seen two horses and an ox (cow) hitched to the same plow. Looks funny to me.
I guess about half of this will be thrown out, but I haven't told many secrets.
Give my love to all the family and to all my friends, and write soon.
Your nephew,
E. F. HARGIS
Hg. Det. 117th T. H. and M. P.
American Forces"
