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Dear Emma and Children, 

I am very glad that you received my letter and that you are all in good health. We are at Montmireil, and since this big drive is over and we are not connected just at present with an army, it will do no injury for you to know that this is where we are. Everything here is like civil life as far as the town in concerned, there aee many soldiers passing all the time
we take care of, otherwise we would not know that a war was going on. When we first arrived we did not realize the position we were in. There were shells. There were mine shells bursting everywhere [[/strikethrough]] every place around us, and it was only God that saved the few that were left here, all the civilians had left. Most of the Doctors had been called to other places and for a few hours it seemed we had been left to ourselves. The wounded were just pouring in the courtyard of the hospital, was over-flowing. Those who looked as though they could be saved were operated on at once. Those too serious were left to themselves in their last moments, poor boys. Jimmie and I were here and there all the time day and night the fight was so terrific for the first few days and so many soldiers on all the roads that men and ambulances would get lost in the great struggle and confusion consequently we would have the wounded and tired out men drifting in from all the different armies, and although it did not seem to make any difference how badly they were wounded or tired there never was a word of complaint. The good brave men never let out a word to show that they were wounded, no matter how bad. and in all this confusion there was a mixture of allies coming to the Head quarters or straggling back from the line:lost or bewildered from the [[/strikethrough]] shock. If it had not been our first experience, we might have felt the excitement more, but it all being so new we thought it the regular thing. We know now that it was a very trying moment. At the time this village was completely shut up and all the civilians gone, we know now that every precaution had been taken for a retreat and we many have been in the gun fire if the French, Americans and English were not so terrific that the Fritz just had to back up