as right up close to the front where they
could see the fighting and they was a big battle in Sept. that the
papers didn't get a hold of it and about 2500 Frenchmen was killed. So
Shorty Lahey asked if they was all privates and Red says No that in the
French army they have things different and you don't often see a private
killed but when theys 25000 men killed you can figure that at least
20000 of them was corporals and sargents because the corporals and
sargents has to go out in front of all the charges. Well Al I am glad
its different in the U.S. army but at that I am not the kind of a man
that would hang back for the fear of getting a bullet in me and if I was
I would resign from my command and tell them to get somebody else.

Your pal, JACK.

[Illustration]

CAMP GRANT, Oct. 24.

_FRIEND AL:_ Well Al this was Liberty Day and we had a parade in
Rockford and they was also some ball games out here and that is the boys
thought they was playing ball and everybody was crazy I should pitch for
one of the teams but in the first place I didn't feel like it would be
fair and besides I figure its bad dope for the officers to mix up with
the men and play games with them and etc. and thats not because I think
I am any better then anybody else but if you hold yourself off they
respect you that much more and I have noticed that Capt. Nash and the
lieuts, don't hang a round with nobody only themselfs and when it comes
to the majors and colonels I guess they don't even speak to their own
wife only when they are danceing maybe and step on each others ft.

Well Al I decided today to not try and work that little scheme I had
about alloting my whole salary to Florrie and then the govt. would put
the same amt. with it and I would be salting away $66.00 per mo. instead
of $36.00 and I was talking to Corp. Haney about it and he says it
couldn't be done and I don't know about that but any way I figured it
wouldn't be fair to the rest of the boys so I am going to allot $18.00
per mo. to Florrie to keep for me and that leaves me $18 per mo. to
spend that is it leaves me that amt. on paper but when you come to
figure it out Al I am paying $5.60 for soldiers insurance and $10.00 per
mo. for another liberty bond I bought and that leaves me $2.40 per mo.
to spend and how is that for a man that was drawing a salary in the big
league but at that I have got it on some of the privates that gives up
the same amt. for insurance and a libert