[Letter of Robert Lincoln O'Connell to his sister Ellen, 20 March 1918.
 written on Y.M.C.A. letterhead. There is some upside down writing, in
 his hand, written through the letterhead.]

Mar. 20 1918

Dear Ellen,

	Have received your next two letters #2 and #3 and am getting on a sweat
over that watch. There is a lot to write but they won't let us. We haven't been
mixed up in the big drive yet but there's no telling when we will get in and
as the 1st Engineers do not work on roads or piers, way back of the lines. I
wish that watch would get here while I have a place to hang it on. We have 
marched a good many miles lately and have seen more of rural France than the
average tourist ever does because we take shortcuts off the main road and pass
through little villages that haven't heard about the war almost. One handy thing
about those villages is that they are close together, about 2 or 3 miles on
am average, with five miles rather unusual,and the few people in town generally
turn out and hand out smiles and "Bonjour, Monsieurs" as

(2)
fast as they can. The bunch always keeps up a steady stream of "Bon jour" or
"Ban jour" and anything that bears the least resemblance to "chicken" starts 
a commotion. At that, I'll bet that 99 our of a 100 are married, so that judging
by the "________" and other remarks, a real U.S. girl would start a riot. We never
stay over night in towns that have over 2 or three stores and they are generally
smaller and more retiring than the average Liberty St. emporium. The fellows
buy quite a lot of butter, cheese, eggs and canned goods to help out the usual
rations, because anything extra always tastes better. Just at present we are 
getting French bread and coffee. The bread seems to keep forever but gets rather
tough without drying up. Its better than hardtack but I don't like it. The 
coffee is baked more than ours and is pretty strong, as we don't get the milk
now and sugar is limited with the French ration.

(3)
Things are running smoothly enough and everyone is in the best of condition but
they need to be, because something is going to land on Fritz with an awful bump
someday, and it won't be over a million years either. We hear so many rumors
that you never can believe anything but if anything does turn up, it will make
our other trench periods seem might tame and all the muscle we have, also all
the rabbits feet, horseshoes and four-leafed clovers will be needed. That's when
I hope to get the benefit of those hides down the track that you and the others
have been taking. Somehow, I feel lucky but no one has a right to expect better
luck, that the next chap and, as my record is clear, so far, shall have to keep
it so, by heck. A couple of days ago, we were drilling, as infantry, across a
big field of clover, with a few plowed spaces to make the travelling hard. We
kept at it until a rest began to look mighty good and then we deployed again, in
thin skirmish 

(4)
lines. This time, there were to be casualties and soon the lieutenant called 
out "Orr, dead!" Orr's place on the first wave was vacant ina twinkling and about 
half a minute later "O'Connell, dead!" caused another gapand the two unfortunates 
in the second wave had to double time to catch up with the first. The rest of the
company ignored the kidding of the lucky dead ones and got their turn a few
minutes later when they assembled, way up the field, and the corpses had to run
and puff up to their places. Well, don't take anything that you read or imagine
about the doings here, too seriously. Th ehome papers have had to make big ones
out of little ones, so far, but if the Germans decide to fight it out there will
be front-page news before 1920 and then, Lord help them. Keep up the hikes and
the letters. I've received two "Populars." Wish I'd sent for them before. Regards
to all.
		Rob

[Transcribed by W.J. Shepherd, May 2, 2009.]