Hampton B. Ball letter to Belle - November 30, 1918
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[November 30, 1918] Dear Belle, I have tried for a long time to write you but have always had a lot to do. Now since the rules of censorship have been lifted (to a great extent) we can write more about where we have been and what we have been doing. I have been all over France. Went swimming in the English Channel, near Amiens front, one week and was way over near Toul the next. I was in the front lines most of the time from
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June 26th until [November] 1st. Was in the Toul sector [ms illegible: 1 wd], first then pulled over to the Nancy front, [ms illegible: 1 wd] and lastly in the greatest push of the war. I helped drive the "Jerries" from Apremont to the edge of the Argonne where we were relieved. Was in reserve from the time the drive started until they reached Apremont. I got to see all the damage "Jerry" did all along and also the way he lived. From the looks of the things he never expected to leave his position which we started him from. The dugouts were fixed so that it was impossible to get at them except by aeroplanes. They had running water, electric lights feather beds (in many cases) and lots of other luxuries. There was one hillside alone which would store several thousand men. At one time I led outposts in a depot accross the river from St. Guen with my stopping place in a "pill box"
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which was reinforced concrete about four feet thick. A six inch shell (150mm) hit it broadside one night and all it did was make the candle flicker. I went out to one of my outposts soon after and found the [ms illegible: 5 wds] had been only a short time before. I had many thrilling experiences from the time I went into the lines until the thing was over. It is impossible for me to write a lot of them so will stop with
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only a few. My first real one was the second time I went to the lines. I took out 24 men for three days into "No Man's Land" and cut wire out of blocked trenches preparing for a large raid which our regiment pulled off. On that trip I got to see my first real "Jerries." I was with in twenty yards of their trenches in daylight and each evening I could hear them when they when they came on duty for the night. They did an awful lot of singing and loud talking but they did not know
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any one was near them. Another was last night I was in the lines. Just after the sun went down I crawled over the top and out on top of a small hill to get my bearings for a patrol which I was taking out that night. I got well out from [ms illegible: 1 wd] holes and had my head sticking up above the grass when one of the "Jerries" machine guns opened up on me. The gunner must have been crosseyed and was shooting at the wrong image because he mowed all the grass around me and I did not get a scratch. While there tho I got his exact location and also that of trench mortar. It did not take but a few minutes to get the artillery on them and there was no more shooting done by either during the rest of my stay. I had many more but will tell you about them when I get back. You said something in your
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letter about my Xmas check. I did not get it until too late so did not send it home. You do not need it anyway because I will be home somewhere near Xmas and will celebrate at home. We are getting many rumors about going home and I hope some of them are true. Was glad to hear of Lewis' election.' Now you can leave that little burg. While away on leave I had a picture taken but it was no good. I got a group picture tho
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so I am spending that. I have not changed a bit except in weight so it is no use to point myself out. Here is hoping I meet all of you at home when I get there. Your brother. Hamp Cp. Hampton B. Ball Co B. 326 Inf A.E.F. [censor mark]
Details
| Title | Hampton B. Ball letter to Belle - November 30, 1918 |
| Creator | Ball, Hampton B. |
| Source | Ball, Hampton B. Letter to Belle. 30 November 1918. Ball, Hampton B., Papers, 1918-1919. C3935. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this November 30, 1918 letter to his sister Belle in Troy Missouri, Hampton B. Ball enthusiastically discussed his experiences during the war after censorship had been lifted. Ball served in the 82nd Division, 326th Infantry Regiment during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Censorship; World War, 1914-1918--Trench warfare; United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 326th; United States. Army. Division, 82nd |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; Dugouts |
| Site Accession Number | C3935 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | November 30, 1918 |
| Language | English |