Grandma Cromeans came to the Nueces Canyon area with her four sons, George, Jack, Jim, and Tom in 1883, from Coryell County. Ross was a grandson.
LETTER FROM ROSS CROMEANS MARCH 27. 1919 World War 1
My Dear Mother, I am going to write you a letter that might interest you. You know mother. when I was at home. the time when dear father died, then and there started my change in my way of living. You know mother. everyone knows, and I know, I was as mean and wicked a boy as there was in the country. but when father died and I returned to camp, something told my I must stop swearing and do better. I said to myself I must do better and I have increased every day from that day until now. Of course I would let something slip once in awhile but I did my best. I was at camp about three weeks after returning from home and finally the order came for us to leave. We did not know where we were going but we had a good idea.
We landed in New York, stayed there two days, then loaded on the boat. stayed on it three days. then was taken off. sent back to a camp, and was there about five days. then was taken back and put on the boat again. That time we stayed in the harbor about two days. One day about 1:30 we glided out then we knew for sure we were on our way to France. I was orderly on the ship all the way across but was sick most of the time. Nearly all the boys stood the trip just fine. The boat crew said we were the best and happiest bunch they had brought across. We had good luck on our voyage and was not molested by submarines. One morning we got up and discovered all the convoy had gone on and left us out in mid ocean alone. Our boat was out of order someway. They got it working again and the next morning we caught up with them. We were on the water 11 days and the longer we were out. the sicker I got. but finally one evening we saw land and all the sick feeling left me. We went into port that evening and dropped anchor. The next morning, I being orderly at headquarters, got off first My company had to stay and unload the boat so it was two days before they got off. I thought the French were the finest people I had ever seen. They all had on wooden shoes and seemed like they were starving to death. I really felt sorry for them. We were then taken to a rest camp. The reason they call them rest camps is because they want you to do the rest of the work you didn't do on the boats. It rained all the time we were there and we had to stay in our tents. The mud in them was up to our knees. We stayed there about 4 days. One morning we pulled out about daylight, were loaded on a train and traveled about two days and nights. landed in a place called Baraurabbe. From there we hiked about twen~ miles to a little town by the name of Verppeture where we were trained about two months. And believe me, we were drilled too. We had a bunch transferred to the 42nd. Div.. to fill it up as it had just come back from the front. These men were to take the place of the ones who were killed. Finally one day the order came for the 32nd. Div. to go to the front.
We pulled out one morning about 7 o'clock, hiked ten miles, then entrained and traveled all night. About 4 o'clock in the morning we unloaded and it was "then and there" we began to realize what we were up against, for we could hear the big guns and see the flashes of light from them. We were there three days then went to a little town and stayed about a week, then were loaded in trucks and were taken to the front. Every step we took, we could hear the big guns plainer. Soon we came to the famous Hindenburg line which you have read so much about . where the Huns had been for 4 years and the French told us they could not be moved. but we laughed at them, and put on one barrage that cost 5 million dollars. and it moved them out. It was here we had our first experiences. We saw dead Huns there in the trenches and some of them were black. It was some sight, and no pen can picture it like it really was. I will try to explain it better when I come home. We stopped and had supper that night then went on to releave the 2nd. Div. This was the time we boys realized we were in the war sure enough. We got in the front lines about 4 and they told us the Huns were right in front of us. When day light came, we could see dead soldiers all around in the brush near us, and there, Mother, was the first time I knew what prayer was. We stayed there in holes that day and night and had one killed and two or three wounded. The next morning we got orders to go over the top and there is where I think my first prayer was answered. You can have no idea how bad it was. We had to advance thru a flat and the Huns had a machine gun every 30 yards and the first man I saw wounded was the Sargent I wrote you about before. I saw him limping coming toward me and I thought he was only shot thru the leg. He saw me and said, "Come here "Red". There was another boy closer to him but he would not get out of the hole he had fallen into. I thought a minute then rushed out to rescue him. When I got to him I saw his arm was torn off. I took my overcoat off and layed it on him, then dressed his wounds. He was the bravest boy I ever saw. He laughed all the time til he got too sick. I tried to carried him back but could not carry him, he was so badly torn up. The shells and bullets were playing so thick I was afraid he would get hit again so I laid him down in a hole and covered him up while I went for a stretcher but before I got back some other boys came with a stretcher and took him to the hospital where he died that night. About two days after that I was put on burrying detail. That was worse than ever. We would find them all torn to pieces.
I didn't know I could stand anything like that but someone had to do it and you can stand anything when you have to. The 36th. Div. drove the Huns back about 2 miles to a river where they could not go any farther. My Company was back in reserve a week then sent back to the front. Mother. while in resettle I know my prayers were answered several times. and while on the front also. We stayed on the front about 45 hours this time and then were relieved b',. the French. In all we were on the front 26 days then took our rest. then hiked to another front, but stopped to rest 10 days before we got to it. And the Armistice was signed while we were there.
Now Mother, of course I have not told you everything like it really was, but when I get home I will tell you all about it. It was awful to go thru and I would not go thru it again for anything. but would not take anything for my experience. and best of all it has made a different man of me. Bless God, it has made a Christian man of me and that is worth more than all else. I am longing to get back home. Mother. so I can enlist in the army of God and be a soldier of the cross. So don't worry about me for I am coming home some day and coming back a different man. I used to laugh at Christian people. but I was wrong in doing so as I know now what it is to be a Christian. Tell all my friends hello, and that 1 am praying for them, and longing for the time I can be home and tell them of my experiences on the battlefields of France. Don't know if this will interest you as I'm not much of a letter writer. but hope this finds you well and happy. and God be with you in my prayers.
~t. Ross Cromeans Co. C 141st. Inf.
Last Update Saturday, 21-Sep-2024 13:24:24 MDT
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