Amanuensis Monday - April 1918 World War I letter home

John Newmark at TranslyvaniaDutch has started this Monday prompt.  For those of you new to this the definition of Amanuensis is: one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscripts. So I will be participating in this and using it to transcribe letters and documents I have accumulated during my years of research.  This particular document is a letter from my grandfather, Albert Wise, while he was a soldier in WWI. He was 26 years old and had enlisted in 1917.  I have about ten letters and will be posting them periodically.

April 10th 1918

Still in France

Dear Fred & Edna,

Will try and write you a few lines today. We just got out of the trenches again with good luck didn’t loose a man, and only two slight wounds so I think we are lucky. Our Capt was wounded the first time we were in the trenches and is still in the hospital but is getting alright from all reports. And we hope he will soon be with us again for we think he is the best in the regiment. We were in the same place this last time as we were the first. When we first when in to the[m] we were somewhat scared of the big shells that would come over and burst close to us. But now we are use to all of this and it don’t bother us a bit. And we are not as much afraid of the gas as we were. For I don’t believe the germans have the gas that they had at first. I mean it isn’t as strong and they don’t have as much of it as they did. We are on the Lorraine Front you can look that up and see about where we are located. The germans haven’t a thing on us, and I think we have on them, and will have lots more in time. But most every one thinks the war will end some time this summer and I sure hope so for this is no place for a white man. Sure am glad I was born in America where they do things. Will have lots of funny things to tell you all when I return. But don’t believe that will be until fall. But some of the boys think the war will end this month. It sure would tickle us to death if it would end, but we all hope for the quick close of the war. But we want the germans licked first, and put where they can’t cause any trouble for awhile. We are back of the trenches about 4 or 5 miles I guess so are not in very much danger. The weather has been very bad for the last two weeks has been cold and rainy. But surely will clear up soon. Well I guess I have wrote about all I can for this time so will close. 

With lots of love

          Your brother

Albert

O.K.

Q.W. Mills

Lieut. 168th Inf.