8:P.M. 10/31/1918

“On Some Front in France.”

Dear Father and Sisters:-

Am just recovering from the effects of a hot bath and new outfit of
clothing. Am smoking a pipe of “Prince Albert” to help me regain my
strength.

I wrote you two nites ago, but the evenings are long and am doing really
to much bunk-fatigue.

Am enclosing that “cognac” cover which I forgot in my last letter, also
one of the red and one of the white wines. I am serving at present. The
red top represents a high class red white called “Margaux” and the
yellow a 1914 white wine known as “Chablis.”

The wine harvest was good this season, but the “Frogs” are experiencing
a great shortage in wine casks and vats to care for it properly. The
wine belt is principally in southern part of France. The making of wine
is considered a profession of skill and experience.

Yesterday afternoon three “comrads” and I walked over to F. Bat. To see
if I had received any mail recently. Was informed that none had been
sent up to their advanced position yet.

On our little hike along the Front I was halted by two “Frog Soldats,”
whom sold me two souvenirs. One being a pipe or cigar lighter made from
the brass casing of a big shell, it looks much like a small leather
bound bible, and was engraved “Verdun.” The other was a lighter, and is
made of two round buckle ornaments from belts of German prisoners. The
wording on it is “Gott mitt uns.” Will mail them to you at the earliest
time possible.

This is Halloween night in the U.S.A. and I for one, am quite sure the
Yanks will start things rolling over No-mans-land here before morning
like we did back home or even worse than on Sept. 26^(th) at “Argonne
Forest.”

We are anxiously awaiting Mr. Wilson’s reply to Austria-Hungary’s note.

Did you ever receive the check on J.W. Hall I sent home or the Kodak
pictures from St. Sylvain? Did I write you about the big R.R. 14in. guns
near us? One is named “Reinne Elizabeth” and other “Joan of Arch.” Well,
they were firing this noon. So great was the concussion in our kitchen
that it jarred some of our canned goods from the shelves.

Well, as nothing much of interest has taken place in the past two days,
I remain

Your son and brother,
Milo H. Main
Bat F. 130 F.A.
American Ex. Forces
% Regtl. Hdq.

P.S. Am feeling fine to-nite (after bath). Tell Charlie Ford I take mine
semi-weekly now instead of semi-annually as he and I did prior to the
“World War.”