Hospital 101,
Rennes, May 21, 1915.
Dear Mamma:
I have wanted to write to you but knew that Paul and the Vicomte du Peloux would write you that I am doing well. My wound is through the muscles of my thigh and doesn’t pain me any but will keep me away from the front for at least two months. This is a better hospital than the average and I am treated royally so really rather enjoy it.
Paul is here and comes in every day from twelve to five, and it seems to me that everyone in the city who can speak English has been in to see me, offering to do whatever is possible for me.
They tell me I will be here six or eight weeks and after that I will get at least a week’s convalescence in Paris. Then I don’t know what I will do. Our depot is in Lyons but there is practically nothing left of my regiment. We did some brilliant work and made a great advance, but naturally suffered terribly in doing so. When I was wounded we had captured all the trenches in front of us, had taken one village, La Targette, and were taking Neuville St. Vaast. Most of my regiment had fallen and I presume that the rest fell during the following days. So when we wounded report for service I suppose we will be put in some other regiment, although I do not know. If they put us into regular French Régiment s I will try to get into one in which the Vicomte du Peloux has officer friends. However, I am hoping that if Italy declares war to-day or to-morrow the war will soon be over. If the U. S. would do right it would end sooner. Germany is sure to lose, but how long the struggle will last is a question.
Paul tells me that when he arrived in Paris he found we were quite well advertised, but not to our advantage, by a number of rather wild letters you had written to everyone you could think of. If you had understood a little more about war and diplomatic affairs, you would have known that the Ambassador could be of absolutely no assistance to us while we were in the army. Then, too, you wrote me a letter of advice as to how I should act if taken a prisoner. I never entertained the idea of being taken a prisoner, but if I had been and had followed your advice, I would have been immediately put up against a tree and shot. Now, we appreciate the fact that your efforts are out of love for us, but there are a lot of things you do not understand in regard to conditions over here and the war, and it is hard for one to give advice about something one does not understand. It is marvelous to me the way the women of France are doing their share and the courage and fortitude they show.
Much love,
Kiffin.