May 24, 1915

Dear Sister Mabel,

Your letter was very good. Most all the others say "I suppose you hear all the news" and so I hear nothing at all.

If I can find time I will help father lay the foundation for the barn. He will need a good one if the ground trembles there as it does here. I suppose by the time this reaches you all the camps will be open.

This is the 24th of May and so this a.m. about three o'clock we had one big celebration. I never thought anything could be so horrible. We are in the trenches now and have been for 3 days in the same place. If the chance ever comes I think I would like to have a wash once more.. You see I pretend I am a woodchuck and have burrowed out a hole into which I can retreat.

We are not very far from the Germans. We get our sleep in short spells and it does not take long to eat. We will probably celebrate again about sundown & it may keep it up until light comes again. As for myself I would be satisfied to declare peace before it gets dark. The country just here is not very pretty, everything utterly destroyed. The trees have lost all their branches even & stand up as black stumps

The easiest way to make the Germans run is to get them after us and so when I get started again I am going to run clear home.

Remember me to all the people.

Your loving brother, Charles Wilcox.