He was one of the real enthusiasts for war amongst us as a regiment. Most people had joined because it was their duty--he joined because he was a soldier by nature as well. If there was to be a scrap he was sure to be in it. He wanted to go out before the battalion on July 1st, but the C.O., of course, would not hear of it. At Armentieres I was told that when the Corner Fort was bombarded he was hit on his helmet by a huge piece of shell, but just carried on. I feel certain he died in the forefront of the battle, for his pluck was proverbial. "Whoever else gets the wind up--Mack won't" I heard an Officer of the regiment say one day during a bad spell in the trenches. I do not believe he was afraid of death, and I am sure he fell as far forward as the German leaden hail would let anyone get alive." Another one wrote:-- "I saw a good deal of him during the last few days before July 1st, as his battery was encamped with us. He was in the highest spirits, though he knew he was to occupy a most exposed position in the attack. He was as brave as any man I know, and his loss is tremendous. I, as well as all his friends out here, sympathise most deeply with his family, whose consolation must be that he died a gallant soldier's death." * * * * * "Daily Post" Printers, Wood Street, Liverpool. * * * * * +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Typographical errors corrected in text: | | | | Page 12: Moher replaced with Mother | | Page 37: fraid replaced with afraid | | Page 44: Boches replaced with Bosches | | Page 48: intersting replaced with interesting | | Page 55: we we replaced with we | | Page 64: Epeleque replaced with Eperlecques | | Page 73: greatet replaced with greatest | | | | On Pages 78 and 79, the author uses a common British | | phrasing "Breakfast off a cup of coffee" and "Lunch off | | omelette". This is not a typo. | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ * * * * * End of Project Gutenberg's Letters from France, by Isaac Alexander Mack