Author: Margaret Sheldon

Captain Margaret Sheldon became a commissioned Salvation Army officer in 1904, she was born in Millvale, Pennsylvania to English parents. Margaret volunteered to serve in France and Germany during World War I, cooking doughnuts and serving them along with other treats to the US Army soldiers. After the war, she came back to the US and served in the Honolulu, Hawaii Boy’s Home. Margaret died in Elgin, Illinois on August 2, 1963.

Monday, November 5, 1917

            A very fine day but a day of many trials. But God was good.             Made cakes and donuts. Was tired at night. A few French soldiers went by. More Information The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry. Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France 📍 View this … Continue reading Monday, November 5, 1917

Monday, November 12, 1917

Cleaning up day. Served 500 cups of coffee at night. More Information The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry. Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France 📍 View this location on Google Maps By November 1917, the AEF training zone was fully established. American soldiers were learning trench warfare … Continue reading Monday, November 12, 1917

Sunday, November 4, 1917

My first bath since I reached Montiers. It was taken in a place fashioned off with canvas, and the tub was a wash basin but I got clean.             Had meeting this morning with a few of the soldiers, a very good meeting. The 15th Psalm.             Gave a sick soldier a cup of tea … Continue reading Sunday, November 4, 1917

Saturday, November 3, 1917

Cooking, made pies and donuts. Watched the French troops go by. It is interesting the way they hitch their horses, in tandem, one after the other, and the stoves on wheels. The poor men looked tired but cheerful. It was a long line of wagons, horses, and men on foot. Then the town crier came … Continue reading Saturday, November 3, 1917

Friday, November 2, 1917

A very heavy misty day. We made cookies and donuts most all day. Rolled them with a grape juice bottle and cut them with a baking powder can and the holes with a funnel. Can’t get many things here in the line of cooking utensils. The French like the American cooking. More Information The following … Continue reading Friday, November 2, 1917

Thursday, November 1, 1917

Some of the men slept in the barn and did their best at making a noise.             A very busy day and a very busy night. The boys like pie, donuts, and coffee.             One of the men from the front was telling me about a bomb that landed in front of his car, and … Continue reading Thursday, November 1, 1917

Tuesday, October 30, 1917

Heard that the French had lost 3 million men and that in the winter of 1915 sixty men were found frozen to death in one line of trenches; and at present they haven’t enough men to guard the front and keep a few men at different posts and change them at night to fool the … Continue reading Tuesday, October 30, 1917

Monday, October 29, 1917

A beautiful day. I was busy making two hundred donuts and was busy indeed, but at night I was glad because they went so fast. More Information The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry. Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France 📍 View this location on Google Maps In … Continue reading Monday, October 29, 1917

Sunday, October 28, 1917

            Bread got into the coffee urn. When I tried to strain the coffee it would not run, so I looked and found that bread had been put in the urn to save.             Scouring soap is scarce, and so we found a good substitute in a soft stone we found, and it worked fine. … Continue reading Sunday, October 28, 1917