TRANSCRIBED FROM THE CLARKSVILLE DEMOCRAT NOVEMBER 1 1917 P. 4
Camp Pike,
D. B. Bartlett,
Clarksville, Ark.
Dear Firend:
I have just received your letter and will say that I was indeed glad to hear from you. I am going to write you a letter which if you desire you may publish in the county paper.
Doubtless there are many of the home folks that would like to know how we are getting along.
First call is made at 5:45 A. M. We get up and make our toilets. Mess call is made at 6 o’clock A. M. We then stand at attention. We are called for drill for about an hour--after which we have a period of rest. Here we learn how to tie all kinds of knots with rope. We are then again called for one hour drill, then mess call for dinner. Now some people have said that we did not eat. I will leave it up to you.
For breakfast we have stewed beef, hot cakes, butter, syrup and biscuits or light bread and it is fine, coffee and fried potatoes.
For dinner we have hash or stewed meat, boiled potatoes, bread, ice and hot tea, corn or peas.
For supper boiled potatoes, pudding stewed meat, beans and tea or water.
The lights are turned off at 9 a. m. and everybody retires for the night and there is no more talking.
If we so desire we can secure a pass to visit Little Rock on Saturday from 1 p.m. until Sunday at 5:45 a.m. or Sunday 9a.m. until Monday 5:45 a.m. once each week. However I have never gone, but some of the boys go most every Sunday.
Upon our arrival here we were quarantined for ten days and had to remain in barracks during that time. Each barracks has 190 privates, one captain one first lieutenant, four second Lieutenants and their sergeants.
There are eight men in a squad and one corporal in each squad. I am in barrack 167 and I do not know how many barracks there are.
There are so many men detailed for kitchen duty each day and so many for room orderlies whose duty it is to keep things clean. We have shower baths hot and cold water.
We have a Y.M.C.A. buildings close enough for everyone to go to some kind of entertainment every night. We have shows, singing, dancing, and talks by able men. There is a church and Sunday School on Sunday, and we have also a night school for the boys who cannot read and write. We have what are called canteens to carry things which we need while on hike. We hiked about 6 miles today.
Camp Pike is seven by four miles and still building. Motor trucks and train running all the time. We have boys here from Alabama, Tenn., Miss., and Dear old Arkansas all together in the barracks.
Our Mess Hall is a wonder. It is clean as a pin at all times. We are required to keep it that way. It is scrubbed every day and has to be kept clean to pass inspection.
We have what is called a mess kit. I can’t tell you just how it looks, but it all fits together, knife, fork, spoon and can go inside of it, and these must be washed and kept cleaned. We wash our own clothes and take a bath three times each week “keep clean is our motto.” Every morning we clean up around the barracks, pick up all matches, paper, sectets, leaves and every thing and burn them. Our place is clean as a pin. We have a good cook and he is clean and dandy.
We got three shots for typhoid fever and they sure make a soldier sick.
Some of the boys are getting three days off to go home to look after their crops.
From this letter you will see that the soldiers life is not so bad after all. It is getting late and I will have to close. If any of my friends would like to write to me their letters will be greatly appreciated.
Yours truly,
C.S. Alexander
312 engineering regiment, Co, E.
Barrack 167 Camp Pike
LLittle Rock, Arkansas
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY ISAAC WOLTER
Camp Pike,
D. B. Bartlett,
Clarksville, Ark.
Dear Firend:
I have just received your letter and will say that I was indeed glad to hear from you. I am going to write you a letter which if you desire you may publish in the county paper.
Doubtless there are many of the home folks that would like to know how we are getting along.
First call is made at 5:45 A. M. We get up and make our toilets. Mess call is made at 6 o’clock A. M. We then stand at attention. We are called for drill for about an hour--after which we have a period of rest. Here we learn how to tie all kinds of knots with rope. We are then again called for one hour drill, then mess call for dinner. Now some people have said that we did not eat. I will leave it up to you.
For breakfast we have stewed beef, hot cakes, butter, syrup and biscuits or light bread and it is fine, coffee and fried potatoes.
For dinner we have hash or stewed meat, boiled potatoes, bread, ice and hot tea, corn or peas.
For supper boiled potatoes, pudding stewed meat, beans and tea or water.
The lights are turned off at 9 a. m. and everybody retires for the night and there is no more talking.
If we so desire we can secure a pass to visit Little Rock on Saturday from 1 p.m. until Sunday at 5:45 a.m. or Sunday 9a.m. until Monday 5:45 a.m. once each week. However I have never gone, but some of the boys go most every Sunday.
Upon our arrival here we were quarantined for ten days and had to remain in barracks during that time. Each barracks has 190 privates, one captain one first lieutenant, four second Lieutenants and their sergeants.
There are eight men in a squad and one corporal in each squad. I am in barrack 167 and I do not know how many barracks there are.
There are so many men detailed for kitchen duty each day and so many for room orderlies whose duty it is to keep things clean. We have shower baths hot and cold water.
We have a Y.M.C.A. buildings close enough for everyone to go to some kind of entertainment every night. We have shows, singing, dancing, and talks by able men. There is a church and Sunday School on Sunday, and we have also a night school for the boys who cannot read and write. We have what are called canteens to carry things which we need while on hike. We hiked about 6 miles today.
Camp Pike is seven by four miles and still building. Motor trucks and train running all the time. We have boys here from Alabama, Tenn., Miss., and Dear old Arkansas all together in the barracks.
Our Mess Hall is a wonder. It is clean as a pin at all times. We are required to keep it that way. It is scrubbed every day and has to be kept clean to pass inspection.
We have what is called a mess kit. I can’t tell you just how it looks, but it all fits together, knife, fork, spoon and can go inside of it, and these must be washed and kept cleaned. We wash our own clothes and take a bath three times each week “keep clean is our motto.” Every morning we clean up around the barracks, pick up all matches, paper, sectets, leaves and every thing and burn them. Our place is clean as a pin. We have a good cook and he is clean and dandy.
We got three shots for typhoid fever and they sure make a soldier sick.
Some of the boys are getting three days off to go home to look after their crops.
From this letter you will see that the soldiers life is not so bad after all. It is getting late and I will have to close. If any of my friends would like to write to me their letters will be greatly appreciated.
Yours truly,
C.S. Alexander
312 engineering regiment, Co, E.
Barrack 167 Camp Pike
LLittle Rock, Arkansas
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY ISAAC WOLTER