TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ASHLEY COUNTY EAGLE SEPTEMBER 27, 1917 P. 4
Ashley County Eagle,
Dear Friends:
According to your request, I will try to give you some idea of the conditions here and the vastness of the undertaking of our government.
The first quota from Ashley County has become separated somewhat, Ragan being assigned to the Infantry. Bunckley to the Machine Gun Corps, and the remaining eight to the 312th Supply Train of the 87th Division.
Tom C. Hundley, myself and and others of the boys have been appointed non coms, and are trying to make good for the glory of old Ashley.
The supply train is a child, you might say, in the family of the army, having been recently organized and never tried out, as a unit in the service.
Our duties in France will be to convey the supplies from the coast to within about twenty miles of the firing line, where the Regimental supply train will take up our work and get supplies to the men in the trenches.
So you can readily see that we hold a very important place in the organization of the army, and it is up to us to see that no such conditions exist in the forces of the U. S. as brought defeat to the Russian offensive in Galicia.
Our men are rapidly being accustomed to army life and like it much better since getting out of quarantine.
It might be of interest to you to know something of the safeguards to the health of the army that are being taken. The men are first vaccinated for small pox and typhoid fever, three shots for the latter being given ; besides this about seven other prophylactic treatments are given, which prevents practically every infectious disease. A large base hospital is being built on the west side of the cantonment where all sick men will be cared for.
It is remarkable to see the work that has been accomplished here in such a short time. The cantonment is about five miles long running East and West and about three miles wide. Our drilling now is done mainly in the streets, but large parade grounds will soon be laid out.
We were all measured for uniforms last night and will soon come out as real veterans of Uncle Sam’s Army, ready for any frightfulness which the Hun can invent.
The idea of being conscripts is being fast weeded out, and in its stead we are taught to be proud of the fact that out of a Hundred Million Men we were Selected to uphold the honor of Old Glory and place the laurels of freedom upon the brow of Crown cursed Europe.
We feel that the patriotic spirit at home will not allow our financial interests to suffer during our absence, and will guard well the interests of our loved ones, as we have been selected to strike back the grasping hand of those who would rob our great nation of the liberties won by the blood of our forebears in 1776.
Yours truly,
Ned P. Atkin.
NOTES: This letter was written by Ned Powell Atkin from Camp Pike to friends in Hamburg, Arkansas. He was born in Parkdale, Arkansas on August 8, 1887 and died on December 10, 1967. He is buried in the Parkdale Cemetery in Parkdale. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in the US Army during WWI. He traveled to Europe in 1918 onboard the Antrim. Atkin was one of the first ten Ashley County recruits to join the military.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Ashley County Eagle,
Dear Friends:
According to your request, I will try to give you some idea of the conditions here and the vastness of the undertaking of our government.
The first quota from Ashley County has become separated somewhat, Ragan being assigned to the Infantry. Bunckley to the Machine Gun Corps, and the remaining eight to the 312th Supply Train of the 87th Division.
Tom C. Hundley, myself and and others of the boys have been appointed non coms, and are trying to make good for the glory of old Ashley.
The supply train is a child, you might say, in the family of the army, having been recently organized and never tried out, as a unit in the service.
Our duties in France will be to convey the supplies from the coast to within about twenty miles of the firing line, where the Regimental supply train will take up our work and get supplies to the men in the trenches.
So you can readily see that we hold a very important place in the organization of the army, and it is up to us to see that no such conditions exist in the forces of the U. S. as brought defeat to the Russian offensive in Galicia.
Our men are rapidly being accustomed to army life and like it much better since getting out of quarantine.
It might be of interest to you to know something of the safeguards to the health of the army that are being taken. The men are first vaccinated for small pox and typhoid fever, three shots for the latter being given ; besides this about seven other prophylactic treatments are given, which prevents practically every infectious disease. A large base hospital is being built on the west side of the cantonment where all sick men will be cared for.
It is remarkable to see the work that has been accomplished here in such a short time. The cantonment is about five miles long running East and West and about three miles wide. Our drilling now is done mainly in the streets, but large parade grounds will soon be laid out.
We were all measured for uniforms last night and will soon come out as real veterans of Uncle Sam’s Army, ready for any frightfulness which the Hun can invent.
The idea of being conscripts is being fast weeded out, and in its stead we are taught to be proud of the fact that out of a Hundred Million Men we were Selected to uphold the honor of Old Glory and place the laurels of freedom upon the brow of Crown cursed Europe.
We feel that the patriotic spirit at home will not allow our financial interests to suffer during our absence, and will guard well the interests of our loved ones, as we have been selected to strike back the grasping hand of those who would rob our great nation of the liberties won by the blood of our forebears in 1776.
Yours truly,
Ned P. Atkin.
NOTES: This letter was written by Ned Powell Atkin from Camp Pike to friends in Hamburg, Arkansas. He was born in Parkdale, Arkansas on August 8, 1887 and died on December 10, 1967. He is buried in the Parkdale Cemetery in Parkdale. His military headstone identifies him as a Private serving in the US Army during WWI. He traveled to Europe in 1918 onboard the Antrim. Atkin was one of the first ten Ashley County recruits to join the military.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS