TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEWPORT DAILY INDEPENDENT APRIL 8, 1919 P. 3
Weiss, Germany,
March 11, 1919
Mr. Ed Dixon
Dear Friend Ed:
I will write you a letter today as I was just thinking over the good friends I have in Arkansas, and wondered if I had written to you lately. I believe I have written to you three or four times, but have never received any mail from you. I hardly know who to write to as I hear so many have died since I left there. But I know you haven’t seen as many dead people as I have. We had what was called the lead fever over here and the huns would sure get up and run, just to keep away from that hot lead the yanks would send after them. I stood in one place and counted fifty-seven Germans and also saw one little shell hole with nine Americans dead in it. One good thing the huns did not get to see what they had done. We sure lost some good men, but I’m proud to be able to tell the story of what I have seen and gone through—that some of it, for I’ll never be able to tell it all. I have seen men blown into sausage meat, some blown in two and horses and wagons the same way. I saw nice towns all shot down--not a whole building left in the place. Since the armistice I have seen some nice cities and towns. This country is far ahead America for towns, but they are not in any shape, as they have no nice streets.
This town I am in has street cars and plenty of saloons and the boys drinking pretty freely. Only 18 got locked up night before last and I don’t know how many tonight. I do not know when we will start home, but truly hope it will be soon. Give my best wishes to all and answer soon.
Yours as ever,
Levi H. Barker,
Co. K., 126 Inf., A.P.O. 734, 32nd Division American Exp. Forces
NOTES: Levi H. Barker was born on September 5, 1888 in Missouri and died on March 25, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is buried in the Eight Mile Cemetery in Beedeville, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Private serving in the 126th Infantry 32nd Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Weiss, Germany,
March 11, 1919
Mr. Ed Dixon
Dear Friend Ed:
I will write you a letter today as I was just thinking over the good friends I have in Arkansas, and wondered if I had written to you lately. I believe I have written to you three or four times, but have never received any mail from you. I hardly know who to write to as I hear so many have died since I left there. But I know you haven’t seen as many dead people as I have. We had what was called the lead fever over here and the huns would sure get up and run, just to keep away from that hot lead the yanks would send after them. I stood in one place and counted fifty-seven Germans and also saw one little shell hole with nine Americans dead in it. One good thing the huns did not get to see what they had done. We sure lost some good men, but I’m proud to be able to tell the story of what I have seen and gone through—that some of it, for I’ll never be able to tell it all. I have seen men blown into sausage meat, some blown in two and horses and wagons the same way. I saw nice towns all shot down--not a whole building left in the place. Since the armistice I have seen some nice cities and towns. This country is far ahead America for towns, but they are not in any shape, as they have no nice streets.
This town I am in has street cars and plenty of saloons and the boys drinking pretty freely. Only 18 got locked up night before last and I don’t know how many tonight. I do not know when we will start home, but truly hope it will be soon. Give my best wishes to all and answer soon.
Yours as ever,
Levi H. Barker,
Co. K., 126 Inf., A.P.O. 734, 32nd Division American Exp. Forces
NOTES: Levi H. Barker was born on September 5, 1888 in Missouri and died on March 25, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is buried in the Eight Mile Cemetery in Beedeville, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Private serving in the 126th Infantry 32nd Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS