TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HELENA WORLD MAY 14, 1918 P. 2
Headquarters 30th Division, Office of the Division Surgeon, Camp Mills, L.I., New York—May 7,1918.
My Dearest Mother:
Well, I am going to drop you a line and tell you and the family something of my trip from Greenville here. We stopped in Washington two hours and saw the Capitol and the White House, then we had a short view of Baltimore and Philadelphia, stayed in Atlantic City all the day, thence to New York. We have been here since the 4th. We are allowed 24-hour passes to the great city, and I have already been over once. I go tomorrow. Well, mother, New York is too great to commence on; however if I was like Ernest I would never spend my vacation in Memphis when he could come up here and spend fifty cents and see the whole town. You start at the foot of Broadway—that is, down at the wharfs—and drive all around the city, including a short drive up near the Hudson River. The Statue of Liberty is at your view, and the tall buildings, including the Woolworth building, which is 70 stories high.
The people here all admire a soldier. I was standing in front of the famous Metropolitan Grand Opera House and some citizen took me to hear the famous Scotch comedian, Harry Lauder. He was fine. Then on Sunday I got to hear Sousa’s Band play and hear McCormick and Farrar sing. They are two of the greatest in the world. There is a boy in division headquarters that comes from California; his parents were waiting for him in New York, so he had me to go to the hotel with him to meet them, and they were stopping at the famous Waldorf Astoria, which is some hotel. His parents are only worth about 35 million and they were very nice to me. I had dinner with them at the hotel, and the ticket was $45 for five of us. That was some ticket, not to get anything to eat. However, you see a seven-act vaudeville in connection with dreamy girls singing all around your table which makes the meal very appetizing. Tell old Ernest that this would sure suit him, I am sure.
Well, mother, I am real successful. I have the nicest officer in the world and he was responsible for us having a Pullman to come up here in, which made our journey here pleasant. Mother, do not answer this; I may be a thousand miles from here when you receive this, or I may not. They do not tell you anything—they only tell you to get yourself out at about three in the morning, before anyone sees of knows anything about when you left or when you came. Well, mother, I am going to close. I have kissed this letter to you and by the grace of God I pray to be spared in order that I can come back to you. May God bless all the family, and all the health, wealth and happiness in the world is my wish for you, father, Frances and grandma.
Bye-Bye. God bless you.
HUGH
NOTES: This letter was written by Hugh Maury Bennett. He was born on December 25, 1893 in Helena, Arkansas and died on January 14, 1959. He is buried in the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, Ny. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sgt. Hq. Det,, 30th Division during World War 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLE MCCLAY CLEVELAND
Headquarters 30th Division, Office of the Division Surgeon, Camp Mills, L.I., New York—May 7,1918.
My Dearest Mother:
Well, I am going to drop you a line and tell you and the family something of my trip from Greenville here. We stopped in Washington two hours and saw the Capitol and the White House, then we had a short view of Baltimore and Philadelphia, stayed in Atlantic City all the day, thence to New York. We have been here since the 4th. We are allowed 24-hour passes to the great city, and I have already been over once. I go tomorrow. Well, mother, New York is too great to commence on; however if I was like Ernest I would never spend my vacation in Memphis when he could come up here and spend fifty cents and see the whole town. You start at the foot of Broadway—that is, down at the wharfs—and drive all around the city, including a short drive up near the Hudson River. The Statue of Liberty is at your view, and the tall buildings, including the Woolworth building, which is 70 stories high.
The people here all admire a soldier. I was standing in front of the famous Metropolitan Grand Opera House and some citizen took me to hear the famous Scotch comedian, Harry Lauder. He was fine. Then on Sunday I got to hear Sousa’s Band play and hear McCormick and Farrar sing. They are two of the greatest in the world. There is a boy in division headquarters that comes from California; his parents were waiting for him in New York, so he had me to go to the hotel with him to meet them, and they were stopping at the famous Waldorf Astoria, which is some hotel. His parents are only worth about 35 million and they were very nice to me. I had dinner with them at the hotel, and the ticket was $45 for five of us. That was some ticket, not to get anything to eat. However, you see a seven-act vaudeville in connection with dreamy girls singing all around your table which makes the meal very appetizing. Tell old Ernest that this would sure suit him, I am sure.
Well, mother, I am real successful. I have the nicest officer in the world and he was responsible for us having a Pullman to come up here in, which made our journey here pleasant. Mother, do not answer this; I may be a thousand miles from here when you receive this, or I may not. They do not tell you anything—they only tell you to get yourself out at about three in the morning, before anyone sees of knows anything about when you left or when you came. Well, mother, I am going to close. I have kissed this letter to you and by the grace of God I pray to be spared in order that I can come back to you. May God bless all the family, and all the health, wealth and happiness in the world is my wish for you, father, Frances and grandma.
Bye-Bye. God bless you.
HUGH
NOTES: This letter was written by Hugh Maury Bennett. He was born on December 25, 1893 in Helena, Arkansas and died on January 14, 1959. He is buried in the Long Island National Cemetery in East Farmingdale, Ny. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Sgt. Hq. Det,, 30th Division during World War 1.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLE MCCLAY CLEVELAND