TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE AUGUST 25, 1918 P. 36
Dear Uncle Bonner:
Arrived in France on the 21st instant, at one of the larger ports in Northern France, remained in a so-called “Rest Camp” for five days. We were camped in the middle of a turnip patch in our pup tent in the rain. After a trip of about 150 miles we are now in a very decent camp near the seaport where was landed the original A. E. F. last summer. At our first place the weather was so cold as to necessitate wearing an overcoat most all day. Here it is some warmer, but they have had no weather here like our summers.
I have seen two large cities and some 150 miles of the country of France. It is very quaint and interesting to an American. We did not get into the war any too early, France is badly worn down. On her streets pass the crippled, the very old men, the very young men and the women all dressed in black. Sugar is almost unknown, fats are very scarce and their bread is a stranger to wheat. Although they are not using bread cards at present. When we were moving I drew rations for 500 men. The bread was a small mountain of pure white bread and stacked up in the railroad yard where water stood around and gazed at it. I gave a French urchin a piece of white bread and he turned it over and over in his hands. He had never seen white bread before. Over here the greatest desire is for candy principally, because we have no desert of any kind. The French never get any sweets.
The usual country home here is of four rooms, in the first goes the farm tools, in the second the cow, and the third the horse and the fourth, if there is a fourth, the family live, but that room is immaculately clean. The wealth of a family is measured by the size of the manure pile, which is right in the door and close to the wall. You see the significance of this when you see the fertility of the fields which have been cultivated for 500 years. Each field is three to five acres and is enclosed by an earth fence, and is cultivated by the old men, women and children. Every part of the land is cultivated.
Americans are favorites here because we are good spenders, good mixers and have been taught to respect the French people and their property. At our first camp we were next to a turnip patch and a fine stock of dry straw, and while we could have used turnips to good advantage and while the men were sleeping on the wet ground and the straw would have been welcome, not a thing was touched. Imagine that happening at home. I doubt if the French reciprocate, because I notice that most everything an American needs is about as high as at home. Although the French authorities attempt to stop the practice. I fore see that it will cost as much to live here as at home. Any sort of a meal costs $1.25 in United States coin.
We were inspected by General Pershing the third day we were here. He is certainly a soldierly looking man. The French pay tribute to the fighting qualities of the American soldier. They say he is an unsurpassed fighting man. We are getting our first real test up Chateau Thierry way and he is walking right on through. When 2,000,000 men are here, we can win the war. The French say the war will be over within a year, but are jubilant over the recent success. General Pershing is reported to have told the S. O. S. troops the other day that it was; Heaven, Hell or Home by Christmas! but Pershing never said it and it is a rotten prophecy. The war will be won by Americans. The French are worn out, but their spirit is unbroken. I wonder from time to time how long the United States would stand up under the punishment they have had. The army is in excellent spirits. They have splendid food. The same and perhaps better than at home. The Y. M. C. A. here is without question the most splendid organization imaginable. Go where you will and you will find the Y. M. C. and it is always the center of attraction. The K. of C. is also doing fine work. I cannot conceive how the army could dispense with these organizations, and they carry their work right up to the front. In this camp we have half a dozen Y. M. C. A.’s for the men and they are crowded all the time. There is also one for the officers equipped with tables and chairs, a billiard table, a piano and fifty books: these books are worn out by constant handling. You can also get a bath occasionally. By the way, water is scarce here. About a bath a week is as much as you can hope for and you don’t always get that.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut. Leonard P. Biggs, a Little Rock attorney, to his uncle B. P. Kidd. Biggs was a graduate of the first officers’ training camp at Fort Roots the summer of 1917. He was with a machine gun company on the line. He was born May 11, 1886. He died August 14, 1959.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear Uncle Bonner:
Arrived in France on the 21st instant, at one of the larger ports in Northern France, remained in a so-called “Rest Camp” for five days. We were camped in the middle of a turnip patch in our pup tent in the rain. After a trip of about 150 miles we are now in a very decent camp near the seaport where was landed the original A. E. F. last summer. At our first place the weather was so cold as to necessitate wearing an overcoat most all day. Here it is some warmer, but they have had no weather here like our summers.
I have seen two large cities and some 150 miles of the country of France. It is very quaint and interesting to an American. We did not get into the war any too early, France is badly worn down. On her streets pass the crippled, the very old men, the very young men and the women all dressed in black. Sugar is almost unknown, fats are very scarce and their bread is a stranger to wheat. Although they are not using bread cards at present. When we were moving I drew rations for 500 men. The bread was a small mountain of pure white bread and stacked up in the railroad yard where water stood around and gazed at it. I gave a French urchin a piece of white bread and he turned it over and over in his hands. He had never seen white bread before. Over here the greatest desire is for candy principally, because we have no desert of any kind. The French never get any sweets.
The usual country home here is of four rooms, in the first goes the farm tools, in the second the cow, and the third the horse and the fourth, if there is a fourth, the family live, but that room is immaculately clean. The wealth of a family is measured by the size of the manure pile, which is right in the door and close to the wall. You see the significance of this when you see the fertility of the fields which have been cultivated for 500 years. Each field is three to five acres and is enclosed by an earth fence, and is cultivated by the old men, women and children. Every part of the land is cultivated.
Americans are favorites here because we are good spenders, good mixers and have been taught to respect the French people and their property. At our first camp we were next to a turnip patch and a fine stock of dry straw, and while we could have used turnips to good advantage and while the men were sleeping on the wet ground and the straw would have been welcome, not a thing was touched. Imagine that happening at home. I doubt if the French reciprocate, because I notice that most everything an American needs is about as high as at home. Although the French authorities attempt to stop the practice. I fore see that it will cost as much to live here as at home. Any sort of a meal costs $1.25 in United States coin.
We were inspected by General Pershing the third day we were here. He is certainly a soldierly looking man. The French pay tribute to the fighting qualities of the American soldier. They say he is an unsurpassed fighting man. We are getting our first real test up Chateau Thierry way and he is walking right on through. When 2,000,000 men are here, we can win the war. The French say the war will be over within a year, but are jubilant over the recent success. General Pershing is reported to have told the S. O. S. troops the other day that it was; Heaven, Hell or Home by Christmas! but Pershing never said it and it is a rotten prophecy. The war will be won by Americans. The French are worn out, but their spirit is unbroken. I wonder from time to time how long the United States would stand up under the punishment they have had. The army is in excellent spirits. They have splendid food. The same and perhaps better than at home. The Y. M. C. A. here is without question the most splendid organization imaginable. Go where you will and you will find the Y. M. C. and it is always the center of attraction. The K. of C. is also doing fine work. I cannot conceive how the army could dispense with these organizations, and they carry their work right up to the front. In this camp we have half a dozen Y. M. C. A.’s for the men and they are crowded all the time. There is also one for the officers equipped with tables and chairs, a billiard table, a piano and fifty books: these books are worn out by constant handling. You can also get a bath occasionally. By the way, water is scarce here. About a bath a week is as much as you can hope for and you don’t always get that.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Lieut. Leonard P. Biggs, a Little Rock attorney, to his uncle B. P. Kidd. Biggs was a graduate of the first officers’ training camp at Fort Roots the summer of 1917. He was with a machine gun company on the line. He was born May 11, 1886. He died August 14, 1959.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT