TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LOG CABIN DEMOCRAT MARCH 13, 1919 P. 3
St. Gervais, France, January 22, 1919.
Editor Log Cabin Democrat :
(MISSING PAPER) will allow me space in your paper, I will again take this means of writing to many of my Faulkner county friends. Since I wrote the last letter to your paper, the censorship regulations have been somewhat modified so I will go back to the time we left Camp Dix and tell you a few things I could not write before.
Leaving Camp Dix August 23, 1918, we took the train to Montreal, Canada, where we were loaded on a British transport, the "Waimana." Sailed out of Montreal August 25, down the St. Lawrence river past Quebec, waited just off the coast from Sidney two days for our convoy to get ready, which was collected just after starting out on the high seas. This convoy included 14 transports, besides 11 or 12 "sub-chasers" and torpedo boat destroyers. After a long and wearisome ride we landed at Southampton, England, on September 9. Stayed over night there at an American rest camp, then on the afternoon of September 10 we re-embarked on the American transport, "Yale," to cross the English Channel. The trip across the channel was made on the night of September 19, and I often think of it as one of the most dangerous night I have ever spent. The channel was very rough and we were traveling 25 miles per hour in total darkness, and not a sign of a light on board. This in order to slip by any submarines. And talk about sea sickness; didn't take but an hour to get sick on that ship.
We landed at Le Havre, France, September 11 and stayed that night in another so-called rest camp, and the next day loaded onto a French troop train, 32 men to each box car. After riding 48 hours we landed at Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, at 4 p.m., September 14. Since that time we have moved to four other places, all near Bordeaux. Up until the first of December, my company was engaged in convoy service, driving trucks and "Ford" ambulances from the docks near Bordeaux to Paris, Dijon, Pons, Versailles, and other places up near the front.
Our work has all been in the S.O.S. (Service of Supply), which is to convey supplies of any and all kinds to the troops at the front. Had the armistice not been signed we would have been in real action at the front before this time. Since December 1, we have been out in the country in billets--in other words, staying at the houses (chateaux in France) of the French people, drilling from five to eight hours per day, waiting as patiently as we possibly can for Uncle Sam to give us the word to go to Germany or back to the United States. We thought for a while that we would be placed in the army of occupation, but since we are not to be in that we are now anxiously waiting to get on the boat homeward bound.
Saw one of my friends, Charlie Newman, of Greenbrier, about two weeks ago. He is the only person I've met in France that I knew before coming to the army. I also saw four of my Faulkner county friends in England.
Hoping to see many of my friends in Faulkner county in a few months, I will say, Au revoir,
Cpl. Everett C. Blessing,
Co. B, 312th Am Tr., A.E.F.
NOTES: Everett Clifford Blessing was born on January 15, 1896 and died on March 15, 1981. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum in Alexander, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpl. serving in the US Army during WWI. He enlisted in the military on February 26, 1918 and was discharged on March 25, 1919. He departed for France from Montreal, Canada on August 25, 1918 onboard the Walmana. He was listed as a Cpl. serving in the 312th Ammunition Train. He returned to the US departing Bordeaux, France on February 19, 1919 onboard the Luna. He was listed as a Cpl. serving in FA, Camp Pike Detachment, 312th Ammunition Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
St. Gervais, France, January 22, 1919.
Editor Log Cabin Democrat :
(MISSING PAPER) will allow me space in your paper, I will again take this means of writing to many of my Faulkner county friends. Since I wrote the last letter to your paper, the censorship regulations have been somewhat modified so I will go back to the time we left Camp Dix and tell you a few things I could not write before.
Leaving Camp Dix August 23, 1918, we took the train to Montreal, Canada, where we were loaded on a British transport, the "Waimana." Sailed out of Montreal August 25, down the St. Lawrence river past Quebec, waited just off the coast from Sidney two days for our convoy to get ready, which was collected just after starting out on the high seas. This convoy included 14 transports, besides 11 or 12 "sub-chasers" and torpedo boat destroyers. After a long and wearisome ride we landed at Southampton, England, on September 9. Stayed over night there at an American rest camp, then on the afternoon of September 10 we re-embarked on the American transport, "Yale," to cross the English Channel. The trip across the channel was made on the night of September 19, and I often think of it as one of the most dangerous night I have ever spent. The channel was very rough and we were traveling 25 miles per hour in total darkness, and not a sign of a light on board. This in order to slip by any submarines. And talk about sea sickness; didn't take but an hour to get sick on that ship.
We landed at Le Havre, France, September 11 and stayed that night in another so-called rest camp, and the next day loaded onto a French troop train, 32 men to each box car. After riding 48 hours we landed at Camp de Souge, near Bordeaux, at 4 p.m., September 14. Since that time we have moved to four other places, all near Bordeaux. Up until the first of December, my company was engaged in convoy service, driving trucks and "Ford" ambulances from the docks near Bordeaux to Paris, Dijon, Pons, Versailles, and other places up near the front.
Our work has all been in the S.O.S. (Service of Supply), which is to convey supplies of any and all kinds to the troops at the front. Had the armistice not been signed we would have been in real action at the front before this time. Since December 1, we have been out in the country in billets--in other words, staying at the houses (chateaux in France) of the French people, drilling from five to eight hours per day, waiting as patiently as we possibly can for Uncle Sam to give us the word to go to Germany or back to the United States. We thought for a while that we would be placed in the army of occupation, but since we are not to be in that we are now anxiously waiting to get on the boat homeward bound.
Saw one of my friends, Charlie Newman, of Greenbrier, about two weeks ago. He is the only person I've met in France that I knew before coming to the army. I also saw four of my Faulkner county friends in England.
Hoping to see many of my friends in Faulkner county in a few months, I will say, Au revoir,
Cpl. Everett C. Blessing,
Co. B, 312th Am Tr., A.E.F.
NOTES: Everett Clifford Blessing was born on January 15, 1896 and died on March 15, 1981. He is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park and Garden Mausoleum in Alexander, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpl. serving in the US Army during WWI. He enlisted in the military on February 26, 1918 and was discharged on March 25, 1919. He departed for France from Montreal, Canada on August 25, 1918 onboard the Walmana. He was listed as a Cpl. serving in the 312th Ammunition Train. He returned to the US departing Bordeaux, France on February 19, 1919 onboard the Luna. He was listed as a Cpl. serving in FA, Camp Pike Detachment, 312th Ammunition Train.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD