TRANSCRIBED FROM THE POCAHONTAS STAR HERALD JANUARY 24, 1919 P. 5
Autun, France, Nov. 24, 1918.
My Dear Mother:
For the first time since I have been overseas I have been allowed to write you all I could about where I have been and what I have seen. This has been given as Dads day, so I am writing you.
Well, I left Camp Merrit, N. J. on Friday, August 22nd, about 4:30 a. m. and got on a small boat and sailed up to New York, where we got off the small boat and on a big ocean steamer, Adrac, a British boat. We stayed in harbor that night, Saturday morning about 9:30 o’clock, we set sail for overseas.
We had no excitement much to speak of on our way over. We were twelve days at sea. The first three days at sea were very pleasant and warm, but after three days we got out of the gulf stream, where it began to get cooler. It rained almost every day and night. We traveled quite a lot north, some days almost due north. We were up on a paralel with Greenland part of the time. We had about five or six hundred civilians on the boat I was on. There were about twelve or fourteen boats in our convoy. About two days from landing the English convoy came out and met us, we sure were glad to see them come. There were a lot of small chasers came out in the convoy. Well we sighted land the next day and I don’t think I ever saw a happier bunch of boys in my life, sure was glad to to see land once more. We sailed around the Irish coast, one of the most dangerious places for submarines, so they said. I saw Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
We landed in Liverpool England, got off the boat about 2 or 3 o’clock in the evening and marched up the streets of Liverpool and out to a rest camp, which was out to the edge of town. I don’t think I ever saw half so many kids in all my life as I saw there, and they would run along and say: “Joe, got a cent, got a cent, Joe,” and would want to carry our rifles. They followed us out to the camp. We stayed in the camp for almost a week, but was under quarantine all the time while there. But what I saw of the town was a queer sight to me, the buildings were all stone and brick and not built like they are back in the States. When we left there we loaded on a train one morning and left for South Hampton, England, got off the train there in the evening and marched out to another rest camp, stayed there that night and until the next evening, when we marched down to the harbor and got on another boat. We started sailing out of there about 6:30 that evening and landed sometime that night, at LeHarven, France, that was the English Channel we crossed. We didn’t get off boat until next morning, when we got off and marched up to another rest camp. We stayed there until the next afternoon, when we loaded on another train and started through France, this time we were on the train for two nights and one day, getting off one morning about day break at a small town, which I have forgotten the name, we got breakfast there and after breakfast we started for another place on the hike, which we reached in the evening sometime. There we were taken to our billets and then to chow, after chow we went and got our packs and beat it for our billets for a good nights rest, which we did get. We stayed there for about four weeks. That town was a very old place, which all the towns over here seem to be. There were great tunnels running all through the hills, where wagons went through. I don’t know how far they went, I never did try to explore any of them. There was an old castle close to where we were that was bombarded by Napoleon in his time. The castle was built in the year 900. We were at a town there named Bourre.
The principle occupation there was raising grapes and making wine. I saw some of the civilians making wine and they would give us grapes to eat.
Well, I was picked out of my Company there with eleven others to come here and take military Police training. I made good enough grades to stay for an instructor, so I am still here.
I have never been to the front and as the war is over I don’t guess I will ever get to see where the great battles took place. But have seen lots of boys that have been up there and some that have been wounded.
This is a very nice place here. We go out in town every night for awhile and on Sundays we can go out for all day. If I could speak French I guess I could have a very good time. There are several old buildings and remains of buildings here. There is an old remain still stands, was built 15 B. C. I have sent you the picture of it on a postal card and a lot of other places here that are quite a sight for me to see.
We have good barracks to live in here and good fires. The weather is cool here now and we have had some frosts.
I have never got to see Paris yet and I don’t know if I ever will.
Well mother, I must quit now. I think I have written enough for this time. I received a letter from you this morning, was very glad to get it too, so just keep them coming.
I am well and feeling fine, hope to get to come home now soon. Give my regards to everybody.
Love to all,
Corp. Coy Brewer
M. P. T. D. C. American E. F.
NOTES: Coy Brewer was writing to his mother, Amanda Brewer. Brewer was born in Independence County, Arkansas on June 11, 1892 and died in 1960. He lived in Howard County, Arkansas at one time. He is buried in the Chapelwood Memorial Garden and Mausoleum in Wake Village, Texas. He departed from Brest, France on May 23, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 30, 1919. He traveled on the ship, Great Northern. He was serving Co. A, 111th Engineers.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Autun, France, Nov. 24, 1918.
My Dear Mother:
For the first time since I have been overseas I have been allowed to write you all I could about where I have been and what I have seen. This has been given as Dads day, so I am writing you.
Well, I left Camp Merrit, N. J. on Friday, August 22nd, about 4:30 a. m. and got on a small boat and sailed up to New York, where we got off the small boat and on a big ocean steamer, Adrac, a British boat. We stayed in harbor that night, Saturday morning about 9:30 o’clock, we set sail for overseas.
We had no excitement much to speak of on our way over. We were twelve days at sea. The first three days at sea were very pleasant and warm, but after three days we got out of the gulf stream, where it began to get cooler. It rained almost every day and night. We traveled quite a lot north, some days almost due north. We were up on a paralel with Greenland part of the time. We had about five or six hundred civilians on the boat I was on. There were about twelve or fourteen boats in our convoy. About two days from landing the English convoy came out and met us, we sure were glad to see them come. There were a lot of small chasers came out in the convoy. Well we sighted land the next day and I don’t think I ever saw a happier bunch of boys in my life, sure was glad to to see land once more. We sailed around the Irish coast, one of the most dangerious places for submarines, so they said. I saw Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
We landed in Liverpool England, got off the boat about 2 or 3 o’clock in the evening and marched up the streets of Liverpool and out to a rest camp, which was out to the edge of town. I don’t think I ever saw half so many kids in all my life as I saw there, and they would run along and say: “Joe, got a cent, got a cent, Joe,” and would want to carry our rifles. They followed us out to the camp. We stayed in the camp for almost a week, but was under quarantine all the time while there. But what I saw of the town was a queer sight to me, the buildings were all stone and brick and not built like they are back in the States. When we left there we loaded on a train one morning and left for South Hampton, England, got off the train there in the evening and marched out to another rest camp, stayed there that night and until the next evening, when we marched down to the harbor and got on another boat. We started sailing out of there about 6:30 that evening and landed sometime that night, at LeHarven, France, that was the English Channel we crossed. We didn’t get off boat until next morning, when we got off and marched up to another rest camp. We stayed there until the next afternoon, when we loaded on another train and started through France, this time we were on the train for two nights and one day, getting off one morning about day break at a small town, which I have forgotten the name, we got breakfast there and after breakfast we started for another place on the hike, which we reached in the evening sometime. There we were taken to our billets and then to chow, after chow we went and got our packs and beat it for our billets for a good nights rest, which we did get. We stayed there for about four weeks. That town was a very old place, which all the towns over here seem to be. There were great tunnels running all through the hills, where wagons went through. I don’t know how far they went, I never did try to explore any of them. There was an old castle close to where we were that was bombarded by Napoleon in his time. The castle was built in the year 900. We were at a town there named Bourre.
The principle occupation there was raising grapes and making wine. I saw some of the civilians making wine and they would give us grapes to eat.
Well, I was picked out of my Company there with eleven others to come here and take military Police training. I made good enough grades to stay for an instructor, so I am still here.
I have never been to the front and as the war is over I don’t guess I will ever get to see where the great battles took place. But have seen lots of boys that have been up there and some that have been wounded.
This is a very nice place here. We go out in town every night for awhile and on Sundays we can go out for all day. If I could speak French I guess I could have a very good time. There are several old buildings and remains of buildings here. There is an old remain still stands, was built 15 B. C. I have sent you the picture of it on a postal card and a lot of other places here that are quite a sight for me to see.
We have good barracks to live in here and good fires. The weather is cool here now and we have had some frosts.
I have never got to see Paris yet and I don’t know if I ever will.
Well mother, I must quit now. I think I have written enough for this time. I received a letter from you this morning, was very glad to get it too, so just keep them coming.
I am well and feeling fine, hope to get to come home now soon. Give my regards to everybody.
Love to all,
Corp. Coy Brewer
M. P. T. D. C. American E. F.
NOTES: Coy Brewer was writing to his mother, Amanda Brewer. Brewer was born in Independence County, Arkansas on June 11, 1892 and died in 1960. He lived in Howard County, Arkansas at one time. He is buried in the Chapelwood Memorial Garden and Mausoleum in Wake Village, Texas. He departed from Brest, France on May 23, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on May 30, 1919. He traveled on the ship, Great Northern. He was serving Co. A, 111th Engineers.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS