TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COURIER DEMOCRAT SEPTEMBER 5, 1918 P. 6
Dear Father, Mother and Family:
Well, I am on Long Island, and it is some swell place. But first I want to tell you about my trip up here. We left Beauregard last Wednesday, and came across the eastern part of Arkansas into Missouri, stopped in East St. Louis, went through Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey. Can't name all the states now, but we passed through 11 states and two provinces in Canada. We crossed into Canada at Detroit, and took a transport and crossed the Detroit river into Canada. We crossed the Mississippi river and ran along the banks for miles.
We got to Niagara Falls, Canada, at 4:30 and it was dark and we were all asleep, but they woke us up and marched us up to the Falls. It was still dark, but we stayed till daylight, and believe me, it was sure some falls. Then we crossed the Niagara river and were back in the United States. Sure was an interesting ride through Canada. One Canadian woman said, "Boys, be sure and write to your mothers, for they love you more than your sweethearts." They are a patriotic bunch, and we couldn't buy stamps from them--they would say, "We'll stamp it for you."
One thing very noticeable is that the people up north are a lot more patriotic than the South, and I have decided that I like the North pretty well. I like Arkansas--but no Louisiana for me!
We came through the mining fields of Pennsylvania and traveled a long way through the Lehigh Valley, and then went up in the Alleghanies. It sure was cool up in the mountains--felt like December. And here an overcoat is a very comfortable thing to see.
We stopped every day in some town for exercise, and some days we stopped twice. We stopped in Sayre, Pa. four hours to take a bath in the Susquehanna river and when we finished bathing they took us up to the park to see a ball game. After the ball game we were turned loose for the first and only time on the trip. When we got into Canada I saw the first waters that I couldn't see across--Lake St. Clara, a little lake between Lake Erie and Lake Michigan.
We got to Jersey City, N.J., Sunday morning and took a transport across New York harbor. We left Jersey City and went up between Brooklyn and New York, under the Brooklyn bridge and the Queensboro bridge and landed on Long Island.
Long Island is a big place, and is one continuous town after another. I can't tell you half of what I saw and where I have been. Think it would take a solid trip. It is my first trip so far away from home, and was an interesting trip to me. But I will have something to tell sure enough when I get back. If I should do nothing but go for six months I couldn't see half there is to be seen here. You can't imagine how big a place this is until you see it.
We may be here a week or more, and we may not--can't tell. And we are so busy I can't write much. We got here yesterday at 3 p.m. I suppose Willie is already gone. I don't know where to look for him.
I must close. Will write again soon if I can. Write me. I will get it whether I am gone or not when it comes.
Love to all,
HENRY COCHRAN.
NOTES: Henry Lee Cochran was writing to his father W. C. Cochran of Crow Mountain in Arkansas. Henry was born on December 25, 1895 in Russellville, Arkansas and died on September 10, 1976. He is buried in the Oakland Memorial Cemetery in Clarksville, Arkansas. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 31, 1918 onboard the Leviathan. He was serving as a Corp. in Battery C, 142nd FA.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Dear Father, Mother and Family:
Well, I am on Long Island, and it is some swell place. But first I want to tell you about my trip up here. We left Beauregard last Wednesday, and came across the eastern part of Arkansas into Missouri, stopped in East St. Louis, went through Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey. Can't name all the states now, but we passed through 11 states and two provinces in Canada. We crossed into Canada at Detroit, and took a transport and crossed the Detroit river into Canada. We crossed the Mississippi river and ran along the banks for miles.
We got to Niagara Falls, Canada, at 4:30 and it was dark and we were all asleep, but they woke us up and marched us up to the Falls. It was still dark, but we stayed till daylight, and believe me, it was sure some falls. Then we crossed the Niagara river and were back in the United States. Sure was an interesting ride through Canada. One Canadian woman said, "Boys, be sure and write to your mothers, for they love you more than your sweethearts." They are a patriotic bunch, and we couldn't buy stamps from them--they would say, "We'll stamp it for you."
One thing very noticeable is that the people up north are a lot more patriotic than the South, and I have decided that I like the North pretty well. I like Arkansas--but no Louisiana for me!
We came through the mining fields of Pennsylvania and traveled a long way through the Lehigh Valley, and then went up in the Alleghanies. It sure was cool up in the mountains--felt like December. And here an overcoat is a very comfortable thing to see.
We stopped every day in some town for exercise, and some days we stopped twice. We stopped in Sayre, Pa. four hours to take a bath in the Susquehanna river and when we finished bathing they took us up to the park to see a ball game. After the ball game we were turned loose for the first and only time on the trip. When we got into Canada I saw the first waters that I couldn't see across--Lake St. Clara, a little lake between Lake Erie and Lake Michigan.
We got to Jersey City, N.J., Sunday morning and took a transport across New York harbor. We left Jersey City and went up between Brooklyn and New York, under the Brooklyn bridge and the Queensboro bridge and landed on Long Island.
Long Island is a big place, and is one continuous town after another. I can't tell you half of what I saw and where I have been. Think it would take a solid trip. It is my first trip so far away from home, and was an interesting trip to me. But I will have something to tell sure enough when I get back. If I should do nothing but go for six months I couldn't see half there is to be seen here. You can't imagine how big a place this is until you see it.
We may be here a week or more, and we may not--can't tell. And we are so busy I can't write much. We got here yesterday at 3 p.m. I suppose Willie is already gone. I don't know where to look for him.
I must close. Will write again soon if I can. Write me. I will get it whether I am gone or not when it comes.
Love to all,
HENRY COCHRAN.
NOTES: Henry Lee Cochran was writing to his father W. C. Cochran of Crow Mountain in Arkansas. Henry was born on December 25, 1895 in Russellville, Arkansas and died on September 10, 1976. He is buried in the Oakland Memorial Cemetery in Clarksville, Arkansas. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 31, 1918 onboard the Leviathan. He was serving as a Corp. in Battery C, 142nd FA.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD