TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COURIER INDEX SEPTEMBER 20, 1918 P. 1
Dear Old Boy:
I decided to write you this time. I always enjoy your letters and usually have a hearty laugh over them, for they are all very jolly. These are the kind that we soldiers always enjoy.
I am glad that you think that you are good enough man to wallop me, but boy, I have twice the strength and grip that I had when I left, and my hands are really horny. I feel that this life is making a man of me that I would never have been had I not gotten the opportunity to experience it.
Things are run on an enormous scale here as Uncle Sam is running them everywhere. I have my pick of 108 horses to ride, so ride a new one every day. I think I will decide on a big chestnut bay for mine. He is a single footer and has a record of 6 1-4 feet on the hedge jump. Believe me, son, I am going to ride hi right through Berlin. I have 38 of the finest mule teams you ever saw. The cavalry is beyond a doubt the best branch of the service.
The climate is excellent here. Right at this time I never saw the weather more pleasant. The nights are very cool, three blankets are comfortable. The mornings are generally pleasant until ten o'clock when it gets hot as ---. About noon the wind begins to blow, and if it doesn't pick up the sand and dust, the afternoons are fairly pleasant. I have seen the wind fail to show up, and then it is HOT. They say the temperature goes to 120 on such days.
We sure had a big day yesterday. Regimental parade all the morning, special dinner and then in the afternoon I went to Bisbee and Maston Jacks. For dinner we had oyster soup, roast chicken, cranberries, creamed potatoes, english peas, sweet potatoes, veal roast, olives, pickles and hot rolls. Then pie, ice cream and fruit cake. It was as nice as could be and there was lots left after 120 men had eaten all they wanted. I left right after dinner and went with Maston to Bisbee. Bisbee is a queer little place. The houses are stuck on the side of the mountain, just any place. One house has 160 steps to get to the front porch.
You know what a splendid man Maston is. His wife is an elegant woman and they have two of the smartest little girls I have ever seen. I have met so many nice people here and they are perfectly grand to soldiers. The Elks have a nice home here which I enjoy very much. I have attended many delightful dances at the country club and at private homes also. In fact this is an ideal place for a camp. As for health, there is so little sickness that if a fellow does get sick and in the hospital, they don't want to let him go because they have so little company.
I could never find words to express what the Y.M.C.A. and the Red Cross are to the soldiers in camp. I can't help but envy the boys who passes through our dear old Marianna. I am so glad they had the opportunity of seeing and knowing how fine our Marianna ladies are.
We are very busy now. Shipped about 600 horses back to Re-mount today and will get them all off by Saturday. I don't know yet where and when we will go, but think we are going to California.
I am sorry to leave here. I like the people and these old plains have a fascination for me. I feel so free, with so much pure air and so much room. It would be so easy for a man to be such a man as God wants him to be. I saw such a beautiful sunset this evening. The clouds were ascending and descending and furnished a dark blue shade around the gold and red. The sun seemed to be drawing water from the clouds which was like the brightest sun rays. Then the foot hills 15 miles away were shown up in the most beautiful colors, some points points sparkling, being a reflection from the copper. Then the ragged line of mountains 60 miles away made a grand background to the resplendent picture.
I think that the plots of Harold Bell Wright's novels were laid right here.
They are going to have a real "rodeo" here next week. All the cowboys will be here before they start on the round up. Wooten and I went with Maston up to Lowell. We went all over the mines, which were very interesting to me. We did not go down because we did not want to soil our clothes. Some of the shaft are 1,400 feet down and two miles back in the mountain.
It is hard to conceive of the bigness of the copper industry here.
Later:
I have done more riding this week than I ever thought I would do. We started out Monday looking for lost stock. I was in the saddle all day each day and slept with my saddle as a pillow and the beautiful dome of heaven above me for the first time in my life. I wouldn't take anything for the trip. I had field glasses and I could see plainly for 60 miles and it was wonderfully beautiful. I saw and shot at two coyotes, heard a mountain lion and saw him through my glasses, killed and ate mountain quail like those we saw on the San Joaquin train that passed through Marianna. We rode over a ranch of 6,300 acres and a wonderful place it was. I found Miss Hunter, "the teacher" there for a complete rest before school opens. I could fill many pages in telling about the ranch, but must go now. Will write you from California.
So long, old boy.
Your Bud,
ROBT. L. FOREMAN.
NOTES: Robert Lawrence Foreman was born on September 19, 1893 in Sylasville, Arkansas and died on October 25, 1949 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is buried in the Roselawn Memorial Park in Little Rock. Foreman was stationed at Camp Harry Jones in Douglas, Arizona and was writing to his brother.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Dear Old Boy:
I decided to write you this time. I always enjoy your letters and usually have a hearty laugh over them, for they are all very jolly. These are the kind that we soldiers always enjoy.
I am glad that you think that you are good enough man to wallop me, but boy, I have twice the strength and grip that I had when I left, and my hands are really horny. I feel that this life is making a man of me that I would never have been had I not gotten the opportunity to experience it.
Things are run on an enormous scale here as Uncle Sam is running them everywhere. I have my pick of 108 horses to ride, so ride a new one every day. I think I will decide on a big chestnut bay for mine. He is a single footer and has a record of 6 1-4 feet on the hedge jump. Believe me, son, I am going to ride hi right through Berlin. I have 38 of the finest mule teams you ever saw. The cavalry is beyond a doubt the best branch of the service.
The climate is excellent here. Right at this time I never saw the weather more pleasant. The nights are very cool, three blankets are comfortable. The mornings are generally pleasant until ten o'clock when it gets hot as ---. About noon the wind begins to blow, and if it doesn't pick up the sand and dust, the afternoons are fairly pleasant. I have seen the wind fail to show up, and then it is HOT. They say the temperature goes to 120 on such days.
We sure had a big day yesterday. Regimental parade all the morning, special dinner and then in the afternoon I went to Bisbee and Maston Jacks. For dinner we had oyster soup, roast chicken, cranberries, creamed potatoes, english peas, sweet potatoes, veal roast, olives, pickles and hot rolls. Then pie, ice cream and fruit cake. It was as nice as could be and there was lots left after 120 men had eaten all they wanted. I left right after dinner and went with Maston to Bisbee. Bisbee is a queer little place. The houses are stuck on the side of the mountain, just any place. One house has 160 steps to get to the front porch.
You know what a splendid man Maston is. His wife is an elegant woman and they have two of the smartest little girls I have ever seen. I have met so many nice people here and they are perfectly grand to soldiers. The Elks have a nice home here which I enjoy very much. I have attended many delightful dances at the country club and at private homes also. In fact this is an ideal place for a camp. As for health, there is so little sickness that if a fellow does get sick and in the hospital, they don't want to let him go because they have so little company.
I could never find words to express what the Y.M.C.A. and the Red Cross are to the soldiers in camp. I can't help but envy the boys who passes through our dear old Marianna. I am so glad they had the opportunity of seeing and knowing how fine our Marianna ladies are.
We are very busy now. Shipped about 600 horses back to Re-mount today and will get them all off by Saturday. I don't know yet where and when we will go, but think we are going to California.
I am sorry to leave here. I like the people and these old plains have a fascination for me. I feel so free, with so much pure air and so much room. It would be so easy for a man to be such a man as God wants him to be. I saw such a beautiful sunset this evening. The clouds were ascending and descending and furnished a dark blue shade around the gold and red. The sun seemed to be drawing water from the clouds which was like the brightest sun rays. Then the foot hills 15 miles away were shown up in the most beautiful colors, some points points sparkling, being a reflection from the copper. Then the ragged line of mountains 60 miles away made a grand background to the resplendent picture.
I think that the plots of Harold Bell Wright's novels were laid right here.
They are going to have a real "rodeo" here next week. All the cowboys will be here before they start on the round up. Wooten and I went with Maston up to Lowell. We went all over the mines, which were very interesting to me. We did not go down because we did not want to soil our clothes. Some of the shaft are 1,400 feet down and two miles back in the mountain.
It is hard to conceive of the bigness of the copper industry here.
Later:
I have done more riding this week than I ever thought I would do. We started out Monday looking for lost stock. I was in the saddle all day each day and slept with my saddle as a pillow and the beautiful dome of heaven above me for the first time in my life. I wouldn't take anything for the trip. I had field glasses and I could see plainly for 60 miles and it was wonderfully beautiful. I saw and shot at two coyotes, heard a mountain lion and saw him through my glasses, killed and ate mountain quail like those we saw on the San Joaquin train that passed through Marianna. We rode over a ranch of 6,300 acres and a wonderful place it was. I found Miss Hunter, "the teacher" there for a complete rest before school opens. I could fill many pages in telling about the ranch, but must go now. Will write you from California.
So long, old boy.
Your Bud,
ROBT. L. FOREMAN.
NOTES: Robert Lawrence Foreman was born on September 19, 1893 in Sylasville, Arkansas and died on October 25, 1949 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is buried in the Roselawn Memorial Park in Little Rock. Foreman was stationed at Camp Harry Jones in Douglas, Arizona and was writing to his brother.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD