TRANSCRIBED FROM THE VAN BUREN COUNTY DEMOCRAT AUGUST 9, 1918 P. 1
Douglas, Ariz., July 28, 1918.
DEAR FATHER:
Your and Essie's letters received this week, and of course was glad to get them. It is too bad about the drouth. Hope it rains soon. It has been raining here a little for the past two weeks.
I surely would like to hit "Flat Bottom," or "Little Worley," this morning. It was last Sunday that Jim Thompson asked me how I would like to hit Flat Bottom, and I told him to hush, or I would hit him.
I haven't had time to say Jack Robinson this week. We moved to the barracks, and you know what that means--work and more work. The barracks are 250 feet long and 22 feet wide, capacity 107 men, then a mess hall with tables and benches. We have all donated $1.00 each to buy dishes. My place is next to a door and when the whistle blows I must be the last one out in my section, and at the same time see that all get out in a hurry.
I had a little time off yesterday and built a rifle rack for my guns. It must have pleased the troop commander, for he sent me four men and said build racks for the troop just like mine. So my jack leg carpentering is coming in handy.
Tell Col. Pon that the rifle we have is the Springfield 1905 model, 30 caliber breech loading, magazine type. The magazine holds a clip of five cartridges, and the one in the barrel makes six at one loading. It weighs 8.69 pounds, and is 13.2 inches long. The maximum range is 4891 yards, but it is accurate for only 2850 yards. It is the same rifle used by our men across, with the exception that we have sabres instead of bayonets. We also have a Colts 45 caliber revolver. These two, with 90 rounds of rifle ammunition and 60 rounds of revolver ammunition make a load that gets heavier all the time.
Bruce's (Pate) troop is going this afternoon to the rifle range about eight miles away. They will stay two weeks. I don't know how he will get along without seeing us for he makes us a visit everyday.
I have forgotten the name of a certain character in the "Long Roll," but anyway he was the fellow who was always complaining. You remember him. Well, when I read the book and we were discussing it you said there always was a man like that in every company or troop. I could hardly see how it could be. But now I can. We have a man named (BLANK) who has that fellow skinned 100 ways. He has not done a thing in four or five weeks, and is always growling. I get tire of it and often give him a general rounding.
I have more clothing now than I ever expect to have again. In my outfit there are 4 pairs of shoes, 8 pairs of sox, 4 pairs of trousers, 2 pairs of leggins, 3 shirts, 2 blouses, 2 hats, 4 suits of underwear, one mattress, 5 bed blankets, one horse blanket, and one saddle blanket. I use all the blankets, sleep on some and under the others. They are all wool and more than a yard wide, too.
My greatest trouble here is tobacco. The canteens do not handle Penn's, and I get to go to town so seldom, that part of the time I have to use Star and Horse Shoe. But the last time I was in town I bought a pound of Penn's and if the other fellows do not find it out I will be O.K. for a while.
"HUB."
NOTES: This letter was written by Thomas Hubbard Frazier to his father Judge James H. Fraser. Hubbard was born on May 20, 1891 in Clinton, Arkansas and died on November 23, 1975. He is buried in the Bradley Cemetery in Clinton.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Douglas, Ariz., July 28, 1918.
DEAR FATHER:
Your and Essie's letters received this week, and of course was glad to get them. It is too bad about the drouth. Hope it rains soon. It has been raining here a little for the past two weeks.
I surely would like to hit "Flat Bottom," or "Little Worley," this morning. It was last Sunday that Jim Thompson asked me how I would like to hit Flat Bottom, and I told him to hush, or I would hit him.
I haven't had time to say Jack Robinson this week. We moved to the barracks, and you know what that means--work and more work. The barracks are 250 feet long and 22 feet wide, capacity 107 men, then a mess hall with tables and benches. We have all donated $1.00 each to buy dishes. My place is next to a door and when the whistle blows I must be the last one out in my section, and at the same time see that all get out in a hurry.
I had a little time off yesterday and built a rifle rack for my guns. It must have pleased the troop commander, for he sent me four men and said build racks for the troop just like mine. So my jack leg carpentering is coming in handy.
Tell Col. Pon that the rifle we have is the Springfield 1905 model, 30 caliber breech loading, magazine type. The magazine holds a clip of five cartridges, and the one in the barrel makes six at one loading. It weighs 8.69 pounds, and is 13.2 inches long. The maximum range is 4891 yards, but it is accurate for only 2850 yards. It is the same rifle used by our men across, with the exception that we have sabres instead of bayonets. We also have a Colts 45 caliber revolver. These two, with 90 rounds of rifle ammunition and 60 rounds of revolver ammunition make a load that gets heavier all the time.
Bruce's (Pate) troop is going this afternoon to the rifle range about eight miles away. They will stay two weeks. I don't know how he will get along without seeing us for he makes us a visit everyday.
I have forgotten the name of a certain character in the "Long Roll," but anyway he was the fellow who was always complaining. You remember him. Well, when I read the book and we were discussing it you said there always was a man like that in every company or troop. I could hardly see how it could be. But now I can. We have a man named (BLANK) who has that fellow skinned 100 ways. He has not done a thing in four or five weeks, and is always growling. I get tire of it and often give him a general rounding.
I have more clothing now than I ever expect to have again. In my outfit there are 4 pairs of shoes, 8 pairs of sox, 4 pairs of trousers, 2 pairs of leggins, 3 shirts, 2 blouses, 2 hats, 4 suits of underwear, one mattress, 5 bed blankets, one horse blanket, and one saddle blanket. I use all the blankets, sleep on some and under the others. They are all wool and more than a yard wide, too.
My greatest trouble here is tobacco. The canteens do not handle Penn's, and I get to go to town so seldom, that part of the time I have to use Star and Horse Shoe. But the last time I was in town I bought a pound of Penn's and if the other fellows do not find it out I will be O.K. for a while.
"HUB."
NOTES: This letter was written by Thomas Hubbard Frazier to his father Judge James H. Fraser. Hubbard was born on May 20, 1891 in Clinton, Arkansas and died on November 23, 1975. He is buried in the Bradley Cemetery in Clinton.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD