TRANSCRIBED FROM THE JONESBORO WEEKLY SUN JANUARY 29, 1919 P. 5
St. Florent, Cher, France,
November 29, 1918.
My Dear Ones:
I shall try to write you a line tonight. I shall try to tell you something about my trip over here. I left Camp Mills on August 21st and went aboard ship at Hoboken, N. J., on the 22nd. We pulled away from the pier and passed by the Statue of Liberty. One has kindly strange feelings when they look at it. We pulled out in the mouth of the harbor and let down anchor. We stayed there until the 26th of August. We started on that day. As I passed out to sea I realized for the first time that we were in war for there were any number of sub-chasers patrolling the waters, obstruction balloons, dirigible balloons, sea planes, and other crafts. It is needless for me to say that one feels strange when they see the shore of their native land disappear, when they are going to a strange land among strange people, and you know that it may be the last time that you will ever view it. Any way we got our convoy about 2 o’clock and went to sea. I saw numerous different animals while at sea. I did not experience the usual sea sickness. I got dizzy headed a few times, but I never did vomit. We did not have very much rough sea, only 2 or three days. We were told on the night of September 4th that we were about 150 miles off the north coast of Ireland. We sailed around the coast of the British Isles, on the morning of the 6 th. We found ourselves in smoke and calm water. English Channel on the afternoon of the 6th we were attacked by a submarine. It was a short one-sided fight as we had about 15 destroyers around us. The enemy succeeded in getting a glancing hit on a big four stack transport, but the ship made it to shore, the sub, went down to rise no more, it was interesting to watch the fight, the boys all seemed calm, but the British crew seemed a little excited.
We were in the English Channel at this time about 20 miles off Sicily Islands, the night followed was the most exciting that we had. There were vodles of subs in this channel. It was a foggy night, we almost had a collision. The next day we reached La Havre, France about 4 or 5 o’clock p. m. again the anchor was lowered, on the morning of the 8th of September we pulled into dock. We were marched out to a British rest camp, where we stayed about two days and a half. La Havre is a very old town like everything else in France. We were loaded on box cars on the night of the 11th, the box cars over here are about half as large as those in the States. There were about 35 of us in a car. We came by way of Paris to St. Vorens. This town is about 210 kilometers (14 ½ miles) south of Paris. They have very good roads over here and all of the buildings are concrete or stone. Everything is very old over here and the people are very common. Box cars have only 4 wheels and horse drawn vehicles have two wheels. They are years behind the people in the States. They have a market day when the farmers (or gardeners) bring their produce to town the merchants have stands and it is like a picnic in the U. S. A. The women go out on the river with paddles and boards to wash like olden times. I had a letter from Homer the other day. He tells me he has been very sick.
Yours,
Pvt. James L Hobgood.
Co. A, 114th M. P. American E. F.
A P. O. 904.
P. S. There is no way of telling when I will come home. I may come in January and it may be March, but I will be there when I get there regardless of when that is. I thought once I would get home for Christmas, but that hope has vanished now. I think I will come home when I leave here, but there is no way to tell when that will be.
NOTES: James Lee Hobgood was born November 8, 1893 in Georgia. By 1910 his family was in Jonesboro. He was tall and of stout build. He died on July 11, 1972.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.
St. Florent, Cher, France,
November 29, 1918.
My Dear Ones:
I shall try to write you a line tonight. I shall try to tell you something about my trip over here. I left Camp Mills on August 21st and went aboard ship at Hoboken, N. J., on the 22nd. We pulled away from the pier and passed by the Statue of Liberty. One has kindly strange feelings when they look at it. We pulled out in the mouth of the harbor and let down anchor. We stayed there until the 26th of August. We started on that day. As I passed out to sea I realized for the first time that we were in war for there were any number of sub-chasers patrolling the waters, obstruction balloons, dirigible balloons, sea planes, and other crafts. It is needless for me to say that one feels strange when they see the shore of their native land disappear, when they are going to a strange land among strange people, and you know that it may be the last time that you will ever view it. Any way we got our convoy about 2 o’clock and went to sea. I saw numerous different animals while at sea. I did not experience the usual sea sickness. I got dizzy headed a few times, but I never did vomit. We did not have very much rough sea, only 2 or three days. We were told on the night of September 4th that we were about 150 miles off the north coast of Ireland. We sailed around the coast of the British Isles, on the morning of the 6 th. We found ourselves in smoke and calm water. English Channel on the afternoon of the 6th we were attacked by a submarine. It was a short one-sided fight as we had about 15 destroyers around us. The enemy succeeded in getting a glancing hit on a big four stack transport, but the ship made it to shore, the sub, went down to rise no more, it was interesting to watch the fight, the boys all seemed calm, but the British crew seemed a little excited.
We were in the English Channel at this time about 20 miles off Sicily Islands, the night followed was the most exciting that we had. There were vodles of subs in this channel. It was a foggy night, we almost had a collision. The next day we reached La Havre, France about 4 or 5 o’clock p. m. again the anchor was lowered, on the morning of the 8th of September we pulled into dock. We were marched out to a British rest camp, where we stayed about two days and a half. La Havre is a very old town like everything else in France. We were loaded on box cars on the night of the 11th, the box cars over here are about half as large as those in the States. There were about 35 of us in a car. We came by way of Paris to St. Vorens. This town is about 210 kilometers (14 ½ miles) south of Paris. They have very good roads over here and all of the buildings are concrete or stone. Everything is very old over here and the people are very common. Box cars have only 4 wheels and horse drawn vehicles have two wheels. They are years behind the people in the States. They have a market day when the farmers (or gardeners) bring their produce to town the merchants have stands and it is like a picnic in the U. S. A. The women go out on the river with paddles and boards to wash like olden times. I had a letter from Homer the other day. He tells me he has been very sick.
Yours,
Pvt. James L Hobgood.
Co. A, 114th M. P. American E. F.
A P. O. 904.
P. S. There is no way of telling when I will come home. I may come in January and it may be March, but I will be there when I get there regardless of when that is. I thought once I would get home for Christmas, but that hope has vanished now. I think I will come home when I leave here, but there is no way to tell when that will be.
NOTES: James Lee Hobgood was born November 8, 1893 in Georgia. By 1910 his family was in Jonesboro. He was tall and of stout build. He died on July 11, 1972.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.