TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DREW COUNTY ADVANCE JULY 16, 1918 P. 4
Front in France, June 1918
Mrs. J.D. Hunt,
Collins, Ark.
Dear Mother:
How are you today? I am well and at the front fighting hard. I have begun to get your letters now. I get 3 or 4 every week now. Well, mother I can say that I am glad I didn’t have to be drafted to fight for the only country. People over there don’t realize what a country we have. I have realized that fact long ago by experience since I have left the good old U.S.A. I have been on some of the spots where Napoleon Bonaparte mobilized his great armies and marched away and startled the world with his military ability. We have a man even dearer to our hearts as a hero than the great Napoleon and that is General J.J. Pershing and we as American soldiers believe that the same kind of people are behind us as were behind our forefathers who gave their very best blood for our America, that we might have freedom and in the face of these facts how can we as American citizens allow the wings of the American eagle of freedom to be clipped by any German autocracy that she might come down in bondage to soar in the skies of freedom and greatness no more. No, when the stars and stripes fail to wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave I think the sun will fail to shine and I know there will be few left to tell the tale. I guess this sounds quite historical but that is the way I feel. If it comes my time to die I will go. I have but one life life to give and that is for my country. Things were pretty lively up in this sector last night and today one of our sergeants had his horse shot out from under him but he was not hurt much. I have had some narrow escapes—one shell tore a wheel off the wagon I was on. I’ll tell you I was some scared. It was by a mere accident that there is enough of me left to write these few lines. I guess I had as narrow escape as any one ever had last night. I was on guard at the picket line where the horses were. It was about 9 o’clock when the shells began to fall. At first, I did not pay very much attention to them but in a few minutes they began to fall closer. Well, mother, I couldn’t leave my post so I had to stay. While I was listening at them come in I heard something coming like a buzz wagon. I couldn’t tell from the way it sounded that it was coming right toward me, well it hit the ground about ten feet from me and began to spin. I fell on my face just as it went off and believe me when it exploded it cut down trees and bushes all over me and killed the horses that were about 30 feet from me so you can imagine what a close call I had Mother. I would have written you before now but have not had time, you see I have been on the front now six months. I have been in some hard battles. We boys came over here to whip the Hun and believe me, we are doing it. You watch the papers and we will show you what the U.S.A boys can do. Mother you should not worry if you don’t hear from me often for I don’t have much time to write and when I do get time I am always so sleepy I don’t write. I guess you all would not know me know. I have gained 45 pounds since I left home. I weigh 178 pounds and never felt better in my life.
Your loving son,
Private Hobart Hunt
Battery D17C Field Artillery, A.E.F.
NOTES: Hobart A. Hunt was born in Collins, Arkansas on August 13, 1898 and died on January 2, 1952. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on December 13, 1917 onboard the Covington. He was a Private serving with Battery D, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Division. He returned from Brest, France on July 25, 1919, arriving in Brooklyn, NY on August 4, 1919 onboard the Ryndam.
TRANSCRIBED BY DAVID COLLINS
Front in France, June 1918
Mrs. J.D. Hunt,
Collins, Ark.
Dear Mother:
How are you today? I am well and at the front fighting hard. I have begun to get your letters now. I get 3 or 4 every week now. Well, mother I can say that I am glad I didn’t have to be drafted to fight for the only country. People over there don’t realize what a country we have. I have realized that fact long ago by experience since I have left the good old U.S.A. I have been on some of the spots where Napoleon Bonaparte mobilized his great armies and marched away and startled the world with his military ability. We have a man even dearer to our hearts as a hero than the great Napoleon and that is General J.J. Pershing and we as American soldiers believe that the same kind of people are behind us as were behind our forefathers who gave their very best blood for our America, that we might have freedom and in the face of these facts how can we as American citizens allow the wings of the American eagle of freedom to be clipped by any German autocracy that she might come down in bondage to soar in the skies of freedom and greatness no more. No, when the stars and stripes fail to wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave I think the sun will fail to shine and I know there will be few left to tell the tale. I guess this sounds quite historical but that is the way I feel. If it comes my time to die I will go. I have but one life life to give and that is for my country. Things were pretty lively up in this sector last night and today one of our sergeants had his horse shot out from under him but he was not hurt much. I have had some narrow escapes—one shell tore a wheel off the wagon I was on. I’ll tell you I was some scared. It was by a mere accident that there is enough of me left to write these few lines. I guess I had as narrow escape as any one ever had last night. I was on guard at the picket line where the horses were. It was about 9 o’clock when the shells began to fall. At first, I did not pay very much attention to them but in a few minutes they began to fall closer. Well, mother, I couldn’t leave my post so I had to stay. While I was listening at them come in I heard something coming like a buzz wagon. I couldn’t tell from the way it sounded that it was coming right toward me, well it hit the ground about ten feet from me and began to spin. I fell on my face just as it went off and believe me when it exploded it cut down trees and bushes all over me and killed the horses that were about 30 feet from me so you can imagine what a close call I had Mother. I would have written you before now but have not had time, you see I have been on the front now six months. I have been in some hard battles. We boys came over here to whip the Hun and believe me, we are doing it. You watch the papers and we will show you what the U.S.A boys can do. Mother you should not worry if you don’t hear from me often for I don’t have much time to write and when I do get time I am always so sleepy I don’t write. I guess you all would not know me know. I have gained 45 pounds since I left home. I weigh 178 pounds and never felt better in my life.
Your loving son,
Private Hobart Hunt
Battery D17C Field Artillery, A.E.F.
NOTES: Hobart A. Hunt was born in Collins, Arkansas on August 13, 1898 and died on January 2, 1952. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on December 13, 1917 onboard the Covington. He was a Private serving with Battery D, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Division. He returned from Brest, France on July 25, 1919, arriving in Brooklyn, NY on August 4, 1919 onboard the Ryndam.
TRANSCRIBED BY DAVID COLLINS