TRANSCRIBED FROM THE GREEN FOREST TRIBUNE JUNE 21, 1918 P. 2
France, May 25, 1918.
My Dear Mother:
As I have been sending you cards and it is some days since I wrote you a letter, will drop you a few lines.
We have made another move since I wrote you last, and are now in the most beautiful section of France that is seems to me it would not be possible. The country is mountains _________ top of each peak appears a huge ______ of some religious character, or that of some great French character that has played some important part in making France the great nation it is. However, a great many of the high hills have ancient castles on them, which reminds me of pictures we have seen of such structures in books and at the moving picture shows. The towns are very old fashioned, paved with cobblestones and with high rails on each side of the streets, which are very narrow. Most of the people wear wooden shoes, and make more noise going over the cobblestones than one of those horse drawn fire departments.
Oxen are used extensively for draft purposes, and you know how slow they are. The whole country seems a whole lot slower than Arkansas, even at her slowest. Of course in the big towns of France, one of which I have had the pleasure of visiting, they have street cars and automobiles, though not nearly as many as the American cities have.
Last night I went out for a walk with four fellows and we went up to the top of one of the high hills above the little town where we are billeted, and the view was simply grand. You know all the ground in this country is under cultivation; not a foot of productive space is wasted. Well, when we got to the top of this mountain we could look down on the valley and the other hills, which weren’t so high, and it seemed like looking down on a lot of gardens; and we could count more than thirty little towns without the use of the telescope; so you see the country is thickly populated. The houses all have red or white tile roofs, which make them easy to distinguish from other objects.
Mother, I wish you could be here and see some of this scenery, which I am unable to describe, as I am sure you would be carried away with it and no doubt would be in favor of living in France after the war is over. The only drawback an American has over here is being unable to speak the language. I can only say a few words in French, can talk it about like I could German last year. However, I can say enough to get something to eat when I go into a restaurant. I am taking lessons in French at the Y. M. C. A. three nights out of the week. I am not with Third Battalion headquarters any more, but am at regimental headquarters. All the fellows in the office are very agreeable and fine fellows to be with, and I like my work better than any I have done since joining the army.
Our colonel enjoys the distinction of have been in command of the regiment who fired the first shot from an American battery on the Germans, and it is said that the 146th regiment is spoken of all over France as being the crack regiment of the American expeditionary forces.
Address me now “Headquarters Co. 146th Fr A, American E. F.” It is best to write out the word American, as by using the letters, the mail is liable to get mixed with that belonging to the Australian E. F. Give my love to all the folks with lots of love to yourself, I am
Your son
King M. Jernigan.
NOTES: King M. Jernigan was born in Harrison, Arkansas on September 21, 1891 and died on July 5, 1975. He is buried in the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Spokane, Washington. (King’s unclaimed ashes had been in storage for 42 years until they were interred in the cemetery with full military honors on October 3, 2017. He enlisted on August 20, 1917 and was discharged on June 28, 1919. He departed from New York, NY on December 24, 1917 onboard the SS Lapland. He was serving with Battery F, 146th FA. He returned to the US departing St. Nazaire, France onboard the Peerless arriving in Brooklyn, NY on June 15, 1919. He was serving with Hdqs. Detachment, 66th FA Brigade.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
France, May 25, 1918.
My Dear Mother:
As I have been sending you cards and it is some days since I wrote you a letter, will drop you a few lines.
We have made another move since I wrote you last, and are now in the most beautiful section of France that is seems to me it would not be possible. The country is mountains _________ top of each peak appears a huge ______ of some religious character, or that of some great French character that has played some important part in making France the great nation it is. However, a great many of the high hills have ancient castles on them, which reminds me of pictures we have seen of such structures in books and at the moving picture shows. The towns are very old fashioned, paved with cobblestones and with high rails on each side of the streets, which are very narrow. Most of the people wear wooden shoes, and make more noise going over the cobblestones than one of those horse drawn fire departments.
Oxen are used extensively for draft purposes, and you know how slow they are. The whole country seems a whole lot slower than Arkansas, even at her slowest. Of course in the big towns of France, one of which I have had the pleasure of visiting, they have street cars and automobiles, though not nearly as many as the American cities have.
Last night I went out for a walk with four fellows and we went up to the top of one of the high hills above the little town where we are billeted, and the view was simply grand. You know all the ground in this country is under cultivation; not a foot of productive space is wasted. Well, when we got to the top of this mountain we could look down on the valley and the other hills, which weren’t so high, and it seemed like looking down on a lot of gardens; and we could count more than thirty little towns without the use of the telescope; so you see the country is thickly populated. The houses all have red or white tile roofs, which make them easy to distinguish from other objects.
Mother, I wish you could be here and see some of this scenery, which I am unable to describe, as I am sure you would be carried away with it and no doubt would be in favor of living in France after the war is over. The only drawback an American has over here is being unable to speak the language. I can only say a few words in French, can talk it about like I could German last year. However, I can say enough to get something to eat when I go into a restaurant. I am taking lessons in French at the Y. M. C. A. three nights out of the week. I am not with Third Battalion headquarters any more, but am at regimental headquarters. All the fellows in the office are very agreeable and fine fellows to be with, and I like my work better than any I have done since joining the army.
Our colonel enjoys the distinction of have been in command of the regiment who fired the first shot from an American battery on the Germans, and it is said that the 146th regiment is spoken of all over France as being the crack regiment of the American expeditionary forces.
Address me now “Headquarters Co. 146th Fr A, American E. F.” It is best to write out the word American, as by using the letters, the mail is liable to get mixed with that belonging to the Australian E. F. Give my love to all the folks with lots of love to yourself, I am
Your son
King M. Jernigan.
NOTES: King M. Jernigan was born in Harrison, Arkansas on September 21, 1891 and died on July 5, 1975. He is buried in the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Spokane, Washington. (King’s unclaimed ashes had been in storage for 42 years until they were interred in the cemetery with full military honors on October 3, 2017. He enlisted on August 20, 1917 and was discharged on June 28, 1919. He departed from New York, NY on December 24, 1917 onboard the SS Lapland. He was serving with Battery F, 146th FA. He returned to the US departing St. Nazaire, France onboard the Peerless arriving in Brooklyn, NY on June 15, 1919. He was serving with Hdqs. Detachment, 66th FA Brigade.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS