TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ASHLEY COUNTY EAGLE AUGUST 2, 1917 P. 2
New Orleans, July, 7 1917.
Mrs. Verna Johnson, Mist, Ark.,
Dear mother:
I received your most kind and welcome letter and was so glad to hear from you once more. Oh, we are having some rain tonight. I hope it will quit by morning, as I am in charge of quarters tonight.
I will tell you what I have to do: I have to keep the camp clean and check the camp at night to see if all the boys are in by 10:30; it sure is a job. You ask me what a Corporal had to do. We are the head man of eight men. We have to drill them and see that they are kept clean. We had a sham battle last Thursday. We sure did have a time. We marched nine miles out of camp, and it was some hot: but our side won the battle after all. Mamma, you ask me what I want to eat. Most anything you want to send me I will be very glad to get, for we sure get tired of eating this food all the time. Of course we have good grub to eat, but is not like what you get at home. You all may send me a cocoanut cake and some more of that fried ham would be mighty good. Tell Papa not to worry, for I sure have got a good stand in with my Captain, and if we have to stay in the service long I will be higher than a Corporal. I get $36.00 a month now and I think I will get more in a few months. I hope so any way. Tell them all to write to me. I want to hear from all my folks and friends but I don’t have much time to write or do anything but drill. I don't think we will be here much longer. We may go to Little Rock. I hope we will, as I will get to come home if we do. I think we want to go to France before November if we go there. I hope we won’t have to go at all, but it sure does look like we may have to go. Write soon to your son.
Albert Johnson
Co. D. 1st La. Inf., L. N. G.,
New Orleans, La.
NOTES: Johnson is writing to his mother in Ashley County. He serves in the Louisiana National Guard.
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER AND JOSEPH SPEULVEDA
New Orleans, July, 7 1917.
Mrs. Verna Johnson, Mist, Ark.,
Dear mother:
I received your most kind and welcome letter and was so glad to hear from you once more. Oh, we are having some rain tonight. I hope it will quit by morning, as I am in charge of quarters tonight.
I will tell you what I have to do: I have to keep the camp clean and check the camp at night to see if all the boys are in by 10:30; it sure is a job. You ask me what a Corporal had to do. We are the head man of eight men. We have to drill them and see that they are kept clean. We had a sham battle last Thursday. We sure did have a time. We marched nine miles out of camp, and it was some hot: but our side won the battle after all. Mamma, you ask me what I want to eat. Most anything you want to send me I will be very glad to get, for we sure get tired of eating this food all the time. Of course we have good grub to eat, but is not like what you get at home. You all may send me a cocoanut cake and some more of that fried ham would be mighty good. Tell Papa not to worry, for I sure have got a good stand in with my Captain, and if we have to stay in the service long I will be higher than a Corporal. I get $36.00 a month now and I think I will get more in a few months. I hope so any way. Tell them all to write to me. I want to hear from all my folks and friends but I don’t have much time to write or do anything but drill. I don't think we will be here much longer. We may go to Little Rock. I hope we will, as I will get to come home if we do. I think we want to go to France before November if we go there. I hope we won’t have to go at all, but it sure does look like we may have to go. Write soon to your son.
Albert Johnson
Co. D. 1st La. Inf., L. N. G.,
New Orleans, La.
NOTES: Johnson is writing to his mother in Ashley County. He serves in the Louisiana National Guard.
TRANSCRIBED BY LANDON TEER AND JOSEPH SPEULVEDA