TRANSCRIBED FROM THE GREEN FOREST TRIBUNE OCTOBER 12, 1917 P. 2
To the Tribune:
I have just returned from a trip to Little Rock, having been conscripted to camp Pike, and as so many of you readers have friends and relatives in either Camp Pike of Ft. Roots, I thot perhaps they would like to know something of the place their boys are in and the treatment they receive, so in my own way I will try to tell them.
I arrived at Camp Pike at 2 o’clock in the morning of October 5th, along with about 300 others of the National Army. We were formed in line and marched to the barracks where we washed off some of the dust and cinders and after collecting a few blankets and other bedding curled ourselves up in bed to try to sleep. Some of us slept and some did not; however we were all ready to turn out when the whistle blew at 5:30 and after clearing up the quarters and a good wash we were ready for breakfast which consisted of bread, coffee, meat, rice, potatoes, post-toastes and milk in sufficient quantites for a giant. We were required to eat what we took in our mess kit. The rule is if you don’t want it, don’t take it, if you haven’t enough come back for more but Uncle Sam don’t want anything wasted and the mess sergeant seems to know it, for one company don’t have enough swill to feed one hog.
After breakfast I bid the boys from Green Forest a hasty good bye and went to the headquarters of Adj. Greene where I was released from service in the National Army because of my commission as a dentist, then I proceeded to look Camp Pike over.
The camp is about seven miles from Little Rock and is spread over several hundred acres. It is a city within itself. The streets are graveled and oiled and there are miles and miles of them built right thru the woods and across fields and creeks.
Owning to the dry weather and the lack of side walks the dust is terrible. Great clouds of it come down the street to greet you, but the soldiers don’t seem to mind it. I saw as much of the camp as I could and then went to the officers mess for dinner just to see how they fared. I found that they had about the same as the private but it was served by a negro waiter whereas the private waited on himself, however the officer is obliged to contribute about 70 cents a day for his meals.
In the afternoon I caught a jitney for the city and after looking aound there a short while caught another jitney for Ft. Logan H. Roots where I arrived just in time for supper.
The cook of Co. M. 2 Ark., Ola Gurley gave me a mess kit and told me to get in the line which I did, but when our boys from Green Forest saw me the line was broke, and badly broken, too. They sure were glad to see me. I cannot mention all their names and tell you about them all but I saw them all and shook hands with them not only the Green Forest boys but all of Co. M and also another boy of another Company, Idas Poynor.
I can assure the parents of these boys that they are well taken care of and they look well.
Captain Armitage told me that he thought as much of his men as I did of my boy and if he does, that is enough.
The boys say that get plenty to eat but something from home makes them feel that they are not forgotten and gives them new courage. Anything they say, such as a barrel of apples, a box of candy, nuts or cake, will do, but be sure to send something.
Yours respectfully,
Homer L. Leathers
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
To the Tribune:
I have just returned from a trip to Little Rock, having been conscripted to camp Pike, and as so many of you readers have friends and relatives in either Camp Pike of Ft. Roots, I thot perhaps they would like to know something of the place their boys are in and the treatment they receive, so in my own way I will try to tell them.
I arrived at Camp Pike at 2 o’clock in the morning of October 5th, along with about 300 others of the National Army. We were formed in line and marched to the barracks where we washed off some of the dust and cinders and after collecting a few blankets and other bedding curled ourselves up in bed to try to sleep. Some of us slept and some did not; however we were all ready to turn out when the whistle blew at 5:30 and after clearing up the quarters and a good wash we were ready for breakfast which consisted of bread, coffee, meat, rice, potatoes, post-toastes and milk in sufficient quantites for a giant. We were required to eat what we took in our mess kit. The rule is if you don’t want it, don’t take it, if you haven’t enough come back for more but Uncle Sam don’t want anything wasted and the mess sergeant seems to know it, for one company don’t have enough swill to feed one hog.
After breakfast I bid the boys from Green Forest a hasty good bye and went to the headquarters of Adj. Greene where I was released from service in the National Army because of my commission as a dentist, then I proceeded to look Camp Pike over.
The camp is about seven miles from Little Rock and is spread over several hundred acres. It is a city within itself. The streets are graveled and oiled and there are miles and miles of them built right thru the woods and across fields and creeks.
Owning to the dry weather and the lack of side walks the dust is terrible. Great clouds of it come down the street to greet you, but the soldiers don’t seem to mind it. I saw as much of the camp as I could and then went to the officers mess for dinner just to see how they fared. I found that they had about the same as the private but it was served by a negro waiter whereas the private waited on himself, however the officer is obliged to contribute about 70 cents a day for his meals.
In the afternoon I caught a jitney for the city and after looking aound there a short while caught another jitney for Ft. Logan H. Roots where I arrived just in time for supper.
The cook of Co. M. 2 Ark., Ola Gurley gave me a mess kit and told me to get in the line which I did, but when our boys from Green Forest saw me the line was broke, and badly broken, too. They sure were glad to see me. I cannot mention all their names and tell you about them all but I saw them all and shook hands with them not only the Green Forest boys but all of Co. M and also another boy of another Company, Idas Poynor.
I can assure the parents of these boys that they are well taken care of and they look well.
Captain Armitage told me that he thought as much of his men as I did of my boy and if he does, that is enough.
The boys say that get plenty to eat but something from home makes them feel that they are not forgotten and gives them new courage. Anything they say, such as a barrel of apples, a box of candy, nuts or cake, will do, but be sure to send something.
Yours respectfully,
Homer L. Leathers
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON