TRANSCRIBED FROM OSCEOLA TIMES NOVEMBER 15, 1918 P. 6
France, Oct. 10, 1918
Dear Friend Simonson:
I received your good letter and home paper enclosed this morning.
Your letter is the first news I have had from home and it is useless for me to say how much I appreciated it. I must have letters somewhere, but yours was fortunate enough to find me, which is some job these strenuous days. It is very cold here now. There is hardly anything but grapes grown here; some beets for stock and some hay.
Poor old France. Everywhere shows her great sacrifice. It is very seldom you see a lady who is not in deep mourning. We have brought cheer to many a weary heart and they regard us as their saviors. There is nothing they would not do for us, which makes our boys all the more anxious to do their part well.
Wood is very scarce here and the fuel is obtained by pruning off the small limbs from the trees, the tree must not be cut for it must grow next years’ fuel. This is very new to us who have always been used to all the wood we need.
I am glad to note that our people have good prospects for crops and hope something will be done to help the cotton conditions and that we will get such relief from the government as we should have. If only a little more of the shipping could be given to moving the cotton which is so much needed here it would help greatly where it is needed so much.
We are all scattered over here and it is very seldom I see any of the home boys. We are on many fronts and I am proud to tell you that good accounts have been made at each place where they hit the Hun lines.
Mr. Simonson this thing is awful. You people will not know till it is all over. I see such awful effects and only console myself by thinking what we are doing to the damned scoundrels. We are now very victorious on all parts of the front and the cowardly curs see what is next for them and begin to talk of an armistice.
We are all proud of our president: and I saw an article also from Governor Lowden of Illinois that speaks for the great man he is.
I hope our people will not be deceived by the Hun offers and think that as long as us poor devils are willing to stay here and fight our people should not be too quick to say peace. We have them broken down now and to let them down short of what they have given poor Belgium and France would be very disappointing.
Please give my regards to all the good people of Mississippi county, and, again thanking you for your consideration in writing me the good letter. I am,
Your friend,
CURTIS J. LITTLE
NOTES: Major Little is writing from France to S. E. Simmons of Luxora, Arkansas. Curtis Joseph Little was born on June 21, 1874 in Indiana and died on April 2, 1951 in Mississippi County Arkansas. He is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Blytheville, Arkansas. He departed Newport News, Va on August 6, 1918 onboard the Huron. He was serving as a Major in Headquarters 77th Infantry Brigade.
TRANSCRIBED BY KAREN PITTMAN
France, Oct. 10, 1918
Dear Friend Simonson:
I received your good letter and home paper enclosed this morning.
Your letter is the first news I have had from home and it is useless for me to say how much I appreciated it. I must have letters somewhere, but yours was fortunate enough to find me, which is some job these strenuous days. It is very cold here now. There is hardly anything but grapes grown here; some beets for stock and some hay.
Poor old France. Everywhere shows her great sacrifice. It is very seldom you see a lady who is not in deep mourning. We have brought cheer to many a weary heart and they regard us as their saviors. There is nothing they would not do for us, which makes our boys all the more anxious to do their part well.
Wood is very scarce here and the fuel is obtained by pruning off the small limbs from the trees, the tree must not be cut for it must grow next years’ fuel. This is very new to us who have always been used to all the wood we need.
I am glad to note that our people have good prospects for crops and hope something will be done to help the cotton conditions and that we will get such relief from the government as we should have. If only a little more of the shipping could be given to moving the cotton which is so much needed here it would help greatly where it is needed so much.
We are all scattered over here and it is very seldom I see any of the home boys. We are on many fronts and I am proud to tell you that good accounts have been made at each place where they hit the Hun lines.
Mr. Simonson this thing is awful. You people will not know till it is all over. I see such awful effects and only console myself by thinking what we are doing to the damned scoundrels. We are now very victorious on all parts of the front and the cowardly curs see what is next for them and begin to talk of an armistice.
We are all proud of our president: and I saw an article also from Governor Lowden of Illinois that speaks for the great man he is.
I hope our people will not be deceived by the Hun offers and think that as long as us poor devils are willing to stay here and fight our people should not be too quick to say peace. We have them broken down now and to let them down short of what they have given poor Belgium and France would be very disappointing.
Please give my regards to all the good people of Mississippi county, and, again thanking you for your consideration in writing me the good letter. I am,
Your friend,
CURTIS J. LITTLE
NOTES: Major Little is writing from France to S. E. Simmons of Luxora, Arkansas. Curtis Joseph Little was born on June 21, 1874 in Indiana and died on April 2, 1951 in Mississippi County Arkansas. He is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery in Blytheville, Arkansas. He departed Newport News, Va on August 6, 1918 onboard the Huron. He was serving as a Major in Headquarters 77th Infantry Brigade.
TRANSCRIBED BY KAREN PITTMAN