TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEWPORT DAILY INDEPENDENT FEBRUARY 5, 1919 P. 2
Somewhere in France.
December 25, 1918.
Mrs. Ollye Barrett,
Grubbs, Arkansas.
Dear Auntie:
I will now try to answer your letter of the 22nd, and you can never one time imagine how glad I was to hear from you. How is everybody at home now?
I am feeling all right. Have just finished dinner and it was a fine one too–much better than we expected.
How did you enjoy this Christmas? I would have been glad to be at home at this season of the year but may be (MISSING WORD) with you soon.
I have moved since I wrote you last. We were in the advance sector, but moved back about three hundred kilometers. I hope that the next move we make will enable us to shake hands with the statute of Liberty, but I fear we will be attached to the Occupation Army. I have seen a large portion of France, but have never been able to see sunny France yet. It rains almost every day.
Lawrence Wilson, the boy from Tupelo, is in the hospital, but I think he will be able to get back to the company in a short time.
You spoke of the French people. Yes, they seemed queer when I first came over here, but I have gotten used to them now. I have learned to speak some French. You wanted to know if I was sea sick coming across. I didn’t get very sick, but some of the boys had six meals a day–three going down and three coming up. I do not want to make but one more trip across that pond and that is one back home.
Have any of the boys I know been mustered out of the army yet? If you know the address of any of the Jackson county boys over here I would be glad if you would tell me in your next letter.
Have you had any severe winter yet? It hasn’t been very cold over here yet. But believe me, it’s doing some snowing now. Looks like we might have some winter before it is over. There is going to be a minstrel show at the Y.M.C.A. tonight. There are lots of negro soldiers in this camp and they are more than enjoying Christmas. I saw a negro soldier at noon who had had a little too much wine. It was certainly a funny sight to watch that negro eat. He was the happiest looking fellow I ever saw. The Red Cross gave each of us a package today, which contained tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and chocolate candy, which we all appreciated very much. The Y.M.C.A. gave the little French children a Christmas tree. I never saw any one appreciate anything as much as those poor little French children did. The expression on their faces when they received their presents was enough to pay any man back who had donated to the tree. Take it from me the Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. are doing great work over here. A soldier’s life would be one of torture if it were not for them.
I had a letter from home yesterday. I was sure sorry to hear of so many of my friends and neighbors being dead. That “flu” has killed many people. Two boys from my squadron died with it.
How is grandmother now? Well, it is about supper time. Guess I had better close. Give my love and best wishes to all.
I am your nephew,
Private Cecil Melville,
F.R.S., No. 331, A.E.F., France
NOTES: Cecil Melville was the son of Jackson County Judge John A. Melville. He was born on April 6. 1897 and died on October 24, 1896. He is buried in the Roselawn Memorial Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France on June 25, 1919 onboard the Seattle He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 4, 1919. He was serving as a Private in Field Remount Squad 331.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Somewhere in France.
December 25, 1918.
Mrs. Ollye Barrett,
Grubbs, Arkansas.
Dear Auntie:
I will now try to answer your letter of the 22nd, and you can never one time imagine how glad I was to hear from you. How is everybody at home now?
I am feeling all right. Have just finished dinner and it was a fine one too–much better than we expected.
How did you enjoy this Christmas? I would have been glad to be at home at this season of the year but may be (MISSING WORD) with you soon.
I have moved since I wrote you last. We were in the advance sector, but moved back about three hundred kilometers. I hope that the next move we make will enable us to shake hands with the statute of Liberty, but I fear we will be attached to the Occupation Army. I have seen a large portion of France, but have never been able to see sunny France yet. It rains almost every day.
Lawrence Wilson, the boy from Tupelo, is in the hospital, but I think he will be able to get back to the company in a short time.
You spoke of the French people. Yes, they seemed queer when I first came over here, but I have gotten used to them now. I have learned to speak some French. You wanted to know if I was sea sick coming across. I didn’t get very sick, but some of the boys had six meals a day–three going down and three coming up. I do not want to make but one more trip across that pond and that is one back home.
Have any of the boys I know been mustered out of the army yet? If you know the address of any of the Jackson county boys over here I would be glad if you would tell me in your next letter.
Have you had any severe winter yet? It hasn’t been very cold over here yet. But believe me, it’s doing some snowing now. Looks like we might have some winter before it is over. There is going to be a minstrel show at the Y.M.C.A. tonight. There are lots of negro soldiers in this camp and they are more than enjoying Christmas. I saw a negro soldier at noon who had had a little too much wine. It was certainly a funny sight to watch that negro eat. He was the happiest looking fellow I ever saw. The Red Cross gave each of us a package today, which contained tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and chocolate candy, which we all appreciated very much. The Y.M.C.A. gave the little French children a Christmas tree. I never saw any one appreciate anything as much as those poor little French children did. The expression on their faces when they received their presents was enough to pay any man back who had donated to the tree. Take it from me the Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. are doing great work over here. A soldier’s life would be one of torture if it were not for them.
I had a letter from home yesterday. I was sure sorry to hear of so many of my friends and neighbors being dead. That “flu” has killed many people. Two boys from my squadron died with it.
How is grandmother now? Well, it is about supper time. Guess I had better close. Give my love and best wishes to all.
I am your nephew,
Private Cecil Melville,
F.R.S., No. 331, A.E.F., France
NOTES: Cecil Melville was the son of Jackson County Judge John A. Melville. He was born on April 6. 1897 and died on October 24, 1896. He is buried in the Roselawn Memorial Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France on June 25, 1919 onboard the Seattle He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 4, 1919. He was serving as a Private in Field Remount Squad 331.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS