TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SENTINEL RECORD DECEMBER 26, 1918 P. 4
We were twelve days making our trip over. It sure was exciting. In our convoy there was six transports loaded with soldiers. The ship I was carried on 2,200 soldiers and sure was crowded and it was about the smallest one of the six.
When we left U.S. Waters we had one battleship and two destroyers and after arriving near the ‘danger zone’ there were seven destroyers waiting for us, which made nine destroyers and one battleship. The battleship was relieved by another battleship which was with the seven destroyers and it had a large observation balloon anchored to it which the battleship carried far ahead of the convoy. The transports were abreast of each other and the destroyers were on all sides of us which made it almost impossible for a submarine to get to us. We had to wear life belts all the time and had to keep on all our clothing. We had fire drills very often. In the early morning just at daybreak we would hear the alarm and would all ‘beat it’ to our life boats and wait until the danger was over for that is when the ‘subs’ were expected---just at break of day and late of evenings. We saw one sub. I was on deck when the sailors all had a ‘fit’, that is, they shouter ‘submarine.’ Well, I saw it, we could see the periscope above the water, guess it was about a mile and a half from our ships. The destroyers were all around us now. Our ship had four six inch guns. When the alarm was given our gunners got busy. They didn’t fire but trained their guns in the submarine’s direction and the destroyers ‘beat it’ to where it was last seen. It was visible about three or four minutes and then ducked. It couldn’t have had any luck as we were too well protected.
If the submarine had come to the top and attempted to fire a torpedo our gunners would have finished it and they knew it too, that is why it didn’t take the chance of firing on us. (Sure was exciting)
I have a girl in Lyon. Took her to a show last Sunday. I have lots of fun trying to talk to them. I can speak a few words of French----enough to get by.
The girls are very much for the American soldier boys. They are very pretty, but the American girls for me. Ha. ha.
There are no men here at the school from my company except myself and Sgt. Rogers, and no Hot Springs boys except myself. Sgt. Harrell went to the school before this one but do not know whether he was commissioned or not.
I will close for this time, hoping this letter reaches you o.k. Give my regards to all my friends. Your bud,
Cand W. A. Morrow.
NOTES: William Alvis Morrow was writing to his brother. William was born in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on January 25, 1895 and died in Hot Springs, Arkansas on October 7, 1967. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Hot Springs. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Sgt. in Co C 154th Infantry during World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
We were twelve days making our trip over. It sure was exciting. In our convoy there was six transports loaded with soldiers. The ship I was carried on 2,200 soldiers and sure was crowded and it was about the smallest one of the six.
When we left U.S. Waters we had one battleship and two destroyers and after arriving near the ‘danger zone’ there were seven destroyers waiting for us, which made nine destroyers and one battleship. The battleship was relieved by another battleship which was with the seven destroyers and it had a large observation balloon anchored to it which the battleship carried far ahead of the convoy. The transports were abreast of each other and the destroyers were on all sides of us which made it almost impossible for a submarine to get to us. We had to wear life belts all the time and had to keep on all our clothing. We had fire drills very often. In the early morning just at daybreak we would hear the alarm and would all ‘beat it’ to our life boats and wait until the danger was over for that is when the ‘subs’ were expected---just at break of day and late of evenings. We saw one sub. I was on deck when the sailors all had a ‘fit’, that is, they shouter ‘submarine.’ Well, I saw it, we could see the periscope above the water, guess it was about a mile and a half from our ships. The destroyers were all around us now. Our ship had four six inch guns. When the alarm was given our gunners got busy. They didn’t fire but trained their guns in the submarine’s direction and the destroyers ‘beat it’ to where it was last seen. It was visible about three or four minutes and then ducked. It couldn’t have had any luck as we were too well protected.
If the submarine had come to the top and attempted to fire a torpedo our gunners would have finished it and they knew it too, that is why it didn’t take the chance of firing on us. (Sure was exciting)
I have a girl in Lyon. Took her to a show last Sunday. I have lots of fun trying to talk to them. I can speak a few words of French----enough to get by.
The girls are very much for the American soldier boys. They are very pretty, but the American girls for me. Ha. ha.
There are no men here at the school from my company except myself and Sgt. Rogers, and no Hot Springs boys except myself. Sgt. Harrell went to the school before this one but do not know whether he was commissioned or not.
I will close for this time, hoping this letter reaches you o.k. Give my regards to all my friends. Your bud,
Cand W. A. Morrow.
NOTES: William Alvis Morrow was writing to his brother. William was born in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on January 25, 1895 and died in Hot Springs, Arkansas on October 7, 1967. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Hot Springs. His military headstone identifies him as a Arkansas Sgt. in Co C 154th Infantry during World War I.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON