TRANSCRIBED FROM THE CLEVELAND COUNTY HERALD SEPTEMBER 26, 1918 P. 1
Dear Mother:
I was very much pleased to receive the letters from you and Ruth on August 12, also one from Edna. While they were little more than a month old, they were read with just as much interest and appreciation as if they had been only a few days old, The day after I received them, I wrote, or rather started a letter to you but wrote only one page and did not get to finish it, so today I will begin another and try this time to send it whether I finish or not.
Everything is progressing as well as could be expected in our squadron, in fact every one is working as earnestly and hard as they have ever worked, doing their bit toward winning the war. Our recent victories that you have been reading about in the papers are encouraging, ‘tis true, but they are not going to cause the allies to slacken their efforts to bring the war to a speedy and successful end. You can see from the news that all of us Americans are not only anxious to do our part in the war but that those of us who are in the Zone of Advance are doing our part. War is dangerous of course but when you are in it it doesn’t seem so dangerous as you would think. It is exciting too sometimes and fascinating, so you can imagine how eager many of the American boys are to get into the fights as mots of them like any thing exciting. They wouldn’t be Americans you know if they didn’t like such things as that.
It seems from your last letter that you would like very much for me to tell you more about where I have been and what I have seen since coming across. I haven’t written you many such things, of course there many things along this line that is not permissible to tell but some are, so I will try to write some of this part of my experience.
As I have written you before, I have been in both England and France and have so far enjoyed my stay in both as well or better than could be expected under the circumstances. I have had the pleasure of visiting many cities and seeing much of the country in both countries. Many things would be very interesting to write about in detail but with the limited time I have for writing it is only possible for me to write about a few things in a general way, and tell a few places I have visited.
In England I was in South Hamton, Winchester, Liverpool and other cities but did not visit London. So far as the places are concerned they are much the same as the same size places in the States though there is enough difference for you to tell they are built and inhabited by people of a different Nation, with different ideas and different customs. As a rule the streets are not straight with wide side walks nor the towns layed off in blocks as they are in the States, but probably that is caused by their being built many years ago. In Winchester I visited two very old cathedrals, on built in 1079 A. D., is very interesting and large with many pieces of sculptures and art, decorations ancient and modern, and tombs of ancient men, kings and queens inside its walls. In the other I saw ____ ____ things the noted King Authors Round table. England is a beautiful country, or the few hundred miles of it that I saw is. The roads are good and are always lined on eachside with evergreens or shrubbery of different kinds. When riding or walking on the roads a person almost thinks he is in a real lovers lane all the time. On either side you see pretty green pasture and fields one after another, and you pass many farm houses all made of brick or stone and with ever house beautiful flower gardens. Out on one of these roads I saw where one of the ancient english poets did much of his writing. With such beautiful surroundings it is no wonder that he wrote such verses. One thing I can certainly say for Englad is, that the people believe in making things as beautiful as possible.
In France, I have been in Paris, LaMos, Tours, LaHavre, as well as many other places. These are very much like the English cities in build and have in them many ancient tombs, buildings and places of interest to see. In Paris I saw some as pretty streets and driveways as you will see anywhere, also visited the Eiffiel tower. Napoleon’s tomb and other structures and monuments of interest. The parts of France I have seen and gone through are pretty, though it seems to me, it is more of a natural beauty than England, therefore more like the U.S. in that respect. One thing I don’t think much of here, though, is the way people have of building walls around everything. Almost every house you see in the towns or in the country is enclosed with a stone or rock wall so high you cannot see over it. Such as that spoils much of their beauty for it is impossible to see the pretty lawns and flower gardens within or tell how pretty they are unless you go inside.
I have used all the time I have to spare at this time so for the present must close.
Your obedient son,
Brawner Mosley
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CHOLOE SMITH
Dear Mother:
I was very much pleased to receive the letters from you and Ruth on August 12, also one from Edna. While they were little more than a month old, they were read with just as much interest and appreciation as if they had been only a few days old, The day after I received them, I wrote, or rather started a letter to you but wrote only one page and did not get to finish it, so today I will begin another and try this time to send it whether I finish or not.
Everything is progressing as well as could be expected in our squadron, in fact every one is working as earnestly and hard as they have ever worked, doing their bit toward winning the war. Our recent victories that you have been reading about in the papers are encouraging, ‘tis true, but they are not going to cause the allies to slacken their efforts to bring the war to a speedy and successful end. You can see from the news that all of us Americans are not only anxious to do our part in the war but that those of us who are in the Zone of Advance are doing our part. War is dangerous of course but when you are in it it doesn’t seem so dangerous as you would think. It is exciting too sometimes and fascinating, so you can imagine how eager many of the American boys are to get into the fights as mots of them like any thing exciting. They wouldn’t be Americans you know if they didn’t like such things as that.
It seems from your last letter that you would like very much for me to tell you more about where I have been and what I have seen since coming across. I haven’t written you many such things, of course there many things along this line that is not permissible to tell but some are, so I will try to write some of this part of my experience.
As I have written you before, I have been in both England and France and have so far enjoyed my stay in both as well or better than could be expected under the circumstances. I have had the pleasure of visiting many cities and seeing much of the country in both countries. Many things would be very interesting to write about in detail but with the limited time I have for writing it is only possible for me to write about a few things in a general way, and tell a few places I have visited.
In England I was in South Hamton, Winchester, Liverpool and other cities but did not visit London. So far as the places are concerned they are much the same as the same size places in the States though there is enough difference for you to tell they are built and inhabited by people of a different Nation, with different ideas and different customs. As a rule the streets are not straight with wide side walks nor the towns layed off in blocks as they are in the States, but probably that is caused by their being built many years ago. In Winchester I visited two very old cathedrals, on built in 1079 A. D., is very interesting and large with many pieces of sculptures and art, decorations ancient and modern, and tombs of ancient men, kings and queens inside its walls. In the other I saw ____ ____ things the noted King Authors Round table. England is a beautiful country, or the few hundred miles of it that I saw is. The roads are good and are always lined on eachside with evergreens or shrubbery of different kinds. When riding or walking on the roads a person almost thinks he is in a real lovers lane all the time. On either side you see pretty green pasture and fields one after another, and you pass many farm houses all made of brick or stone and with ever house beautiful flower gardens. Out on one of these roads I saw where one of the ancient english poets did much of his writing. With such beautiful surroundings it is no wonder that he wrote such verses. One thing I can certainly say for Englad is, that the people believe in making things as beautiful as possible.
In France, I have been in Paris, LaMos, Tours, LaHavre, as well as many other places. These are very much like the English cities in build and have in them many ancient tombs, buildings and places of interest to see. In Paris I saw some as pretty streets and driveways as you will see anywhere, also visited the Eiffiel tower. Napoleon’s tomb and other structures and monuments of interest. The parts of France I have seen and gone through are pretty, though it seems to me, it is more of a natural beauty than England, therefore more like the U.S. in that respect. One thing I don’t think much of here, though, is the way people have of building walls around everything. Almost every house you see in the towns or in the country is enclosed with a stone or rock wall so high you cannot see over it. Such as that spoils much of their beauty for it is impossible to see the pretty lawns and flower gardens within or tell how pretty they are unless you go inside.
I have used all the time I have to spare at this time so for the present must close.
Your obedient son,
Brawner Mosley
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CHOLOE SMITH