TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DREW COUNTY ADVANCE FEBRUARY 11, 1919 P. 4
Dear Mother:
This leaves me well and able to eat a square meal. I have just finished a long hike of eleven days and we are having it pretty easy now and we sure appreciate it for me were a worn out bunch of boys after our long spell of dodging shells at the front. I am a mounted man now and of course I had it a little easy on the hike. I was on the front about seven weeks. I have seen some real war but I got out altogether. This letter leaves me in Germany. I have been in France, Belgium and Luxemburg and am now in Germany at Murlanbach. We are in a German house. We have a good place to sleep; eight of us have a nice little room, have a stove, and chairs and tables. These Germans seem to be short on stock. I have seen them working milch cows and sometimes one horse and one cow. I guess you will think I am getting to be a regular globe trotter. I am with a fine bunch of boys. They are mostly from Arizona and Oklahoma. I will never forget my last day and night on the front. I was lined up for mess on Thanksgiving day and I heard my name called by the mail orderly and he handed me a letter. It was yours and Alice’s mailed at Winchester on Nov. 5. It was the first letter I had received since September, the one you sent to Camp Mills. It followed me across. On Thanksgiving day we got one mess kit filled with candy. I believe it was the best Thanksgiving Day I ever had.
Little Belgium sure gave us a warm welcome. We left France with her war scenes such as barbed wire entanglements and ruined villages, went into Belgium with her flags flying and all dressed up to welcome us. I got your letter telling about peace being signed. I guess the U. S. did celebrate some. This is Christmas day. It is snowing and we have a White Christmas. Snowballing is the order of the day. We are having lots of fun washing these German girl’s faces and throwing snowballs.
I got my Christmas box yesterday at noon and of course was glad to get it. We got several boxes in the room and we all divided. I was proud of my handkerchief. I sure needed it. We had a band concert last night and a Christmas tree and we all got presents. We did not have any reveille this morning, all slept until we got ready to get up. I go on guard at 1:20 o’clock. This piece of red, white and blue paper (a badge) was handed me by a lady as I passed through Luxemburg.
Well, I don’t have any idea when we will start across the pond again, but I will be mighty glad to see the Statue of Liberty again in New York harbor. I was on the water fourteen days on my way over. I crossed the ocean on the President Grant, one of my old Co. I chums just dropped in to see me. I know you are lonesome without Alice. I would like to see her at work in the store. I saw lots of fine looking girls in Belgium and Luxemburg. Would like to see all the people at Selma again. I must close, wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Roy M. Newman.
340th Field Artillery, Battery B. A. E. F.
NOTES: Manvil Roy Newman was born on May 30, 1887 in Illinois. He died on February 7, 1969 and is buried in the Selma Cemetery in Selma, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Private serving in Battery B, 340 Field Artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Dear Mother:
This leaves me well and able to eat a square meal. I have just finished a long hike of eleven days and we are having it pretty easy now and we sure appreciate it for me were a worn out bunch of boys after our long spell of dodging shells at the front. I am a mounted man now and of course I had it a little easy on the hike. I was on the front about seven weeks. I have seen some real war but I got out altogether. This letter leaves me in Germany. I have been in France, Belgium and Luxemburg and am now in Germany at Murlanbach. We are in a German house. We have a good place to sleep; eight of us have a nice little room, have a stove, and chairs and tables. These Germans seem to be short on stock. I have seen them working milch cows and sometimes one horse and one cow. I guess you will think I am getting to be a regular globe trotter. I am with a fine bunch of boys. They are mostly from Arizona and Oklahoma. I will never forget my last day and night on the front. I was lined up for mess on Thanksgiving day and I heard my name called by the mail orderly and he handed me a letter. It was yours and Alice’s mailed at Winchester on Nov. 5. It was the first letter I had received since September, the one you sent to Camp Mills. It followed me across. On Thanksgiving day we got one mess kit filled with candy. I believe it was the best Thanksgiving Day I ever had.
Little Belgium sure gave us a warm welcome. We left France with her war scenes such as barbed wire entanglements and ruined villages, went into Belgium with her flags flying and all dressed up to welcome us. I got your letter telling about peace being signed. I guess the U. S. did celebrate some. This is Christmas day. It is snowing and we have a White Christmas. Snowballing is the order of the day. We are having lots of fun washing these German girl’s faces and throwing snowballs.
I got my Christmas box yesterday at noon and of course was glad to get it. We got several boxes in the room and we all divided. I was proud of my handkerchief. I sure needed it. We had a band concert last night and a Christmas tree and we all got presents. We did not have any reveille this morning, all slept until we got ready to get up. I go on guard at 1:20 o’clock. This piece of red, white and blue paper (a badge) was handed me by a lady as I passed through Luxemburg.
Well, I don’t have any idea when we will start across the pond again, but I will be mighty glad to see the Statue of Liberty again in New York harbor. I was on the water fourteen days on my way over. I crossed the ocean on the President Grant, one of my old Co. I chums just dropped in to see me. I know you are lonesome without Alice. I would like to see her at work in the store. I saw lots of fine looking girls in Belgium and Luxemburg. Would like to see all the people at Selma again. I must close, wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Roy M. Newman.
340th Field Artillery, Battery B. A. E. F.
NOTES: Manvil Roy Newman was born on May 30, 1887 in Illinois. He died on February 7, 1969 and is buried in the Selma Cemetery in Selma, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Private serving in Battery B, 340 Field Artillery.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS