TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKANSAS GAZETTE OCTOBER 31, 1918 P 10
I have made another move since the last time I wrote you, and am now somewhere else in France. We made the trip from there to here on one of those funny little French trains. Thy certainly are a joke, the coaches are not much bigger than an American wheelbarrow, and just about as speedy.
On the way we passed through some of the most picturesque country that I have ever had the good fortune to look upon. I wish I had my pallette and brushes, and the landscapes over here were made to put on canvas. The ripening fields of wheat, the decorative popular trees, quaint houses and streets and people, are all A No. 1 material for picture making.
Rennes, the place we just left, is a wonderful old city, and when I say old, I mean old with a capital “O”? It was formerly for centuries and centuries the capital town of Brittany Provinces. Here lived the representatives of the kings of France, and a lot of other “big bugs” of olden days. The postoffice was built in 1655. In those days it was used as a house of parliament and there are many other ancient buildings in the city. From the looks of them they must have been built in the time of Noah. This is indeed a quaint and interesting country.
We are now located within a five-minute walk of one of the most beautiful and historic cheateaus in all of France. It was built in 1515 and is a wonderful piece of architecture. I went all through the building yesterday, and it is magnificent. Some of the rooms have the portraits and furniture in them just as they were when occupied by Francis, the first king of France. The pictures hanging on the wall look as though they were painted yesterday. I like this place very much better than Rennes, and am just having the time of my life. I can look out of the window beside me here and see the old chateau with its many domes and spires and it is an inspiring sight. The place in which we are encamped in is inclosed in a 30-mile stone wall, and the forest is just alive with deer, fox and pheasants. The bellowing of the deer keeps us awake at night. Some life isn’t it?
The job I have now consists mostly of eating and sleeping.
The rainy season has set in over here, and we have had only two days of real sunshine in the past 10, but our sleeping quarters are fixed up fine and dandy, so we do not mind the rain.
The boys who have not had an opportunity to come over here surely are missing something,
You know what Sherman said, “War is Hell,” but there is also a hell of a lot of fun connected with it, and I only look for the funny part, and most of the boys do the same. So you very seldom see a glum expression on an American soldier’s face over here.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Serg. Maj. Barney Ellsworth Peaker to his parents Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Peaker. He was born on April 11, 1889 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on May 22, 1955 in Little Rock. He is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock. He was described as being tall and slender with hazel eyes and dark hair. He was serving with Headquarters Co. 523rd Engineers (service battalion). He sailed with his unit from New York on the Martha Washington on July 10, 1918. He sailed from France on the Texan on June 15, 1919. He was listed as serving with Headquarters 22nd Co. 20 th Engineers (service battalion).
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
I have made another move since the last time I wrote you, and am now somewhere else in France. We made the trip from there to here on one of those funny little French trains. Thy certainly are a joke, the coaches are not much bigger than an American wheelbarrow, and just about as speedy.
On the way we passed through some of the most picturesque country that I have ever had the good fortune to look upon. I wish I had my pallette and brushes, and the landscapes over here were made to put on canvas. The ripening fields of wheat, the decorative popular trees, quaint houses and streets and people, are all A No. 1 material for picture making.
Rennes, the place we just left, is a wonderful old city, and when I say old, I mean old with a capital “O”? It was formerly for centuries and centuries the capital town of Brittany Provinces. Here lived the representatives of the kings of France, and a lot of other “big bugs” of olden days. The postoffice was built in 1655. In those days it was used as a house of parliament and there are many other ancient buildings in the city. From the looks of them they must have been built in the time of Noah. This is indeed a quaint and interesting country.
We are now located within a five-minute walk of one of the most beautiful and historic cheateaus in all of France. It was built in 1515 and is a wonderful piece of architecture. I went all through the building yesterday, and it is magnificent. Some of the rooms have the portraits and furniture in them just as they were when occupied by Francis, the first king of France. The pictures hanging on the wall look as though they were painted yesterday. I like this place very much better than Rennes, and am just having the time of my life. I can look out of the window beside me here and see the old chateau with its many domes and spires and it is an inspiring sight. The place in which we are encamped in is inclosed in a 30-mile stone wall, and the forest is just alive with deer, fox and pheasants. The bellowing of the deer keeps us awake at night. Some life isn’t it?
The job I have now consists mostly of eating and sleeping.
The rainy season has set in over here, and we have had only two days of real sunshine in the past 10, but our sleeping quarters are fixed up fine and dandy, so we do not mind the rain.
The boys who have not had an opportunity to come over here surely are missing something,
You know what Sherman said, “War is Hell,” but there is also a hell of a lot of fun connected with it, and I only look for the funny part, and most of the boys do the same. So you very seldom see a glum expression on an American soldier’s face over here.
NOTES: This partial letter was written by Serg. Maj. Barney Ellsworth Peaker to his parents Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Peaker. He was born on April 11, 1889 in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on May 22, 1955 in Little Rock. He is buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock. He was described as being tall and slender with hazel eyes and dark hair. He was serving with Headquarters Co. 523rd Engineers (service battalion). He sailed with his unit from New York on the Martha Washington on July 10, 1918. He sailed from France on the Texan on June 15, 1919. He was listed as serving with Headquarters 22nd Co. 20 th Engineers (service battalion).
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT