TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ASHLEY COUNTY RECORD MAY 31. 1917 P. 4
I am in the best kind of health; my arm is just about well, have had three shots in the arm besides my vaccination. Typhoid germs are shot into the body. The typhoid preventive is three shots at seven day intervals. Am sure glad it is over with. The second shot, which is the worst one, made me feel pretty bad for a while, but it didn’t last long. The soldiers are certainly well taken care of. The way we are cared for reminds me of a fine bunch of hogs or cattle that the owners use every precaution to prevent disease getting among. We get plenty to eat of good substantial food. Have potatoes, “spuds,” three times a day, cooked different ways, beef about three times a week, beans, peas, prunes, evaporated apples, rice, oat meal and corn flakes. Of course we do not have all of this at one meal, just one or two of each article named at a meal: coffee for breakfast and iced tea for dinner and supper.
This is a dry, windy, dusty, sandy barren looking country, 4062 feet above sea level; the nights are cool and we can sleep ten hours without waking. We are busy from 5:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. Nothing but drill, drill, drill, and believe me it certainly does get old. I’ve heard several boys say, “I had no idea the army was like this, or I would not have joined.” They talk as tho they didn’t expect to have anything to do but have a good time. I like it all right now, but would hate to go through again what I did before I was assigned to my troop—all the exams, vac., etc. It was anything but play. I am not one bit sorry that I enlisted and am just as well satisfied as I expected to be. Life here is mostly what a fellow makes it. If he will pay strict attention to what he is told and try to learn, he won’t have much trouble. We have a good bunch of officers and if a fellow does not learn what there is to know about marching, drilling, shooting and physical exercises, it is his own fault. But take it from me, it is going to be a long, steady grind to be in training a year, and I think Uncle Sam will want us about that long and then let us go. Every one who enlisted this year signed up to be subject to call for seven years, if Uncle Sam should need them now or at any other time within the seven years.
Our clothes were issued to us as everything else was. My wardrobe consists of two suits of khaki, three suits cotton underwear, six pr sox (white) and two O. D. shirts. I don’t know what the shirts are made of, but they are a brown color called O. D.; two pair of shoes; all shoes in the army are tan. The way they get shoes to fit is to take the measure of the foot. Some of the boys got their’s too large but I was pretty lucky all the way round, as my clothes and shoes too fit very well. We will get some more clothes before long and will get leather leggings with the next issue of clothes. The leggings we now have are canvas. The rest of our equipment consists of bridle, saddle, saddle blanket and spurs, one small tent, two blankets to sleep on or under, a mess kit of one cup, plate, knife, fork and spoon (aluminum,) one rifle and one pistol. The rifle weighs about nine pounds; the pistol is a 45 Colt’s Automatic, and they have to be kept perfectly clean, and we also have to keep our leather goods, saddle, bridle, shoes and leggings well oiled. We do not shine our shoes but have to keep them soft with leather soap, which I guess is made especially for Uncle Sam.
We have to get permission to go any where or do any thing, but a fellow will be treated right if he does what he is told and he is told everything; they don’t take it for granted that he knows anything. I thought I knew how to curry a horse, but I didn’t even know how to start at it. “When on the near side, which is the left side, hold your brush in your left hand and the comb in your right and use the comb to clean your brush only, never use a curry comb on a horse.” When “on the off side, which is the right side, hold your brush in your right hand and the comb in your left.” That is a sample of what we get and we have to do as we are told.
Do not worry about me, for I am just as well off here as I would be at home, as there is no danger of having either small pox or typhoid, and we are examined regularly to be sure that we are in good health.”
NOTES: Chase Augustin Phillips was born in Fountain Hill, Arkansas on October 18, 1896 and died in Ashley County on January 27, 1989. He is buried in the Flat Creek Cemetery in Fountain Hill. He was one of the first recruits to volunteer from Hamburg, Arkansas on April 23, 1917. He was discharged on March 19, 1919. When he wrote this letter he was serving in F Troop, 12th Cavalry stationed at Columbus, New Mexico.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
I am in the best kind of health; my arm is just about well, have had three shots in the arm besides my vaccination. Typhoid germs are shot into the body. The typhoid preventive is three shots at seven day intervals. Am sure glad it is over with. The second shot, which is the worst one, made me feel pretty bad for a while, but it didn’t last long. The soldiers are certainly well taken care of. The way we are cared for reminds me of a fine bunch of hogs or cattle that the owners use every precaution to prevent disease getting among. We get plenty to eat of good substantial food. Have potatoes, “spuds,” three times a day, cooked different ways, beef about three times a week, beans, peas, prunes, evaporated apples, rice, oat meal and corn flakes. Of course we do not have all of this at one meal, just one or two of each article named at a meal: coffee for breakfast and iced tea for dinner and supper.
This is a dry, windy, dusty, sandy barren looking country, 4062 feet above sea level; the nights are cool and we can sleep ten hours without waking. We are busy from 5:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. Nothing but drill, drill, drill, and believe me it certainly does get old. I’ve heard several boys say, “I had no idea the army was like this, or I would not have joined.” They talk as tho they didn’t expect to have anything to do but have a good time. I like it all right now, but would hate to go through again what I did before I was assigned to my troop—all the exams, vac., etc. It was anything but play. I am not one bit sorry that I enlisted and am just as well satisfied as I expected to be. Life here is mostly what a fellow makes it. If he will pay strict attention to what he is told and try to learn, he won’t have much trouble. We have a good bunch of officers and if a fellow does not learn what there is to know about marching, drilling, shooting and physical exercises, it is his own fault. But take it from me, it is going to be a long, steady grind to be in training a year, and I think Uncle Sam will want us about that long and then let us go. Every one who enlisted this year signed up to be subject to call for seven years, if Uncle Sam should need them now or at any other time within the seven years.
Our clothes were issued to us as everything else was. My wardrobe consists of two suits of khaki, three suits cotton underwear, six pr sox (white) and two O. D. shirts. I don’t know what the shirts are made of, but they are a brown color called O. D.; two pair of shoes; all shoes in the army are tan. The way they get shoes to fit is to take the measure of the foot. Some of the boys got their’s too large but I was pretty lucky all the way round, as my clothes and shoes too fit very well. We will get some more clothes before long and will get leather leggings with the next issue of clothes. The leggings we now have are canvas. The rest of our equipment consists of bridle, saddle, saddle blanket and spurs, one small tent, two blankets to sleep on or under, a mess kit of one cup, plate, knife, fork and spoon (aluminum,) one rifle and one pistol. The rifle weighs about nine pounds; the pistol is a 45 Colt’s Automatic, and they have to be kept perfectly clean, and we also have to keep our leather goods, saddle, bridle, shoes and leggings well oiled. We do not shine our shoes but have to keep them soft with leather soap, which I guess is made especially for Uncle Sam.
We have to get permission to go any where or do any thing, but a fellow will be treated right if he does what he is told and he is told everything; they don’t take it for granted that he knows anything. I thought I knew how to curry a horse, but I didn’t even know how to start at it. “When on the near side, which is the left side, hold your brush in your left hand and the comb in your right and use the comb to clean your brush only, never use a curry comb on a horse.” When “on the off side, which is the right side, hold your brush in your right hand and the comb in your left.” That is a sample of what we get and we have to do as we are told.
Do not worry about me, for I am just as well off here as I would be at home, as there is no danger of having either small pox or typhoid, and we are examined regularly to be sure that we are in good health.”
NOTES: Chase Augustin Phillips was born in Fountain Hill, Arkansas on October 18, 1896 and died in Ashley County on January 27, 1989. He is buried in the Flat Creek Cemetery in Fountain Hill. He was one of the first recruits to volunteer from Hamburg, Arkansas on April 23, 1917. He was discharged on March 19, 1919. When he wrote this letter he was serving in F Troop, 12th Cavalry stationed at Columbus, New Mexico.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS