TRANSCRIBED FROM THE OSCEOLA TIMES SEPTEMBER 13, 1918 P. 8
Aug. 14, 1918
My dear Miss Mabel:
Have had very little time to write you since left the States.
We are now billeted in a French village. This making the third camp since arriving in France, and have traveled four days and nights during this time.
This village is not very thickly populated, so our quarters are in the vacant house, barns, et sidera.
The first camp at which we stopped was located near an old castle. The moat still being around it. One sees much beautiful country and the way the people here farm would tickle an American to death. Wheat is just now being harvested. I mean cut. All of the wagons and carriages have only two wheels. You should see the ladies driving little donkies, they seem to be in vogue.
You never saw so many vineyards, mile after mile and nothing else.
England impressed me more than any other place I have seen. Every inch of the soil is in use. The trains of both England and France are a joke at first sight, wheels with spokes like wagons, and the coaches divided into several different parts, but they sure do get over the ground.
Another peculiarity of the French houses are that the house and barn are all in the same building. All of stone and most of them with high stone wall around them. Lots of the older ones still have signs of the mooat.
A fellow over here who can not count money sure is out of luck.
They have the most beautiful streams in this country I ever saw, and the parks are pictures.
Everybody drinks wine except the American soldier who can not get his money exchanged. I am in the latter class.
How is everybody in Osceola anyway. Sure would like to be there, but we are all coming home before very long if things keep going our way.
We certainly have traveled some since we left Osceola, something over 6000 miles, so now it isn’t much fun.
Guess school will have begun, ere you get this. Remember me to all the teachers and kids.
Lots of love to you all, and be sure and write me all the news and send me the Osceola Times.
Yours,
J.A. Pigg.
NOTES: John Alfred Pigg was a high history teacher and abstracter of Osceola, Arkansas. He was writing to Miss Mabel Flannigan. He was born in Kelso, Tennessee on October 1, 1889 an died in Osceola, Arkansas May 27, 1968. he is buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown in Memphis, Tennessee. He departed New York, NY on July 21, 1918 onboard the Minnekahda. He was listed as Private serving in 17th Battery FA July Automatic Replacement Draft Camp Jackson, SC.
TRANSCRIBED BY JACOB WOLTER
Aug. 14, 1918
My dear Miss Mabel:
Have had very little time to write you since left the States.
We are now billeted in a French village. This making the third camp since arriving in France, and have traveled four days and nights during this time.
This village is not very thickly populated, so our quarters are in the vacant house, barns, et sidera.
The first camp at which we stopped was located near an old castle. The moat still being around it. One sees much beautiful country and the way the people here farm would tickle an American to death. Wheat is just now being harvested. I mean cut. All of the wagons and carriages have only two wheels. You should see the ladies driving little donkies, they seem to be in vogue.
You never saw so many vineyards, mile after mile and nothing else.
England impressed me more than any other place I have seen. Every inch of the soil is in use. The trains of both England and France are a joke at first sight, wheels with spokes like wagons, and the coaches divided into several different parts, but they sure do get over the ground.
Another peculiarity of the French houses are that the house and barn are all in the same building. All of stone and most of them with high stone wall around them. Lots of the older ones still have signs of the mooat.
A fellow over here who can not count money sure is out of luck.
They have the most beautiful streams in this country I ever saw, and the parks are pictures.
Everybody drinks wine except the American soldier who can not get his money exchanged. I am in the latter class.
How is everybody in Osceola anyway. Sure would like to be there, but we are all coming home before very long if things keep going our way.
We certainly have traveled some since we left Osceola, something over 6000 miles, so now it isn’t much fun.
Guess school will have begun, ere you get this. Remember me to all the teachers and kids.
Lots of love to you all, and be sure and write me all the news and send me the Osceola Times.
Yours,
J.A. Pigg.
NOTES: John Alfred Pigg was a high history teacher and abstracter of Osceola, Arkansas. He was writing to Miss Mabel Flannigan. He was born in Kelso, Tennessee on October 1, 1889 an died in Osceola, Arkansas May 27, 1968. he is buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown in Memphis, Tennessee. He departed New York, NY on July 21, 1918 onboard the Minnekahda. He was listed as Private serving in 17th Battery FA July Automatic Replacement Draft Camp Jackson, SC.
TRANSCRIBED BY JACOB WOLTER