TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HELENA WORLD JUNE 14, 1918 P. 4
Saint Nazaire, France
May 24,1918
Mr. Edw L. Sprague
Helena , Ark, U.S.A.
Dear Officer:
You will note that we can tell you where we are now for the time being. However, we are expecting to move further up real soon. This is a very pretty place. It is a city of forty-five thousand inhabitants. The place is about sixty years old. The principal industry is ship building and now it is mostly a shipping point and there is some business handled here now. Our regimental headquarters have been here since we arrived last August. We have done some wonderful work here. About six miles from here we are working on a large railroad yard and when complete will be the largest railroad yard in the wold.
We have built warehouses, railroads and hospitals. I was away three months last fall working on a large hospital at Savenay and there are lots of wounded men there now. You see our work is important and must be done to take care of, feed and keep the fellows up front going. However, our time is coming for we are all raring to go over.
Get you a French history and read about this place. There is lots to read about. I have visited most all the places within a radius of forty-five miles of here. Have not visited Paris as yet but was in sixteen miles of the place on my way here. We have done quite a lot of traveling and seen lots. Have seen several great big guns, but not in action as yet. We live in a very pretty camp right in town near the ocean boulevard and there is always a crowd on the boulevard if the weather permits. Quite a lot of the boys have been in swimming. In fact there is always a bunch in bathing right near here. I went in once last summer. Too much water for me. Well, officer, I appreciate you writing me very much. At present we can get plenty of tobacco and cigarettes. They are much cheaper here. Tobacco is an issue now.
We are getting along fine. Give all the boys my best.
Your friend, Potter
My address—Harry J. Potter, Private, Company B, 17th Engineers (Ry)
A.C.F. Saint Nazaire, France
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLE MCCLAY CLEVELAND
Saint Nazaire, France
May 24,1918
Mr. Edw L. Sprague
Helena , Ark, U.S.A.
Dear Officer:
You will note that we can tell you where we are now for the time being. However, we are expecting to move further up real soon. This is a very pretty place. It is a city of forty-five thousand inhabitants. The place is about sixty years old. The principal industry is ship building and now it is mostly a shipping point and there is some business handled here now. Our regimental headquarters have been here since we arrived last August. We have done some wonderful work here. About six miles from here we are working on a large railroad yard and when complete will be the largest railroad yard in the wold.
We have built warehouses, railroads and hospitals. I was away three months last fall working on a large hospital at Savenay and there are lots of wounded men there now. You see our work is important and must be done to take care of, feed and keep the fellows up front going. However, our time is coming for we are all raring to go over.
Get you a French history and read about this place. There is lots to read about. I have visited most all the places within a radius of forty-five miles of here. Have not visited Paris as yet but was in sixteen miles of the place on my way here. We have done quite a lot of traveling and seen lots. Have seen several great big guns, but not in action as yet. We live in a very pretty camp right in town near the ocean boulevard and there is always a crowd on the boulevard if the weather permits. Quite a lot of the boys have been in swimming. In fact there is always a bunch in bathing right near here. I went in once last summer. Too much water for me. Well, officer, I appreciate you writing me very much. At present we can get plenty of tobacco and cigarettes. They are much cheaper here. Tobacco is an issue now.
We are getting along fine. Give all the boys my best.
Your friend, Potter
My address—Harry J. Potter, Private, Company B, 17th Engineers (Ry)
A.C.F. Saint Nazaire, France
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLE MCCLAY CLEVELAND