TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ROGERS DEMOCRAT MARCH 20, 1919 P. 1
Dear Folks:
Will try to write a few lines to you this evening. Am feeling fine hope this will find you all well.
Have been in an army school for the last six weeks. We put on our first demonstration yesterday for about fifty majors, colonels and generals. We showed them what real warfare is like and were highly cheered by them. We have to put on more stunts next week.
We are about eight miles south of Paris, but think we will go to Paris in a few days. We were on the water 14 days, going to the north as far as Newfoundland and coming around north of Ireland, landing at Liverpool. We were in England four days, then crossed the channel which was an all night's trip, then into France. Have been in many camps since but have never been to the front. Think I will go back to the States before Christmas. We have had fine weather the last twelve days but the sun seldom shone the last six weeks of the war.
We can count about thirty little towns from this fort, which in on a very high hill. There are no houses at all between the towns. Every body lives in town. There are U.S. soldiers in most every town in France. There were sixteen ships in the fleet when we crossed the pond. Fifteen troop vessels carrying about 2,500 each and one big battle ship. They sank one submarine coming across. It won't take so long to go back.
The U.S. is far ahead of this country. We see lots of German prisoners here. It seems odd to see the French and English in their two-wheeled wagons which is the only kind we ever see. They plow their ground with three horses, one ahead of the other, and it takes one to drive and one to hold the plow. Quite a few drive oxen.
England is a much prettier place than France. There is no kind of grain raised here but rice. That is what French bread is made of; but lots of vegetables are raised. This is a great dairy country and there are thousands of acres of open range. Each man herds his bunch of cows all day, drives them back home at night and puts them in the barn. The house and barn are all built together. They believe in having every thing handy.
Best wishes to all,
BEVERLY.
NOTES: This letter was written by Beverly Newton Robertson to his sister Mrs. P. D. Hawkins of Rogers, Arkansas. A later letter stated her name was Mrs. P. M. Hawkins. He was born in Pleasant Hill, Missouri on September 190, 1889 and died in Cass County, Missouri on May 16, 1968. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Harrisonville, Missouri. He departed New York, NY on August 13, 1918 onboard the Armagh. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in the Camp Pike July Automatic Replacement Draft Co. 12 Infantry. He departed Brest, France on July 7, 1919 onboard the Imperator. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 13, 1919. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in 331st Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Dear Folks:
Will try to write a few lines to you this evening. Am feeling fine hope this will find you all well.
Have been in an army school for the last six weeks. We put on our first demonstration yesterday for about fifty majors, colonels and generals. We showed them what real warfare is like and were highly cheered by them. We have to put on more stunts next week.
We are about eight miles south of Paris, but think we will go to Paris in a few days. We were on the water 14 days, going to the north as far as Newfoundland and coming around north of Ireland, landing at Liverpool. We were in England four days, then crossed the channel which was an all night's trip, then into France. Have been in many camps since but have never been to the front. Think I will go back to the States before Christmas. We have had fine weather the last twelve days but the sun seldom shone the last six weeks of the war.
We can count about thirty little towns from this fort, which in on a very high hill. There are no houses at all between the towns. Every body lives in town. There are U.S. soldiers in most every town in France. There were sixteen ships in the fleet when we crossed the pond. Fifteen troop vessels carrying about 2,500 each and one big battle ship. They sank one submarine coming across. It won't take so long to go back.
The U.S. is far ahead of this country. We see lots of German prisoners here. It seems odd to see the French and English in their two-wheeled wagons which is the only kind we ever see. They plow their ground with three horses, one ahead of the other, and it takes one to drive and one to hold the plow. Quite a few drive oxen.
England is a much prettier place than France. There is no kind of grain raised here but rice. That is what French bread is made of; but lots of vegetables are raised. This is a great dairy country and there are thousands of acres of open range. Each man herds his bunch of cows all day, drives them back home at night and puts them in the barn. The house and barn are all built together. They believe in having every thing handy.
Best wishes to all,
BEVERLY.
NOTES: This letter was written by Beverly Newton Robertson to his sister Mrs. P. D. Hawkins of Rogers, Arkansas. A later letter stated her name was Mrs. P. M. Hawkins. He was born in Pleasant Hill, Missouri on September 190, 1889 and died in Cass County, Missouri on May 16, 1968. He is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Harrisonville, Missouri. He departed New York, NY on August 13, 1918 onboard the Armagh. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in the Camp Pike July Automatic Replacement Draft Co. 12 Infantry. He departed Brest, France on July 7, 1919 onboard the Imperator. He arrived in Hoboken, NJ on July 13, 1919. He was listed as a Pvt. serving in 331st Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD