TRANSCRIBED FROM THE STAR PROGRESS OCTOBER 11, 1918 P. 4
Dear Father and Mother:
Well, I guess I can tell you a few things of trench life as I have been in the front line trench the 2nd time and am now in rest billets back of the line. The last time we were in the trench they shelled us like they meant it for 70 minutes and then sent one shell off and on during the day. But they didn't make much off of our boys. We lost one man and 7 were wounded. I think that was a very small loss in a way, for the boches lost more men than we did, I guess they thought that we would run so they sent some of their men over but they received a surprise for they found all of us on the job. Well as you would suppose, life in the trench is not like home but in nice weather it isn't so bad. We don't stay in the trench long at a time, for there are American lads enough over here that we don't have to. Well I can't give a very good description of things over here but can say this, the condition isn't as bad as I thought it was and I think we will get to eat Christmas dinner in the U.S. but don't know. I am sitting on a bank with a piece of wood 6 by 6 inches in size and 2 foot long across my knee for a desk and a candle stuck on the end for a light. As we move so much that is all the light we can carry with us and it does very well. Uncle Sam gives them to us so you can see how it is. It is now 20 minutes after 8 and I will have to go to bed soon for I am sleepy and it is raining and I like to sleep in rainy weather so as I can't think of much to write guess I will ring off. As ever your soldier boy in France.
ROBERT R. SCOTT
NOTES: Robert Ray Scott was writing to his parents Robert Harris and Francis Scott. (One letter show his name as Roy) He was born on October 20, 1893 in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma and died on January 9, 1962 in Kansas. He is buried in the Sunset Lawns Cemetery in El Dorado, Kansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Kansas, Pvt. Co. F. 116th Infantry serving in World War I. He was living in Berryville, Arkansas when he registered for the draft and was described as being tall and slender with gray eyes and auburn hair. He enlisted on March 21, 1918 and was discharged on June 4, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Dear Father and Mother:
Well, I guess I can tell you a few things of trench life as I have been in the front line trench the 2nd time and am now in rest billets back of the line. The last time we were in the trench they shelled us like they meant it for 70 minutes and then sent one shell off and on during the day. But they didn't make much off of our boys. We lost one man and 7 were wounded. I think that was a very small loss in a way, for the boches lost more men than we did, I guess they thought that we would run so they sent some of their men over but they received a surprise for they found all of us on the job. Well as you would suppose, life in the trench is not like home but in nice weather it isn't so bad. We don't stay in the trench long at a time, for there are American lads enough over here that we don't have to. Well I can't give a very good description of things over here but can say this, the condition isn't as bad as I thought it was and I think we will get to eat Christmas dinner in the U.S. but don't know. I am sitting on a bank with a piece of wood 6 by 6 inches in size and 2 foot long across my knee for a desk and a candle stuck on the end for a light. As we move so much that is all the light we can carry with us and it does very well. Uncle Sam gives them to us so you can see how it is. It is now 20 minutes after 8 and I will have to go to bed soon for I am sleepy and it is raining and I like to sleep in rainy weather so as I can't think of much to write guess I will ring off. As ever your soldier boy in France.
ROBERT R. SCOTT
NOTES: Robert Ray Scott was writing to his parents Robert Harris and Francis Scott. (One letter show his name as Roy) He was born on October 20, 1893 in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma and died on January 9, 1962 in Kansas. He is buried in the Sunset Lawns Cemetery in El Dorado, Kansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Kansas, Pvt. Co. F. 116th Infantry serving in World War I. He was living in Berryville, Arkansas when he registered for the draft and was described as being tall and slender with gray eyes and auburn hair. He enlisted on March 21, 1918 and was discharged on June 4, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT