TRANSCRIBED FROM THE POINSETT MODERN NEWS JULY 24, 1918 P. 4
Dear Mr. Lewe:
Have been thinking for some timg that I would write you. Well, we made our safe arrival in France taking all into consideration we had a very good trip. We were fortunate to have pretty weather on the entire trip, with the exception of one day and night. The boat that we were on did some rocking, several times it looked to me like it would turn over. We were well protected from subs and that part didn’t worry us very much, yet we all felt relieved when we could see land. I never got so tired of looxing at water in my life. There were several interesting things that took place that we are not allowed to tell about. I am very favorably impressed with what part of France I have seen. It is a very beautiful country. Everything is much different to what it is in the states. Everything is a minature by the side of things there. The thing that looked the most odd to me was the railroad trains. They look like toys compared to those in the United States. The homes are all very old, built of some kind of stone and tile roofs. You can tell the country is at war, as it is common to see wounded soldiers and women in black. The people seem to take it as a matter of form and all are busy. If the farmers in the states worked half as much as they do here they would be rich.
They don’t have over four acres of land on which to raise everything, but that four acres is sure enough cultivated. You don’t see any land lying idle. We are at present in a rest camp about four miles from Bordinaux, one of the large cities of France. Don’t think we will stay here any length of time. It’s a good distance to the front, something like 400 or 500 miles. The people there don’t know how much to appreciate peace and prosperity. The people here have to strive to beat everything to exist. The people here would easily live on what is wasted there. I am much better satisfied than I thought I would be. Of course we haven’t begun our part yet and I don’t expect it to be this way all the time, as we are sure to see some hardships. I have adopted the policy of being optomistic and think that is the best as, it don’t do any good to worry. I am looking forward to the time when we can all come home with the country’s aims accomplished. Until then I will make the best of it here. I think of all there often and wish to see you, but will have to content myself thinking about things that have happened. One of the worst features is that we can’t hope to get mail for at least another month. I will feel lots better when I hear from home. We won’t be allowed to give any names of places when we leave here. I will have to quit for this time, and get busy hoping to hear from you some time in the near future.
NOTES: Hugh Deputy Severs is writing from France to his friend L. C. Griffin. His father is John Wesley Severs. Hugh was from Harrisburg, Arkansas. He was born on September 24, 1893 and died on January 8, 1969. He is buried in the Harrisburg Memorial Park in Harrisburg. His military headstone identifies him as a Pvt. In the US Army during WWI. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on May 26, 1918 onboard the H. R. Mallory. He was a Pvt. In the Motor Truck Company #412, Quartermaster Corps. He returned from Brest, France on June 9, 1919 onboard the Imperator, arriving in Hoboken, NJ on July 13, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS
Dear Mr. Lewe:
Have been thinking for some timg that I would write you. Well, we made our safe arrival in France taking all into consideration we had a very good trip. We were fortunate to have pretty weather on the entire trip, with the exception of one day and night. The boat that we were on did some rocking, several times it looked to me like it would turn over. We were well protected from subs and that part didn’t worry us very much, yet we all felt relieved when we could see land. I never got so tired of looxing at water in my life. There were several interesting things that took place that we are not allowed to tell about. I am very favorably impressed with what part of France I have seen. It is a very beautiful country. Everything is much different to what it is in the states. Everything is a minature by the side of things there. The thing that looked the most odd to me was the railroad trains. They look like toys compared to those in the United States. The homes are all very old, built of some kind of stone and tile roofs. You can tell the country is at war, as it is common to see wounded soldiers and women in black. The people seem to take it as a matter of form and all are busy. If the farmers in the states worked half as much as they do here they would be rich.
They don’t have over four acres of land on which to raise everything, but that four acres is sure enough cultivated. You don’t see any land lying idle. We are at present in a rest camp about four miles from Bordinaux, one of the large cities of France. Don’t think we will stay here any length of time. It’s a good distance to the front, something like 400 or 500 miles. The people there don’t know how much to appreciate peace and prosperity. The people here have to strive to beat everything to exist. The people here would easily live on what is wasted there. I am much better satisfied than I thought I would be. Of course we haven’t begun our part yet and I don’t expect it to be this way all the time, as we are sure to see some hardships. I have adopted the policy of being optomistic and think that is the best as, it don’t do any good to worry. I am looking forward to the time when we can all come home with the country’s aims accomplished. Until then I will make the best of it here. I think of all there often and wish to see you, but will have to content myself thinking about things that have happened. One of the worst features is that we can’t hope to get mail for at least another month. I will feel lots better when I hear from home. We won’t be allowed to give any names of places when we leave here. I will have to quit for this time, and get busy hoping to hear from you some time in the near future.
NOTES: Hugh Deputy Severs is writing from France to his friend L. C. Griffin. His father is John Wesley Severs. Hugh was from Harrisburg, Arkansas. He was born on September 24, 1893 and died on January 8, 1969. He is buried in the Harrisburg Memorial Park in Harrisburg. His military headstone identifies him as a Pvt. In the US Army during WWI. He departed for France from Hoboken, NJ on May 26, 1918 onboard the H. R. Mallory. He was a Pvt. In the Motor Truck Company #412, Quartermaster Corps. He returned from Brest, France on June 9, 1919 onboard the Imperator, arriving in Hoboken, NJ on July 13, 1919.
TRANSCRIBED BY LINDA MATTHEWS