TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LAFAYETTE COUNTY DEMOCRAT MARCH 8, 1919 P. 1
Weitersburg, Germany
Mrs. H. J. Shurtleff
Dear folks:
Just a few lines to let you all know how things are progressing with me. Everything is as good as we could expect to be where we are. I am enjoying the best of health now. It seems useless for me to write you for I never hear from home, but never-the-less I will take advantage of the favorable opportunity, and write a lengthy letter for we have electric lights tonight and a good billet to sleep in with a good fire. It has not been my health nor anything in the line of duty that prevented me from writing more news, but have been a bit cautious as to what I write as I would not like to have a letter returned by the censor.
I will tell you in a brief way how we pass away these days beginning with Monday which is usually counted the hardest day, we rise at 6:15 o’clock and then breakfast following in about five minutes and if I were to tell you of the ham and eggs and such good eats we have you would not believe me, no, and I dont either. Then we begin to drill at eight o’clock, yes we still drill, and dont think strange of that for we have nothing else that would give us all a job, of course a good soldier is never idlesome and a healthy man is never found lying around. Noon time comes around quickly, then some more “slum” and we are ready to go back to the field and do Squads duty, but that is good for us and we dont get any more than we need. We have finished a days drill by 3:30 p. m. and then begin to doll up for retreat at 4:15. Then we have completed the days work, if not on any Guard or Detail duty such as kitchen police or wood detail.
Next you would like to know where we are. I am at liberty to tell you now. We are in a small town on a very high hill about 5 kilometers down the river from Coblenz, Germany on the Rhine River. We can stand and watch small boats go up and down the river and often we catch ourselves wandering, and think of the boat that brought us across the briney deep and we think of the days gone by when we were with our friends and home folks, but we never come over here on no picnic, but came to deliver the goods that have been delivered.
I will tell you of the hike to Rhine in a few lines, we started from central France, came thro Belgium, Luxemburg, and into Germany. The best thing I can say about it is we were blessed with the best of weather, we saw many things of excitement, and too it was quite a show to see a Division on the march and always some tired soldiers, we were on the hike from Nov. 17 until Dec. 16th.
We have a Y M C A here and they provide amusements for us.
I am hoping to hear from you all soon, haven’t heard from you all since I saw you at Camp Pike in July.
Much love to all.
Clinton O. Shurtleff.
NOTES: Oliver Clinton Shurtleff was on born December 23, 1895 and died on May 14, 1937. He is buried the Liberty Cemetery at Stamps, Arkansas. He served as a Pvt, Co C, 5th Machine Gun Ba.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.
Weitersburg, Germany
Mrs. H. J. Shurtleff
Dear folks:
Just a few lines to let you all know how things are progressing with me. Everything is as good as we could expect to be where we are. I am enjoying the best of health now. It seems useless for me to write you for I never hear from home, but never-the-less I will take advantage of the favorable opportunity, and write a lengthy letter for we have electric lights tonight and a good billet to sleep in with a good fire. It has not been my health nor anything in the line of duty that prevented me from writing more news, but have been a bit cautious as to what I write as I would not like to have a letter returned by the censor.
I will tell you in a brief way how we pass away these days beginning with Monday which is usually counted the hardest day, we rise at 6:15 o’clock and then breakfast following in about five minutes and if I were to tell you of the ham and eggs and such good eats we have you would not believe me, no, and I dont either. Then we begin to drill at eight o’clock, yes we still drill, and dont think strange of that for we have nothing else that would give us all a job, of course a good soldier is never idlesome and a healthy man is never found lying around. Noon time comes around quickly, then some more “slum” and we are ready to go back to the field and do Squads duty, but that is good for us and we dont get any more than we need. We have finished a days drill by 3:30 p. m. and then begin to doll up for retreat at 4:15. Then we have completed the days work, if not on any Guard or Detail duty such as kitchen police or wood detail.
Next you would like to know where we are. I am at liberty to tell you now. We are in a small town on a very high hill about 5 kilometers down the river from Coblenz, Germany on the Rhine River. We can stand and watch small boats go up and down the river and often we catch ourselves wandering, and think of the boat that brought us across the briney deep and we think of the days gone by when we were with our friends and home folks, but we never come over here on no picnic, but came to deliver the goods that have been delivered.
I will tell you of the hike to Rhine in a few lines, we started from central France, came thro Belgium, Luxemburg, and into Germany. The best thing I can say about it is we were blessed with the best of weather, we saw many things of excitement, and too it was quite a show to see a Division on the march and always some tired soldiers, we were on the hike from Nov. 17 until Dec. 16th.
We have a Y M C A here and they provide amusements for us.
I am hoping to hear from you all soon, haven’t heard from you all since I saw you at Camp Pike in July.
Much love to all.
Clinton O. Shurtleff.
NOTES: Oliver Clinton Shurtleff was on born December 23, 1895 and died on May 14, 1937. He is buried the Liberty Cemetery at Stamps, Arkansas. He served as a Pvt, Co C, 5th Machine Gun Ba.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT.