TRANSCRIBED FROM ASHLEY EAGLE JANUARY 9, 1919 P. 1
Camp Hospital No. 13,
France, Dec. 4th, 1918,
Dearest Mama and Papa:
Well I have at last arrived at my destination and am well pleased so far. I feel sure I’m going to like it here. Our crowd broke up last night --- eight of us were together in Paris, three went one way and two another way out last night, and the other three (of whom I am one) left this A. M. about 8. Capt. Kay and I bought our tickets yesterday and had our baggage checked, but Lieut. Bassett didn’t have his ticket or baggage checked. It’s some complicated system, these French have, ____ came down to the station this morning to help him. We had caught a subway car and had about twenty minutes to get ready in.
Pretty soon after leaving Paris we saw evidence of the war. I’d seen pictures of the barbed wire, dugouts, trenches, shelled villages, etc., but today I saw the real thing, which gives one a much better idea, though they are just like the pictures. There were miles and miles of barbed wire. The trenches were very irregular and only for little ways at a time. Dugouts were in all sorts of places, different sizes and of different construction. The railroad went down banks of the Marne river where lots of heavy fighting was done. We passed through Chateau-Theiry where the marines started the Germans on their retreat. Whole villages along the way were torn all to pieces, only walls of houses left standing. Sometimes a few of the houses were inhabited, as we could see smoke coming from the chimney. Shell holes were plentiful at places--only a few feet in diameter and filled with water, as it’s been raining a good deal lately. It was quite an interesting trip. I had first class ticket, but train was so crowded that I had to stand up all the way. Lieut. Bassett and I arrived in Chalons about 11 and took a car from there here. It was a nice drive---big closed in car with glass all around sides so we could see the country. Had a drive of about 25 miles of good roads---straight practically all the way, concrete or pike road, trees planted on each side of road, but practically all roads are that way. Often times one may see forests of many acres planted with trees in very straight rows both ways. It is a beautiful sight. They trim the trees very carefully, cut off tops and make them bush out. Grass is green and the grain crops are now coming up: so it doesn’t look much like winter, except that leaves are all off the trees, except pines and evergreens. This is really a very beautiful country. We had to walk about a mile over to Camp Hospital in the mud. Reported to Commanding Officer who is quite a nice doctor. It seems that they do not need us very much just at present, but did need us very badly a short time ago. We may relieve these doctors on duty here and let them go home. I don’t know. About half a dozen or more doctors here now. We were given quarters in a little building close to the hospital. Electric lights, coal stove, tables, fine beds, etc. Two officers in a room and two rooms in a house. I like it fine. I rested fine all the afternoon. Read an American paper I bought in Chalons, found a fine medical library in my room and even read some medicine and surgery. It will be quite a pleasure to work and study for a while now after going through all that I’ve been through with, though my experience will be of great value to me. I certainly will be glad to get some mail. Tried to find some things to buy in Paris but everything was sky high, and I didn’t know what to get anyway. Will get something when I go back there. Well it’s getting late and I’m tired and sleepy, but otherwise o. k. Fine food here and I ought to get fat.
Your Devoted Son
J. C. Simpson.
NOTES: Dr. John Clifton Simpson was born on February 20, 1892 in Ashley County Arkansas and died there on October 18, 1959. His military headstone identifies him as a Capt. MC Res. He is buried in the Hamburg Cemetery in Hamburg, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY KOBE HEAGERTY
Camp Hospital No. 13,
France, Dec. 4th, 1918,
Dearest Mama and Papa:
Well I have at last arrived at my destination and am well pleased so far. I feel sure I’m going to like it here. Our crowd broke up last night --- eight of us were together in Paris, three went one way and two another way out last night, and the other three (of whom I am one) left this A. M. about 8. Capt. Kay and I bought our tickets yesterday and had our baggage checked, but Lieut. Bassett didn’t have his ticket or baggage checked. It’s some complicated system, these French have, ____ came down to the station this morning to help him. We had caught a subway car and had about twenty minutes to get ready in.
Pretty soon after leaving Paris we saw evidence of the war. I’d seen pictures of the barbed wire, dugouts, trenches, shelled villages, etc., but today I saw the real thing, which gives one a much better idea, though they are just like the pictures. There were miles and miles of barbed wire. The trenches were very irregular and only for little ways at a time. Dugouts were in all sorts of places, different sizes and of different construction. The railroad went down banks of the Marne river where lots of heavy fighting was done. We passed through Chateau-Theiry where the marines started the Germans on their retreat. Whole villages along the way were torn all to pieces, only walls of houses left standing. Sometimes a few of the houses were inhabited, as we could see smoke coming from the chimney. Shell holes were plentiful at places--only a few feet in diameter and filled with water, as it’s been raining a good deal lately. It was quite an interesting trip. I had first class ticket, but train was so crowded that I had to stand up all the way. Lieut. Bassett and I arrived in Chalons about 11 and took a car from there here. It was a nice drive---big closed in car with glass all around sides so we could see the country. Had a drive of about 25 miles of good roads---straight practically all the way, concrete or pike road, trees planted on each side of road, but practically all roads are that way. Often times one may see forests of many acres planted with trees in very straight rows both ways. It is a beautiful sight. They trim the trees very carefully, cut off tops and make them bush out. Grass is green and the grain crops are now coming up: so it doesn’t look much like winter, except that leaves are all off the trees, except pines and evergreens. This is really a very beautiful country. We had to walk about a mile over to Camp Hospital in the mud. Reported to Commanding Officer who is quite a nice doctor. It seems that they do not need us very much just at present, but did need us very badly a short time ago. We may relieve these doctors on duty here and let them go home. I don’t know. About half a dozen or more doctors here now. We were given quarters in a little building close to the hospital. Electric lights, coal stove, tables, fine beds, etc. Two officers in a room and two rooms in a house. I like it fine. I rested fine all the afternoon. Read an American paper I bought in Chalons, found a fine medical library in my room and even read some medicine and surgery. It will be quite a pleasure to work and study for a while now after going through all that I’ve been through with, though my experience will be of great value to me. I certainly will be glad to get some mail. Tried to find some things to buy in Paris but everything was sky high, and I didn’t know what to get anyway. Will get something when I go back there. Well it’s getting late and I’m tired and sleepy, but otherwise o. k. Fine food here and I ought to get fat.
Your Devoted Son
J. C. Simpson.
NOTES: Dr. John Clifton Simpson was born on February 20, 1892 in Ashley County Arkansas and died there on October 18, 1959. His military headstone identifies him as a Capt. MC Res. He is buried in the Hamburg Cemetery in Hamburg, Arkansas.
TRANSCRIBED BY KOBE HEAGERTY