TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN OCTOBER 5, 1917 P. 1
Camp Pike, Little Rock, Ark
Sept., 24.
Hello Tom, --How are you Baxter countyites. I thought that there might be some one who might like to know how we were progressing. We are doing fine now, but say, when we first came down for two or three days if you could have seen some of them you would have thought they had been their own funeral, but Ed Cope, Harold Messick and myself and Ralph Sanford kept up our cheering until we have a jolly bunch now. I feel 75 per cent better than I did when I left home. I was promoted this morning from private to Squad Corporal, and I mean to do my best and go on up. The General was here Saturday and told our Captain that we had picked up the drill better than any of the second drawn men in Camp Pike, and also complimented us on having the cleanest barracks in camp. We are all getting the pep in us, so when we are called upon to go after the Kaiser, we can go and get him. We are still quarantined but will be in such shape as to go any where we want by Saturday. Then we will all have us a time. Al the Baxter county boys are in the same barracks. Also the Izard and Fulton county boys. I know lots of them. I stumbled on Arch Porter Sunday. He is living here and is working at the carpenter trade.
Carpenters get from six to nine dollars a day. They need more carpenters than they have. Our barracks are eight miles square and many are not finished yet. Tell all the boys to take courage and not get disheartened. Well I cant write much longer as it will soon be time to go to the mess hall. It is a fine sight to see all us boys go in to eat. We go in the dining room single file. Go by waiters with our mess kits extended and get them filled, and file on around to the table. We all wash our own dishes and have Sunday to wash our clothes. I made $2.40 Sunday shaving boys and only worked two hours and a half. Extending you my best wishes.
Yours until my return.
Allen Skiver.
P.S. I am composing a new song and will enclose the first verse. It will be sung to the tune of “Marching Through Georgia.”
We are going down to Germany
To battle for the right
We are going to show those Germans
That the old U. S. A. can fight.
We will drop a bomb on Kaiser Bill
That will blow him out of sight
When we go after the Kaiser.
NOTES: Levi Allyn Skiver was born on November 19, 1886 in Mountain Home, Arkansas (one sources states Du Quoin, Illinois) and died on April 1, 1946 in Picher, Okla. He is buried in the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery in Miami, Okla. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas soldier serving in the 153rd Infantry, 39th Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY GABBY RUSHING
Camp Pike, Little Rock, Ark
Sept., 24.
Hello Tom, --How are you Baxter countyites. I thought that there might be some one who might like to know how we were progressing. We are doing fine now, but say, when we first came down for two or three days if you could have seen some of them you would have thought they had been their own funeral, but Ed Cope, Harold Messick and myself and Ralph Sanford kept up our cheering until we have a jolly bunch now. I feel 75 per cent better than I did when I left home. I was promoted this morning from private to Squad Corporal, and I mean to do my best and go on up. The General was here Saturday and told our Captain that we had picked up the drill better than any of the second drawn men in Camp Pike, and also complimented us on having the cleanest barracks in camp. We are all getting the pep in us, so when we are called upon to go after the Kaiser, we can go and get him. We are still quarantined but will be in such shape as to go any where we want by Saturday. Then we will all have us a time. Al the Baxter county boys are in the same barracks. Also the Izard and Fulton county boys. I know lots of them. I stumbled on Arch Porter Sunday. He is living here and is working at the carpenter trade.
Carpenters get from six to nine dollars a day. They need more carpenters than they have. Our barracks are eight miles square and many are not finished yet. Tell all the boys to take courage and not get disheartened. Well I cant write much longer as it will soon be time to go to the mess hall. It is a fine sight to see all us boys go in to eat. We go in the dining room single file. Go by waiters with our mess kits extended and get them filled, and file on around to the table. We all wash our own dishes and have Sunday to wash our clothes. I made $2.40 Sunday shaving boys and only worked two hours and a half. Extending you my best wishes.
Yours until my return.
Allen Skiver.
P.S. I am composing a new song and will enclose the first verse. It will be sung to the tune of “Marching Through Georgia.”
We are going down to Germany
To battle for the right
We are going to show those Germans
That the old U. S. A. can fight.
We will drop a bomb on Kaiser Bill
That will blow him out of sight
When we go after the Kaiser.
NOTES: Levi Allyn Skiver was born on November 19, 1886 in Mountain Home, Arkansas (one sources states Du Quoin, Illinois) and died on April 1, 1946 in Picher, Okla. He is buried in the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery in Miami, Okla. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas soldier serving in the 153rd Infantry, 39th Division.
TRANSCRIBED BY GABBY RUSHING