TRANSCRIBED FROM THE MOUNTAIN ECHO DECEMBER 6, 1918 P. 2
American Expeditionary Force
Somewhere in France.
November 18th, 1918.
Dear Mother and all:
Well, I thought that I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am O. K., and I hope that this will find you all the same.
Well, we sure did have some supper last night. We had every-thing from turkey down. It made me feel like the war was over and I don’t think that it will be very long until it will be, from the way every-thing looks now and I don’t care one bit, for it has got so it rains every day and it gets so awfully muddy over here.
Well, I will give you a list of what we had for supper last night, I will start in on turkey, pumpkin pie, potato salad, dressing for the turkey, grapes, nuts, corn, some kind of green salad, grape wine, chocolate candy coffee, cranberry jam, syrup and hot biscuits and there was some more stuff that I did not have room for, and we sure did have some time too. The day before the Capt issued each man a carton of cigarettes and a dozen razor blades and some chocolate candy. Then talk to me that that one does not get anything to eat when he is in the army. It is all a mistake for he does, at least I know that I have since I have been in the army and I have been here a long time or at least it seems to me like it has been a long time, whether it has or not, I have found no place to kick.
What do the people think of the war, back home, by this time? I think that we have a very good opinion of the war over here and I think that it is only a matter of a short time till it will be over with. Since Austria has quit the game it leaves Germany in a terrible fix and she can’t do anything very long for they sure are hitting him in the face and hitting him hard, from all reports that we get over here. It is some sight to see the prisoners that they are bringing back from the front, there are train loads very near every day going through this place and God only knows how many that are going to other places in France. I don’t see how they can hold out very long at that rate.
The health of the soldiers is fine in this country and I think that it is about the same every place in the allied armies. I am going to send you a souvenir of France, I will try and get it off this evening. But I don’t know whether I will or not. I will send sister something. Did you get the paper that I sent you? I will try and send one every week and you can see how the boys are getting along over here and up in the trenches, and it will give you an idea of what the army is like.
I will have to close for this time for it is about dinner time and I don’t know any thing to write. Will write you again in a few days and I want you to write often, for a letter from home helps a whole lot in a case like this. Tell everybody hello for me. With lots of love and good wishes. As ever, your son,
Jesse O. Stackhouse
NOTES: Jesse Oren Stackhouse was born on July 13, 1897 in Marion County Arkansas and died there on February 23, 1894. He is buried in the Keesee Cemetery in Monarch, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpl. in the US Army during WWI. He was writing to his mother, Lena M. Stackhouse.
TRANSCRIBED BY: ISAAC WOLTER
American Expeditionary Force
Somewhere in France.
November 18th, 1918.
Dear Mother and all:
Well, I thought that I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am O. K., and I hope that this will find you all the same.
Well, we sure did have some supper last night. We had every-thing from turkey down. It made me feel like the war was over and I don’t think that it will be very long until it will be, from the way every-thing looks now and I don’t care one bit, for it has got so it rains every day and it gets so awfully muddy over here.
Well, I will give you a list of what we had for supper last night, I will start in on turkey, pumpkin pie, potato salad, dressing for the turkey, grapes, nuts, corn, some kind of green salad, grape wine, chocolate candy coffee, cranberry jam, syrup and hot biscuits and there was some more stuff that I did not have room for, and we sure did have some time too. The day before the Capt issued each man a carton of cigarettes and a dozen razor blades and some chocolate candy. Then talk to me that that one does not get anything to eat when he is in the army. It is all a mistake for he does, at least I know that I have since I have been in the army and I have been here a long time or at least it seems to me like it has been a long time, whether it has or not, I have found no place to kick.
What do the people think of the war, back home, by this time? I think that we have a very good opinion of the war over here and I think that it is only a matter of a short time till it will be over with. Since Austria has quit the game it leaves Germany in a terrible fix and she can’t do anything very long for they sure are hitting him in the face and hitting him hard, from all reports that we get over here. It is some sight to see the prisoners that they are bringing back from the front, there are train loads very near every day going through this place and God only knows how many that are going to other places in France. I don’t see how they can hold out very long at that rate.
The health of the soldiers is fine in this country and I think that it is about the same every place in the allied armies. I am going to send you a souvenir of France, I will try and get it off this evening. But I don’t know whether I will or not. I will send sister something. Did you get the paper that I sent you? I will try and send one every week and you can see how the boys are getting along over here and up in the trenches, and it will give you an idea of what the army is like.
I will have to close for this time for it is about dinner time and I don’t know any thing to write. Will write you again in a few days and I want you to write often, for a letter from home helps a whole lot in a case like this. Tell everybody hello for me. With lots of love and good wishes. As ever, your son,
Jesse O. Stackhouse
NOTES: Jesse Oren Stackhouse was born on July 13, 1897 in Marion County Arkansas and died there on February 23, 1894. He is buried in the Keesee Cemetery in Monarch, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as a Cpl. in the US Army during WWI. He was writing to his mother, Lena M. Stackhouse.
TRANSCRIBED BY: ISAAC WOLTER