TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BAXTER BULLETIN NOVEMBER 23, 1917 P. 2
Fort Sam Houston
A.M.C. Causual Detach.
San Antonia, Texas.
Nov, 12th. 1917.
To Editors Baxter Co. Bulletin
Mr. Tomand Mr. Ennes Shiras
Mountain Home. Ark.
Dear Sirs:
Since volunteering for the service against Autocracy and the Kaiserism I have been without the news from my former town and county, which I used to get through the columns of your paper, the Baxter Co. Bulletin.
In the service in the present strenuous times, it is very doubtful about becoming permanently stationed. However, when the Kaiser is subdued which I hope will be accomplished much sooner than we now think, I expect to be a subscriber to your splendid weekly paper.
I applied and was accepted for war service, at Jefferson Barracks St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 15th. while awaiting orders from Washington, D.C. for shipment.
My duties involved the working and guarding prisoners, some of which were garrison prisoners, general prisoners, spies. About the first of Oct. I was ordered to report to Fort Sam Houston, Tex., for duty, which post is located at San Antonia.
This is a very beautiful, as well as a historical city. I have visited many of the historical places, among them being the Alamo where Bowie, Crockett and Travis lost their lives in defending it against the Mexican General, Santa Anna. Also several of the old Spanish Missions, which to us at the present time, from outward appearances, would seem to be very roughly constructed, but once Inside will cause you to view it in a different light, it boing very artistically designed.
San Antonia is known as the “Alamo City,” and never was was more prosperous than it is at the present time.
Camp Travis is the Nat. Army Cantonment. Fort Sam Houston is the Reg. Army Fort. Kelley Field is the Aviation Camp, Fort Sam Houston is headquarters of the Southern Dept. of the army and which has nearly every branch of the service represented and included in the Fort. It has one of the largest Motor Truck Companys, also pack trains, wagon trains, artillery, cavalry infantry, waste supplies of all kinds, hospital and ambulance corps. remount stations. etc. which included a force of about 30,000 men.
Kelley Field is an aviation camp of 30,000.
Camp Travis has about 46,000 men. All except the aviation which is located about 6 miles out, are in the edge of the suburbs of the city and near the the street car line.
Camp Stanley, better known as the Leon Springs training camp, is about twenty miles distant.
There are many nationalities to be found in the Alamo city, the Mexican market place is characteristic of Fillipino market places in the Islands.
The negro riot troops, belonging to the 24th Infantry, whose regiment is stationed at Houston Tex., are here on trial for murder and mutiny.
I belong to company A, of the O.M.C. and am acting the duties in rank of Sergeant. over Com which I belong to is composed of from 60 to 100 men, some being ordered away and some coming in all the while. I do not know at what time I might be ordered away from this post.
I have tried my skill on the Rife Range and so far I have the highest score, which some of the boys from other states don’t seem to like to admit to be beaten by a boy from Arkansas. My score is 45 points out of a possible 50 at a 300 yard target.
I have bought two Liberty Bonds and also have taken out a $10,000.00 War Risk Insurance.
There are 19 countries at war on the side of the allies, more than three-fourths of the world’s population is now against Germany. Germany’s enemies now include nearly all the white and yellow races, and the physical resources of about half of the world’s area are mobilized against the force of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. So I think that the Kaiser and his Teutous Allie’s days are numbered. He, in many ways has begun to feel what is soon coming to him and what he is sure to get.
His sudden spurt with superior number against the Italians will be nothing to compare with the medicine that he is going to get. And he’ll get all he can stand for in the year 1918. If he holds out until then, he will be going toward Berlin in the same manner that he came down the hill on his way back home from France in 1914. I will illustrate his retreat in this manner: Kaiser Bill went up the hill to get a piece of France. Kaiser Bill came down the hill with bullets in his pants.”
We can help to administer the medicine by buying Liberty Bonds-- Food and fuel
combined with munition and money will can the Kaiser, without the necessity of future human sacrifices.
With best wishes from a Baxter county citizen and soldier,
Herman G. Steely
NOTES: Herman Grady Steely was born on November 27, 1888 in Noble, Missouri and died on November 13, 1979 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is buried in the Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City. He served in the National Guard for three years before the war. He registered for the draft in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height and build with brown eyes and dark hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY GABBY RUSHING
Fort Sam Houston
A.M.C. Causual Detach.
San Antonia, Texas.
Nov, 12th. 1917.
To Editors Baxter Co. Bulletin
Mr. Tomand Mr. Ennes Shiras
Mountain Home. Ark.
Dear Sirs:
Since volunteering for the service against Autocracy and the Kaiserism I have been without the news from my former town and county, which I used to get through the columns of your paper, the Baxter Co. Bulletin.
In the service in the present strenuous times, it is very doubtful about becoming permanently stationed. However, when the Kaiser is subdued which I hope will be accomplished much sooner than we now think, I expect to be a subscriber to your splendid weekly paper.
I applied and was accepted for war service, at Jefferson Barracks St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 15th. while awaiting orders from Washington, D.C. for shipment.
My duties involved the working and guarding prisoners, some of which were garrison prisoners, general prisoners, spies. About the first of Oct. I was ordered to report to Fort Sam Houston, Tex., for duty, which post is located at San Antonia.
This is a very beautiful, as well as a historical city. I have visited many of the historical places, among them being the Alamo where Bowie, Crockett and Travis lost their lives in defending it against the Mexican General, Santa Anna. Also several of the old Spanish Missions, which to us at the present time, from outward appearances, would seem to be very roughly constructed, but once Inside will cause you to view it in a different light, it boing very artistically designed.
San Antonia is known as the “Alamo City,” and never was was more prosperous than it is at the present time.
Camp Travis is the Nat. Army Cantonment. Fort Sam Houston is the Reg. Army Fort. Kelley Field is the Aviation Camp, Fort Sam Houston is headquarters of the Southern Dept. of the army and which has nearly every branch of the service represented and included in the Fort. It has one of the largest Motor Truck Companys, also pack trains, wagon trains, artillery, cavalry infantry, waste supplies of all kinds, hospital and ambulance corps. remount stations. etc. which included a force of about 30,000 men.
Kelley Field is an aviation camp of 30,000.
Camp Travis has about 46,000 men. All except the aviation which is located about 6 miles out, are in the edge of the suburbs of the city and near the the street car line.
Camp Stanley, better known as the Leon Springs training camp, is about twenty miles distant.
There are many nationalities to be found in the Alamo city, the Mexican market place is characteristic of Fillipino market places in the Islands.
The negro riot troops, belonging to the 24th Infantry, whose regiment is stationed at Houston Tex., are here on trial for murder and mutiny.
I belong to company A, of the O.M.C. and am acting the duties in rank of Sergeant. over Com which I belong to is composed of from 60 to 100 men, some being ordered away and some coming in all the while. I do not know at what time I might be ordered away from this post.
I have tried my skill on the Rife Range and so far I have the highest score, which some of the boys from other states don’t seem to like to admit to be beaten by a boy from Arkansas. My score is 45 points out of a possible 50 at a 300 yard target.
I have bought two Liberty Bonds and also have taken out a $10,000.00 War Risk Insurance.
There are 19 countries at war on the side of the allies, more than three-fourths of the world’s population is now against Germany. Germany’s enemies now include nearly all the white and yellow races, and the physical resources of about half of the world’s area are mobilized against the force of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. So I think that the Kaiser and his Teutous Allie’s days are numbered. He, in many ways has begun to feel what is soon coming to him and what he is sure to get.
His sudden spurt with superior number against the Italians will be nothing to compare with the medicine that he is going to get. And he’ll get all he can stand for in the year 1918. If he holds out until then, he will be going toward Berlin in the same manner that he came down the hill on his way back home from France in 1914. I will illustrate his retreat in this manner: Kaiser Bill went up the hill to get a piece of France. Kaiser Bill came down the hill with bullets in his pants.”
We can help to administer the medicine by buying Liberty Bonds-- Food and fuel
combined with munition and money will can the Kaiser, without the necessity of future human sacrifices.
With best wishes from a Baxter county citizen and soldier,
Herman G. Steely
NOTES: Herman Grady Steely was born on November 27, 1888 in Noble, Missouri and died on November 13, 1979 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is buried in the Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City. He served in the National Guard for three years before the war. He registered for the draft in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He was described as being of medium height and build with brown eyes and dark hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY GABBY RUSHING