TRANSCRIBED FROM THE NEVADA COUNTY PICAYUNE OCTOBER 24, 1918 P. 8
Dearest mother:
The first letter I write after landing in New York, will be to you, the dearest mother in te world. I wonder if you are feeling well. I am in real good health. You can never know how glad I was when I read all the letters from you and the girls. I had 18 letters waiting for me from home, Frances and Marion.
Isn’t Baby Ruth’s picture cute. I surely would like to see every one at home.
Well mother, I will tell you all I can about my trip. We left here on Sunday morning andwent down to Norfolk, Virginia to get in the convoy. Everything was ready by Tuesday, so early in the morning we were on our way to France. Had about twenty-two (22) ships in convoy, one U. S. Destroyer and one British Cruiser. The ships were in columns, about five ships to each column. We were the first ship in the sixth column, thecrunser was guide ship, and the destroyer went back and forth ahead of us. The third day out our baker and myself were sleeping forward on the ship underneath some motor trucks we had on board.
It was in the afternoon about three thirty, we heard the firing of a gun, the baker jumped up and asked me what that was. I told him to go to sleep, it was on the rifle range just then I heard the whistle blowing, the officer gave the alarm. I ran upon the bridge just in time to see the shells falling in the water, it was the third ship in the fifth column. She put a hole in the submarine and our destroyer carried her to an American port. By night we all went to bed in ease. So you can see what we do for German submarines.
We had several days of rough weather. Some fellows were awfully seasick. One day we were having dinner, our dishes all slid on deck. About twenty-one days we sighted land after leaving New York. It was Sicily Island, off the coast of England. We left convoy there and anchored in harbor at Brest, France, stayed only one night and then went down Loire River to St. Nazaire, France. I must say the country over there is the most beautiful country I ever saw. All houses are made of stone and the fences around the farms are walls of rocks and stones. Some beautiful green fields. The homes are built colonial style that makes them so pretty. But take the cities they are rotton. You would feel proud of our grand U.S. to be in the cities of France only for a day. Most of the people seem ignorant. Some beautiful girls over there. All women wear mourning. Poor classes of people wear wooden shoes. They never saw a real train motorcycle or automobile before the U.S. carried them over there. They have little toy like engines, the passenger coaches are not as good as our 1900 year street car was. The U.S. is a century ahead of Europe in modern times.
There is an American Y.M.C.A. in this city, sure glad of it too. Some American telephone girls in St. Nazaire. Not many American hospitals there, and you should see those American lads who were wounded, some without eyes, no legs or arms, some being burned by liquid fire, there were solid blisters allover them. One fellow said, “you know boys, it is dam hard to see your pal right by your side take his last breath, and when I called for him he did not answer. I looked in his face and life had gone, he said Oh! I wish to be back in the trenches to lick those Huns.” The tears went flowing from his eyes, (American Patriotism.)
Every thing is certainly costly in France. Leather shoes cost from ten dollars up to twenty-five. No cream parlors at all, no sugar, and the girls are crazy for chewing gum and chocolate. I asked a girl what she wanted for a souvenir from America, she said chocolate. She was an awfully nice girl, she studied English in school and can speak it real well.
I saw quite a number of German prisoners over there. They work in coal cars. One of them asked us for a cigarette, we told him not to look like he wanted any tobacco. They treat our prisoners bad so got nothing from us. They don’t seem to know there is a Sunday in France. Everything open all the time. Everybody rides bicycles for sport.
Well, mother, I haven’t time to write any more. I must go on watch in a few minutes. I think we are leaving for France again some time soon, and in a short time this war will be over. With lots of love, mother write often.
Eugene B. Sutton.
P.S.---All this is the only letter I have had time to write will add a little more. I started this letter a few days ago, but when we are in port we are working all the time. Am sure we are leaving for France tomorrow, so please do not worry.
The Liberty Loan is sure making some drive here, I am going over in New York this afternoon to see a big affair concerning Liberty Loan. A fellow that was loading the ship got his foot cut off last night. I never heard such hollowing.
Well, mother, I will write you asoon as I get across that will be about ___days. I will think of you often and please don’t worry. I must go now. Worlds of love.
Eugene B. Sutton.
USS Glen White, care Postmaster New City, New York.
NOTES: Eugene Beverly Sutton was born on May 19, 1899 in Commerce, Texas. He died in North Hollywood, California on January 12, 1964. He is buried in the Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood. He was writing this letter to his mother Emma Sutton.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON
Dearest mother:
The first letter I write after landing in New York, will be to you, the dearest mother in te world. I wonder if you are feeling well. I am in real good health. You can never know how glad I was when I read all the letters from you and the girls. I had 18 letters waiting for me from home, Frances and Marion.
Isn’t Baby Ruth’s picture cute. I surely would like to see every one at home.
Well mother, I will tell you all I can about my trip. We left here on Sunday morning andwent down to Norfolk, Virginia to get in the convoy. Everything was ready by Tuesday, so early in the morning we were on our way to France. Had about twenty-two (22) ships in convoy, one U. S. Destroyer and one British Cruiser. The ships were in columns, about five ships to each column. We were the first ship in the sixth column, thecrunser was guide ship, and the destroyer went back and forth ahead of us. The third day out our baker and myself were sleeping forward on the ship underneath some motor trucks we had on board.
It was in the afternoon about three thirty, we heard the firing of a gun, the baker jumped up and asked me what that was. I told him to go to sleep, it was on the rifle range just then I heard the whistle blowing, the officer gave the alarm. I ran upon the bridge just in time to see the shells falling in the water, it was the third ship in the fifth column. She put a hole in the submarine and our destroyer carried her to an American port. By night we all went to bed in ease. So you can see what we do for German submarines.
We had several days of rough weather. Some fellows were awfully seasick. One day we were having dinner, our dishes all slid on deck. About twenty-one days we sighted land after leaving New York. It was Sicily Island, off the coast of England. We left convoy there and anchored in harbor at Brest, France, stayed only one night and then went down Loire River to St. Nazaire, France. I must say the country over there is the most beautiful country I ever saw. All houses are made of stone and the fences around the farms are walls of rocks and stones. Some beautiful green fields. The homes are built colonial style that makes them so pretty. But take the cities they are rotton. You would feel proud of our grand U.S. to be in the cities of France only for a day. Most of the people seem ignorant. Some beautiful girls over there. All women wear mourning. Poor classes of people wear wooden shoes. They never saw a real train motorcycle or automobile before the U.S. carried them over there. They have little toy like engines, the passenger coaches are not as good as our 1900 year street car was. The U.S. is a century ahead of Europe in modern times.
There is an American Y.M.C.A. in this city, sure glad of it too. Some American telephone girls in St. Nazaire. Not many American hospitals there, and you should see those American lads who were wounded, some without eyes, no legs or arms, some being burned by liquid fire, there were solid blisters allover them. One fellow said, “you know boys, it is dam hard to see your pal right by your side take his last breath, and when I called for him he did not answer. I looked in his face and life had gone, he said Oh! I wish to be back in the trenches to lick those Huns.” The tears went flowing from his eyes, (American Patriotism.)
Every thing is certainly costly in France. Leather shoes cost from ten dollars up to twenty-five. No cream parlors at all, no sugar, and the girls are crazy for chewing gum and chocolate. I asked a girl what she wanted for a souvenir from America, she said chocolate. She was an awfully nice girl, she studied English in school and can speak it real well.
I saw quite a number of German prisoners over there. They work in coal cars. One of them asked us for a cigarette, we told him not to look like he wanted any tobacco. They treat our prisoners bad so got nothing from us. They don’t seem to know there is a Sunday in France. Everything open all the time. Everybody rides bicycles for sport.
Well, mother, I haven’t time to write any more. I must go on watch in a few minutes. I think we are leaving for France again some time soon, and in a short time this war will be over. With lots of love, mother write often.
Eugene B. Sutton.
P.S.---All this is the only letter I have had time to write will add a little more. I started this letter a few days ago, but when we are in port we are working all the time. Am sure we are leaving for France tomorrow, so please do not worry.
The Liberty Loan is sure making some drive here, I am going over in New York this afternoon to see a big affair concerning Liberty Loan. A fellow that was loading the ship got his foot cut off last night. I never heard such hollowing.
Well, mother, I will write you asoon as I get across that will be about ___days. I will think of you often and please don’t worry. I must go now. Worlds of love.
Eugene B. Sutton.
USS Glen White, care Postmaster New City, New York.
NOTES: Eugene Beverly Sutton was born on May 19, 1899 in Commerce, Texas. He died in North Hollywood, California on January 12, 1964. He is buried in the Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood. He was writing this letter to his mother Emma Sutton.
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON