TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BENTON COURIER JANUARY 10, 1918 P. 2
Well, I will write a few lines to my old home paper this beautiful Sunday morning.
Health is very good with the exception of a few colds and a few cases of mumps.
We had an awful hard rain here yesterday afternoon and night, but it is beautiful and sunshiny today.
Christmas and New Year's have passed and the most of us boys have worn the blues off.
We are under quarantine again. I have been in the service four months and haven't been from under quarantine but about three weeks since I came here, but must say that this one is the worst of all, for we can't leave our company street.
I have had a good dinner and have taken about a three hour nap and will try to write some more.
The best of all, we have a Y.M.C.A. secretary quarantined with us. He was taking meals in our dining room when the quarantine went on, so we are glad to have him with us. We all went to Sunday school in the kitchen this morning and he made a fine talk after reading the lesson. He also keeps the boys in plenty of paper and envelopes and gets stamps for them and reading matter. I want to say to one and all that the Y.M.C.A. is doing a great work for the soldier boys. The reason I say this is because I am a soldier and know that it is true.
Well, you good old boy friends, in Saline county, we had another day's experience in digging trenches last Friday. Guess some of you will get to try your hands at it before long. Boys, it is a job when the mud is about six inches deep, but the good part of it is we have shoes sufficient to wade the mud. I had been wondering why Uncle Sammie made us wear such heavy shoes and now I know. When we get over in France and the Germans get after us we can hold our ground. I tell you, boys, we will have to stand for our shoes are so heavy we can't run. My shoes are so large on my feet that I can make an about face and never move my shoes.
I will tell you something that happened in our squad last night. One of our boys had been on kitchen police and when he came in last night he was so smutty you couldn't tell whether he was a man or a monkey. Our corporal was just about ready to charge him with a bayonet when we discovered that it was John G. Key, one of our good old tent mates. The reason we thought he was a monkey was because we have a pet monkey here in our regiment.
One night last week, the fire alarm was given and they called us all out. Some of the boys got their shoes and puttees on and some did not. I got my shoes on but did not lace them, and had on one puttee. They got the fire under control and our company didn't have to go.
I will close my letter for this time with best wishes to all.
W. F.
NOTES: The letter writer, who was identified only as WF (MIGHT BE W.P.) was writing from Camp Beauregard, Louisiana.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Well, I will write a few lines to my old home paper this beautiful Sunday morning.
Health is very good with the exception of a few colds and a few cases of mumps.
We had an awful hard rain here yesterday afternoon and night, but it is beautiful and sunshiny today.
Christmas and New Year's have passed and the most of us boys have worn the blues off.
We are under quarantine again. I have been in the service four months and haven't been from under quarantine but about three weeks since I came here, but must say that this one is the worst of all, for we can't leave our company street.
I have had a good dinner and have taken about a three hour nap and will try to write some more.
The best of all, we have a Y.M.C.A. secretary quarantined with us. He was taking meals in our dining room when the quarantine went on, so we are glad to have him with us. We all went to Sunday school in the kitchen this morning and he made a fine talk after reading the lesson. He also keeps the boys in plenty of paper and envelopes and gets stamps for them and reading matter. I want to say to one and all that the Y.M.C.A. is doing a great work for the soldier boys. The reason I say this is because I am a soldier and know that it is true.
Well, you good old boy friends, in Saline county, we had another day's experience in digging trenches last Friday. Guess some of you will get to try your hands at it before long. Boys, it is a job when the mud is about six inches deep, but the good part of it is we have shoes sufficient to wade the mud. I had been wondering why Uncle Sammie made us wear such heavy shoes and now I know. When we get over in France and the Germans get after us we can hold our ground. I tell you, boys, we will have to stand for our shoes are so heavy we can't run. My shoes are so large on my feet that I can make an about face and never move my shoes.
I will tell you something that happened in our squad last night. One of our boys had been on kitchen police and when he came in last night he was so smutty you couldn't tell whether he was a man or a monkey. Our corporal was just about ready to charge him with a bayonet when we discovered that it was John G. Key, one of our good old tent mates. The reason we thought he was a monkey was because we have a pet monkey here in our regiment.
One night last week, the fire alarm was given and they called us all out. Some of the boys got their shoes and puttees on and some did not. I got my shoes on but did not lace them, and had on one puttee. They got the fire under control and our company didn't have to go.
I will close my letter for this time with best wishes to all.
W. F.
NOTES: The letter writer, who was identified only as WF (MIGHT BE W.P.) was writing from Camp Beauregard, Louisiana.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD