Letter from Ned Bolt to his mother, Mrs. W.A. Bolt of Mount
Airy
“Somewhere in France”
August 1918
Dear Mother and
Sister;
Perhaps by this time you have received the letters that I
wrote while in England. Since landing here we have changed locations several
times and had the chance to see much of this country. The people of France are
exceedingly pleasant and polite and we enjoy talking to them in our limited
way. To see our fellows trying to converse with them is like seeing a bunch of
windmills all going at once, as most of our French is spoken with the hands.
However, it will not be long before we can make ourselves understood, for we
are studying French now. I am in the best of health and am gaining weight
daily. Do not feel concerned about my safety, for I am in no danger whatever.
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Letter from Dewitt Martin of Ladonia to his sister Mrs. P.S.
Rothrock of Mount Airy.
Camp McClellan,
Anniston, Ala.
Dear Jessie:
As I am through for the day and have nothing to do until
Taps, will write you again and give you some more news of Camp McClellan.
The camp is still in quarantine for Spanish Influenza and I
suppose will be for a few days or may be weeks yet, but the number of cases are
decreasing daily now. Over 50 per cent of the men that were sent to the Base
Hospital were only suffering from colds. But were sent there as a precautionary
measure more than anything else.
As for me, I am feeling fine, weigh 25 pounds more than when
I came here. So the “Hash and Stew” we are always kicking about evidently agrees
with me. Cussing the mess Sergeant is a habit that soon becomes chronic with
us. But mess call is always responded to on double time.
The most popular man in Camp though is the mail man. You can
never realize just how much a letter means to you until you get transferred and
your mail is about two weeks reaching you, by that time yu are disgusted with
everything. Then when about a dozen letters come in at once, you let out a
whoop and decided that the army isn’t so bad after all.
The Y.M.C.A. has been closed here since quarantine and you
can’t realize how much we miss the “Y” and what a help they are to the boys
until you are denied the privilege for awhile. The Y.M.C.A., K. of P., and
Jewish Welfare Board furnish all kinds of amusement and entertainment. They
have a different program every night—boxing, wrestling, moving pictures, etc.
Sometimes the girls come out from town and give a recital for us, which is
always very much enjoyed and appreciated.
This is the 5th week I have attended Radio
school, and it gets more interesting all the time. We are doing field work now.
We take our wireless machines out to the Dugouts and connect them up ready for
receiving. You see the Wireless is operated in connection with the artillery.
We have several aeroplanes fitted out with wireless, and when the guns are
fired, the observer in the aeroplane notes the place where the shots fall, and
then sends us a wireless message from his machine and tells us how to correct
the range. We have lots of fun out on the range here. All the batteries are
target practicing now, and it keeps up a regular boom, boom, boom, all the
time. I guess it will be more interesting when we have the Huns for a target,
and suppose we’ll get our share of their shells, too, for they say the Boche
have no love for the Radio men.
Our Radio station here, can receive messages from long
distance, such as the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. We picked up a
message from Calon, Panama, last week, and every night we get the Press
Dispatches as they are sent out from the Arlington station near Washington,
city.
Each Regiment here, has erected a wireless station so we
receive the news every night in our own Regiment.
I suppose we’ll be leaving for France soon. Everything seems
to be most ready. At least we are expecting to spend Christmas in France. We
hope the quarantine will soon be lifted so there’ll be nothing to keep us from
going. Everyone seems eager to start, so we’ll get there in time for the big
show when we cross the Rhine and nail the stars and stripes on the Royal Palace
at Berlin.
The boys “Over there” are headed in that direction alright.
It’s time for taps when the lights have to go, so must
close. I sure did enjoy the cake, it was dandy, tasted like home.
Be sure and write, I’m always so glad to get news from home.
Send me a copy of the Mount Airy News
some time.
Love to all the
family,
Your brother,
Dewitt T. Martin
-=-
Letter from Abner Deatherage to his father Peter Deatherage
of Mount Airy.
Camp Sevier, S.C.,
Oct. 7, 1918
Dear Papa:
Your letter of October 3d. received this morning and was
very glad indeed to hear from you and to know you are all well. This leaves me
enjoying good health.
The papers are very encouraging now, and everyone here
things that the beginning of the end has started. I get to read the daily
papers, but would be glad to receive copy of The Mount Airy News any time, when you are through with it, I would
be very glad to read same.
Will close for this time. Write at your convenience. I know
you were busy so have not expected a letter from you. We all look forward to
mail time and if the people at home knew how glad their boys are to hear from
home they would write more often. You hear them speaking of their father and
mother at home more than you do of their sweethearts, and I am of the opinion
that some of the mothers will have a hard time keeping their boys from making a
necktie out of their apron strings when they get home to stay.
With love and best
wishes to all,
Your boy,
Abner
-=-
Letter from Cephus Lewis to his sister, Mrs. W.F. Lambert of
Brim, N.C.
Somewhere in France
Sept. 6, 1918
Dear Sister:
I will answer your letter of Aug. 5th. Well, I
have just gotten back from the front. We went over the top and made good gains
on old Fritz. They ran from us but it did not do them any good. So if they get
me next time, I have got my part already. I had a good chance to try my rifle
and I did not miss a shot. I had to get mine while some of my pals were
unfortunate, but I had some close calls. I hear that the Germans all had good
watches and thought I would get me one, but when I got to a German he had no
good watch so I had to take such as he had. I hope this cruel war will soon end
for it is no fun. I will write as often as I can, so you will hear from me now
and then if I do not get picked off, if so give my best love to the kids and
all friends.
-=-
Letter from Greely Jones to his mother, Mrs. Dave Jones Mount
Airy
Somewhere in France
Sept. 1st,
1918
Dear Mother:
Your most welcome letter just received. Was more than glad
to hear from you all. I am very well with the exception of a little head ache,
and that doesn’t amount to much. Caused by a slight cold and perhaps a little
too much mental and physical exertion. I was in a battle yesterday. We attacked
the Huns and drove the devils back aways. I was in the first wave that went
over the top. We made it without even the assistance of our artillery. He used
his artillery, machine guns, and every thing else he had. We was in a very
close place once, but came out all right. I am not supposed to go over the top
like that in an attack as I am a Battalion Sergt. and just supposed to be on
special work, getting information etc., but the conditions on this special
occasion required my service and I needed a prisoner in my business right at
this time, so I just went over with the boys, and we had quite an exciting
scrap, but I am back at Battalion head quarters now, safe with out a scratch,
of course my uniform looks something like a bum’s or hobo’s, there are so many
holes and slits in it I can hardly find the pockets, ha ha! You will notice a
little mark up 8 lines from here, I had to pause to go out to have a look, there
was so much noise I thought perhaps the Boche had made an attack on us, but
it’s about over now, he was just putting over some shells, and I could hear
them on the right of us. Our artillery is going now, so you can bet it don’t
take long to silence him.
I certainly would like to see you all. I dream of some of
you most every night and sure will be glad when the war is over so I can
return. I don’t think it can last so very much longer. You need not worry about
me getting married.
Tell father to take good care of himself for I want to find
him fat and strong when I return he can stand the shock when I start telling
him of my adventures and ups and downs. Tell him I said he used to tell me of
adventures and things he thought I would never experience, but I will be
telling him when I return of things he never would of dreamed of, ha ha! Tell
him to meet me at the door with anything from a pen knife to a cannon, or chuck
me out to sleep with the cows, in a chicken coop, under the house, in a ditch,
on a rock, on boards, or dig a hole and make it resemble a shell hole as much
as possible or any old place but don’t put me in a real bed for quite a while
after I return for it would mean sudden death. You know I will have to get at
it very gradual, kinder break in you see.
And another thing, you want to fire the cook and leave that to me too, just chuck the stove out the door or break it up for I won’t need that either. If you have a tin can or a couple of brick bats, that will do the business and as for my wardrobe, you need not trouble about that, just a niche in the basement will be all o.k., and as for the wash woman you can fire her too, without you can use her for an ornament. And I suppose you had better get rid of the cat and collect up all the rats around the barn you can, for I could not be without my pets you know, and in regards to the family sewing, why I will take that on also.
And the most important thing yet is my sleep. Just tell
father to hire all the hands he can get, arm them with shot guns and any kind
of fire arms or explosives that will make the most noise, and drill them and
place them at my kennel or barn or where he puts me the first night and start
them going when I return, and it will be very nice to let them have a few hand
bombs to chuck on the roof or some where near and I will assure you of a good
night’s sleep.
Now one would think from this letter that I was a rough
fellow or had led a dog’s life, but no so. I am a much better man than when I
left home, you can rest assured of that, and I think if it doesn’t better a man
it ought to kill him. I can do any thing now, there is no such thing as can’t.
I know this will be funny to you and father considering the way I used to live
and what you and he often told me, but don’t think I am living a dog’s life,
for I am not, although I have gone through all this and more, but am faring
just as good as any one in the army. I am not in the lines, am at Battalion
headquarters. I generally have good quarters, as good as there is, don’t have
to work hard only at times, have warm rations, warm place to sleep and work.
Greely
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