Letter from Frank
Pittman
The following letter is from Mr. Frank Pittman, “Somewhere
in France,” to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Ed Pittman, who live near Wilson.
November 13, 1918
Dear Father and
Mother:
Will drop you a few lines to let you hear from me. I am well
and you know I am feeling good to know the war is over.
I had a narrow escape just before it was over. I went into
the battle on the ninth, before it was over on the 11th. We lost
right many men in our division, don’t know yet how many. Thank the Lord I was
lucky enough to get out, and luck it was, for we went in through shell fire and
came out through it.
We went into the fight about 9 o’clock and drove until 4
o’clock. During that time we drove them back about a mile and a half or two
miles, and when they got back behind their machine guns they opened fire on us
with them and we couldn’t do a thing, but retreat and come out. We captured
several of them and they captured several of our boys, but turned them loose
soon after it was over. Some of our boys that were wounded were carried to
their hospitals by Fritz. We were in to it the evening everything ceased firing
and they were bringing the dead and wounded out, we went up where they were,
and they were the proudest fellows you ever saw. Fritz shook hands with us and
wanted to hug us. They took some of the boys back about two miles and showed
them how they (Fritz) were situated, and our boys say they were fixed up pretty
well. Fritz says if they had not got ordered to stop firing at 11 o’clock they
were going to keep themselves up until 1 o’clock, then come over and give
themselves up to us. The Germans had been promised peace and had been fooled
every time.
Well it won’t be so long now before I can be on my way back
to the U.S.A. and you know I will be a proud boy then. Well, I will tell you
all about it when I get home again.
Love to all.
Your devoted son,
Frank
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Letter From Rainey
Wilkerson
November 27, 1918
My Dear Mother:
Will write you a short letter tonight. Would have written
sooner but have been sick since Tuesday. Have been very ill but am feeling some
better tonight. I have got so I have the headache like papa. It lasts two or
three days at the time.
We made another move Wednesday. We are now in a good place.
Anyway we think we are on our way home. All the rumors are that we will leave
here about the first of December. I certainly hope so, for I sure am tired of
staying over here. We drew the first American rations Saturday that we have
drawn since we came over here for we have been attached to the British army
ever since we have been over here up until about a week ago.
How is papa getting along. All are well I hope. Is mamie
getting ready to move to the country? Well, I, for one, will never like the
country for I have already seen too much of it. I have been very near all over
France. Saw Harvey Wilkerson a few days ago. He had just come from the hospital
where he had been treated for a wound.
Winter time has struck us over here at last but I have nine
blankets and my bed fellow has six, so I sleep plenty warm.
Well, Thanksgiving is right here and all of us boys over
here certainly have something to be thankful for.
I am afraid that Hatty is sick for I haven’t heard from her
lately.
Tell papa if he was here he could get all the cognac and rum
he wanted, either will make you drunk. Once in a while I will take a drink. It
costs seven sous or seven cents in our money.
Well, I must close for tonight. Hope to see you all soon.
Lovingly, your son,
Rainey
-=-
Letter from Ernest W.
Webb
Somewhere in France
November 15, 1918
Mr. Graham W. Batts,
Wilson, N.C.
My Dear Friend:
Will write you tonight, would have written you before but we
have been pretty busy attending to the Boche, or rather the Germans. We are
having a good rest now, just a few parades and inspections are all. Guess you
all over there have received the good news. And I know it put gladness in many
a sad heart over there, but the people over home are not the only ones glad to
see it end. We Americans over here to put an end to it and we did so, and we
ended it in a way to please all of the Allied nations, and that was to fight
them to a finish. The people over home don’t realize the feeling these poor
countries have towards the Americans. They take their hats off to us, and I
tell you they owe it to us for we saved them from destruction.
I read in the Daily
Times a few days ago where there was a lot of influenza around Wilson, sure
was sorry to learn that. We haven’t lost a man with it from Company K so far.
Those of us present with the company just now are well and
getting along fine, and hope to be back in the good old U.S.A. soon. Guess you
have read in the papers of what the Tar Heels have been doing over here,
haven’t you? They still have the pep their fathers and grandfathers had in the
Civil War.
The last letter I wrote you I was with Battalion
Headquarters, I was with them about three months, but am back with old Company
K now. We have a new captain now and a fine one. He is a Tar Heel, his home is
in Goldsboro. Zeno G. Holland is his name. I saw Captain Giddens a few days
ago. He was getting along all o.k. He is in command of a replace battalion now
and we sure miss him.
I notice in several papers where Wilson goes over the top on
all the Liberty Bond days, and it makes a fellow feel good to see where his old
home town shows up so well. And the people of Wilson can rest assured that
every man in Company K has done his part in beating the Huns.
Charlie Mumford is in London on a pass for a few days. The
captain asked me the other day if I wanted a pass. I told him yes but I didn’t
think he could supply me with one like I wanted. He asked me what kind I wanted
and I told him I wanted one across the Mill Pond. We hope to be back before very
long and I think the churches will have more business when we get back than
they did before we came over here, for this war has taught many a man a good
lesson. And I guess there will be a number of them that will visit Mr. Dildy,
the Register of Deeds.
Well, Graham, I guess you are getting tired of reading this
so will close as I am not for writing letters. Give all my friends my best
regards and tell them to write me.
With best wishes,
Ernest W. Webb, 1st
Sgt. Co. K
-=-
Roy F. Beland
A letter from Mr. Roy F. Beland to his father, Mr. J.C.
Beland.
November 24, 1918
Dear Dad:
I will take pleasure in writing you a few lines today. I am
well and enjoying the very best of health.
Today is called Dad’s day. Every soldier in the A.E.F. is
requested to write his father a letter today. In case he hasn’t a father, to
write somebody else’s father.
Well, I have the chance of telling you about my trip over. I
left Camp Greene, from there I went to Camp Upton, N.Y. I left New York City
July 15th. We sailed two days and arrived at Halifax, Canada. We
stayed there two days and then we started across. We went a long ways out of
the way dodging subs. When we were near the coast of England our convoy ran
into a bunch of submarines there. We had a little excitement for about one
hour. I was down in the transport when I heard the shots. I came up and went to
the forward deck of the ship and about the time I got to my life boat I saw a
submarine pass by the ship on our right. Fired three shots at it, the third
sinking it. We had quite a number of cruisers and submarine chasers with us.
The first of August we arrived at Liverpool, England. Thee
we unloaded and took a train and crossed England to Southampton. We stayed in
Southampton for 48 hours and then we took a boat across the English Channel and
in about four hours we arrived at Le Havre, France. From there we went to
Issodoun and I have been here ever since I have been in France. Well, I guess
this ends my journey in a very few words.
I guess the next thing to study about is going back. I don’t
believe that will be much longer.
Well, papa, the war is over and I haven’t fired a gun, and
haven’t had a gun, since I left the infantry last January, some brave soldier I
am, Ha, ha! And that isn’t all, I haven’t seen one fired. I wanted to see some
of the front but I guess I am out of luck, but I have put in my time at an
aviation field. I think I could have made better if I could have stayed in the
Infantry.
I am sending you a paper that is published, the 3rd
Aviation Instruction Center. It can tell you more about the kind of work I am
doing than I can. I read it every week. I think it is very interesting. Well,
as news is scarce, I will close. Love to you all.
Your devoted son,
Roy
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