April 24, 1918 - Somewhere in Texas, Bound for the East

Satche [Sachse], Texas.  Apr. 24, 1918

            Somewhere in Texas, bound somewhere East, sometime on the 24^th.  Will try to hurry up and scribble a little note to you while we are here on the siding.  Now we’re on the go again.  And maybe this is Oklahoma.  Anyway, we are on our way at last.  You see dad you only beat me out of Houston by about 29 hours.  I told you we were at last speeding up and Monday things just jumped.  We don’t travel so very fast, but we stop very seldom; and then on secluded sidings as much as possible.  Hit very few large places.  I received three letters from you folks just a couple of hours before we left Houston.  In fact we (Maj. and I) were already at the Camp Logan depot siding with all our baggage.  The letters were sent 18^th, 19^th and 20^th respectively.  The last two were numbered 1 & 2.  So I’ll number this 1G. The G stands for George.  * Had to stop right there and clean up for the Major a little.  Must go shine his shoes presently, too. 

            Everybody is in fine spirits.  Even the rails seem to say “Going to France, Going to France,” as they click away beneath us.  It is a little cloudy today which makes it just about right for us with our wool underwear on.  The country up here is much better than around Houston, a black, rich soil, and the crops and farmhouses look much more prosperous.  Just passing thru Celeste now.  It is now 10:00 A.M. will try to mail this soon up the line a little way.  A trip like this makes one appreciate more than ever how much people think and expect of us.  When you see men wave their hats and mothers with tears streaming down their faces for troops, they don’t even know, it must indeed be a yellow cur who wouldn’t give the best he had to deserve their trust and sacrifice.

            Well, guess I better draw this to a close and start another one later.  People along the way seem only too glad to help us out what they can and mail our letters, so expect to mail this at next station. I won’t receive any more mail on this side perhaps, but write when you can anyway and I’ll get some of them sometime.  Address:  George Sherwood

                                                                                                            Hdqts. Company

                                                                                                            108^th U.S. Engineers

                                                American Expeditionary Forces

With love to all, c/o Postmaster, New York

Regards to my friends

                                                                                                                                           George