August 31, 1918 -- George Post Script Hints That Things Have Been Moving Along

Aunt Nellie was George's youngest great aunt and he was related to her then as he is to me now. Nellie (born Evalina Irene Richardson) was the youngest sister of his grandmother Rosina Jane Richardson Stevens. Nellie had been married twice. First to Alfred Thomas whom she divorced apparently due to domestic violence and later to widower and Yankee Civil War veteran George Thompson. After his death in Palouse country of Washington Territory where they lived for many years she moved to Wisconsin where her sister and extended family lived. She is buried with her extended family in the cemetery at Kendall, Wisconsin. Many current family members have had no idea who Nellie was or why she was buried in the same plot as the Stevens and the Sherwoods families. She was born in Topsham, Vermont on June 26,1847 and passed away in Glendale, Wisconsin on December 8, 1926. The full scans of the letter is at the end.

I love this letter from George. While it tells "nothing" due to censorship, his wording does hint to the speed and conditions in which the 108th engineers have been traveling!

Somewhere in France

“Droppin Dugout”

8-17-‘18

Mrs. Nellie Thompson

            Glendale, Wisconsin

Dear Aunt and All:

            As I now owe you two letters and Dura one, I think it high time to let work and other correspondence wait a few minutes while I try to show my appreciation of your messages with a few lines from France.

            As it is against censorship rules to name places & locations in France I have never tried in any way to let you know where we are, but I often wonder where you imagine we are and how close you come to the truth.  We are in no doubt of where we want to be as soon as “Bill” admits he is properly licked.

            We are getting better eats and clothes than you folks back in the states, if the reports from over there are correct.  So you see, life in a hole in France has its compensations.  Catch me ever buying a house or bungalow when I get back.  All I’ve got to do is get a spade, pick and a few sandbags and I can get along fine.

*Two weeks later

            Well, this has traveled a long way on my back Auntie, and now my pen has been lost so we will have to scribble just an additional line in pencil to let you know I am still well.
                                    With love to all
                                                George

 

           

August 12, 1918 -- George Talks of Bluberries, Fried Chicken and Home

This has been a rainy, rainy month, but today was as bright and clear a Sabbath as one could wish for.  It made me think of home and some of our autumn days there. In your letter today you spoke of how often you think of me and all the rest of the boys and plan for our return.  Well you can just bet all your spare change safely that most in fact I might say all our spare moments of dreaming or conversing are spent in exactly similar ways.  Got your letter of July 12 today.  Just a month getting here.  You better save a can of those blueberries against the time I come marching home Sister or I’ll start another war as soon as I get there.  Think now I’ve ordered my bed that I’ll start on the meals.  When you get the news I’m going to arrive home, get out said can of blueberries and have fried chicken, and soda buiscits (forgot how they taste as well as how to spell it).  We are eating fine here tho.  Have really had white flour biscuits twice and I’ll bet you can’t say that much for the last two months.  Guess I’ll have to hunt a harder job or I’ll get too fat to walk, let alone run.  And the way Jerry is going now, we will have to run some if we catch him. 

            Am very glad to hear that you are getting allotment regular and that insurance papers have arrived, as that is a big load off my mind.  And keep on writing as letters from home are our greatest delight.  How are the crops coming and how are the cattle doing this year? 

            If I was only home I would talk an ear off you all, but this long time long distance censored talking sure gets my goat.  So I guess we will still have to rely on his royal highness the moon.

            Talking of the bees swarming got me so excited I woke up the other morning covered with hives. I could have spared you all of them too, as I had hard work getting rid of them. But am OK now again (you laugh at that joke if somebody tickles you). 

            As I am sending this in a Green Envelope I have changed the number to 2A.  About all there is left to say now is keep healthy and wealthy and wise and I love you all more and more and more each day.

                                                            God bless you all.  Good night
                                                                                    George.
Give Daddy a good pounding on his birthday for me. 

August 2, 1918 -- George Changes His Pay Allotments That Go Home

George must have decided that he needed a little bit more spending money while still somewhere in France. He is sending $1.50 less each month back home.  He was probably trying to be more frugal than it turned out he needed.  The family also received an allotment probably because of the loss of his help on the Farm. I know that in the past the funds he sent home was meant to go into savings for his future.  But he always made it clear that they were too use this money if they ever found themselves in financial straits of any kind.