February 10, 1919 -- George Worries About Future Life and "Bawls Out" Sister Susan

 

Regt. Hdqt Office

         Echternach, Luxemburg

February 10^th  1919

Dear Father, Mother, Sister, Brother:

            Just received a grand surprise when the orderly brot in 6 fine letters from HOME, 2 from Jo and 1 from the Rassmussens.  Those from the first two sources were dated the 20^th and 24^th Jan so you see they made real fast time.  But Rasmussens was sent Dec 31^st.  Must have been held up a long time somewhere.  I also recd three Sat Evening Posts.  1^st I’ve received.  I’m just wild to get time to read them, but guess it will be quite a while before I get said time as we had all Day Sunday off yesterday for the first time since I can remember except of course when we were on leave.   We spent the day sleeping till noon.  Then we ate dinner and played and read till about 10 PM  Johnnie brot over three Chicago Dailies and two Keystones.  I skimmed thru them (the Keystones) and they brot up so many memories of Home  I was almost homesick so thot I’d find relief in writing a letter too.  But after scribbling a page it sounded so very tragic I tore it up and went to bed instead. 

            By the way, I’m still groping around in my mind trying to figure out what to do when I get back.  I reckon I can make a living but at 22 ½ years I’m getting to be an old man! And have got to settle down to something with future prospects and immediate financial returns.  By the time they get us back that will be a tough riddle to solve I fear.  But I guess it is hardly fair to even suggest a fresh problem to you folks so forget it; that’s what I’ve done with about all I ever knew, or at least that is the way I feel.  Another grievance against Bill Hohenzollern[1]!

            Now Sister as you write most of the letters you lay yourself liable for most of the “Bawlings Out.”  I’ve stood your self depreciating and Soldier Brother Idolizing about as long as I can so here goes, for with all my faults, I try not to be a hypocrite. And dear, I know that even in the old days you were a better example, a truer Christian than I.  As for the present, you have continued to grow, while I have in many ways deteriorated.  True, I know the war has given to me as well as you a broader conception of life or service, a keener sympathy but it has also had its weakening phases and has taught us all so much we can never forget. 

            But your letters today have got me started again so I may as well rave on and you can take the consequences. I was just prepared to throw a wet blanket on your hopes of seeing me the 4^th of July for one thing when my own hopes got a fresh boost so will just let it ride, live in hope, and we will see what we will see.  There is no accurate dope but bucco rumor.  At least we can’t get home much before that.  I can’t compree why you haven’t been receiving at least a letter a week as my memory and letter record show an average of better than one per week dispatched since we struck Luxembourg the middle of December.  But here is hoping you have started to get them again now.  So I take it Evans is home?  How did he make it so soon?  Our papers show the 22^nd Div still in Deutschland.  But your dope about making a big splash every time a fellow gets back is straight, at least as far as I’m concerned.  Of course, most of the boys probably saw real encounters and hair raising stunts with the Dutch so there is some excuse.  But I’ll have to take a back seat in the hero stuff, as all I did in this war was take care of plugs, build roads, carry messages and dodge Fritzy shells, or cuss ‘em for waking me up.

            It’s almost time I got to my residence or I’ll be locked out.  Say, they have the biggest liars up here. Someone told me they started to sow oats the last of Feb and the winter was so mild before we went on leave I believed them.  But since we got back I’m undeceived.  The ground is froze up, we have a little snow, and the nights hit very close to zero.  If they cover those oats, they will have to get the pick and shovel artists of the Engineers busy. 

            If you don’t lay off talking about pork, beef and fish in your letters, not to mention honey, biscuit, etc., etc., I’ll be trying to swim the ocean.  Oh, well, you haven’t got a corner on all the good eats because the oldest daughter of our landlord brought in some crullers covered with sugar this Sunday Eve. And that after we got to scuffling and mashed a bed, which by the way the boss had fixed yesterday and never said a word. 

            Did you read “Suggestions for a Mother’s Letters” on the 3^rd Column, Front Page of Jan 16^th Keystone?  Whoever wrote that had sensed present situation very vividly.  And it reminded me so very much of the letters my own dear Mother and Sister send me, it rings so genuine and true I almost think it was written by a Mother who had at least one boy “Over Here.”  I’m afraid at times in the old life while I knew of my many failings which no one else seemed to notice, I was guilt of a certain sense of satisfaction and self pride that I had overcome certain temptations which associates yielded to.  I have learned that I never knew what temptation really was or at least the grippe it could have on one.  Especially since the Armistice was signed, there are times when the homesickness, loneliness, the desire of companionship, entertainment and life are almost unbearable. I’m not excusing myself, or any of the rest for that matter, tho many have not had the wonderful home example and training I enjoyed.  But I can’t stand it to sail under such false colors, so try to forgive my faults and love your Son and Brother as he is, not as you wish or thot he was.  And keeping this in mind, I hope you will not worry, but will still be glad to prepare and look forward to the time when “Johnnie comes marching H O M E,” and I in turn will still keep up the battle and return to you your own loving son who understands and will return at least as physically clean as when he left.  I don’t know as you’ll understand, perhaps I’ll only succeed in making you feel bad, but I hope you won’t do that. And now, let’s try to get away from this which I seem to make sound so tragic. 

            Now all the boys have gone home but me so I’ll close up shop and go along too, for there’s no chance to get “Over the Garden Wall” without an extension ladder.

            With lots of love to Dear Old Dad, My Sweet Little Mother, My Lovingest Little Sister and the Big Beloved Brother she gave me.  May God Bless you all and keep you safe till my return and long after.  Mizpah*.

                                                             Corp. Geo Sherwood

                                                            108^th US Engineers

                                                            American Exp Forces

 

* The Lord watch between you and me while we are apart from one another.

1919-0206                                                                   Susan Weber to George S. Sherwood

February 6, 1919

10:15 a.m.

Dearest Brother Boy,

            Today is a bright, sunny, cool, but not cold day, just crisp and pleasant.  Herman has started for the woods and Papa is doing chores.

            I keep forgetting to tell you about my birthday as I was so interested in telling you about our “great expectations”, but guess I can stop long enough now to say that I received a box of stationary, and two handkerchiefs and the big amaryllis plant from the folks.  You know I always did like the amaryllis and it makes our living room look so much more home like.  Mrs. Rasmussen gave me a small fancy plate and Mama gave me a of six glass sauce dishes and fruit bowl which grandma Atwater told her last spring to give to me, but she could keep them herself for a while before doing so if she wished, grandma Atwater said. Aunt Nellie gave me the “charming quilt she has been making, and Dora made me a sofa cushion and worked it all herself.  It really is very well done.  “The folks” invited me to meals for the day and had a big birthday cake and other good things so altogether I guess it was the “most celebrated birthday” I had in years, only you were not there.  Oh so much love to our boy Mizpah   Susan 

Feb. 9 – 1919

            Dearest Laddie,

Did not get a letter off to you yesterday so will add a very important piece of news, we received a card like this

Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Fredericks

Announce the birth

Of Gordon Keith

January 31^st

Nineteen hundered and nineteen

Weight 10 lb.

A few days ago.  Their address is 

Lieutenant A. E. Fredricks

Pulaski Heights, Little Rock College

Little Rock, Arkansas  

Write and congratulate  them if you get time.  They sent ten$$ to the C.H., credited to Kendall.  Time and space say close this letter.

---

[1] 1888-1918 William II von Hohenzollern, King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany  (b. 1859  d. 1941)

http://www.remmick.org/Hohenzollern.Royal/

 

October 10, 1917 - Letter to George from His Dear Ones At Home

George Sherwood's Family

Susan, Will, George and Ella Jane

 

Lower pasture at Spring Brook Farm where George and Susan were both born and raised.

 



Spring Brook Farm

October 7, 1917

Dearest Little Soldier Brother,

            Can you guess who was at Church today?  Give you three guesses before you look at the answer.  He also is a soldier. Have you guessed?  Well, it really was A. E. Frederick in his soldier uniform.  And every time I looked at him I kept thinking about you, and how fine it would be if you could “come marching home” for a few days too.  After church we all stood around for about half an hour listening to him talk about how they build trenches, about bayonet drill, sleeping in the trenches one night and so forth and so forth.  They will have to stay in the trenches for three days and nights next time.  On the night which they have already spent there it rained quite hard which increased their comfort considerably, of course. 

            Mr. Fredericks troubles are not all when he is soldiering though for the car didn’t work right so that they did not get there much ahead of me and I was very late indeed, as I got started late and then could not hurry much as I had quite a load of things for Aunt Nellie and Ette can’t go any too fast as you well know. 

            Of course everybody was asking about you and where you were now.  Mr. Frederick received a card from you from Jefferson Barracks but was not certain that it was from you at first because you had not signed it and he did not know where you were.  Of course when he got home and Mrs. Fredericks told him of you, then he was sure, though he had thought so before.  Vincent also asked for your new address but as he had nothing to write it on he may forget it before getting around to write. 

            Forgot to tell you last night how sorry I was about your disappointment in regards to the officer and the fine girl which you might have met if you had been able to go to Rockford.  How I wish that there might be many instead of so few of the right kind of girls for you soldier boys to meet.  Oh, if some of those who are more thoughtless than really bad could realize that a soldier is a man and not a plaything, maybe they might also be made to realize what their good, clean, straight, friendship might mean to them and how they might help instead of hindering them to be clean fine men.

            We must all get up early in the morning as late last night we got word that the car of bran was on hand and must be emptied by Monday night.

            Herman stopped here tonight.  He went down to his brother George’s and brought him and their father up to Julius Webers to see them and to see the barn and its equipment.  He says though that his father can not stand riding in the car.  He had hoped to be able to take him to Sparta to see Philip some time this fall, but of course will not be able to now as his father could not stand it. 

            Grandma Atwater wanted to hear the phonograph so we have been listening to that the latter part of the evening.  We played your favorite, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “An Afternoon in June” and all or nearly all of our favorite ones.  How I wish that you had been here to hear.  It has been so lonesome since you have started for Texas. 

            Goodnight sweetheart.  So much, much love and many prayers for our Boy.  Mispah.               

Your lovingest little sister;

Susan

October 8, 1917 – 11:15 A.M.

Dear Heart,

Just a line to tell you how much we love you but there is so much to do that I mustn’t stop to write much  but as soon as the threshing is done I will try to do better about writing.  Oh, so much love and so many prayers for our Boy.  Love and love and love.

                                                                                    Susan
 

[Change of handwriting to his mother, Ella Jane’s] P.S.  Dear, dear Laddie Boy,

Mother is just baking cookies and how I do wish my boy was to have some.  But sister will have to eat your share.  She says she is eating one for you now.  Do you taste it?  Eat it quick for the threshers will finish them tomorrow. Sister says [The rest is illegible]  

November.  Daddy says to write ditto under this about Mr. Frederick as he is here again.

It is apparent that this letter did not get mailed in a timely fashion since the last sentence shows that it is still in Wisconsin in November.  But I thought it was better to put it near the other letters that George had written and to which Susan refers.