September 19, 1918 -- George Looks for Mail and Itimizes His Letters Home

 

19G                                                                                               108th Somewhere in France

Mrs. Herman Weber                                                                              September 19, 1918

Kendall, Wis.

Dear Ones at Home:

            Once more I take the spare time at my disposal to scribble a few lines to you.  I’m afraid it is the same old story tho, nothing to write about.  I’m well, and my only worry is that things at home may be amiss someway, but my philosophy is not to worry till I know something is wrong, then usually it’s too late to do any good, so I don’t.  I hope you all have been wise enough to do the same regarding us “over here.” 

            We are still getting plenty to eat tho the lack of variety will make us appreciate the meals at home, I assure you.  I’m afraid we spend too much of our spare time speculating on when we will get back to “Home & Mother.”  It seems as tho we talk and think more of Home the longer we stay over here.

            In case the letter I mailed to you about a week ago doesn’t arrive, I’ll repeat my request for good reading material. If you can send some good weekly magazines, similar to the “Sat Evening Post” say once every two weeks and any good news and fiction magazines you can spare that you get every month.  Reading matter is very scarce at times. Of course, If you cannot do exactly as requested, don’t go to any particular bother but send what you have whenever you get time.  My request is just to give you a general idea of what we would appreciate most.  I am confident you can send them; as several of the boys get some second class mail.  Your letters since Aug 1^st seem to be rather irregular but enough get here to brighten the days and give us enough news so my imagination can fill in any blanks. 

            Here is about the way they have come (76-80 inclusive about the 4^th of Sept.),  (72 & 70 the 9^th) and 74 today.  I rather expect to get some of the missing ones later.  The last letter to you was 4 Extra G but was not numbered.   I believe the one previous to that was 18G.  Let me know if you get them and also this.  How’s that for going the much quoted Irish one better?
            Well, I think I’ll close now and write to Dora and Guy & Margaret.  Have application in for permission to get Fountain Pen, 2 union suits and two pair wool socks sent over.  Will give you weights and sizes if the request goes thru. 

                        Love to you all and best wishes to Aunt and the girls.

                                                            George

September 12, 1918 -- Letter from Woodrow Wilson to the Nation

Here is a letter from Woodrow Wilson to the nation.  There is no date on the letter and I haven't been able to find it on line so far.  I just add it here since George isn't writing much at this time.  If anyone can find information that would be great!

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. 

 

July 24, 1918 -- Letter 15 G from Somewhere in France

15G

Somewhere in France

7-24-18

Dear Brother and Sister Weber:

            Having received No 43 from “you all” as they say in Houston, I have by intricate Mathematical processes arrived at the ultimate conclusion that I owe you 28 letters to date, not counting the numerous ones I hope you have on the way to me by now.  If you don’t believe it, compare the Data at the head of this letter with that at hand and see if I can not prove my proposition.  G. E. D.

            Next, before I forget it, let me call to your attention the fact that we had the rare and extreme pleasure of hearing Miss Elsie Janice[1] (of Stage and Vaudeville fame) give us an entertainment a la American, the other evening. If you have ever been skeptical regarding the sincerity or bravery of some of the actors, etc. who come over to entertain the boys, forget it. 

            Miss Elsie at least had proved herself a little soldier, at least most of us feel that way. For it is certainly not money or notoriety she is seeking here under Jerry’s nose, within reach of his shells and bombs, for she had plenty of both the former back in the states and she is taking much the same chance with the latter that we are in her work over here.  From the time she stepped on the crude stage provided, until she finished her stories, songs and dance, she typified for most of us a real American girl, and she started a train of reminiscences which will stay with us for days.

            Also, give the Y.M.C.A. and Red Cross a boost when you can, for they are much in evidence over here and in my estimation are doing all they can for the boys of all the allied armies.  Now I’ll bring this to a hasty close with love to all my home folks.

                                                            Your loving brother,

                                                                        George

 

ALSO ATTACHED IS 'STANDARD' FILL IN THE BLANK POST CARD

 

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Janis

July 15, 1918 -- At Long Last George Writes to Family Again

Somewhere in France

7/15/18

Mr. Wm Sherwood, Kendall Wisconsin 

Dear Home Folks All,

            I expect you wonder what has become of me.  Well, keep right on wondering. I’m right where I was when I wrote last.  So now you know all about it?  We have heard a lot of “thunder” since we struck France, but the other day we really had a good old fashioned thundershower. The rain came down in sheets for awhile then it hailed several minutes. The weather, tho unsettled, had not been really wet before, so some of our drainage systems had been allowed to cave in, fill up etc.  The results were as disagreeable as could be expected.  Practically every dugout floor was flooded a little and in a couple of instances ten or twelve inches of water got in.

            We were fairly lucky and only got the floor good and wet, but necessity is the mother of invention so before long had a platform built to sleep on, so were comfortable as ever.  But since the rain it has been very unsettled, with showers every few hours, so it is rather unpleasant outside.  * Had to put the light on at this point, but here goes again now – 16 hrs later.

Woke up to hear the patter of another shower on our canvas, and soon it started to thunder and lightening again.  This time we were better prepared, so didn’t get out till reveille blew, then fixed it up in one or two places where the drainage was somewhat impaired.  The mud is sure slippery and sticky here.  Well, I’ll let this go for now and try to find time to write oftener.  Love to all my folks at home and write often.

                                                Your loving son and brother,
                                                            George 

Always remember me for the Glendale folks, Auntie [Nellie Thompson] especially.