Letter to Aunt Ida - September 5, 1918

Sept. 5, 1918

[Camp Wadsworth]

Dear Aunt Ida,

Your letter came yesterday certainly does seem good to get letters from home.

Well since I wrote home last there has been a lot of changes in our Company.  Some of our old boys have been transfered and we have had a steady stream coming in and going out.  You would wonder where so many men came from and where they find so many different faces.  I never saw such ignorant people in all my life they don’t seem to know their right hand from their left.  The wise ones are getting our of this draft in large cities through politics.

Since I wrote last our 1st Sergh. has been reduced and I am now acting first Sergh. That is the highest non-commissioned officer.   If I made good it is just as good as a commission with a pay of $51.00 a month.

We expect to go across next week, that is we leave here for the port of embarkation. We don’t know where that is now but will know before we go. Some of the regiments have gone to Halifax from here and some to Newport News.

I have a [?] by myself with a clerk that does the clerical work and it is much better than it was.  You need not tell anyone that I am acting 1st Sergeant as the fellow that I relieved is from Montpelier and if it gets around of course his folks will feel bad.  He has been transfered out of the Company.  He was a mighty nice fellow but the Captain did not like him very well as he was slack.  Do not mention this as the same thing may happen to me and perhaps it will as I am short of experience.

Will write again in a few days and let you know some more about when we are gong and where to

 

With love and kisses

    Ervin

Letter to Aunt Ida - August 17, 1918

Soldiers’ Club

Spartanburg, S. C.

August 17, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida,

Your letter came some time ago but have been busy night and day for the last two weeks, drilling men and going to Gas. School at night.  Last night I didn’t get through until 11 o’clock. We went into the trenches and they kept sending attack after attack at us to get us used to the different kinds.

I am very sorry to say that I don’t think that I will be able to get home before I go across as they have stopped all furlough’s but I may be able to get one if we go north.  We have not got all our men yet but we expect to get them soon and the story now is that we will be out of here by the first of Oct. or possibly the 15th of Sept.  All of the boys are anxious to get out or this place.  There is also another story that we are going north to be a developing camp for recruits.

For the last month the weather has been something terrible.  It has been at least 100 in the shade every day but I don’t seem to mind it so much as some. In fact I never felt better in my life. I have lost some weight but I think that I am just right now.

Ida May expects to go home soon so you will probably see her.  I wish that I might come home at the same time but never mind I will consider myself lucky if I can go later.  I was 3rd in line to go when they stopped them.

I came downtown tonight but I do not very often as there is just as much going on at camp as there is in this place.  Tonight there seems to be more excitement than ever [page missing?]

the men that we got are the biggest bunch of “Black Heads” that I ever saw.   They don’t know enough to come in out of the rain but perhaps when we once get it into their heads it will be just as hard to get it out.

Tomorrow night is my turn to go on Guard and then I will get some time to myself and I can write a few letters.   I expect to have a couple of days off while I am doing my Guard that will keep me from that sun baked field.

I will keep you well posted on everything that takes place and write more often than I have been.

Will send last months State Pay Card it is rather late but I guess it will be good.

Hoping this finds you both O. K.

I remain With Love

    Ervin

Letter to Aunt Ida - July 16, 1918

Camp Wadsworth

July 16, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came some time ago but have been very busy lately getting our men and getting things settled.  We expect some more tomorrow and by the last of the week we will all be filled up ready for training.

Most of the fellows that we have received so far are from the south and they are a lot of large men.  We are not sure that we will keep all of this bunch but probably the most of them.  All of the Pioneer Regiments are getting filled now so I guess we are going to do something.  It is great to have a lot of men and see them out on the field drilling one begins to take an interest in the company that they belong to.

About coming home I am not sure just when I can come but if everything turns out all right I will be up there very soon now as I am about 7th on the list and two of them go in a day or two.

The weather down here is getting something terrible now but I don’t seem to mind it so much as I am getting used to it.

Some of the fellows that came in and were innoculated fell at retreat and were taken to the hospital but the same thing is at Fort Slocum so that must be part of the joining the army.

For the last day or two I have been helping them out in the office but I don’t like that kind of work I had rather be out in the hot sun with the sweat rolling off my skin.

I haven’t time to write much tonight but will write again soon.  Hoping this finds you both
 O. K.

I remain

With Love,

    Ervin

Letter to Uncle Will - June 21, 1918

Camp Wadsworth

Spartanburg, S. C.

June 21 1918

Dear Uncle Will:

Your letter came some few days ago and also the check. Now about lending the money it is perfectly safe, where the money is loaned the fellows give a slip promiseing to pay at the first of the month and that is handed to the Captain and he keeps the money out of the pay. The fellow that was going on a furlough had gone before I rec’d the check.

Since I wrote you last I have been made Sergeant and my pay has been raised to $38.00 dollars a month. I was made Sergeant over 2 Corporal’s and they don’t seem to like it very much but guess they will have to stand it.

It started in raining since last night and it certainly has been some rain. One side of our tent leaks and there is a regular brook running through the center of the floor.

We expect to get some men from the next draft witch will be in here in about 1 week when they get here. I expect we will have plenty of work to do. We are all going to non-commissioned officer school witch is studying from maps and all kinds of signal practice.

Most of the boys are getting about 8 hours drilling a day now and you ought to see them. They are as black as the ace of spades. The sun is very warm here.  We have to change our under clothes about every day we sweat so much but it is a good thing as we are sure to keep clean. We take a bath every day and it feels good to be in under the showers everyday after our drilling.

The Y. M. C. A. now here in camp are picking out a team that will be called a all star team composed of the best men in the Pioneer division to play the 6th division witch is composed of Regular Army men. This game will be played on the 4th of July. I expect there will be some excitement and all kinds of money put up on the game. I don’t know if I will be picked or not I believe I had rather see the game than play.

Some of the Pioneer Regiments are beginning to leave for France this week. But it will be some time before we go probably late in the fall.

I will keep you well posted about everything that takes place as we can tell within one or two weeks of when we are going to move.

Hoping this finds you O. K. I remain with love to you both.

Ervin R Wakefield

Letter to Aunt Ida - May 31, 1918

Mailcall

Camp Wadsworth

May 31st 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came last night and I was glad to get it.  This is a lonesome place here and news from home is one thing we all look forward to.  When the boy comes down with the mail we all rush out of our tents to see if we have any mail.  I guess I get as many letter as anyone in the Co.

I received the box of sugar and tobacco and I tell you the tobacco came in handy.  It came the last of the month and all the boys were broke so I had good many friends and they all seem to have extra large pipes.  I think they keep large ones on purpose so they can get a lot in them.

Yes I got a box from Ida May and it certianly was a dandy.  It contained a large cake, nut meats, cookies, and maple sugar cakes.  The minute it came all the boy came in and said, what was in the box “Tip” so I had to show them. You can imagine how long it lasted.

You sent me a clipping where it said I was made Mess Sergh.  Well I was not and am not going to be.  How did you mistake my letter that way.  The Captain told me I was going to be but I had not been made I was going to school for that purpose.  I have been relieved from that duty. There was a fellow that had been studying for the position for more than a year and the Capt., decided to let him have it but mind you I was his choice.  But rather than cause any hard feelings among the boys he decided to let him have it.  But he was very much pleased at the way I looked at it and told me that I would be as well off if not better.  Some of the boys that are now Commissioned officers are afraid that I will rank them.  You bet I will to before I get through with this job.  I think the Captain has as much confidence in me as anyone in the Company.  I had rather you wouldn’t say anything about my future to anyone as you can never can tell how things turn out.  I have perfect confidence in myself and I surely will make good.  It is just as well if people don’t know what I am or what I am going to be.  There has been more talk about me than any other man in the Regiment and there is not a single offier in the Regiment that does not know me.  It had been due to playing base ball. I have been very successful at that and I think that it will get me somewhere.

You asked me about the insurance, well I took out the full amount but I just got it in time. It was at Fort  Slocum that I took it out and just got it before they shut them off.  I have $6.80 taken out of my pay every month.  I have had just about money enough to last me through the month.  It [?] hard for me to get along but I think that I will be able to save something each month from now on.

I am feeling fine. I don’t think that I ever felt any better but the weather is d---- hot down here and I don’t like the dry baked earth that sifts into everything. We have to take a bath once or twice a day and change our cloth’s every day.  So you see it takes most of our spare time washing clothe’s.  Yesterday it was 128 in the shade.

They are sending drafted men in here by the thousands and our Regiment will probably be filled up with them but the fellows don’t seem to mind as when we get together we are all the same fighting for the same purpose.  Of course there will be a lot of trouble between the two enlisted and drafted.

I was talking with one of the Officers the other day and he said that he would bet $100.00 that we would be in France before the 1st of September.  Now about coming home.  If I go acording to the list that is made out now I am fourteen [?] that will mean the middle or last of July.  I don’t say that for sure but that is the way it looks now as soon as I know for sure I will let you know.

Will write you again soon hoping this finds you both in the best of health.  I remain

With lots of love,

    Ervin

Letter from Aunt Ida - May 18, 1918

May 18, 1918

Camp Wadsworth

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came a few days ago and I have just got around to answer it.

I am getting along fine and I don’t mind it so much since I have got used to this kind of  camp life.

Last week I was put in the kitchen to be a mess Sergt. for our Co. mess.  I go to school twice a day.  I think I will like it very much.  All I have to do is see that the work is done in the kitchen and take care of the supplies  I will let you know how I come out on the job.  It seems now that the Co. is going to be filled and I expect we will do something soon.  There was a rumor that we were going north but I guess there is not anything to it.  It would be fine if we could go to Fort Ethan Allen but no such luck.

We have been playing ball here three games a week and have had good luck but don’t expect it to last much longer.

There was a fellow from Mass. that committed suicide this morning (when we were all to breakfast) in the bath house next to ours and of course all the boys had to go down and look at him. I was one.  He cut his throat from ear to ear with a razor.  He had more courage than I would have or want.

We have all got new rifles and packs so we are ready to go any where they want but all we lack is the men.

I stay at the camp most of the time now and I haven’t got much to write about.  Before I went in the kitchen I used to go down town to get a feed but now I have most anything I want.  This noon I had tenderloin stk and mashed potatoes with green peas so you see I am better fixed than some.

Hoping that finds you both in good health.

I remain With Love

    Ervin

Letter to Aunt Ida - May 6, 1018

Unidentified men in a trench.

Camp Wadsworth

May 6th 1918

Dear Aunt Ida

Your letter came some time ago but I have been so busy and time goes by so fast that I have neglected to write.  You will have to forgive me this time.

I got the sugar and money O.K. and I tell you that the sugar tasted good, better than ever before.

We have been doing all kinds of work.  They seem to use this regiment for all kinds of hard work such as digging trenches, putting up tents, pulling them down when the fellows go away and cleaning up around the places they leave and clearing land.  Once in a while we get a little drilling.  I get out of a little work on account of playing ball but I don’t miss much of it.

I have been trying to transfer into some regiment that is going across but don’t have very good success.  The fellows all want to be across and you would to if you was down here and see the boys march away by the thousands.  It is some sight.

The sun is some hot here, the last few days it has been about 105 in the shade and by the looks of me now in about 1 month I will look just like some of these nigers down here.

I didn’t realize it had been so long since I wrote to you and I will not let it happen again.

I am glad that Uncle Will got that job as lister.   It is just the kind of a job for him to get and I think he is just the man for the position.

The hot days here take all of anyone’s ambition and when it gets night we all want to get to bed.  It is now 10 o’clock and the boys want to go to bed so will close but will write you a long letter Sunday.

With love and Kisses

    Ervin