Letter to Aunt Ida, January 13, 1918

 

No envelope.

Stationary reads at top: “WITH THE COLORS” and has a blue and red flag in the upper

left corner and the YMCA red triangle on the upper right corner.

Fort Slocum
Jan. 13, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:
You are no doubt home by now and have read my letter. We are certianly having some cold weather here now. If it wasn’t for the wind it wouldn’t be bad but the wind cuts right through one.

I am at the Y.M.C.A. Annex and it is about the warmest place I have struck today. They certainly are having some time here. The lady visitors are playing the piano and the boys are singing. They are making so much noise one can hardly here yourself think.

I got a letter from Ida May yesterday and she doesn’t like her job. It is not the kind of work she likes and I doubt if she stays there more than a month.

That lunch that Ma put up for me I didn’t touch until I got over on the island and I ate the last of it this morning. It certainly tastes good compared with the stuff one gets over here. It was lucky that I did save it as when I got back my mess kit or dishes had been taken so I had time to hunt up a new set.
You might take a chance and send my my bath robe and if I have gone away I will tell them where to send it to.

I expect to get over and see Ida before I get away from here. There was a rumor around this morning that the boys that are here now were going to stay here until Spring and then they were going to ship them to their camps but one can never tell anything about it. There is a bunch going out tomorrow morning.

They have stopped all the shows over as the Hospital is full of boys that have got the Grip so all gatherings have been stopped until this is over. That trip did me a lot of good my cold is nearly gone and some of the boys that had colds when I went away have still got them.

Remember me to all the people up there and don’t forget to send me Horus’s[?] address. Will write again soon.

With love to you and Uncle Will
Ervin

 

Letter to Aunt Ida - January 12, 1918 (dated 1917)

On January 8 President Wilson address the Congress and outlines his famous "Fourteen Points" for achieving a lasting peace in Europe.

[YMCA envelope]
[addressed to:] Mrs. W. M. Parker
5 School Ave., Montpelier, Vermont

New Rochelle, [New York postmark (Jan. 12, 10 AM)]
Fort Slocum
January. 12, 1917

Dear Aunt Ida:

I got back here safe and sound and all my things now safe. The fellows from Vermont have all gone away but I would have missed them anyway as the[y] went Monday morning and [I] wouldn’t of got here until Monday noon.
The trains were late and I didn’t get here until eight o’clock last night, the boats had stopped running so I walked across on the ice. It was safe as there were about a dozen people (women included) walking across. We had a pleasant trip coming over.
I haven’t seen the Sergant yet but everything will be alright as they allow them about ten days before they plan on doing anything to them.
Last night the wind blew so that the building where I slept shook. I never saw anything like it.

Will write you a good long letter tomorrow as I don’t imagine I will have much to do.

Hoping this finds you OK.

I remain with Love to All,

Ervin

January 12, 1917 notes:

Fort Slocum: Between the wars (Civil War and WW1) the post sent troups overseas to U.S. territories and the possessions, such as the Philippines, Hawaii, the Canal Zone, and Puerto Rico.
http://davidsisland.westchesterarchives.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115&Itemid=88e

boats: The ferries between New Rochelle and Fort Slocum. Ervin and others walked across the frozen New York Harbor.

wind blew: The soldiers on Fort Slocum slept in barracks that were basically long wooden shacks that sat on supports that held them off of the ground. So the wind blew all around them.

Letter to Aunt Ida - January 7, 1918 (dated 1917)

The war has been raging in Europe since 1914. President Woodrow Wilson wins the November 1916 election with the slogan: "He kept us out of war."

New York Times article April 23, 1916: "CLOSER NAVY YARD GUARD" tells about how security was increased at all of the forts (including Fort Slocum) in the New York defensive zone. One goal was to safeguard the fleet of ships in the Navy Yard.

[envelope missing]
Fair Haven, Vt.
January. 7th 1917 [Sunday]

Dear Aunt Ida:

You will be surpprised to hear that I am up here but you see I got a few days off and as I hadn’t been here I thought I had better before I got too far away.
I am at Fort Slocum yet and expect to be there for some time as I understand they have the measles down where they expect to send me (N. C.)
Everything has seemed to turn out very good for me and it seems as if everything is for the best. I went over to see Martha while I was down there and stayed all night with the people that Martha is working for. Mr. Phillips that man that she works for took a liking to me and he told Martha that he wished I wasn’t going away that he could place me in his office at $125.00 per month to start with. And when I came back that I should come and see him before I did anything else. He seems to be a very nice man and they think the world of Martha. They said I should make that my home as long as I stayed at Fort Slocum.
I enlisted in the 1st Vt. but am going in as a cook or meat cutter, that is classed as a cook.
I am in very good quarters now and it is very comfortable there the only thing it has been so cold there that the boys have been getting cold and it has caused a lot of sickness I have had a cold but am getting over it now.
All the boys that came with me are now down at the camp in N. C.
I haven’t got much now to write about except that I am alright and I wished I could come up there and stay a few days but as I couldn’t come down here before I went away I thought I had better the first chance I got.
Have Uncle Will send me $20.00 as I borroughed it from Martha to make this trip I have spent more money than I expected as I have had to buy most of my food the way they feed one down there is a sight - as I was feeling mean I bought most of my food.

Write me at 2nd company, Fort Slocum.
With Love,
Ervin

January 7, 1917 notes:

Fair Haven, Vt.: Ervin was probably visiting his mother and stepfather, Addie and Andy Frost.

Fort Slocum: Occupied David’s Island., which is located in the Long Island Sound. It is only 80 acres.

David's Island: "After the war (Civil War), the U.S. Government acquired the island outright for the construction of a permanent administrative and support facility for the New York Harbor Defense posts, Forts Totten and Schuyler, which served to protect the northern approach to New York City at the west end of Long Island Sound." http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/front/davids.pdf

Measles:“In 1917 the measles, complicated by bronchopheumonia, was the first cause of death among soldiers especially in the camps in the south, especially those made up of southern recruits causing admissions and deaths." Annual report of the Surgeon-General, U.S. Army, Part 2, pg. 787-788. By United States. Surgeon-General's Office.

1st Vt. The First Vermont Infantry was a National Guard outfit. The NG was made up of citizen soldiers who kept regular jobs but were called up as needed.


cook, meat cutter: A New York Times article in 1916 stated that every branch of the armed forces was having trouble finding bakers, cooks, and butchers.

Letter to Aunt Ida - December 18, 1917

Ervin enlisted on this day at Fort Slocum, David's Island, NY.

Upper left of envelope has red inverted triangle with YMCA in the center. Under this logo

reads: “WITH THE COLORS”

New Rochelle, NY postmark (6-30P, DEC 20, 1917)

“Fort Slocum Military Branch” Postal Slogan

Stationary reads at top: “WITH THE COLORS” and has a blue and red flag in the upper left corner and the YMCA red triangle on the upper right corner.

Stationary reads at bottom: “HELP YOUR COUNTY BY SAVING. WRITE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS PAPER”

To: Mrs. W. M. Parker

% Mr. Fallon[?] School Ave.

Montpelier, Vermont

Fort Slocum

Dec. 18 - 1917

Dear Aunt Ida:

You no doubt got my last letter by this time. I said that I would let you know when I made a change but I have been busy every minute. We came over here last Sat., and I have been standing in line waiting for different things such as numbers, examinations, vacanations and ect., I have not got my uniform yet but expect to very soon. Most of the fellows that came with me have been sent away then went this morning.

I am sleeping in the barracks now but they are not the best that ever was. We have a mattress, pillow, and two blankets. I am writting this letter from the Y.M.C.A. They certainly are great places. We have a large room here and it is crowed full all the time.

I would like to here from you very much but I don’t see how I can until I get located somewhere. I came very near coming home last Saturday but I thought as long as I had got this far I might as well go through with it as I would have to go through with it again later. There are about 5,000 men on the island now and as many more over in New Rochelle.

You may look for a package from me in the next day or two as I expect to send home some clothes.

You may write me a line to General Delivery Fort Slocum if you send it right away and I will look for it. If I am gone they will forward it.

With Love, Ervin

Leter to Aunt Ida - December 13, 1917

No envelope

Stationary reads at top: “YOUNG MEN’S HEBREW ASSOCIATION 171 WINYAH AVENUE NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. TELEPHONE 1062”

New Rochelle, N.Y.

Dec. 13, 1917

Dear Aunt Ida:

I passed my Exam., at Albany this morning and tomorrow I have my finale at Fort Slocum.  We are staying here as the barracks at the Fort are filled and running over.  It is supposed to accomadate about 4000 and at present they have 11,000 over there and about 3000 here in New Rochelle.  We are placed around in private families and such places as this.  They say that about 10% of the boy[s] fail in their finale Examination  Out of the five that came with me one has been sent back that was Chiquette [?] the one that worked at pines Uncle Will will know who he is Myers[?] Tuttle has been seperated from us but I expect he is in town somewhere.

At this place where we are they are having entertainment’s from some of the leading stars 12 Acts in all and they are going from one place to another it is very good.  They also pay for all mail and pkges that boys want to send away

I pass the Examinations very easy and expect to get through without any trouble.  I was very lucky to get in as I just squeesed in on the last examination at White River.

We are having plenty to eat and a comfortable place to sleep I will let you know what the plans are.

One young fellow that I like very well was seperated from us tonight but I expect to see him again as he is in my Company.  We think quite alot of each other he is only 20 and I expect he will be lonesome tonight.

Coming down from Albany, we had a very pleasent ride we had a special car and in it there was 100 men.  When we got off the train we met a bunch of fellow from Cal. Phil. and Springfield going out to their respective camps.

Some of the boys are having the times of their lives and if they were sent home it would break them all up but I don’t feel that way as I have had more of this transporting around than they have.

    When we get into our camps it will be much better.

Will write you again soon and let you know all

With love,

Ervin

Keep this as I don’t intend to keep a diary.   

November 1917

 

October 1917

 

In February of 1917 there were 322,000 men serving in the American military.
By October of that year that number had swelled to 1,675,000.
It was six months (October of 1917) before U.S. troops were ready for combat and shipped overseas.

In October 1917, the New York Times tells stories about athletic contests that are being held at Fort Slocum. They include track and field events, bicycle races, and grenade tossing. There were also rifle and bayonet demonstrations. The Fort Slocum military band played at various events in New Rochelle, also.

A New York Times article of October 17, 1917 recorded that various entertainers were going to Fort Slocum to entertain the troops. They included Scottish entertainer, Harry Lauder, opera singer Max Rabinoff and monologist (comedian) Julius Tannen.

Julius Tannen

Sir Harry Lauder

The "October Revolution" begins in Russia.

The War Risk Insurance of October 1917 goes into effect.

No letter from Ervin.

September 1917

Colonel H. P. Kingsbury, Inf. Commanded Fort Slocum September 1917 To December 1919.

A New York Times article dated September 30, 1917 read: "BASEBALL AT FORT SLOCUM" says that soldiers at Fort Slocum held an athletic carnival yesterday at the fort. Events included baseball, boxing, cam spree and wrestling contests. The Fort Slocum all-post team defeated the Fort Schyler team. The second all-post team defeated the Fort Wadsworth team.

No letters from Ervin.

July 1917

No letters from Ervin.

Draft Registration June 1917

June 26 First US troops (1st Division) arrive in France.

The New York Times article dated June 14, 1917: "AN 'AMERICANIZED FOREIGN LEGION'" is written by a man who visited Fort Slocum to say good-bye to a younger brother. He notes that a full 60 per cent of the volunteers being trained there were from various foreign countries - speaking in "foreign tongues".


Ervin's registration card reads as follows:

Form 1 3-306 REGISTRATION CARD 1138 479

1 Name in full: Ervin Reuben Wakefield Age: 27
2 Address: 66 Northfield St., Montpelier, Vt.
3 Date of birth: Jan. 21, 1890
4 Citizenship: Natural born
5 Where were you born? Hardwick, Vermont, USA
6 If not a citizen._________________________
7 Present occupation: Manager Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. St[ore]
8 By whom employed: Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
9 Anyone depends on you for support? No
10 Married or single? Single Race: Caucasian
11 What military service have you had? Nation or State: No
12 Do you claim exemption from draft? ___________

I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.

Signed: Ervin Reuben Wakefield


44 - 1 - 13 - A
REGISTRAR’S REPORT

1. Tall, medium, or short? Tall Slender, medium, or stout? Medium
2. Color of eyes? Brown Color of hair? Black Bald? No
3. Any disabilities? No

Signed by registrar [name unreadable]

City: Montpelier
State: Vermont Date: June 5, 1917

[Stamped at bottom:] Local Board, Washington County, Vt.,
[unreadable] Room 12

[Source: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (available through ancestry.com)]