Letter to Aunt Ida - February 27, 1918

Ervin at Fort Slocum (?).

Fort Slocum

Feb 27, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter and Uncle Wills check came some time ago but I have been very busy lately and neglected to answer it.

I have been on Guard three times in the last week and that is too much. But I don’t see how I can change it. You see there was an accident in the Harbor and they put on an extra Guard so that makes us go on afternoons.

There was a couple of fellows fell through the ice and drowned and last night 2 girls and two fellows started to row over from New Rochelle and tipped over the two girls were drowned and the fellows are in the Hospital they are draging the Harbor for the bodies today.

I went over to New York last Sat. afternoon and met Martha and Ida. They took me to a Cabaret we had a very good time. We went to the Winter Garden Cabaret.

The weather is getting much warmer here now and I enjoy it more. The snow is off the drill grounds, and we have a nice large place to drill and it looks fine where you see all the boys out there drilling.

Some of the best drilled on the island gave an exibition in the Hippodrome. They say it was very good. I dont’t no, I didn’t to to see them.

There was a large parade in New York last week. The boys of Zaphauke [?] marched and it was wonderful sight by what everyone says. They were the drafted boys and they got a wonderfull reception.

I don’t know when I will be able to get home but will try and get home next month to stay two or three days. I would like to come up there once before I am shipped farther away. One can never tell where he is going to be the next day in this life.

I suppose if I came home I would have a Band to meet me and David Spicer leading it.

We will be playing ball here soon as the ground is drying up fast and if my arm is in good shape I may make the team here and they will probably hold me all summer.  This would be a fine place to stay this summer.

Tomorrow is muster and I expect it will be a busy day.  Today has been very busy.  I have had to clean everything I have got and have it ready for inspection tomorrow.  Still have my gun to clean. This morning we drilled and this afternoon we scrubed out our barracks and washed all the windows, cleaned our bed, washed our legging, shined our shoes, and shaved so you see I have been pretty busy.

It is getting near nine o’clock and the lights go out so I will close for this time. Hoping this finds you both O.K. I remain

With Love

Ervin

Remember me to Beulah and Ruth and Lucy if you ever see her.

Letter to Aunt Ida - February 14, 1918

Fort Slocum

Feb., 14th, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came sometime ago and I intended to answer before but I couldn’t get the application filled out but have got it now and will enclose it in this letter.

I wrote a letter a few days ago expecting to get the application and enclosing it. Some way I lost the letter and can not find it anywhere so will have to write another.

Well I am on Guard here now and will probably be here for 6 months. I went on my first Guard yesterday at 12 o’clock and came off today at 12. We have 2 hours on and four off. 8 in all and 16 off.

It was a regular summer night last night and it was fine up where I was up on the tops of the Batteries where I could see all over the island and New York harbor.

I got paid a week ago last Monday and am nearly broke as I had to get a few things that I needed. I got $13.00 for the month of Dec., so if you will have Uncle Will send me $5.00 I think I will be allright and then I will have a little money in my pocket until I get my next months pay.

You asked me if I needed a sweater. No I don’t think I do the coldest part of the winter is over and I think they are bad things for cold’s.

If I can get a 5 day pass the first of next month I may come home.   I am able to get a twelve hour pass any day of the week and a 36 hour pass on Sat. but I am not going to take any for awhile and perhaps I can get a long one.

I can not sign my insurance to a Uncle or Aunt so I haven’t taken any out yet but will as soon as I get your idea of it. They have certain rules and it is that or not anything.

They are shipping out men here right and left.   Sat. there are 1700 going and eveey day just about the same.

The drafted men coming in here now and they are very strick.  They have no privileges while they are on the island so that is why I was drawn into the gun squad. I hope I stay here this summer as it is fine here and there is all kinds of enjoyments for a little money.

I am going to write a few more notes and it is getting along toward bedtime so I guess I will close.

Hoping this finds you O.K.

I remain

With Lots of Love,

Ervin

Letter to Uncle Will - February 11, 1918

Fort Slocum Gun Squad

Fort Slocum

Feb., 11, 1918

Dear Uncle Will:

Your letters came O.K. and I should of answered before but have been very busy.

I have been drawn into the gun squad and will probably will be held here for two or three months and perhaps I can get transfered into something that will be permant here.  I like it here very much but perhaps I will find it just as good somewhere else.

I went in to take out my insurance and they told me that I could not make it out to a Uncle or Aunt.  Now what do you think I had better do I will hold off for a while.

Where I am now I am able to get a pass most any time I want to and if there is any such thing as getting a five day pass I will be home next month.  I got paid last Monday but only for the month of Dec. witch was $13.00 and as there was quite a few things I needed am nearly broke or will be before next month so if you send me $5.00 sometime along it would help very much.

I am having my application for state pay filled out and you can get it and take care of it.

The weather is much better here than it has been for some time, the season is going fast and it seems like spring but I expect we will have some cold weather yet I have been over to New York twice since I wrote you last Sunday.   I went in to the Moving Pictures witch were fine. We had a very good time.

I will probably have more time to myself from now on and will write more often so will close for now. Hoping this finds you O.K. I remain

    With Love

        Ervin

There are two fellows here from Montpelier one of them is Charlie Tobias’ brother the fellow that used to work in Pines.