Letter to Aunt Ida - April 1918



Camp Wadsworth

Camp Wadsworth

Spartansburg [Spartanburg], N. [S] C.

Dear Aunt Ida:

Well here I am in Spartansburg but expected to go to Camp Greene Charlotte N. C. but when I got down there my regiment had been transfered to this place.   So it took me quite a while to find the place I was going to.  They shiped me over to Camp Greene and from there here.

It seems to bad that I could not get home before I got so far away but you see, belonging to the National Guard I had to be sent out at once as they called for National Guard men to be sent to their camps at once.  There is not doubt but what I will have a chance to get home before I go across as there are only 29 men in our company and we are supposed to have 200 so I imagine it will be some time before the company will be full.

It is not rearly as nice as it was at Fort Slocum but I suppose this is the training life and when one get used to it there is nothing like it but I guess some of the fellows will die getting used to it.

This camp is the largest in U.S. and all I have seen in the last  few days is soldiers.  I didn’t suppose there was so many men in the world.  We all sleep in tents here even the officers and the officers seem to be around with the men more than at Fort Slocum.

Yesterday I was on Guard and today we went over in the field about two miles and build a road.   We were beside a cotton field so that was the first time I ever saw it grow.

I think that this road building and cleaning up is the kind of work that we will have to do when we get across and they are breaking us in here.

We are not getting any drilling here and we don’t expect to get much as it takes nearly all the time to do the work that has to be done.

I am writting this letter during my noon hour so my time is limited and have got to go back to work.  Thought I would let you know my address and how I was getting along

    With love,

        Ervin

57th Pioneer Inf.  Co. H.

Camp Wadsworth

Spartanburg

South Carolina

Letter to Uncle Will - April 1918

See timeline:  Ervin was member of 1st Vermont Infantry until April 1, 1918.  Became part of 57th Pioneer Infantry.

No date

Dear Uncle Will

Am leaving for the camp tomorrow morning Camp Greene, Charlotte N.C.

Ida and Martha are here to see me before I go

Will write as soon as I get there.

With Love,

Ervin

George Morrace's Diary included this (George was at Fort Slocum the same time as Ervin):

Friday, Apr. 5 (1918)  Left Fort Slocum at 9 AM Arrived Jersey City 12:30 pm. Left 12:30 am. Arrived Philadelphia 3:30 pm, Baltimore 6:00 pm, Washington 10:00 pm (Red Cross good to us).

Saturday, Apr. 6 (1918)  Richmond 3:00 am, Charlotte N.C. 9:00 am, Rocky Mt. S.C. 2:00 pm, Columbia 4:00 pm, arrived at Spartanburg 11:00 pm.

Letters to Uncle Will and Aunt Ida - March 25, 1918

           Fort Slocum

March 25, 1918

Dear Uncle Will

The check came O.K. and it came in handy. I bought me a gun razor and brush and spent some of the balance but have some left. We get paid one week from Wed.

I rec’d a letter from Aunt Ida and one from Ma yesterday it seems good to get letters.   Ida May writes nearly every week and I have seen her good many times since I came down here.

Yesterday (Sunday) I went over to Pelham the Naval recruiting station and as I was walking around I heard a fellow call "Hello! Tip" and there was a young fellow from Montpelier by the name of White.  I was surprised he came down Sat. sent by Mitchel [?]. It is quite a place over there a very large camp and they are making it 3 times as large. Another fellow and I walked over and rode back in an auto, it is about 4 miles over there.

The weather here is very comfortable down here now and I like it much better than during the cold weather. Last week I thought I was going and as a lot of the Gun Squad was called out and the most of them are National Guard men. The squad is very small now and we have to Guard twice a week but they are breaking in new men and then it will be better.

I don’t mind the Guards half as much as I did at first.  It is all in getting used to it. I am on see patrol tonight.   That is walking around the island and keep watch that no one lands on the island from small boats. My first guard begins at ten and ends at 12. My second at 4 and ends at 6 that is all, as the other sentinals can attend to that in the day time.

Now about coming home.  You see after pay day everyone has money and then they all apply for 5 day passes and fellow has to be lucky to get one but along in the middle or last of the month they get broke and then they can not go so I thought I would come home about the 12th or 15th of April. Perhaps I can get a little longer time as I live so far away.

I am going to write a letter to Aunt Ida tonight and tell her when I intend to come home. So will bring this to a close.

Hoping this finds you O.K. I remain With Love.

Ervin

Remember me to all the boys and girls.

I can not transfer from the National Guard into the regular Army so my changes of getting into the tank service are gone.

Fort Slocum

           March 25th 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came O.K.a and was glad to here from you as I was afraid you wouldn’t get my letter.

Now I intend to come home about the 12th or 15th of April.  The first of the month every [one] trys to get home and if one is lucky they might get their pass but I thought it would be better wait the middle of the month.

What are you doing there in Boston buying an auto or just looking over the place?   I would like to be there a few days and see some of my friends down in Lynn.

We are having fine weather here now and it is not bad doing Guard Duty.  I am on see patrol tonight 4 hours in all 10 to 12 and 4 to 6 that is not bad.

I wrote Uncle Will a letter and told him all the news and I suppose he is having the time of his life while you are away I wish I was there with him as we need to stick together and go to the movies and take in everything that was going on.

There seems to be a large fire raging over in New York about ¼ of a mile away and the wind is very strong so I expected it is going to be some fire.

Let me know when you expect to go home so I can write you a letter before you go.

Remember me to all the folks there in Boston and tell Archie he can send me some ice cream.  Like the fellow that came here from Porta Rico and sent home some   ?  in a letter.

Hoping this finds you O. K.

I remain With Love to All

    Ervin

March 25, 1918 Notes

Lynn:  Ervin played baseball in Lynn, MA.

Fire:  According to newspapers of the time, there was an explosion and fire on the docks of Hobokon, NJ on this night.  People in NYC went to their roofs to watch it.

Letter to Aunt Ida - March 16, 1918

Fort Slocum

Mar. 16th 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

Your letter came Thursday night and as I didn’t leave time to get a letter back to Montpelier in time will send this in care of  Archie.

Now I won’t be able to get home this month but will surely come next month.  I am short of money and I want to put in for a transfer to a different branch of the regular army.

I am not going off the island this week as I go on Guard tomorrow morning at nine and won’t be though until Monday noon.

The last few days have been very cold but today it has begun to warm up and I hope it will be warmer tomorrow

There was about 1,000 men went out of here today and about as many same in it is {page missing?] service.  Another fellow and I are going into the tank service.  That will take us out of the Guard duty and we will allways have shelter and the chance of advancement is very good as it is a new branch of the service.

I could stay here all summer if I wanted to but you see they won’t be nearly all filled up in the 1st Vermont and the chances are they would ship me over in the fall in [page missing?] just the same every day.

All the boys have gone home on passes except two or three and they are taking charge of the barracks and having a fine time singing and dancing.

I will write you another letter soon  Let me know how long you intend to stay in Boston and perhaps I can come that way and to home with you.  Will send Uncle a line.

With Love,

    Ervin

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.