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

Letter to Aunt Ida - April 16, 1918

Camp Wadsworth

April 16, 1918

Dear Aunt Ida:

    Have been here a little over a week now and have not heard from you but expect a letter any day now.

All the boys here are from around Montpelier and I know most of them so I get along very well.  The first Sat. and Sunday I was here they had a ball team and we played one of the other Regiments and beat them.  My arm is fine and I expect to play all the time, they think I am some ball player.  It will get me out of a lot of hard work.

I had a chance to go in the kitchen but have changed my mind.  I think I will stay in the infantry as this regiment will probably never do any fighting.  I think my chances are better in this branch of the service than any.  You see this has been transfered to a Pioneer Regiment and their work will be building up the roads and repairing this in general.

This is some camp here about 40,000 men and we all sleep in tents  Officers and all, but the weather is very warm and when the wind blows it is something terrible.  Today has been one of those windy days and the dirt is everywhere but I guess it won’t do any damage.

My service record has not got here from Fort Slocum and I won’t get any pay this month so I wish Uncle Will would send me $10.00 to hold me through (by money order) so that I will get it before the last of the month.

Has he got any of my State pay yet?  He didn’t let me know if he had rec’d any.

I have been doing most everything since I came down here but don’t seem to mind it.  I am glad to have something to keep my mind taken up.

I got a long letter from Ida May today and she seems to like it very much where she now is.

One of the boys from this camp is home there now, Arthur Mack, he sleeps in the same tent with me and he enlisted at Wht. River Jct. the same time that I did, he think he is some big man now.

There are all kinds of entertainment here every night and I have used some of the Surileage [?] books that Uncle Will sent me.  They have Liberty tents here and the ticket are good.

Yesterday I got a long from Homer by the way of Fort Slocum and he is getting along fine and making much better than at Montpelier.

I was sorry that I had to leave Fort Slocum but I don’t suppose that we can have things just as we want them.

We expect to move north soon so I will come home when we get up there.

Hoping this finds you O.K. and enjoying yourselves.

I remain With love and Kisses

    Ervin

57th Pioneer Inf., Co. H.

Camp Wadsworth

Spartanburg S. C.

How to you like my envelope?  [Knights of Columbus War Activities]

Will send you some pictures of the camp soon.

 

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.