Ernest McKeighan letter to Family - June 2, 1918
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France June 2 [1918] Dear Sweethearts Mine I received your second sweet letter yesterday, the one with the lock of hair, for which let me thank you with all my heart. I now have one of each of you, and you can have no idea of how close it seems to bring you to me. The locks are something real that are an intimate part of you both and hense part of me. The first letter which reached me here was postmarked [April] 29th and the second the 4th of May, both of which had gone to camp M and been forwarded here to me. I was so pleased at the receipt of the first one that I just sat me down and wrote from the heart and do believe that I interely neglected to refer to anything in the aforesaid letter so shall have it before me as
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[page 2] I write this and answer both at once. Did the picture
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[page 3] They were rather well entertained, which we certainly do not begrudge. Am so sorry you could not find yourself contented at Excelsior Springs as I thought the lack of so much care and responsibility would help but you know best, dearest and I want you to be where you will be most happy
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[page 4] or boat. I saw none of New York which did not please me at all. We saw the dock at the boat. It was quite interesting (?) The architecture is that of ancient Rosedale, it is above the water, strange to say. The floor is of wood probably taken from a tree, but of that there is no proof. There is a roof which, I think, is supported by some substantial substance. I do not know how it is financed as there is no solid foundation to support it. Am very sorry but this is all the description I can give of New York. Yes, dear, they all came on the same boat. No, I have no idea how long we will be here as we get no news other than that pertaining to our immediate sector. I mean by that, we get no reliable news It seems rather hard to realize that
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[page 5] the Princton, Haddon Hall and all those places would be crowded at this time. What is Grace Heaton doing now, is she married again? Tell old Frank Kirkes hello! for me when you see him again, also that he may be in yet. So Geo C. is in the Q.M. you know the soldiers do say that when a man is transferred from that branch to the line, the other Q.M. men hang out a service flag Get me? So Bill has at last come in has he? Well it does seem to me he has some gall to call that getting in. It is funny, but Sgt Taylor showed me a letter just after I got yours, from a friend, in which he told of Bill
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[page 6] Lawton, isn
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[page 7] so very careful as to what is written about, in order that no information may reach the enemy, that it is somewhat hard to write telling the things of interest and not say too much, however I think I am not going too far when I tell you that we are less than twenty-five miles from the battle line, working away as busy as can be and we can hear the roar of the artillery. Yesterday I was coming back to camp after a days work, and I shall try to paint the word picture as I saw it. Way off in the distance could be heard the roar of battle, and I was walking in the midst of a beautiful clover pasture in which were a quantity of pretty wild flowers, some of which
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[page 8] am enclosing, in the fields were old and young women working and up in the air over me was a tiny bird which held himself almost stationary on the wing and sang
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[page 9] I secured a piece of the covering of his plane also one of his gloves which had been burned, these I secured from a French soldier who was on the scene where they dropped not far from our camp Am not sure that I can mail these to you but will find out. If I cannot will save and bring home with me. Think I told you about finding one of C.L
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[page 10] one as sweet and utterly attractive as you yourself are, to come home to so you may figure that I shall come home as clean as when I left you. I have not seen a Star since I left Camp D I have received a letter from the War Dept acknowledging the receipt of your allotment also one from G.M. Smith, of the bank, in which he says he is glad to attend to the matter for you. No doubt you have been in touch with G.M. by this time. Captain Taylor told me yesterday that the Quarters
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[page 11] allowance has been decided to have gone back, in my case, to [August 5, 1917] so that will help some when it comes. Chaplan R came to us this A.M. and held services. He is a real he-man and has touched the hearts of the men and you will be greatly pleased, I know, to know that he is getting mine for the Lord he loves so well. Try to picture the scene this A.M. The men of the Battalion all sitting in a circle, with only Capt J absent from among the Officers, the Chaplan, with his earnest face before us, expounding the vertues as
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[page 12] he understand them and round and about air-battles, the roar of the big guns at the front, the passing of troops, the birds singing and not for away the remains of a hun air-plane laying where it fell. Well! sweethearts, I suppose I could go on writing another hour or so but I submit that this is rather a fair sized letter, so will close with expression of the deepest love and adoration for the dearest wife and daughter in the world Your loving Husband & Father Ernest
Details
| Title | Ernest McKeighan letter to Family - June 2, 1918 |
| Creator | McKeighan, Ernest |
| Source | McKeighan, Ernest. Letter to Family. 02 June 1918. Ernest E. McKeighan Papers. 2005.14. The National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | Ernest McKeighan sent this letter to his wife and daughter from France. In the letter, McKeighan discussed family affairs, airplane fights, and where he was staying in France. McKeighan served as part of Company E, 110th Engineers, 35th Division during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | United States. Army. Division, 35th; Aeroplanes; World War, 1914-1918--Transportation; World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; United States Army. 110th Engineers |
| Site Accession Number | 2005.14 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | June 2, 1918 |
| Language | English |