Charles Stevenson to Folks - September 10, 1918
Transcript
France September 10 Tuesday or Wednesday Dear Folks: With the rain coming down all the time and the place of camp a garden of mud I am managing to write a couple of lines. A couple of days ago we left our nice home and are now living in our tinty tents on some hill in the middle of a pine forest. It sure would have tickled you if you could have seen us moving. It was funny, honestly! Our former campw was left behind about dusk and we started out some seven kilometers away. It was nice and cool when we left and our packs were light. Pretty soon it began to sprinkle. We were still on rock roads. Then we turned from the rock roads to dirt roads. Then it began to rain and it sure did rain. This is not the season of moons and the moon was not out. We could not see ahead of us more than one foot - and when I say one foot - that is what I mean one foot! We scrambled and crawled and waded and pushed and pulled each other thru a mile or so of dirt, rather thru mud, road. Then - - we stepped off of the road onto a field - a plowed field. A wet plowed field never was a work of art and you can put it down that this field was no exception. We finally reached our objective - a wet, dark, rain-soaked forest - and there at two in the morning with it still raining we threw up out tents, arranged our equipment the best we could and wen to sleep. We had to walk only about seven kilometers so it was not so bad. Not many of the men got very wet as a great part of the march was made under trees. It was the first time we ever hiked to our camp - also the first time we ever lived in the littile tents whose pictures are so often painted by artists who don
Transcript
[page 2] About four hours before we left I got twleve letters from the great United States - from Mary, Dave, you, Aunt Kate, Mrs. Blake, Harrouns and a couple of girls unknown to you. Two hours before we left and two hours after the letters came in came Maurice again. He got to read all of the letters and for that was mighty grateful, as was I. They came at an opportune moment. He is gone now - - not gone - in the sense of having left the continent, but his division is no longer so close to ours and it may be some time before I get to see him again. We enjoyed the visits we had and consider ourselves lucky to be able to see each other. It we meet again in sixk months I will be satisfied. Your letter was theone written the week following the receipt of my first letters from England and the boat letter. Yes, it sure was some trip across, I
Transcript
I got the dandiest letter from Miss Harroun. It seems as if you sent a letter I wrote you to the Kansas City Star and that it was printed. I got five letters so far telling me that the piece was read - two from persons who had not yet written to me. Miss Harroun also saw the piece and wrote me a letter telling me that she would be only too glad to let me have any necessary money I needed to go to a journalistic school when I returned. I will send you the letter when I have finished answering it. I also got a letter from Mrs. Vickers. Nothing much is new - - it is still raining and we still plod along in the mud. We must be at war! My best love to all. [Charles Stevenson] censored by Rudesill Co. A, 314th Engrs.
Details
| Title | Charles Stevenson to Folks - September 10, 1918 |
| Creator | Stevenson, Charles |
| Source | Stevenson, Charles. Letter to Folks. 10 September 1918. Stevenson, Charles S. Collection. 1979.24; 1982.202. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | Charles Stevenson wrote this letter to his grandparents about his new camp in France. Stevenson enlisted in Kansas City, Missouri and became attached to Company A, 314th Engineers at Camp Funston, Kansas. Stevenson was shipped overseas on June 12, 1918 where he remained for the duration of the war. He arrived back in the United States on May 26, 1919. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918--Military life--United States; Tents; United States. Army. Engineer Combat Battalion, 314th |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | 1979.24; 1982.202 |
| 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 | September 10, 1918 |
| Language | English |