Name/Title
WWI Letter, Nov. 10, 1917Entry/Object ID
2009.05.036Scope and Content
Group of one sheet correspondence on tan Knights of Columbus letterhead paper and envelope.
Letter has horizontal tri-fold creases with writing on both sides on paper. Dated Nov. 10, 1917. Lined handwritten letter in black ink about rather being home shucking corn, Catholics in his troop, and getting settled into the early days of camp life.
Envelope has Knights of Columbus logo in upper left corner. Addressed to "Miss Josephine Raupp; Arlington Heights, Ills. Box 39." Postmarked Houston, TX Logan Branch Nov. 12, 1917. Envelope torn cleanly open on right vertical seam. Cut out area where stamp should be.
"Dear Cousin Josephine,
I received your letter yesterday was glad to hear from you. We have nice warm weather here, I suppose it gets pretty cold up there sometimes already. The nights get pretty cold here too sometimes. You know we have to sleep in tents here It gets pretty cold in them towards morning. This is dusty country. The sand is awful. A person can't keep clean if tryes to. You asked me if got that letter you sent me the 26th I was gone then already. They said they would send it down if there was some there but I didn't see any. This is some life. I would sooner be home and husk corn but have to try and make the best of it. If it is in Gods will I might come back home again. Let us hope so anyway. This wouldn't be so bad if we only don't have to go across. The war might be over pretty soon, hope so anyway. I haven't got far to go to church here there are four Catholics in my tent, but they are all strangers They come from all over. From Elgin, from Aurora, and from Chicago. There is a quite a little wood around here where the camp is. It is all [?] new but damp yet. We eat in a building. The first day I was here we had some storm. You ought to see that dust lay on the table in the mess shack. It layed on almost a half inch thick You know they haven't got no windows in yet. They have got the ? on and that didn't blow through there. We didn't have such bad winds since. That sure was a bad one. I didn't drill this week I was on latrine detail. It is about three hours work a day and the rest of the time is my own. Tomorrow is my last day somebody else gets the job then. Houston is about six miles away from the camp I have only been there once it is quite a town Almost like Chicago only not as big There are some awful big buildings in there but the way coming down here I seen some poor buildings I never seen anything like it before They haven't got no cellar in under them even. There are a lot of colored people coming down. Out of every house you see a nigger looking out almost. The most they raise down here is cotton You see fields of it. Don't see much corn. I guess it gets too hot. You some but it is small. There wasn't any cut, I guess they don't cut it either it is too poor. Have you got yours all husked already? This is all the news for this time
Will close with love to all
Yours trly,
Cousin Bernard"Archive Details
Creator
Raupp, BernardDate(s) of Creation
Nov 10, 1917Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Raupp, BernardPerson or Organization
Raupp, Josephine