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Sept. 1, 1918
Sept. 9, 1918
Sept. 15, 1918
Sept. 22, 1918
Sept. 29, 1918
Picture of Chateau de la Lande
Letters to Eva, September 1918
Dear Mother,
I sent a letter to Ralph last night which I addressed to Rocky
Hill to be forwarded, with a question mark in place of the rank.
I hope to get a letter off to Lucinthia in the early part of
this week.
My situation isn't much different than when I wrote a few days
ago, no nearer the front & at the same old job. The Major
is becoming famous for miles around for the way he gets things
done; I venture a prediction he'll leave France a Colonel.
I found my first close friend on the Killed in Action Casualty
list for Aug.6, just published in the Paris New York Herald -
Emir Allen of Salt Lake City, a classmate & fraternity brother.
He was in the New York division at Plattsburg last summer and
got a provisional second in the Regular Army. I suppose you know
we're all United States Army now - no more N.G., N.A., &
Regulars. Our collar ornaments are therefore straight U.S.'s.
It seems pretty good, but to complete the job I would like to
change the "birdie" for some kind of motor transport
insignia.
Moody is his same old self, particularly when it comes to the
French ladies. He seems to know everybody in town, and has a
beaming countenance for everybody, especially females, whether
he knows them or not, and has no respect for crepe [note - I
believe this is a reference to a sign of mourning] or anything
else. He wades in all over. Fox remarked to-night that there's
a good percentage scheme in that; he's bound to get a few beams
back. I suppose he can't flash his 32[degree] at the French ladies,
but how he does use it in the Army. You should have seen him
coming over on the boat. By George! It makes me mad to see a
man come up and poke his third finger in another's face with
Moody's significant blatancy particularly. We've got him detailed
on a job now where we may lose him forever, but I am reminded
of the old saying about bad pennies. I have a horrible feeling
that somehow or other he's going to get a Majority before he
leaves France; a little fatalistic feeling bred of the way he
got his other two promotions. Well, he can be a Colonel, if he
hasn't anything to do with me. The poor chap's got a family to
support; and has a heart big enough for a dozen or fifteen.
Cookie had some of his delicious hot rolls for the first time
since we left America for dinner this noon. It surely did seem
good. Say, I'm going to start busting my belt pretty soon. This
is the time of the year I always seem to feed up.
Well, I haven't said anything to amount to much but I guess it'll
have to be all for this time. Hope everybody is well & happy
& best of love to all.
Sylvester.
Dear Mother,
I received your letter of Aug 4th and the one of Martha's you
forwarded this last week. I am surprised that those safe arrival
cards didn't come thru more quickly. I have had letters from
Eva thru the 15th of August and she hadn't received hers at that
time. Well you probably have that and some others by now, such
as they are.
I think the rainy season must have come, for after a month without
a drop we have had four days now which have rained half the day.
The natives say we can expect it right along now, which isn't
a very cheerful prospect.
This past week the Major and Leviseur and I went on a rather
interesting business trip some 125 miles from here, by motor.
It covered part of the chateau country and we saw a number of
picturesque old landmarks, some on top of hills and some built
right into them. On one of those we passed Richard the Lion Hearted
was imprisioned for 10 years. We passed a number of places which
were literally cave- dwellings - where people had dug their homes
out of the hill-sides; it must be great living. We stayed at
an American Officers' Club at our destination and I slept right
in the next bed to a captain, from Emir Allen's regiment, who
had just come out of the hospital. He knew Emir and knew something
of the circumstances of his death, which was instant, on the
battlefield. Fred in his room was right next to a man by the
name of Luky, in the air service, who was in the 4th company
at Plattsburg. During the day I met two classmates - Norman Buck
(who was on that long night walk to escape the Sophomores my
first night alone in New Haven with me). He's been over here
a long time, a civilian in the Air Service. He only has the use
of one eye & couldn't be in the Army. The second was Jesse
Spaulding who was captain of the football team; he is a captain
of infantry on staff duty. I had quite a chat with both of them.
We expect to move into tents very soon, and then it will be goodbye
feather beds. It will be much better to be all together.
I am surely glad Lucinthia took the opportunity to go to see
Eva. Eva was delighted with her visit and I imagine Lucinthia
enjoyed it equally well.
Please tell Martha I appreciated and enjoyed her letter very
much, and give my very best to her & family.
This will be about all for this time. With lots of love to all.
Sylvester.
Dear Mother,
Our rainy season has had a little lull for three days now, and
perhaps it isn't going to be as bad after all. We have had three
beautiful autumn days since Thursday, and it has been good to
be out in them.
I have been holding a miniature Connecticut state election this
week, for we were sent duplicate sets of ballots for Connecticut
voters entitled to vote. I took a chance & voted also, assuming
that I still had the right to vote as from Cromwell, for my name
was on the list sent us. I had some fun with Moody over them,
telling him he could come over to headquarters & fill out
a ballot if he'd vote the Democratic ticket. He didn't know enough
to take it as a joke; I don't mean he got riled over it, but
he made a simple asinine reply, in his most complacent way, as
how "No sir, I vote the Republican Ticket, and for Connecticut's
war governor." (I suppose he'll vote for the U.S.'s war
President if he comes up for a third term.) He is an awful simpleton
at times; this noon he remarked that General Foch would no doubt
be a Marshal one of these days to which Spaulding aptly rejoined
"I don't doubt it either, since he's been one three months."
That was only one of four bright remarks of equal sense he got
off at noon today, when we had a marquise at lunch with us for
him to expose himself to.
Yesterday we had a great ball game with a team composed of officers
from a machine gun regiment up the line a way. It has been in
the wind for about 2 weeks, the adjutant of the M.G. Reg't &
myself writing reams of defiant bombasity at each other for our
respective units. The great combat finally came off yesterday
and we bit the dust to the tune of 22- 4, but had a most excellent
time & afternoon's outing.
This noon we had the Marquise de la Roche, whose husband has
an estate in a nearby village, at lunch with us. She is connected
with refugee relief work and became known to the Major thru official
channels. She speaks excellent English and is a most charming
woman - a woman probably about 45. She would remind you, to some
extent, I think, of Aunt Laura, in her general disposition &
manner, though of course she has French mannerisms which would
make a complete comparison with anyone at home impossible.
I expect you are all being thrilled at the news of the first
large scale all-American offensive. The French all marvel at
the Americans, and every Frenchman believes they can't be stopped.
I think they'll have Fritzie buffaloed before long, too. The
American is full of fire and energy that the European hardly
understands. Every day in the A.E.F. makes one ponder to be an
American.
I had a fine long letter from Aunt Elizabeth this week. She spoke
of the celebrations going on in Cromwell from time to time over
news of American victories; I imagine they're having a few more
this week.
With lots of love to you & all.
Sylvester
Dear Mother,
The early part of the week was very productive in the letter
line, and I had mail posted as late as Aug.26 from you. For three
days I was getting mail every day and got very much spoiled.
24th, after interruption
The letters I had last week were yours postmarked Aug 12, 15,
& 26, and it is surely good to get the news from home. Some
of your questions about details I'll have to pass up, until 1920
or so. The idea that we were in Italy seems to have been quite
general in New England for a while, but probably dispelled before
now.
To-night I have shaken the hand of J.B.M, Jr. in farewell for
he is leaving for other parts and his return to the fold is most
unlikely. Hence today is one famous in my little autobiography,
and the black little strip of cloud across my otherwise nearly
serene horizon has suddenly dispersed. Me step is 4 beats per
minute faster, and my heart some cwt. lighter. [note - my dictionary
says cwt. is an abbreviation for hundredweight] Thus lightly
do we part with life-long friends in the heartless army - us
"chums from Connecticut" as Greene would call us; Greene's
sentiments were mine with about double intensity.
25th
Perhaps sometime I'll finish. I feel less like writing to-night
than any time since I started for the day has been the most strenuous
of a strenuous week. Fred Leviseur has started a good one to-day
- The Aching Void - Memories of J.B.M ,Jr.
During the past week I have met an interesting personage in the
Sous-Prefet of this place. [See Resume
of M. Gillet, the sous-prefet] He has been bed ridden for
sometime in a plaster cast fitting around him like a shirt. His
back won't hold up, as the result of wounds received in some
African campaign. But he is the most cheerful person imaginable.
He enjoys having the American officers come to see [him] and
is especially fond, I think, of Major June. He is learning English
quite fast, and enjoys especially picking up American colloquialisms
- the other night he told us he could "lick his weight in
wild-cats"; and I taught him our "take the cake"
expression at another time, where something came up making it
applicable.
I wonder if my allotments have started to reach Father yet. I
hope so, for they will clean that University thing in no time.
There's very little to spend money for here, and I ought to have
an account climbing up on both sides of the water.
More soon. Lots of Love.
Sylvester.
Dear Mother,
I have just finished an extended conversation with the good man
of the house, my part being mostly to look wise & say "Oui",
except when he would ask me a question, then I'd have to sat
"Comment" several times before I could start puzzling
out an answer.
This has been quite a big day, and I don't believe I've so thoroughly
enjoyed one since being here. The Major and Fred, and I were
invited out to dinner with the Marquise de la Roche, who has
an estate about 20 kilometers away. Mrs. Gold, the Y.M.C.A. woman
who has been here this month, also came with us. It was very
much of a treat. The Marquis was on his back to-day, but he would
have been a bit lost at the table, as he's the only one of the
family who doesn't speak English. The Marquise speaks excellent
English with no effort whatever, and her two daughters, the Comtesse
de La Rochefoucould, and Mlle. Lermaine [note - not positive
of the spelling of her name] de la Roche, almost as well. The
Comtesse has two little children, a baby and a much spoiled boy
of 5, Roget, who tries to rule his English governess, a capable,
patient woman of middle age. They have the most faultless butler
imaginable, with full dress suit and white gloves and general
spick-and-span appearance. He was reasonably intelligent looking
too, and when he came out the entrance as we first arrived, I
didn't know whether he was the Marquis himself or the butler,
until he took the Major's coat. There is a long boulevard driveway
leading up to the entrance to the house, with orange trees in
the middle. The house was formerly a chateau - the turrets on
either side, and the whole front - were destroyed in the Revolution.
There is still the moat around it, however, but the rest looks
like any broad fronted Mansion. A few swans in the moat and peacocks
on the lawn lend an air of dignity to the place. Inside it is
most fascinating - beautiful finely worked tapestries over all
the walls, fine wood carvings, paintings, and a library that
fills a dozen tiers of shelves around all four walls of a good
sized room. The music room had a grand piano, a harpsichord,
a harp, and a cello. I couldn't begin to tell everything which
was there, and of course one couldn't stand around and gaze all
the time. The dining room table was very wide; ought to suit
Uncle Bill for there'd be no chance of getting kicked under the
table spread as far as you might. They had a six course dinner
for us - No.1, chopped up vegetables, a kind of pot-pourri, with
a poached egg, soft, all of which I manfully ate; No.2, roast
beef and boiled potatoes; No.3, such chocolate pudding as I have
not had since I left my happy home; No.4, cheese, to which I
said "Non, Merci"; No.5, fruit - luscious peaches and
nice sweet white grapes; by the way, Butler & Jewell used
to sell a basket of peaches for what one lone peach costs you
here; No.6, finger bowls, followed by demi-tasse in the library.
For the afternoon the Marquise had a hunt all prepared for us;
you've seen that caricature of King George hunting in India haven't
you - with a big tiger blindfolded & chained with all four
legs to trees; well this might remind you a bit of that. Her
foreman, (I assume he was), had about all the boys in the neighborhood
gathered, each with a stick and a voice. They preceded us and
formed skirmish line a mile or so away and drove all the partridge
our way - where we were ambushed with our shotguns, as placed
by the foreman. (He asked me "Vous Tirez bien?" and
before I realized he was asking if I were a good shot, the fatal
"Oui" had passed my lips). We were always about 250
ft. apart along some hedge. After about four battles we came
home with four dead partridges and a hare, to grace our mess
to-morrow. It has been a beautiful clear autumn day and we have
all enjoyed our outing thoroughly.
Last evening we also had a first rate time. First we went
to the Y.M.C.A. where Mrs. Gold was engineering a minstral show
with soldier talent, with a few vaudeville acts following. She
is surely splendid in arranging these entertainments; she's not
witty at all on the stage, that is, is not of the type who can
get off stage comics, though extremely jolly and sociable in
company. She is just capable and knows how to get things going,
and get people working for her. After this performance the Sous-Prefet
had a little spread for us over at his house - us, I say; I mean
a few American officers & Y.M.C.A. men, Mrs. Gold, and the
Marquise; only about a dozen, I guess. The Marquise had brought
about 4 chocolate frosted cakes, our own cookie made a nice pink
frosted cake for Mrs. Gold to take there, and there were lavender
color candies spoiled with maraschino cherries inside, and cracker
& cheese sandwiches. Poor M. Gillet, the Sous-Prefet, couldn't
be there himself, but we went up & talked to him for some
time afterward.
This sounds a lot like fighting the Hun, doesn't it? A cruel
war, this.
Your letter of Sept.1 arrived to-day. You ask if I hear the sound
of the guns. I heard a few shotguns to-day.
News from all the fronts is surely most encouraging at present.
I am glad that Eva came to see you and hope that you both enjoyed
the visit together. Her first letter from Rocky Hill came today
with yours, and she seemed to be having a good time.
Well, I've said about enough for one small evening, I guess.
Lots of love.
Sylvester
P.S, I have continued to subscribe for the Weekly & Review,
but have asked the Review to be sent home. Please do not forward.
Learned dissertations not in order here
S~~~
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