"Burke letter"

[Page 1] Jefferson Barrack
Dec 27 - 1917 -
Daerest Moma,
Just received
your letter of the 19th
this evening. I went to
the Post Office several
times but they were all
rushed and seemed if
as they did not care
whether you get any
mail or not and
when we go to the
post office we have to
stand in line for
about two or three
hours and freeze stiff.
Our bunch is on
kitchen duty now we
do not know when we
[Page 2] will get relief possibly
tomorrow and maybe
not untill Saturday.
When the list was
made out all of our crowd
was not on it so those
that was not on
volunteered and went on
so we could be in to-
gether.
The kitchen work is
not so bad with a good
crowd and no body
shakes his duty. Each
one is assigned to a
particular thing to do
and he must perform
that duty. I got a job
of filling salt and
pepper shakers. Some
others have to wait on
tables others help in
the kitchen some to
keep the doors shut and
see that no body
comes in except at the
[Page 3] proper time, some to
keep the trappings
swept up so take it all
around there was not
much for any of us to
do, so it is a great deal
better than laying around
the camp doing nothing.
Christmas evening
I went over to St. Louis
while I was there I got
a shave and I thought that
the barber dropped some
liquid in it, but the
doctor at the hospital
said that that was not
it, just a case of pink
eyes. He gave me some
medinice to drop in to
it. So it is a whole lots
[Page 4] better now and I think
it will be all ok by
Saturday any way.
The reason I got my
mail this envening
was that the mess
sergeant sent all of us
down to the Post Office
in a body so those
that were there had
to wait untill we
got our mail. While
we were getting it the
clerk turned so I could
see the letters as he "ran"
over them and he like
to ran over one of mine.
I call his attention to it
and he went back and
got it. I got your
letter, Bitlies, Pealre,
+ Cagas, but did not get
any papers I asked about
them and the clerk said
we haven't got time to
fool with any papers
[Page 5] now. So I don't know
when I will get them
It is just one wait
after another up here
it surely looks if they
wouldn't do something
to relieve the situation
some how. If they
handle drafted men up
here this Post Office
will never be large
enough to handle the
business.
Christmas morning
when I went to the Post
Office I did not get
but two boxes so I went
back today and called
to see if there was
any thing else - I got the
[Page 6] box with the olives
and fruit and nuts in
it. The grapes were al-
most spoiled. Some of
them were all right.
One of the boys
ask about the Hickory
nut. I told him that
we went out in the woods and picked them
up by the bushel he
thought it something
wonderful.
That was some
bad about Mrs. Koonce
all right but it did not
surprise me much for
she had been puney for
so long. I guess
Mebone is all broken
up now I wonder
what he will do with
his Bay> So we have got
something to be thankful
[Page 7] for although we think
we have a rough road
to travel at times.
Well our quartett
is in session and it
is a hard job for me to
think right good. So
I will close for tonight
wtih love to all and
whole heaps for yourself.
Your son
Harrell
P.S.
Tell Pearles I am going
to try and get to her
letter tomorrow night.
Won't have much time
so long as I am in the
kitchen.

World War I supplemental materials

Title

Creator

Files

Date Original

Description

Transcription

Physical Description

Subjects

Contributor

Geographical Area

Language

Identifier

Collection

Publisher

Contributing Entity

Recommended Citation

Rights

Preview

Browse

Search

Author Corner

Links