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Port Townsend
Apr. 17, 1918
Dear sister & brother,
Your letter of the 11 received today.
Herbert was over here awhile this afternoon, but had to be back
for school tonight, but is trying to get back tomorrow night.
He came over to see the ship off, which took the body of his
brother and comarade [sic].
He said they were like brothers all the while they have [been]
here. Last winter if you
remember Dick said some of these days you will hear that Emil is
out there alone, the other two will be back, but God had different ways
in view. Herbert is left
alone. Ernest in a foreign
land and Emil has gone home where he will know no more sorrow or
suffering.
I am sitting here writing I don’t know what for
you will see Mrs. Wedemeyer if the Lord wills it long before this
letter can reach you.
Herbert said today I miss Emil as he was a true friend, but I don’t
wish him back. He won’t
have to go through what perhaps I will have to.
I may be buried in a foreign land without even a friend around
me and I know Emil went to a good place.
We often read our prayers together and Emil will no longer have
to get up at the sound of the bugle.
He will only hear one more bugle and that will be the one that
calls him to ever lasting life.
Would God we were all where he now is.
The 63 Co. are all equipped ready for France.
When they are gone they will make up a new battery, will draw
out of the other company’s.
That may mean Herbert.
I ask the Lord to be with us and grant that Herbert won’t have
to go to France and I want you also to remember us in your prayers.
I feel so lonely tonight.
It isn’t realy [sic] night yet, the sun is still shining, but I
have been writing since I came up from the dock.
I first saw Herbert off his boat.
The gov. boat left about 15 min. before the civilian which took
Mrs. W. and Emil. Write me
all about it The
funeral. There was another
body (soldier) shipped to Wisconsin.
He died yesterday also in the same hospital Emil died.
The man next door just told me they were having an average of 3
deaths a month out here in the army.
When you see Mrs. Wedemeyer you tell her the man
next door in this house, Mr. Grimes that had his tonsils taken out
yesterday, told me this evening that Emil did not have scarlet fever.
He says I helped move his body to the basement and he died with
pneumonia and appendicitis and the boy from Wis. died with scarlet
fever. And I says well
they told her (Mrs. W.) all the time that he had scarlet fever and Mr.
Grimes said they are crazy.
So I don’t know what to believe, guess we never will know the
truth. And those Doctors
and so on tell one anything but the truth.
I think God that I came out here.
[5 or 6 handwritten lines whited out/erased]
He has a place in view for me over there.
Will know in a few days if he gets it or not.
The climate seems to do him good.
He is heavier than he was but of course he hasn’t the strain
that he did on the farm.
But he is sure homesick for the good old home in Iowa.
I don’t know if I like the climate or not it seems awfully
chilly to me but the people that are here all the time don’t mind it.
They wear white stockings and dresses but believe me I feel
comfortable with my woolen socks on and can stand a fire nearly every
day. Today was a dandy
day. The sun shone all day
and when it shines then it’s real warm.
You ask if I get any papers to read.
Well yes sometimes a fellow in the restaurant gives me some when
I go after them but I got the Adair News Apr. 5.
It was sent to Emil but he was where he will do no more reading
before it got here so Mrs. W. gave it to me and it sure looks like
home. And I see they have
Herbert’s name among the list but must have got Emil and Ernest S.
names together or something.
Got a letter from Sallie the other day and she
wanted to know if Herbert was tired of lettuce and radishes.
Well I have not seen any radishes yet and lettuce they have that
for sale at the stores but it did not grow here.
Only a little garden made here and that is not up yet or just
coming through.
Met some Ia. girls yesterday, a Mrs. Fredricksen
and sister-in-law from Audubon.
She was aquainted [sic] with Edna Hocamp at Exira.
And today two Ia. women moved in this house upstairs.
One by name .of Jorgensen or something has a baby girl 7 weeks
old. Brought it all the
way from Audubon Co. to see its papa.
I am going upstairs now and get acquainted with them, as it’s
only 7 o’clock and this letter won’t go before 9 in the morning so can
finish later. Have a mail
box just around the corner of the house so if I have stamps it don’t
take long to mail my letters.
The people here especially those of the red cross
and National league are real kind.
They have done everything they could for us and helped Mrs. W.
all they could. One lady a
Mrs. Bailey went to Seattle with her and is going to see her on her
train before she leaves her.
And she will have to stay in Seattle all night and she told me
at the dock that when she gets back tomorrow she will stop and tell me
how she left Mrs. W.
I will enclose a clipping from the Townsend
Leader. It was quite an
accident that happened and just about half an hr. before Herbert came
over Sat. Had I known he
was coming I would of probably been at the dock.
I can’t understand that.
There wasn’t any one drownded [sic].
It sure is a wreck.
We went down and seen it there after Herbert got here.
You can’t imagine what a dock is like.
It’s different than I thought.
It’s something like a long bridge built out into the water but
it’s as wide as a street and there are buildings all along just like a
street and a building. I
don’t know what the real name is but I call it depot.
Has waiting room, ticket office, freight & express rooms and so
on.
Say by the way where is that Park going to be in
Adair. Yes and I hope and
pray to that we both can be back in Ia. for the picnic but it don’t
look much like it now yet.
But we don’t know what is in store for us.
I can see ships going up and down the bay all the time.
This is Puget Sound and Flagler is not where I thought it was.
It’s just across the bay from Pt. Townsend.
If you wish you may send us the Adair News or tell
some of the rest that have more time than you to send it, it looks good
even if there isn’t much in it.
How is Eleonora and the doodle dus.
Have you any little chicks yet.
Say those potatoes down there you take and let them taste good.
And please set that soap in the house to dry.
I washed Monday.
Had quite a wash as Herbert had all his clothes dirty and saved
up as it costs like the dickens.
The gov. washes for the boys at 1.50 a month but they can only
send 12 pieces then there are under pants and shirts, upper shirts,
handkerchiefs, towels, pillow slips, sheets, and so on that it don’t
take long till there are 12 pieces.
Talk about army Doctors, they don’t know enough to
doctor a cat let alone a person.
All they give is salts and castor oil and that is good for
everything you know even rheumatism.
I am scratching away here, don’t believe I can read it myself if
it stands awhile. I
intended to write Geo. & Marie a letter but I just couldn’t write this
morning so I sent them a postal and tonight I can’t quit writing.
Guess I’ll have to have my visit out before I quit.
Is Fred and Alf. going
to live on the road. Love
to all. Write soon and
often
----
Well I have been upstairs and visited.
They are 2 nice ladies danes.
Their husbands are at Ft. Casey and only get over on Saturdays
and Sundays. I can see the
Casey lights from where I am sitting and when they turn the flash light
on it shines right in my window.
Also have an electric light just across the street.
Fruit is high here.
This is no fruit country.
Herbert got away with quite a bit of the lunch after we got here
said it tasted so much better because it came from home.
We sure had plenty for a few more days journey.
Well I guess I’ll quit scratching as your eyes will ache when
you get this read. I am
getting careless with my writing.
Used to could write pretty good but what’s the dif.
Just so it’s a letter.
Well, goodnight.
Your sister, Emma
Thur. Apr. 18
This is another fine morning.
The sun is shining bright.
I had a good night’s sleep but I had to get up in the night and
put my stockings on as I could not get my feet warm.
It was the first night that I was alone in bed since I’ve been
here. There are 9 rooms in
this house and bath, and there are now 4 women and a baby living here.
So you see I am not alone in the house.
I almost forgot to tell you Herbert thanks you for the tobacco.
He said good old Ia. horseshoe when he opened the package.
It’s hard to get horseshoe tobacco here.
It is cheaper here than in Ia. but can only get it once in a
while Star is the leading
tob. here and Herbert don’t like that as well as Horseshoe.
They fired the big guns the other day at Flagler
and believe me it shook the house and rattled the windows.
Could also smell the powder.
Made me think the Germans were around.
Herbert’s crew were best marksmen.
Wish I could hear Emil’s funeral sermon.
I know it would do us good.
Write me all you can and also if they opened the casket and tell
me who were pall bearers.
Would like to enclose a few leaves but this letter is so long afraid I
can’t get them in envelope.
Emma
Am feeling fine.
Tell Ma I think of them even if I don’t write.
-source: Cheryl Siebrass. Letters from her
Grandmother's sister Emma and Herbert (brother-in-law) while
stationed stationed at Fort Worden, WA.
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