Camp Cotton, Texas 10/12/1916

I am feeling fine with a big F.

Dear Em

It is raining like the devil now and the tent is leaking but I am going to write this letter even if the paper is all wet. I put in a very busy morning washing and getting ready to go home, and we may be on our way by the time you get this. We got back to Camp Cotton yesterday and believe me dear old Camp Cotton (that is the desert that we made into a camp) looked good. Say but we were a tired bunch when we struck here, for we must have made 14-15 miles in wet, heavy marching order. We had to walk (plough) through about five miles of deep sand. Now we are getting ready to (Go Home). Saturday is the expected day, and although it is only two day away, I suppose it will seem like a month. The Fifth leaves tomorrow. I guess Id be washing mending or some such thing now if it wasn’t raining. But somehow every time it rains I think of a nice dry place where it is comfortable, and the result is a letter (Home). A little of this life is all right but four months is pretty near enough for any sane man.

I have received quite a lot of cards and a letter from you and the rest and they did cheer me up a lot while on that indurance test (they called a practice march). We covered 84-85 miles in eight days, doing all our marching in the morning, between 8-9 to 11-12. First it was lack of water, then water that I couldn’t get by my throut, heat, rain, cold. All this was met and yet today we all laugh at it and say wasn’t that worth going through. I wish you could see it rain and blow even now. We have some pretty hard rains and blows on our old corner at 297 but nothing in it with what is going on now.

We have been issued woolen underwear and are to be fitted out in o.d. coat and pants tomorrow. I hope Bert enjoyed his trip to Maine. It is said that we are to go home by way of New Orleans and up the east bank of the Miss river which will be some trip. I don’t know what they are going to do with us when they get us to Mass., and I don’t know as I care much. Well Em its all over but the cheering I guess, so Im saying. Let er rain. (To Tipperary, → Farewell to dry old Texas, Farewell El Paso, It’s a long long way to Massachusetts, But believe me we’ll go.)

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

On the Road back to El Paso, Texas 10/9/1916

Mesquite N.M.

Well Everybody

Here we are back here again to day, and if we are not in Boston soon I will be very much dissapointed. They held us up at Las Cruces N.M. one day and the night of that day we got orders to be ready early this morning to start hiking back to El Paso. We did 12-13 miles to day and are camping (for tonight) on the very same spot as we occupied the 7th. Gee my face is burning from the sun and I suppose tonight I will be almost frozen. Beleive me if they would let us have our way we wouldn’t stop until we struck C. Cotton again. It will take us three or four more days to get there I guess, so when you get this you will know that we are getting ready to “Hit the trail for Boston” instead of Villa. I am receiving all the cards you are sending including Bert’s. I feel as strong as an ox now and the Lord only know how Ill feel when I get an honest to God bath. XXXXXXXXXXX for Mary.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

On the Road to Fort Selden, New Mexico 10/5/1916

On the road to Fort Seldon 10/5/16

Dear Em

Well here we are after a days rest, waiting for the word that will start this army on the move again. We expect a forced march today to make up for yesterday. Some of the mules are dieing and a lot of the men are in pretty bad shape for hiking. I am as usual feeling great, and Im anxious for the order to start.

We went swimming in the Rio Grande yesterday, and I bet we walked about six miles to and from the river. I dont beleive we are any cleaner for our wash for it is the muddiest water in any river there is I guess.

I am rotten dirty and expect to remain so until we get back to Camp Cotton or some where where it is possible to get a wash. I dont know where we are going today but we will soon be on our way.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

On the Road to Fort Selden, New Mexico 10/4/1916

About 2 miles beyond Anthony N.M. 10/4/1916

Dear Lena.

When I sent that card last night I had no idea that we would get this lay off today. I thought (yes, and I hoped) that we would push on and get this job over with, for I am feeling in the pink of condition now.

Say that was some tough hike yesterday and it came pretty tough on me for this reason. I was left guide and when in column of squads the left guide of a company is in the rear of the company. It was all right for a while but after the water began to give up the men wanted to fall out to get some or lay down. Now I being in the rear had to see that no one fell out, and if any one did for any reason I was to wait and see that he or they got back to the company. Now it is hard enough to keep walking ones self, but when youve got to keep howling “Close up.” etc all the time when your mouth is as dry as a fish bone. Not only this but see that men get back to there company as soon as possible and act like a dirty dog by preventing them to drink any water or fill there dry canteens with water from wells or houses along the road. Yes we non comps get our orders and we have to carry them out but with a very unwilling spirit.

One poor fellow in the company some how or other got his canteen filled with water and was about to wet his parched lips when it was snatched from him by our captain (who was under orders.) and emptied. One canteen a day is the order and that from the army barrel.

Toward the end of this long and tiersome march one fellow fell out and as usual I had to see that he got back to the company. He lagged and stalled off until the whole column got by (and although I didnt tell him I didnt blame him. When we did get started it was away back with the ambulance train and if you could see the men on both sides of the roads and in the hospital teams you would agree that it was a tough old hike. It was mainly the scarcity of water. We came to a house where we just sat by a well and drank drank drank. It was the best water we had since leaving Cotton and oh it did taste good. If we never appreciate any thing else when we get home we will, that good old N.E. water.

I just found out that the reason we are being held up today is on account of the sore feet of the mules. We are supposed to be ready to move on at 2.30 and I suppose they will push us to make up for lost time. I should Worry. Im ready for Mexico if need be. This is the last letter you will get until we get to Fort Sheldon I guess. In the mean time rest assured that Sam is there and will stand up with the best of them.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Anthony, New Mexico 10/3/1916

Dear Em

Here we are after a 13 or 14 mile hike. I am feeling fine. We are sertainly roughing it now. Expect to hit Las Crusas Friday. We didn’t have hardly any thing to eat all day yesterday but tonight at about 8 oclock we got some bacon and coffee and say it was great. Don’t think Im crying for it isnt going to last forever, but beleive me I will be glad when we hit Fort Sheldon. This is a funny little town.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Somewhere on the Border, Texas 10/2/1916

Dear Folks,

I am going to start a letter in my note book for I don’t expect to finish it before we start of again to (the Lord only knows). We are now in a column composed of more troops than ever before participated in a practice hike. This is our second day out and we are leading the column. It is about half past six now and we expect to move any second. We started yesterday morning at seven oclock and for the first five miles it was all fine and dandy but the next five was pretty tough. Sand up to our shoe tops, and the dust and sand kicked up made it imposible for me to see the second man in front of me. The boys got a good idea of what real hiking is and I know the worst is yet to come. Yesterday each man carried his own dinner consisting of three hard tack, and ¼ of a can of beans. It tasted very good only we couldnt get any water. I saw some of the Ohio troops getting down on their knees and drinking water from the side of the road. I dont want to pin any medals on my self but I havent gone through 5 years of this life without knowing that a canteen of water is a soldiers best friend. When the hike was finished and camp pitched, some of the other fellows were begging for (just a mouth full of my water. Such is life in the army. And just think it is peace time at that.

We just got orders that one platoon of our company is to act as gaurd over the Brigade wagon train, and we are also to arrest all men that fall out of the line who have no docters certificate. Last night we had some water with a little milk and corn in it that they called corn chowed. This with some thing that tasted like cocoa and three hard tack constituded our meal. This morning we had some tomatoes which tasted as though they spilt all the pepper they had in it and three hard tack. We got a half a cup of (I dont know what you would call it. I think they call it coffee. For our dinner (which we are carrying) we have a can of beans one package of H.J. to go for four men. We are all starting out with a full canteen of rotten water, but I know that the water will taste the best and go faster than every thing else. It is going to be hot today, but I am feeling as strong and as well as the fittest and the best so I should worry. OH we are right into the real life now.

The suit of under wear Ive got on and a suit in my pack will have to do the whole trip which is listed for fifteen days. I dont know how or where I am going to mail this but some kind person on the road will take it as I pass I think. There are about 26,000 troops on the hike, and I dont know if you can imagine the extent of this mob or not, but I know I cant. We are carrying twenty five rounds of blank amunition, two blankets, ponchow, shelter half, pole and pins, one suit of under wear, towel, soap, tooth brush, comb, tooth paste, razor, brush, shaving soap, two ration cans, and a sweater in our packs. Of coarse our rations, mess pan, dipper, canteen full of water, bayonet, round-about (or belt) and rifle. This load gets heavy after a while but as usual (I should worry).

Well I guess it is about time I put this in an envelope for we have been on the road about an hour now and the stops are gettin fewer. I am just as strong as when I started and getting stronger if any thing. We are having an awful time with these teams, for the roads are pretty tough. Never mind well get there. I hope the one with K. Co. gets along all right any way for we at least want some coffee for supper. I hear the Red Sox only have to win one more game to win the penant. Pretty soft for them what. Id like to get back in time to see a World Series game and probably I will. I hope you can make out a few of the words on these pages any way. You will have to excuse it for I am under considerable handicap, writing a little every time a team gets stuck or we make a stop. You see it is in my note book and all I have to do when we start is close it up and put it in my pocket.

We are sertainly getting it now, some of the boys are all in and want to drop out but (nothing doing.) Walk or lay down and starve or go dry is what they are told. Talk about your desert. Well I must close hoping you are all well and remain so until I return. I remain the same old (fresh guy)

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Camp Cotton, Texas 9/29/1916

Dear Em,

I see by this mornings paper that about ten or twelve states are to be releaved including cavalry and other units from Mass., but not any infantry from Mass. From all accounts we are to start Sunday for a fifteen day hike, probably travaling about two hundred miles. Say but wasnt it cold this morning. All the boys made use of their over coats and sweaters, and I think I would have frozen if I hadn’t worn mine to bed last night. I slept last night in two blankets, my suit of under wear my o.d. shirt, my sweater, and my over coat. I will admit I was warm and slept good, but when first call for reveille blue and I crawled out of this mountain of woolen, say it was cold. I got up, jumped in to my shoes, and bolted for the street at a ten second clip. Up and down the street I tore and when I got back into my tent again I was feeling like Roughans on a Saturday night. We had oat meal, hot corn bread and butter, and nice hot coffee. I beleive I told you we had some cook in this fellow Gretter. The corn bread just hit the spot and the boys feel just like drilling now. There goes first call and I must cut this letter out now and fall in. Ill see you when I get back, at noon.

Well here I am, in after a stiff, and very interesting drill. I cant say that it was hot at any time during this drill so you must have some imagination of the change in temperature in the last 36 hours. We started in with phisical exercise, then bayonet exercise in which I had to take two rooks and howl and yell at them for about an hour. Then we had about two hours of extended order or battle exercise. In this formation, the captain has his company marching in column of squads. He sends the first squad out to act as a point the next to act as flankers or combat patrols (one of which I had charge of this morning) and the rest as the main body. Well instead of going into it any further I will say that we won. This is pretty hard work, running about 50 yards falling down, firing, crawling fixing bayonets, and charging, but when it is all over it is easy. Get me. After this we had some close order work, such as marching like we do in parades, then we came in.

I understand we are to have oyster stew for dinner today. Fine what? OH we are eating all right. I pity some of the boys if we go on that hike they are talking about. It will be nothing like what we are enjoying now. I just got your letter of the 25th in which you spoke of us not knowing when we are to go home, and you are right. Im glad Tom is getting along so good and hope he makes good. But tell him not to join the army. So they are going to block some of our view of the Mistic ha? I knew it. I could dry my mess kit in the sun if I had plenty of hot water to rinse them in but we don’t get all the water for this purpose that we want you know and the most of the grease is removed by the same old towel. See you soon.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Camp Cotton, Texas 9/28/1916

Dear Lena.

Here is a picture of the colors at the 8th Headquarters. And also a fellow on gaurd over them from K company. We happened to be on gaurd this day. Save this card will you. Im sending a paper in which you will find that we are to be here a while yet.

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Camp Cotton, Texas 9/25/1916

Dear Em,

Well here it is the 25th, and still there is no sign of our leaving for home or anywhere else. I got your letter of the 19th in which you openned up with saying, that you thought it was me in the right of the picture post card I sent you. You said I may not be getting fat but that when I got home Id get fatter. Well yes I may not be getting fat but beleive me it’s a sure bet Im not getting thin or am I any the worse for spending this last three months on the border. As “Teddy The Big Stick” would say “Im Feeling Bully” and say folks I am. Eating three good squares every single day, and havent felt an ailment of any kind what ever for at least a month.

Gee but this Gretter guy is there when it comes to putting up the eats. As far as we are concerned Im glad the trouble happened, (for it wasnt until he got the telagram, that he was appointed cook. He makes cottage pudding, raisin puddin, muffins in the morning, griddle cakes, doughnuts, and a lot of such things. I wish you had a peice of the apple pies he made. There was only one thing we all kicked about. Another peice, yes, every thing is fine here now.

Yesterday (being Sunday) two other serg. two musicians and myself (we all live in the same tent although it is more like a house than anything else now,) got a lot of lumber (I guess I have to admit we stole it,) and built up and boarded in this tent as if we were to stay here for life. In the centre of the tent we hang all our over coats, and a stand in which we sergeants place our rifles and round abouts, and the musician’s place their bugles and revolvers. Then we have a water bag in which water that is left over night is as cold as ice water in the morning, and stays so all day. These bags are called desert water bags and hold about 2 gallons. We also have two wash basins that hang tidy all the time. Then we have a little barrel which we use for a waste basket, (and beleive me it isn’t there for an ornament either.) Around the sides of the tent (which is all boarded in) we hang all our cloths. Shelves are plentiful also. Well I could probably go on and fill a couple of sheets of this paper, discribing (our little home) but I don’t know as it would be interesting reading.

We were out on a pretty stiff hike this morning with full field equipment less rations and I must confess I was pretty near all in and glad to get back to (our little home) for it was away after one oclock when we did hit camp. I guess we hiked 8-9 miles all together. It was pretty warm and the packes cut into us a lot but such things come and go, and really we are the best for it after it is over. It is just this way day after day. Get up at five fifteen for reveille, breakfast at six, police up the street and tents, air out blankets and by that time it is seven oclock and time for drill. We either drill, drill drill, or hike, hike hike until eleven or eleven thirty. (today it was after one as I said above) Come in all tired and sweety and beleive me I mean sweet. Wash up and get ready for mess, after which we feel like (Looking for Villa again.) Down to the showers and a complete change of under cloths uniform and all (for me any way). Then a wash tub, wash board, a peice of army soap and a good strong set of arms and back. My cloths are all dry at three or four oclock and in they come. Retreat is at five twenty and mess is at six. After that you can get ready for tomorrow. You can see I use the day up pretty good.

Well Id better cut this out or you will be saying “Doesnt he like to talk about himself”. I see by the El Paso Times tonight where there are about two brigades coming to El Paso to releive Mich and Penn, but no one to releive poor Mass. I guess theyll have to go some to find any body to take our place what? I see where we are to get our state money amounting to $10. per month. I have signed it over to Lena, and if we stay here any length of time I want one of you to let me know if youve received it or when you will. Keep sending your mail just the same and dont let the Post kid you into thinking we are on our way home. We may start home to night for all I know, but that would be to much of a good thing. So keep writing to El Paso as if I was to stay here all winter, and if I should happen to pop up, I think I (personally) would be more appreciated than the answer to letters I probably would not receive.

Youve got to hand it to me for finding some such stuff (as Ive been writing for the last ten minutes) to fill up a letter. Excuse the writing any way, and when I get home to 297 Ill make up for all I havent explained and make things (that I have only partially explained) more clearly understood. A little dark but still

Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Camp Cotton, Texas 9/22/1916

Some class to this letterhead what?

Dear Lena,

First of all, I don’t know when we are going home, why they are keeping this information from us, or why the Boston papers are pretending to know so much about the matter. It is the same I think as if war really was on, for to keep news of such small importance to the public in general is some stunt. One of the boys just came in and said that he saw a Boston Post on the front page in large print which said that the Ninth and Fifth had got orders to leave and that the boys threw their hats in the air and great inthusiasim was shown. Nothing doing. They are waiting I guess for some state to send a Brigade to releave us. Some troops from N.Y. have been sent home, having reached here latter than we did. Well I for one (personally) dont care if we stayed here all winter, as far as crying and fretting about home is concerned. Of coarse Id like to get home and see you folks as soon as posible, but Im going to say right here that Im as contented and settled to this life now as if I was on a two weeks vacation. Get me right, now.

Oh if you could only see the change in the camp site, the change in the eats, and climate youd say, “Go on you fellows, your living like kings.” And that is the way I am looking at it. It was probably part our fault for coming here, but beleive me Lena, it is not our fault that we are staying here. Next to home with all it means and the ones that make up ours, this is the life. Now Lena, (and the rest of you) you can see that Im as contented as if I were there, only Im not there and that is where the hitch comes. That is why I want to go home as well as the other boys, that have good homes and relatives, but didn’t appreciate it until they got so far away from them for such a long period. Get the sentimental stuff Im slinging. But it really is the sentiment that prevails through the Brigade.

That big parade they had in El Paso the other day was not graced with my presence for we were gaurd company that day and I was trotting around to the different post with a loaded gat on my right hip and say, pretty soft, for when those poor boys got in, they were in, that’s all. After walking about four miles they waited six hours for the rest of the division (which is the only war strength division in the U.S.

I got Ems card today, which by the notice on it, was really from Mary. And in all your letters and post cards you peak of our home coming. Well we have heard rumors of going home and sensibly sounding ones too, but here we are. It’s a long time before the first of Oct. yet so, who knows. We are still carrying 100 rounds of amunition, and that will all have to be turned in yet. We have been releaved of border outpost duty by the Regular Cavalry which is welcomed heartily.

There is a lot of cheering down to the Fifth Regiment now. Rumor 100121012364 I guess thats all. I agree with you and hope that they will herd us in the Armories, for it will be pretty cold sleeping out doors now especially now that our blood is so thin, and all so to make it easier to have you see me at the first chance.

All is well
Sam

© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.