Winston Mower
WWI Letters
Letters written by Winston Mower from Camp Kearny, California 1918-1919. Punctuation and spelling left as written.
Letter #1
Camp Kearny
Cal. Oct. 11 -18
Dear folks Just a line to let you know that I am still OK I got the ten dollars all right and was sure glad to get it but I haven't got no fruit cake yet I sure wish you would hury and send it if you have not already done so it sure is some warm here today but the nights is nice and cool how is everybody in Oakville tell them all hello for me we are so busy that I don't have much time to write but I will do my best towards it any way I got aquainted with a fellow to day from Pleasant Grove he no Black smith hansons and we got to talking about them and he read me a letter that he had just got from arthur hansen over in France it sure was interesting to read it he is wright in the front line trenches he said that there was a shell burst close to him an killed three and wounded to more he said that the shell was lighting pretty close and he supposed that he had better get in his dug out Rudolph is just about a block from me but I haven't seen him yet I am going to look him up tonight how is mother feeling by now has she gone to Salt lake to under go the operation yet I have been quite anxias to here what she has done but I don't think that she will get any better till she dos Well as the isn't any news will close fore this time hoping to here from you soon May God Bless you all is the wish of your son.
Win Mower
Letter #2
Camp Kearny Cal.
Oct 16, 1918
Dear folks Just a line to let you know that I am well at the present time and hope that this will find you the same how is mother feeling by now hope she is better one thing she will have to quit is milking all them cows and separating if the cow is milked the girls will have to do it I got the cake and cookies all right and they sure tasted fine you can send me a fruit cake quit often if you want to I sure wont let it spoil and the older it gets the better it is but don't send another kind because it would get to dry have you got the thrashing done I suppose it is getting rather cold there by now here it is hotter than it was here in the summer an the 24th of this month the old gang to take a hike to ocean beath that is about 15 miles from here We are going to under full pack that is 50 lbs without our rifles and they weigh eleven and three fourths lbs that makes a pack of 62 lbs that is quit a load but I think I can stand it if the rest of them can for I weigh 180 lbs now so this life isn't hurting me any the sure do drill us We are still under quartine and I don't know how long it will last but I hope it won't be very long because I want to go to las angles and look that city over. I am not drilling to day I am in charge of quarters I take the sick to the infirmery to see if the have the Spanish Influnza there is only seventy cases in camp but believe me that is enough Will say good By for this time May God Bless you all is the wish of you loving son.
Win Mower
Letter #3
Camp Kearny
Cal.
Oct 21, 1918
Mr and Mrs JL Mower
Dear folks
Just a line to let you know that I am feeling fine and hope this finds you all the same how is mother and father feeling by now I suppose you have real fall wather home now it is sure hot and dry here and part of the time you cant see the tent for dust and they expect you to keep clean just the same if they find a speck of dust on your gun the sure do rais the devel with you. We haven't got much more drilling to do that is walking drilling We get our horses this week and then we start to drill with the big uns and ammunition wagons We have six head of horses on a wagon and a Saddle on each horse then we have a rider on the near horse and one man on each wagon to handel the brake and we have got to let them go just as hard so they can run through ditches and holes and you can amagine a jolting the man on the wagon gets but it is all in the game all the day is we have a hospital here get on and on we go but the hardest call of all is to hear the bugle call Ive got to get up. You got to get up, got to get up this morning. Some day I am going to murder the bugler. Some day they are going to find him dead and then I get the other pup the guy that wakes the bugler up and spend the rest of my life in bed. I am not out drilling this afternoon they give me a new job to day I am a mail man now the company clerk told me I would get forty five dollars a month and I sure hope it is so because thirty dollars a month isn't very much and then my insurance is six fifty so that doesn't leave me very much. I had a letter from Edna and Tom(?) and they said they soon were going to move to Salt lake before they move have Edna come over and clean and press both of my suits will you please was my watch and chain in my vest pocket When you got my clothes had begin to think they were lost there was some airplane parade here there was one hundred and twenty five in the air all at once and they fly just like a bunch of ducks in a half diamond shape it sure did look grand but it is no thing to see from 15-twenty a day dozen here and the sure can turn some summersalts in the air I have seen them turn over and over first head a ways and then side ways. Well I have told you all I will say good by for this time. May God Bless you all is the wish of you loving son Win Mower
Write soon
Letter #4
Knights of Columbus
War Activities
Camp Kearny Cal.
Oct 30, 1918
Mr and Mrs John L. Mower and family I no fair are pretty sad and I have worried myself till I am sick I suppose I have had the flue but I am not over it yet I have got the sore throat and headache and I am so still that I can hardly move but I guess I will be better in a day or to in the co I am in there is 78 men and 40 of them in the hospital if has more men in the hospital than any co in Camp Kearny there are quit a few dieing I see to ore three a day go to the depo Did Maud and Urb come home for arthur funeral I got a letter from them and a cake and some cookies and Maud said that standard was quarintine and if they went home they could not get back till the quarintine was lifted. I no you are so lonesome around home that you don't know what to do it is all like a dream to me about arthur it Just seems like it cant be so but now dear folks try and take care of your self and don't get sick I guess when the war is over I will be home but I don't think it will be before Well I can't think of any thing to say will say good by for this time May God Bless you all from you soilder Boy Win M
Letter #5
Camp Kearny Cal.
Nov 7, 1918
Mr and Mrs John L Mower
Dear Parents and family Just a few lines to let you know that I am well at the present time and hope this finds you the same I got your welcome letter to day and sure was glad to hear from you because you don't know what the next mail will bring Ira Shepard got rejected to day he has been in the hospital for six weeks and four days but I would rather be well and in the army than be in his condition and be sent home he has a muffled heart and garter of the neck and to ore three other things We are going on a trip. We will leave in the morning at eight o clock for del mar that is down close to San Deigo We will be gone for three days We have our horse and cassons we have three teams on a casson and a rider on the off horse of each team the rear team is the wheel and the next team is the swing and the next is the lead I ride the swing and my best friend rides the lead He is on a bay from from Pleasant Grove his parents live just across the road from black smith hanson Rudolph hanson was darn to see me again last Sunday he is a big slim fellow the first day I saw him he didn't know me but I knew him in a minute I sure would of like to of attended the funeral of my dear Arthur was glad to hear that his funeral was well attended he sure was in title to it because everybody thought lots of him and believe me I sure thought the world of him but now dear folks take it as good as you can this world is just a dream any way we might be here to day and to morrow we might be in a new land how is the little kiddies audy, freddie and rolly I sure would like to see them all lorna does all the writing so I can tell by her talk that she is fair Well dear folks take good care of your self every one of you and God will bless and protect you from your loving son Winston A. Mower Write real soon xxxxxx for all of you
Letter #6
Camp Kearny Cal
Nov 10, 1918
Mr and Mrs JL Mower Dear folks Just a line this morning to let you know that I am all right and hope this will find you the same Well we went on that trip but I didn't have much enjoyment out of it we got there on Sat and Sunday they sent me back to the hospital with the flue and I just got out of that place last night I sure did have it to I don't know how high my fever got but the had me packed in ice from Sunday noon till Monday afternoon believe me I sure was some sick boy I don't think I will ever get it again they just sent one boy home Thursday from Mapleton Utah he died with the flue he was out of our company I knew him well his name was leroy Johnson Their was just eight ore ten cars of soilders came in from virgina now dear folks I sure hope that non of you get the flue I think it is a deying out now they lifted the quarentine of from us last night it sure is fine to be so you can go around a little but now dear folks don't wory about me getting the flue because I have had it and wont get it again I would like to come home and spend to ore three days before we leave Camp Kearny but I don't think there is any chance When I was in the hospital they tried to starve me to death they didnt give me nothing to eat for to days and just a lot of meeidience I told them it was no wonder they killed half of them that they got there but I told them that I was to taught for them to kill I weight 180 lbs when I went their and when I came back I only weight 160 lbs so you can imigian how they treat you now dear folks try and get along the best you can till I get back which I don't think will be very long because I think that we have the war pretty near over I think we will get a trip to New York but I think that wll be as far as we will ever get to about selling one of the team I think it will be a good idea for us don't need them for we have their colts of my coming on say father that roan cow Jan got of John she had a big roan bull calf it sure was a fine calf it would have been worth 30 or 35 dollars this fall Well dear folks I can't think of any more to say today so may God Bless you all dear folks is the wish of your son Win M. tell the kiddies hello for their brother Win is really doing any any traping now
Letter #7
Camp Kearny Cal
Nov 16, 1918
Mr and Mrs John L Mower
Dear Parents and family just a line to let you know that I am all right and hope that this will find you all the same I don't see how it is that you have not got any letter because I have been writing all the time except the week I was in the hospital but don't worry about me because I will be all right I have been very busy the last few days and have not had time to write but will try and write more after when we heard peace was declared their was not a bit of excitement in camp everybody went around like if nothing had happened when we were out yesterday and officer came u and said Well Mower home was never like this was it and I said no and if it had of been I would of left and he said so would I they sure are sick of the army he has been in the army twenty seven years Well don't look for me home till face see me get off the train in old Oak Creek that will be a happy day for all of us but I don't know when that day will be Well dear parents take good care of your self and have all the kiddies take good care of their self The rainy season is down here now it rains every day and every night but the ground here is dry Just as soon as the rain is over I don't know if you can read this letter ore not but I haven't much time I am sending some pictures May God Bless and protect you all is the wish of you son Win Mower
Letter #8
Camp Kearny Cal
Jan 2, 1919
Dear folks
Just a line in answer to your letter I don't know when it came but I just got it a hour ago I just got back from Los Angles I have been up there for a week it sure is a fine city now talk about a time They sure did have it New Years eve and last night to it was the biggest celebration that I was ever to they started to celebrate about 9 PM and kept it up till six the next morning. The yanks was well resepented believe me. I got the fruit cake and the haufen chief (?) and they was sure fine tell mother many thanks for them You ask me if I wanted to get out of the army if you can get me out it will be all right with me you will have to get a afadaived and get it signed by the local board tell father to see Peacock and he might be able to tell him what to do I know that you need very bad and I cant see that I am doing the government any good now and might as well be home ask peacock which would be the best to have it come through the divisional head quarters ore to my company commander Company Commander address Caption Earl Logan Co. F. 11 assigned to Camp Kearny Cal I think it would be the best to send it to him I am pretty sure he will do all he can for me Well as news is scarse will close for this time hoping to see you sooner from your loving son Win Mower
Letter #9
Camp Kearny Cal
Jan 16, 1919
Dear folks Just a few line to let you know that I am feeling fine and hope this will find you in the same it sure is pretty weather here today I think that I have the Spring fever It is warm Just like our April days and a little wind is blowing and it sure makes me feel lazy and that isn't all I am just as lazy as I feel I hope that you are all well by now for it is pretty hard for us to get along when you are all well any way How is Uncle Andrew folks I wrote to them some time a go but have not heard from her I don't know why she don't write if you had of put my afadid in when you first wrote I would have been home in a few days there was seven left out of my company the last few days and now there is going to be sixteen more out but they all had their afadids in I don't know when they will let any more out but if you want me to come home some time before spring why you had better get this and if you send one send it through divisional head quarters for that is the best and you had better get busy and get on it at once ore it wont be any good I had a letter from that girl that was out their with (?) the time of my fairwell She is close in San Deigo I suppose I will have to go down and see her about next Saturday if a fellow would stay in the camp and not go any place he would go nuts Sure as I live but believe me every chance I get I blow the road to some town or down to the beach and take a good swim in the old Pacific that sure is great sport I have had a lot of greaf in the army and I sure have had a lot of pleasure as well as some durn hard drilling I guess that you have good sleighing home now I sure would like a good sleigh ride but it looks almost hopeless this winter as the winter soon will be gone How is the cattle and the horses looking this winter and is old Pals a going to have a colt next spring How is Prince tooth (?) getting along I guess he feels better than he would if I was at home. Well as I cant think of any more to write will say good by hoping to see you all soon from you loving son Corp. Win Mower