This letter doesn't say much beyond "I'm still in Tennessee" but does reflect the impatience soldiers felt to get over there and their conviction that the U.S. had a "job to do."
Dear Miss Custer:
Again I must ask your pardon for not answering sooner but my only plea is lack of time. To tell the truth it is quite an effort for me to start writing a letter. I do like to receive letters but am a poor hand at answering. Therein is a weakness. One of many weaknesses. Ha Ha! But since I started this evening I have written three. One to Dad and Mother, one to an old chum who enlisted with me and one to an old schoolmate who is now in France and has been for six or seven months and from whom I had a letter a few days ago. Also, he is where I hope to be before long. Some say we are to leave here some day this week but I will not believe anything any more until we are ordered to pack up. Rumors have had us leaving here for over a month and we are still here.I suppose you are having fine weather up there by now. Week before last the weather was very cool here but now the days are hot and we have rain nearly every night. several nights the wind almost blew our tents down. The rain came in over, blew in the doorway and the water came in and rain all over the floor.A new squadron came in here about a week ago and I found a former Claysburg boy with them and we were glad to see each other you can bet. One of my tent-mates was out for a walk in the country this afternoon and brought back a bunch of roses and snow-balls.Some of the boys are having fun around here now. it is about 9:30 and it seems some are sleepy and some are not, and those who are not get to cutting up capers and make too much noise for the others to sleep, consequently every now and then a hobnailed shoe goes flying through the air and bang! it goes against the side of the side of a tent. There is always some fun at bed time. Only a couple evenings ago I was coming down the company street and one fellow came out of a tent on the jump and two or three shoes followed him. One just missed hitting me. Lots of fun in camp. I was intending to go to Church at the 'Y' tonight, but stuck to my tent and wrote letters. I was in Memphis two weeks ago today. For a few hours only, but what I saw of the city looks good. I am going to send you a picture I had taken there if you care to have it.I suppose if they keep on Uncle Sammy will soon have all the boys working for him, anyway it seems he is getting his share from Claysburg and from over around my home. Every time I hear from home some more old acquaintance is going, it seems, and from what the young Claysburger in the 65th told me, there are not very many young single within the draft age at Claysburg any more. Well "Uncle" needs them now as he has a job on hand that must be done and must be done right and the harder we work the sooner it will be over. I hear that Ethel's friend has gone, Ken, I mean.My fingers are getting sore wrom writing and perhaps you are tired reading this scribbling so I'll close. Next time I get in letter-writing mood I'll write your letter first and perhaps you will be able to read it more readily. Ha Ha!
Most Sincerely,
Roy D.
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