Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, February 27, 2017.
All letters in the McNutt collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by the donor. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
I received your letter dated Aug 28th today and maybe I wasnt glad to hear from you and know that you are living. Really I didnt know what had become of you until about a week ago when I received a letter from you dated Aug. 10th I believe it was. I think some of my letters must have gotten lost. I am not positive just how
many I have written but as I remember I sent a card when I was drafted out of the training station and then a letter from the So. Carolina when I was so dead broke that I didnt even have a postage stamp. Thats the brokiest broke I ever was in my life before and hope it is the last. I wrote again just before I left the South C-and a card as soon as I got on this one and then another about a week ago. I received a letter from
you in the T-camp. I believe it was just after you went to La Follette and one about a week ago and the one I'm just answering. Yes, I got the one you failed to put Co 10 on. After I am made a ships co which I think will be in a month or there about, I will be able to receive mail in a reasonable time but still it might not be much better at that. For instance if I should get on one of the German
interned merchant ships I will be sailing to and fro across the pond about all the time and it might be a month or possible longer before I would be get mail and maybe [?] still longer which might be a long time. Did you ever read such crazy stuff, but if you were in my shoes a while you wouldnt be surprised to see me in a *bug house* somewhere.
Well now I will have to stop, scratch my head and think about an hour to think of something to write and fill
up the pages. There isnt much use to try to write anything interesting for that is almost impossible. Cant you think of something I could write about? The only way I know is to start some discussion or argument. Say *suffrage*, what? We got plenty to write on that, didnt we? I think a little too much, but it wasnt necessary for us to have gotten sore tho. Oh yes I just have a few little things I can tell you about that might amuse you
a little. It was on the South C-. I was walking aft up the main deck and just before I got to the quarter deck I noticed a sailor sitting on a dittie box with a long piece of cloth that looked to me like Irish linen but I dont know much about cloth and maybe it wasnt that but anyway he was making a scarf for one of the victrola's and he was sure doing some fancy work on it. It did look real good sure enough. I saw other fellows on
there doing things similar to that too. But you ought to see some of them mending clothes. They look like they would make better grain sack sewers. Some of the men that has been on ship two or three years can sew and mend as good as any woman. There was a fellow in Co. 10 and also on this ship that I was talking to one day and he said in a very serious and business like tone, wonder where I could
buy a crochet needle. I looked at him for about a minute and said "For the love of Pete what do you want with a crochet needle," and he said in a very surprised way, "Why to crochet with. What do you reckon I wanted with it?" He then continued "I can crochet nearly any design I like and do it as good as any woman too. I said "but what do you want with the stuff after you get it done. You cant use any of it in here?"
He said "Holly [sic.] smokes. I can sell it you know stuff like that sells for good money and then I like to do it just to pass off the spare time." Very domestic eh? It is one of the products and pride of Old Va. I havent seen him around doing any fancy work yet, but I dont guess he was able to get a needle as he like myself hasnt been ashore since we came on board. Now if all men was
like him we wouldnt need you little insignificant women. And that just makes me think we might have a little argument on that. Which could get along the best men without the women or the women without the men. I say we could and I think we would be better off without the women. They are more of a nuisance than they are good. We in the navy live and do all the work cooking
house cleaning sewing and everything you women do without you. (But ah its rotten). Oh hang that. I dont think that would be a very good thing to talk about and I think you have the best side of it anyway and we would be sore and fighting before it started. Lets talk about something nice cotton reals, milk or mice. Well, if you survive this you have a fine constitution and stomach. My dear girl I sure do appreciate you offering
to send me some candy and it sure is sweet of you to do it. Now if you think you could get up here within three weeks from Aug 30th it would be alright to send it now. I believe your last letter was five days coming. The first time I get ashore I will send you a nice pound box of chocolates. I sent you a little box of a lot of the ships in the fleet. I mean pictures, but dont if you will ever get them as it is so small and may get lost.
No there are very few letters coming in that
are censored just the mail going out. Packages or anything like that of course are inspected before coming to the ship.
Gee! You are very popular. How do you do it or where do you find all these nice young men? I thought they were beginning to get kindly scarce. You had better stick your claws into some of those eighteen year old chaps while sticking good for if this war last very long you may have to take one younger than that or
get one about sixty year old. How would you like to have an old grandaddy husband? You wouldnt have any trouble keeping him home while a middle age or young fellow would be gadding around and coming in late while the old bird would always be Johnny on the spot.
Well I have run out and will have to close this miserable thing. Ans. Real real soon.
With lots of love