Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, January 23, 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*.
The long for, but dreaded fatal missive came last evening and am just now recovering enough to write. My! But it did hit me hard altho I had feared it would come. I was lying in my cozy hammock in dreamland with fairies dancing around me and telling me nice things when a shipmate came in from liberty at 2:00 AM and drive the fairies away and awakened me from my happy dreams and gave me your letter. A dim light past over my head enabled me to read it lying in my hammock and when I read it, it hit me
broadside between the eyes and run down the right leg and jumped over on my left and back up and lodged in my heart so don't know if I will survive it or not anyway I'll never look like my self again, but it can't be helped. I was afraid all along that we wouldn't be able to get our time off at the same time. The 12th day of January must an unlucky day and 1895 an unlucky year for I sure am an unlucky being. I feel just like getting up and sussing for an hour straight darn it all. We can't tell just how long we will be layed up here but they wouldn't let us off a week before we leave. We might be here longer, but would
be taking an awful chance of getting any time off at all. You have to take it in this outfit just whenever it suits them and you are not considered at all. If I did get off from the 1st of July to the 5th it would rush you to come and wouldn't suit you very well so I guess it will be better for you to come in August or that is a better time to go anyway and you would enjoy your visit much more and I certainly want you to have a good time while you are there. I will go when I can and wish and hope for a better day maybe it will come some time even if it is four years
if I live as long. If you would see me now maybe you would't care much for me as I have changed oh! So much in the last year sweet heart girl. I have gone through many hardships in that time and am growing rough and hard. I guess I am not very much like the fellow you once knew. Maybe before I get out you will forget me and I you, but I will never forget the little Myrtle I knew in my boy fancy and infatuation for it will always be a say but sweet memory if it did cause many heart pains by he being kindly rude and contrary. I am sure my Myrtle of today has improved much and she is more sweet and sensible than she was then and I hope this heart pains will be
missing in the future altho there may be no future for me in your heart, but I do know there is and always be a memory in mine.
This is a great cause we are fighting for, Myrtle and we all must suffer and sacrifice much to win and win we must. If we don't I hope and I will never live to know of it. Your folk back home sure are fighting for and you must fight too and you are. The U.S.A sure are preparing for a long siege and victory. The airplanes down here around Hampton roads are as thick as birds on a beautiful spring morning and ships are
being put out by the hundreds. In the fire rooms where I work the heat gets to 150 degrees sometimes, and that is some hot believe me and we have hard work to do in this sweltering heat. Some times when I am about all in and my face is besmeared and mottled with coal dust and perspiration and my clothes are wringing wet with sweat I think what is the use of living and then I look into the engine room and watch the mighty engines turing over and sending the propellers spinning through the salty beating a foam and sending the large hull through the water at much speed and I think it is I who am causing all this action and my labors and perspiration that is doing the work. When I think of this I smile and
rally my strength and face the white flowing fires that makes the smoke boil up from your clothes when you open the fire doors to break up the fire or coal the oven and I know all this is making more steam. And I know I am doing work that ever body can't do and it's no place for a weakling but a man's got to be a man to do his work well. You may wonder why I came in the navy and I took the hardest job in it but when I came in I didn't care where I went or what I want in as much I told them to put me where they needed men most and here I
am. I could change my rating to something else, but I am started in this and maybe the hard work will make more of a man of me anyway I'll be a sticker. If I was out now I would have a chance of getting a commission out of it by coming in the reserves you know they are only for the duration of this way. When I came if you couldn't come in the reserves without having had sea service before so I had to sign up for four years. There are men coming in the reserves and getting commissions that are most ignorant fools I ever saw. They know practically nothing and are getting away with it. It is hard to have such fellows over you, but I came in this navy to do my bit and protect the stars and stripes and keep them
floating over this land of freedom and I can do just sa well an enlisted man as an officer and I am satisfied.
I could tell you many things of interest since I came in the Navy and especially about our trip across if I could only see you and talk with you but it is hard to write much and make it interesting I don't know much of anything I can write about France only we made the trip without any incidents and France is about one hundred years behind civilization or at least the part we saw of it and you said something once about France women being noted for their
beauty. Now nix on this stuff. I didn't see what I called a good looking girl over there and I was in the third largest city in France. There is not any over there that can be compared with our American girls I hope we don't go there the next trip for it is so hard to buy anything and make them savvy what you want and then they stick the American s double price to what they do the French. I don't care much for them. I think we will go to Scotland next time or England and I hope we go to Scotland for there is a Lake boat laying along side us that just came back from there and they say it sure is fine there and they are treated so well by everybody and mostly the girls. Where the girls are used to you it
makes it so much nicer and everything. Those sailors say the girls sure are pretty there too but maybe they are are and maybe they aren't. I know tho they haven't anything over the American girls and no other girls in the world has. You can get drinks at all those countrys too, but I don't care for anything but a few beers and a wine or two and that won't hurt anyone.
Did I tell you before we made the trip without a gun, but are having one fore and aft mounted now. Believe me, I will feel much safer whether I am or not.
Tell Cousin Vola I remember what I said that time about
if I ever got a furlough I would spend it with her, but didn't know whet I was saying and at least thought I would get one in the training station but didn't I has been one year since I left hoe and my dear Mother and ask her if she thinks I would be doing the right ting not to go see mother but come to Jellico and leave Mother out whose heart is bleeding and aching to seee me and hold me in her arms once more and maybe never have the opportunity to do so again. If she says it would be justice to do it I'll come to see her so help me God. Now I know she doesn't think it would be justice and the right thing to do but if she does I will come to see her if I am taking on the fo'cstle to
face a gun squad at sunrise. You don't know how much I would love to see her and all the family and you. Yes I would (do) anything to but you see how it is. I know Cousin Vola was just joking when said that but I sure would love to see her and believe if I ever as close as I was a little over a year ago I will see her.
Did you get the post card folder of pictures in Bordeaux I sent? Say when you write tell me how may letters you got from me while I was away. I wrote a number from Halifax but don't imagine many of them got
through the censor there as I mailed them ashore and said several things maybe I shouldn't of written. I wrote several times from France but I guess you got as we didn't have to stamp them and they were sent to N.Y. To be stamped by U.S. Government. Write me all the news you know. But the way, who is this beloved Sam you spoke of sister wanting to see before he left. I'll lave to look into that. I hope it isn't some boob around home.
I am sending two pictures I had taken in Halifax. As soon as you look at them please tear them up. One look will be enough I know.
Write real soon.
With much love,
P.S. Say, Myrtle, you must not write to the post master at N. Y. and mention this ship or I am liable to get a general court martial for giving out information concerning a shop. I am not supposed to tell where my ship is. It will be alright to tell them to address my letters to Y.M.C.A Norfolk but nodt mention my shop. I would be just as well to raise cane with him and ask him what is wrong with the mail and that you have written a number of letters and they haen't been received. Maybe he will wake up some day and send our mail here.