Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, February 13, 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*.
It will be a long time before I settle down on the ship again. I thought I was going to be satisfied in a few days but am not. I have only been back three or four days and it seems a month Gee! The time goes slow when you are lonely and when you are having a good time it is just seems to fly so fast. I think I will quit going ashore at all and stay aboard and just dream and
hope for the day to come when I will be free once more and can do as I like and take a furlough without asking any one. I hope we set to sea in a couple weeks and maybe then I can forget my troubles and won't have time to think of the good times I might be having and did have last week.
I didn't hardly know the ship when I came back as she was all camouflaged and didn't look natural. I like the looks of it better tho for she looks sea going now. We are going to leave these docks tomorrow and go back over to the Navy yards to have the guns set up. I don't know just how long it will take but probably eight or ten days. We may then take on our cargo here and turn our bow and faces over sea. Some think we will go to Philadelphia for our load, but it is hard to tell which place we will load up at. If we take a cargo from here it will be mines
or explosives and if we get rammed or torpedoed it will be farewell for ever, but if we go to Phila we will take supplies like we did before and have a good chance of escaping even if we are sunk. So naturally I hope we go to Phila, but still what is the difference if we go down we go that all and I don't know any better way I would sooner die or a more honorable death a man could die then for his country. We are not taking one one [sic.?]
tenth of the chances that the soldiers do. "War is hell" but we do have to go through with it and the only thing we an do is to fight like hell and look forward to the time when it will end. I sure hope it ends soon too.
Say Myrtle I got you and sister one of those dress white jumpers and mailed them Fri. I told them 36 for you but there wasn't any size marked on it so it may be 36 and it may not be. These
darn men in the naval stores tell you any thing. I sure hope it fits, but I guess you can make it fit if it's too large. They look awful cheap but I tried several places and they were all the same. The government is getting all that kind of cloth so these fellows have to get any thing they can. You will be a regular sailor girl now won't you? Be a salty sea going sailor eh? Well I wish I was a ship mate with you and I would like this life and ship over for the rest of my life. You know I have thought of so many things I had to tell you and experiences since I came back but darned if I could think of them when I was with you. Will maybe I will be able to see you again in a year or so and will have lots more to tell you.
I had some pictures made the other day and went over last night and looked at the proofs and I believe they are going to be real good. I will send you one as soon as I get them. I
also had some post cards made with Walker the fellow I was going to bring home with me you know. I came back to the ship and had my hair clipped off. Gee! But I look a fright. Am sending you a lock of it to kiss good bye. I did so and throwed it overboard. Myrtle dear little girl write just as often as you can until I leave for it will be a long, long time before I can hear from you there and oh! I love to read your letters. My heart will ache to hear from you while I am going and I will be far, far away but my heart is yours and it will be here, so take good care of it. Give my love to cousin Vola and write real, real soon.
With much love,