WAR WORK COUNCIL
 
ARMY AND NAVY
 
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
 
“WITH THE COLORS”
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                Sept. 21 1917
 
My der (sic) mother.  I thought I would ancer your letter I have just recive.  Well I am all right. I am gitting fat on (illegible) this country healthy.  We are abot forty miles from the blu ridge mountin and jess (sic) we will go to them pretty soon.  Tell Poppa that he ort to this plase.  I am eight hunterd miles from home and don’t know when I will be closter (sic).  We was four days getting here.  Well we have 140 achers of pine trees to (illegible). I have worked every day since I have been here.  Tell Arther that he better be glat that he didn’t get in.  Tell Arther to tell Eva that I am crzy to see her.  I don’t know when I will get to come home before
 
(page 2)
 I go to France or not.  I hop that I will.  I am a guner and tell Poppa that he ort to be here and get dust in his eyes.  I have got any cot and rain coat.  Well it is time to close.  Till all the boys I would like to see then.  I have not been sick a minute since I have been in greenville (illegible) is preching here every (illegible) and every body has to
 
BOTTOM OF PAGE MISSING
(page 3)
here and we take baths and ice in the water.  It sure is hard to do the first time but we have to do it if we don’t they take a scrub brush and give me one.  Say I haven’t got that box you said you sent.  Well we are looking for a payday pretty soon.  If I get to come home the neerest way but I don’t think they will give but five days there has been sevrel trying to get 10 days off but couldn’t and don’t think can but sure hope I can.  I am goin to show that girl what is what when I come home.  Say Pop don’t get all of the (illegible) before come home.  I want some of them to try my hand on.
 
(letter ends as pages are likely missing)  Back of letter says LOVE TO ALL, PORTER
 
 
 
sic
 
WAR WORK COUNCIL
 
ARMY AND NAVY
 
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
 
“WITH THE COLORS”
                                                                                                no date
                                                                                                                               
Helo siss how are you .  fine I hope.  I am ok.  Well I sure would like to be there to go to the partys.  I guess you have a good time.  I don’t know when I will get to come home.  I hope it will be soon.  Well I don’t know any thing to rite so I will close.   Your brother, Porter Hart
 
sic
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                                                                                                                                Sept. 21 1917
 
My dear father, I recived your letter and was glad to here from you.  I have been sick for two weeks it is a coff like I had last winter but I think it will be all right in a few days.  They talking about sending us back to Tennessee.  Hope they will.  Papie I guess you are having a fat time.  It is cold as thunder here.  I have a blouse and overcoat and there and then I get cold.  We get out at daylight and duble time up and down the street.  When we go to drill take sticks for guns and soldiers for horses very body is getting sick here with cold say papy if I was back to you I would never leave.  Say papy when I get out of this army I am coming home and stay so fix yourself for one when I get a little money. I will send it to you and you take it and use it. 
 
                                                                                                                I will close
                                                                                                                Your true
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                sun Porter
 
helo momie how are you ok.  I hop wish I could see you to might.  I will get to see you about xmas.  Momie I went to the blue ridge mountin and had some pictures made and I will send you some.  You will have to excuse me for not riting.  I have been sick.  Momie I sur would like to see you.  Tell the kids helo for me.  Tell siss that I haven’t had time to rite her.  We have had a good time for I haven’t been doing any thing.  Wish you wold send me a blanket or some thing to keep worm.  I am in such hury that I can’t rite.  Well, I will be glad when I  get to come home.  I will close this time.  Your true sun Porter
 
 
sic
 
                                                                                                                no date
 
My dear momie.  I sure was glad to here from you.  I hope you are allright.  I have just got out of the hospital.  I have been so I couldn’t talk.  I am ok now.  I got them things ok and sure glad of them.  I bet I keep warm tonight.  They give us one more blanket today.  Momie I sure would like to see you all.  We have two more deserters 10 days ago.  Haven’t herd a thing from them.  I guess when they get a holt on them they will get to stand agist the wall with a rifle in there face.  I sure wouldn’t be in there shoes for anything.  I am looking for that box of eatabls.  Momie, would like to be at home for I would have some fun.  I have a good time but not like at home.  It has lerned me a lot since I have been in the army.  Gess I will lern a lot more before I get out.  They have sent a lot of officers to France but I don’t think I will.  I will close for this time.  Your son Porter.
 
My dear siss how are you Ok I hope.  I sure would like to see you tell all the kids that I would like to see them.  I will close.  My love to all.  Your best friend, Porter Hart
 
(on the back of last page)
that picture was Herman
 
 
sic
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                                                                                                                                Oct 02 1917
 
My dear father. I thought I would ancer your letter. Sure was glad to here from you.  Say I got them things (illegible) and sure was glad to get them but there wasn’t any use of buying anything to send me.   Well I have just got out of the hospital.  You bet I am glad to get out.  I have been there for some time.  I am allright now.  Been so I couldn’t talk.  They wanted to cut my tonsel out but I wouldn’t let them.  I am having a good time now.  We are putting flors in our tents so you see it will be worm now.  Say Papie I would like to get a hold of that old short gun and go a rabit hunting.  Say papie tell the boys that when I come home I goin to kill some rabits and have a time.  I am saving my money to come home with .  I guess I will come home about xmas.  If I don’t get to come then I will come about spring.  Hope I will get to come xmas.  Say papie I get blue some times but leave me.  Wish I could home.  I will know how to do.  I have lerned more then I thought I would ever know.  I have saw all kinds of people.  Papie you ort to see the coats that we were here.  They are shep hide on the inside.  They cost $15.00.  You bet they are worm.  If get to come home I will bring you one.  If get the money to spar.
                                                                Your son
                                                                                Porter Hart
 
 
sic
 
 
                                                                                                                                Oct 9 1917
 
My dear father.  I will ancer your letter.  I am ok.  Can’t rite much as I have a finger split open on a pice of tin.  It is a lot beter now.  We have got our c_____ and have got our tents flored and a walled up fore feet high.  So you see that we won’t get cold now that blancit is worm.   Pilow sleep good to me.  Say I haven’t got that box yet.  I don’t know whether it has had time or not.  I don’t know when I will get to come home xms or not.  Can’t get but 5 days off and I wouldn’t much more than get home before I would have to start back.  They are talking about giving ten days.  If they do may be that I come home.  Say papie we have got our horses today and one boy has got his arm broke a redy.  The horse thrown him.  it was Harington that boy that talked to you in pris that day.  He has two gold teeth.  I guess there will be more then one in another week.  Say papie they are going to make every body take out insurance not under $4000.  So I guess they will take our pay all after while.  Tride to make me take a liberty bond but I didn’t. say pap you ought to be here to help us eat fish. We are having ligh snow guess you are to.  We haven’t got any winter close yet.  Will pretty soon.  We have lost our captin.  He has been made magor.  Captin Long is our captin now.  I hated to give up my captin.  Say pap I am so sore I can’t hardly move.  I have been drilling with them cannons.  I will get broke to that.  Guess I better close.  Your son Porter.
 
My dear Mother, I will ancer your letter.  I recive the 8th.  I sure was glad to here form you.  Them bed close sure is worm.  Say Momie I can’t rite to do any good becase I got my finger split open with a pice of tin.  Look like I can’t get straight.  I am ok except my finger.  It will be allright in a few days.  I hope it will.  I sure would like to see you and all the rest.  I guess you have got good things to eat.  Wish I was there to help you eat them.  We are having fish and boy it is sure good to me.  Herman is in the wood.  He is seventeen.  There is mesels.  I guess I will have them.  There is about six in the hospital with the mesils.  Momie I thought I had a hard time at home but I didn’t.  We have to make up our beds and keep them clean and our self clean.  We have inspection twice a week a we have to be clean.  I have lerned some since I joined the army then ever I knew.  Saw all kinds of people.  I lerned to keep out of other folks buisness.  I haven’t had any trouble in the army but once a boy threw a bowl of sap and hit one with it and I knocked him down with my fist.  They didn’t do anything to me but put him on B class for thirty day.  So you see I am not going to get in to any thing.  Every boy in the batry shoot craps but I don’t and ain’t going to.  I don’t think it will do one any good.  There is boiys here that has won too thousand dollars.  Some has lost and I am not going to do neither.  And tell siss I am afraid she is going to get maried before I get out of the army.  I don’t know whether I will ever mary or not.  I may come home and stay a year or two and go to (illegible) mountin.  Well I guess I have rote anough.  my love to all.  Your true sun Porter Hart
 
 
sic
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                Oct 14 1917
 
My father. I will rite you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along.  I am ok.  Well I don’t guess there is any chance to come home for a while for we are thinking that we will have to go to France.  But I don’t know whether we will have to go or not.  But if they do I will send all of my things home if they let me. We got our overcoats to day.  They come in a good time for we was kneeding them and I for got to tell you we got a pair of overalls.  It looks funy to see a soldier with overallls on.  I feel like I was at home when I got them on.  Say they have got a schol for them hat can’t read or rite here is a good miny of them that can’t read.  Well I haven’t got the mesels yet, but don’t know when I will.  I haven’t heared from any one in that cuntry in a good while.  What is the matter with you all.  I rote and Ozell Dexter Eva Maggie and Hallie and haven’t heared a word from neather one.  Say We have got our dog Tints.  Guess we will take a hike pretty soon.  Well I will close for this time.  Ancer soon. 
 
                                                                Your son
                                                                                Porter Hart
 
 
sic
 
WAR WORK COUNCIL
 
ARMY AND NAVY
 
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
 
“WITH THE COLORS”
 
                                                                                                                                Mr H a Hart
                                                                                                                                Paris Tn
 
 
                                                                                                                                Nov 15 1917
 
Helo Poppa how are you. I will try to answer your letter I just recived.  I sure was glad to here from you.  Well I haven’t got the mesels yet.  I hope I won’t.  There is 25 in the hospital.  Now well I don’t know wheather I will get to come home or not for I am quarntaine fo rthe measels.  I am in the woods now.  Say Pop you ought to have on of thes overcoats.  They are sure worn.  We have got our stables abot done and ever thing cleaned up and are talking abot leaving because it is not healthy they say.  Say it has been cold.  Well I have told you all I know.  One of our boys died last night.  His name was Parmer.  Well I will close your son Porter.  Ancer soon.
 
 
(ENCLOSED IS A LETTER TO HIS MOTHER)
 
                                                                                                                                Nov 15 1917
 
My dear mother I recived your letter and was glad to here from you. I hope this will find you OK.  I am all right but I have a cold.  I have quit smoking for good.  I had to.  Momie you wanted to know how many stayed in a tent seven priv (sic) and a corpel.  Herman don’t stay in the tent with us nor Roma eather.  Say Momie if I can’t get but 5 days off I don’t I don’t ame to come home for three months.  We are cuarntaine (sic).  I sure would like to come and may get to come I don’t know.  There was thurtey died at the hspital the other night.  I guess we will move.  I hope we do.  If they don’t move ours I think I will move for it is began to look bad to me.  Say Momie I sure would like to eat at home again.  There is no place like home to me.  They have been telling us that we was going to France but I don’t think we will. Say Momie when I come I guess Herman will come with me.  If we had our (illegible) captin we could get 10 days.  I (illegible) well.  I will close.  Your true son Porter Hart
 
 
sic
 
“With The Colors”
 
Base Hospital
Ward 6
Camp Sevier
Greenville
SC
 
 
                                                                                                                                Dec 14 1917
 
Dear Daddy,
 
                I am at present in the hospital have had measles and an attack of pneumonia. I am doing nicely now and think I will be all ok in a pretty short while.
 
                I don’t think I will be able to come home Christmas but will come as soon as I can make it.
 
                Write to me as often as convenient and let me know how all the folks at home are.
 
                You must not expect letters from me very often until I get out of the hospital.  We have very little chance to write. 
 
                There is very little news in a place of this kind so  you must pardon short letter.
 
                                                                I am as ever
                                                                Your son
                                                                Porter Hart
 
(envelope included: handwritten note on front says “from the nurse before Porter died. He signed it but the nurse wrote it”.  In reviewing it is my belief that she signed it as well.)
 
 
 
 
 
sic
 
 
 
Porter Hart passed away from pneumonia due to measles on December 20, 1917.  He finally got to go home.
Prepared by Laura Denham, 11/4/08