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
************************************************************************
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
************************************************************************
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