The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-01-23
8 $ = y X X + = 4 +
Sol DER BOY LETTERS
From Earl Cox.
* X X x X K K < < <

From Earl Cox.
Americas, Georgia, Jan is, ~ ..
Dear Folks: Well it has been
some time since ! nave NAYS w " Il 5n.
cause / have fractured bone in my
foot, caused by a box falling. upon
it in the ware house. | am in the
hospital now. | have it all bandag-
ed up and hobble around on crutssh-
es, I expect | will stay mere for
Some time. You wrote and wanted
to know what kind of suit wore.
It is just like the regular army sol
der. Only | wear different hat
cord. l don't know just what to do
when | get out Of the army. | sure
would like to 60 on Down in Florida
before get back in the north, !
didn't get to sign the pay roll SO |
am out Of luck for awhile. SouthS
field itself is going to close, put l
don't know Just when When the J., ); supply Ihdy
will do is to ship out all the men
who are in for four years and then
discharge those who are in for the
duration of the war. l am in for
the duration Of the war. | landed
in Americas, Georgia, Dec; IS, 19 rs
men. There were 800 who came in
the bunch from Chanute here. The
warehouse where l was at work in,
is about quarter of a mile square.
Well have not told you what
a r. of a place. Americas is a
about 5000 niggers. Negroes are
all one can see. We are in about 60
miles Of Florida. sure have seen
some fine pine tree forests. The
e ess look We like ca they Trash to three es
tunnels coming down here. One OF
them was about mile long. There
is only one thing ! don't like and
that is the camp is quarantlned with
the flu. 1 have not had anything to
do for some time so will send you
piece of poetry I composed. The
title is 'My Ideas of a Stacker
You say he can't stand the army
The life is too rough for him.
Do you think he is any better
Than some other mothers Tom or
jim?
You raise him up like a girl,
He don't smoke or drink is your
brag.
II all the rest of the boys were like
What would become of our flag?
You say let the rough boys do the
fighting,
They're listed for beans and stew.
I'm glad I'm classed with the rough
who will fight for the red, white
and blue.
Think of the women in Belgium,
OF the cruelties they had to bear.
ssxQu want the same to happen
N To our innDcent daughters so fair?
You can thank God that the Stars in
Are not blurred with that kind Of
7 754,H are ten million
That have red blood in their veins.
We SO drill in bad weather,
And come in with grin on our
while your darling sits in the parlor
And lets the other man fight in
their PLACE.
Maybe we curse and gamble,
But we we fight as our fore-fathers
And thank God we don't need
your kid.
Now I am down here in Georgia
Among the niggers and rocks.
Now these are few OF my ideas
Written by Private Earl Cox.
Well what do you think Of it? l
say / am a poet and don't know it.
Well Audrey are you still going to
school as cold as it is? Yesterday
they brought in a man about, II
O'Clock and he died about 3 o'clock.
He was out on the flying field do
ing some stunts on motorcycle. |
1t simply split his head open Say
in your last letter you spoke Of my |
writing to Alva. l don't know his |
address, so wish you would send it !
to me- Say | want you to send me
Reeves Stevens address. He wrote |
me when | was at Chanute Field |
but ] did not know his address.
Now you need not worry about me |
for l am getting along fine and am |
having the best of care. l sure DO |
nav. ..o4uo tune here IN the hospital. |
Well / cant think OF anv more to |
write so will close AS ever,
Eal, Cox,
Post Hospital, Souths Field,
Americas, Georgia.