Charles Fisher WWI Letters Home

313th INFANTRY

 Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army as the 313th Infantry and assigned to the 79th Division. Organized 26 August 1917 at Camp Meade, Maryland. Demobilized 9-10 June 1919 at Camp Meade. Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves and assigned to the 79th Division. Organized during November 1921 with Headquarters at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.   

World War I
Meuse-Argonne
Lorraine 1918                                                             
Camp Meade

                                                                                               May 30, 1918                     

Dear Mother and Father

With Love to all
Charles W Fisher
Co G. Barrak G 27 313 Inf.
Camp Meade, Md

Post Card
Postmark:  May 31, 1918

Mr. William Fisher
1119 N. Patterson Park Ave
Balto Md

  Dear Brother

  This is a good life if you don’t weaking and so far I have not.  We are getting plenty of good eats and having a good time.  Come down to see me Sunday if you can. 

  From Charlie
Barrick G. 27  Co. G  313 Inf
Camp Meade

Camp Meade

                                                                                                June 11, 1918

Dear Mother

  We are now out of this barrack and can now go where we want to when we are off.  We have moving pictures and plenty of other places to go to have a good time and they told us that half of us would be giving passes this week and I expect to get one but I won’t know for sure until about Friday.  Some will be giving a pass from 10 oclock Saturday until 10 oclock Saturday night and some from 10 oclock Saturday until 11 oclock Sunday night but if I don’t get a pass come Sunday early as I was glad that you and Maggie came down last week and tell Maggie to bring Helen and Jennie with her if I don’t get up but I think I will be giving a short pass anyway.  Tell pop he can get them leggins (sic) if he has the money to spare and I think size 2 will be alright.  Tell Will to get then to get them as he knows what kind to get.  I hope pop is making out good and feeling well.  Tell him not to drink all of the beer as I think I could stand a cold bottel (sic) when I come home.  I have got all three shots and am feeling good and hope you all are feeling the same.

With love to all

From Charlie
Co G 313 Infantry
Camp Meade

                                                                                                            Camp Mead
                                                                                                            June 23, 1918

Dear Mother

  Mrs. Lewis and some of the girls were down today and everyone was glad to see me.  Mrs. Lewis brought me a nice lemon pie, some homemade biscuits, a cake and some fruit and the girls each gave me a box of candy I guess about four pounds in all.  I will be eating candy some this week and I would like to send you all a piece of this pie.  We had a very good time but the wind was blowing some.  We had a very good dinner today baked chicken, mashed potatoes, lima beans, slice oranges, tomatoes and lettuce and two blocks of ice cream. Some meal I will say, and I was blowing when I got up from the table the fellow who missed this meal was out of luck good and strange I guess when Will woke up this morning he had the army talk off his brain or he better had.  I hope pop and Leo are feeling much better then when I was home.  I am eating a piece of pie now and wish you had some.  It was sure cold down here last night but I had two good blankets to keep me warm.  If every day was Saturday or Sunday I guess I would get fat as a hog.  I am certainly please with this wrist watch you bought me as the kind they sell down here are not wroth a cent as they break most every day.  Maggie ought to be glad she didn’t come down today as I said it was so the wind.  Tell pop about this dinner we had today and asked him if he got this kind of meal when he was in the army but I guess not.  I hope I get a long pass this week if I get any but of course I will take a short one if I can get it.  Hoping to find you all well and happy.

  With love to all
From Charlie
Co. G  313 Infantry
Camp Meade

                                                                                                  Somewhere in France
                                                                                                  August 29, 1918

Dear Sister

I received your letter today and I was more than please (sic) to hear from you and I guess you have received a few from me.  I am very glad to hear that Ma and Pop and everybody is well.  You say little Leo is wearing pants.  Well I would surley (sic) like to see him and all the children as I know they all miss me.  It takes a long time for a letter to get here but I think it will be much better as we are told that we will receive mail in about three weeks.  Anyway as far as sending candy and cigarettes to me don’t think you could very well do it but I would like to get some good candy as it is very hard to get over here.  I have send you a very pretty silk apron and Ma a pillar top about one week ago and I hope you received them in good shape as I would like to send both Ma and you a few things and I know that you will be please when you get them.  Well speaking of conditions they are better now than when we first came over and I wish all of you could come over here as everything is difference (sic) than at home.  Well as I have said in other letters that I wrote home I don’t think it will be long before I will be coming back to join you all.  Well I will say goodbye.

With love to all
From Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
Co. G   313 Infantry
A.P.O. 771

American Exp. Forces
P.S.  The above is my correct address.

                                                                                   Somewhere in France
                                                                                   September 7, 1918

  Dear Mother

  With love to all at home
From Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
Co. G   313 Infantry
A.P.O. 771  American Exp. Forces

Somewhere in France

Dear Mother and Father

I hope you got my card and letter but I am waiting for a letter from you and hope to get one soon as I would like to know how everything is at home.  We left the town where we were at and after riding for three days and four nights in side door pullmans we hit a little town in the hills and the people seen to be glad that we came.  After riding throught (sic) a large part of France I find it to be a beautiful country.  The most they riase (sic) is wheat and grapes as this is a great place for wine as they don’t drink much water over here.  I had a few glasses but don’t like it much as it is pretty sour and would rather have a nice cold glass of our beer.  There is a coupel (sic) of stores in this burg but everything is dear.  A small box of sardines cost 30 cents each and everything costs more than at home.  Well that trip in box cars was about the worse yet as the cars over here are much smaller than ours and there were about forty in each one and it was pretty hard to get any sleep at night and everyone was pretty played out when we got here.  But I am feeling fine and wish you all were over here to see this beautiful country.  And they have the best looking cows I have ever seen.  The women and the boys do all the farming and they surley (sic) do work hard and do most anything so the men can go to the front and fight the huns.  And don’t think it will be long before the war is over.  I have seen a few german soldiers and they seem to be glad they are out of it as they are giving them hell every day.  They look like they don’t get much to eat but we have plenty only it is a little hard to get at times.  One good thing where we are at now is that we have plenty of water to wash and keep clean.  I have not seen a wooden house over here yet.  Everything is stone and the place were (sic) we are at now was builed (sic) in 1738 and most all of the houses are pretty old and small.  And this country is worth seeing but I would not like to live here long for there is no place like the good old states.  And when I get back I think I’ll stay for a long time.  And I think we will be back soon but would like to march in berlin with the boys and the old stars and stripes but I guess the huns will get enough  befor (sic) than (sic).  Well when you write let me know how all are and if Pop is making out good and feeling good and how Maggie and Willie and all the children are.  And I hope Leo is feeling good and tell Mr. Lowry I will write to him pretty soon and give them my best regards.  And tell Willie to tell Bellman to drink one on me.  Well it is getting dark now so I will say goodbye.

With love to all from Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
Co. G    313 Infantry
American E. F.
Via New York
P.S. Be sure to address the letter like this.

Somewhere in France 

                                                                                                September 21, 1918

Dear Father

After moving about a good bit we are now at the front and it is nothing to worry about here.  I am very glad to hear that you are feeling good as I am feeling fine and dandy.  About now I think this war is a lot difference (sic) than the one you fought in and I don’t think it will be very long before this war is over and I will have seen a lot of things we can talk about when I get back home.  I am very glad to hear that you are still working at the same place and hope you still like it there.  The trenchs (sic) here are very muddy and full of rats but things could be much worse than they are here.  Anyway everybody over here seems pretty happy and while I miss you very much, I am hoping to get back very soon and we will have a very good time.  I have heard that Balto is going to be dry until after the war.  Well I guess Bellman don’t think much of it.  The next time you go up there give all the men my best regards and tell Bellman I am going to put that ball on the flagpole for him before very long.  Maggie send me little Leo picture and I am very glad to hear that he and all the rest of the children are feeling good and I know that they all miss me but I don’t want you or Ma or anyone to worry about me as everything is going fine.  The only thing I am worry about is sending money home to Ma but I can have that fixed soon.  Hoping to hear from you soon again. 

With love to all at home

From your loving son,
Charlie
P.S. I will have my picture taken and send a coupel (sic) home.

Somewhere in France
Sunday, October 20, 1918

Dear Mother and Father

I take great pleasure in writing home this morning to let you know I am very glad to hear that you and Pop and all at home are feeling well and getting along so nice and I guess Pop is very glad since he got an increase in his pension.  Maggie said Pop thought you got lost when you went to market but I know how it is when you take the children with you.  The day is very nasty as it is raining but I am sitting in a former german dugout by the fire writing this letter and taking things easy at present.  Well I sent my slip to Maggie for my Christmas box and while I don’t think we will be home for Christmas, I am pretty sure the war will be over before then as the huns are on the run and want peace very bad.  Well I hear Willie still goes fishing and comes home with a bunch of wet lines.  Tell him I will show him how to catch fish when I get back to the good old U.S.A. and I am sure that won’t be very long.  And I am glad to hear that Pop wants to show me a good time.  Well we will all have a good time together.  Well I want to tell you all that I have been in the battel (sic) of Montfaucon and came out safe and sound and we are now on a different sector of the front where everything is going along fine and its no need to worry as it is very good here as we can have a fire and keep warm.  Well you say they are going to stop making beer in December.  I guess Frank Bellman don’t like it much but I guess it will be much better for a lot of men at that.  We have been getting plenty of smoking tobacco and cigarettes but not much chocolate as I would like to have.  That is why I want Maggie to send it to me in that Christmas box.  Maggie said Leo and all the children are getting along nice.  Well I know they miss their uncel (sic) Charlie and I surley (sic) do miss all of you.  I am very glad to hear that Lee is doing much better as I know it makes you all feel better.  Don’t worry about me having money as I have plenty to spend and I am going to try and send some home for I will be abel (sic) to use a few dollars when I get back home.  So cheer up and don’t worry about me as everything is ok so I will close now.

With love to all at home
From Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
A.P.O. 771
U. S. Army

P.S.  Use the old address on all the letters you write and I have been getting your letters all right now.

Post card with postmark October 21, 1918     Soldiers Mail 

Mrs. Eliza Fisher
2117 E. Chase St.
Baltimore, Maryland
U.S.A.

Dear Mother

  We are still at the front.  Everything is going good and I am feeling pretty good and I received some letters from home and was very glad to hear that you and Pop are feeling good.  Paper is hard to get here but as soon ass I can I will write a few letters and tell you a little more.  Don’t worry as everything is ok.

With love to all at home,

From Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
U.S. Army

October 27, 1918

Dear Mother and Sister

I received your letter of October 1^st and I was more than glad to hear that you are all well and that you and Ma got the pillar (sic) top and apron and I am please to hear that you both like them.  And if I can get back to a town where I can buy anything I will send Ma and you some very pretty things.  I would have send more but I wasn’t sure you would get them.  Well Sis we have been out of luck as far as getting much from the Y.M.C.A. so far and you would not believe how all of us boys feel when we get a bar of chocolate or some cakes or most anything sweet to eat.  I guess that’s because we don’t get much sweet stuff as we did at home or at camp.  And that’s why I ask you to send me all chocolates in my Christmas box.  And you can take it from me I am going to have one grand feast on candy when I received that most welcome box from the dear old U.S.A.  And you can take it from me if I get back home safe and sound as I expect to soon I bet when I go up town I have some candy when I come home.  Well Ma we have been at the big drive at Montfancon and on the front for 42 days now and outside of having a cold I have been feeling good and taking it all in all.  We have had some pretty tough times while we have been on the front all of which goes with a soldiers life as Pop can tell you for I know he had some hard times during the Civil War.  And we will have something to talk about when I get back home with you all.  I have been getting your letters pretty regular of late and I hope you have been getting mine as I love to hear from home and I know you like to hear from me.  I was very glad to hear that Pop got a increas (sic) in his pension and that he is feeling good of late.  And also that Ma is feeling fine and getting on her feet.  I got that money order in the letter and if I can buy anything I will surley (sic) enjoy it.  But speaking of money instead of getting it I would like to send some home as we don’t get a chance to spend it over here now that we are fighting the huns and I guess you read with much joy the way we are driving them back.  And it won’t be long befor (sic) we have them back in germany and then we will go right on to berlin.  But I think they are going to quit befor (sic) very long at lease (sic) the way things look now.  Well I guess all the children are getting nice and big as Willie said Helen and William are going to school now and I guess Jennie will go soon.  And I am glad that Leo is getting so nice and I would love to see them.  I hope this letter finds you all well and happy.  So I will close now as the mail is going out soon. 

  With love to all at home
From your loving son Charlie
Private Charles Fisher
A.P.O. 771   U.S. Army
P.S.  When you write use the old address with the A.P.O. 771 on.

Dear Mother and Father

While I have a little spare time I thought I would sit down and write a few lines home for I know that you all are glad to hear from me.  You all are asking me to get a permit from my captain so you can send me something over and I am sorry to say that I can’t get one.  But there are a few little things I am sure you can send and I know you will be very glad to do it.   I wish you would send me a pretty good fountain pen and about three good writing pencils.  They will go in a very little box and I am sure I will get them.  And when you send a letter you may put a few sticks of chewing gum in them as a lot of the boys are getting it that way.  But as I have said before don’t worry about sending money as we have very little chance to buy anything.  There is two months pay due us and we expect to get payed (sic) off soon.  And I am going to try and send some home for when I get back I will want a few dollars.  Sherman said war is hell and he rode a horse.  I wonder what he would said if he had to tour France on hob-nails.  The other night we hiked about 18 miles and I was pretty tired when we got to our stopping place.  We passed through a large town that I have wanted to see and it is pretty well torn up as most all of the towns in this section are.  I guess Tom Schreck and some of the other boys from around our way will be over soon.  I bet Mrs. Lewis is worrying about Milton but I don’t think he will ever get in this fight liked I have.  And once more I want to say we have had some battel (sic) on this front but there is a brighter day coming soon and all of the boys are talking about what they are going to do when they get back to the good old U.S.A.  Speaking about eating our…….. (next page missing)

November 4, 1918

  Dear Brother

  I take pleasure in writing you these few lines to let you know that everything is going along fine at presant (sic).  I am feeling fine and I hope that you, Ida and all the children are the same.  I miss that big boy of yours is going to be quite a fighter since he is going to school.  Well Bill, Maggie writes and tells me you are going down fishing most every week but don’t catch any fish.  Oh well the fresh air does a fellow good anyway.  How about it if I had the time and your lines and some bait I bet I could catch more pike in a day than you have caught this fall at Sues Creek for there seems to be plenty of pike in these rivers over here.  Every stream of water over two feet wide they call a river.  I haven’t seen a body of water as big as Sues Creek since we landed.  Well Bill we have been getting plenty of eats and smoking tobacco and cigarettes since we have been at the front.  And the only thing I would like to get more of is candy and I am very sorry that they won’t let any of you send it across, but oh boy just wait until I received that Christmas box from home.  I am going to have one grand feast of candy before I get back.  And speaking about booze I haven’t drank any for two months, but I think I could drink a coupel (sic) of cold ones.  Turkey and Austria are now out of the war and it won’t take very long to give the huns a dam (sic) good beating.  Well Bill the next time you see Harry Clark give him my best regards and tell him I would be glad to hear from him.  I hope this letter finds you all well and happy.

With love to all at home
From Buck
Pvt Charles Fisher
U.S. Army
Balto Md