Letters from Charles Smith Thompson

Avis Hedges & Charles Thompson

Letter 1 - May 28, 1918

Letter #1 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ    Postmarked May 29, 1918

Camp Cody
N. M.
May 28, 1918

Dear Mother;

I guess you all will be waiting to hear from us by now.  We left Flagstaff Sunday morning at 8 o’clock.  Eat breakfast at Winslow, dinner at Gallup and supper at Beleens and then traveled all night.  Slept a little in the seats, but about half of the men were drunk and they made so much noise we couldn’t sleep much.  We got here to Camp at half past five and then we had to report in to places and let them get the names of all those come.   So we were either standing in line or walking until after eleven o’clock before we had breakfast.  

I guess we won’t have much to do for a few days.  I think they examine us next and there are so many I don’t know when they will get to us.  There are three other men in the tent with us.  We have to wrap the tent around the center post in day time so the sun can shine on our blankets so I am setting out in the sun writing this letter.  But I ain’t alone, for there are men on all sides of me and the most of them are writing.  Well I will close for this time.   One of us will write again in a few days. 

(crossed out)
I got the address again and it is different.   Address your letters Private and then our name.
                                  Casual Camp #2
                                  Camp Cody
                                  NM

(Under that)

Private Charles Thompson
Training Co. #2
Casual Camp
Camp Cody
NM

Postcard showing the tents of Camp Cody wrapped up around the center post for airing,
as described in Charley’s letter.

Letter 2 - June 10, 1918

Letter #2 Addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ
Postmarked June 10, 1918

Camp Cody, NM
June 9, 1918

Dear Mother,

I got your letter yesterday, evening the first letter I’ve had since I’ve been here.  We just got back from church we go every Sunday.  We both passed the examination alright and are getting along good drilling. 

We were both in the kitchen yesterday.  They have about six out of our company in the kitchen every day.  Jim and I had to sweep out and wash the tables off after each meal.  The kitchen is about a hundred feet long with three tables the whole length of the house. 

There was a man had the mumps in the tent where Germany was so all that was in the tent were moved   they have about an acre of ground with a seven wire fence to stay in.  I don’t think you need to worry about us going to France unless we have to and I never expect to have to go.  And this training we are getting now will do us good. 

We sent our clothes back to Joe Wyatt about a week ago.  We couldn’t pay the express here because they didn’t know how much it was so the boxes will have to say Joe when they get them.  There was about twenty men rejected that come from Coconino County.  Wright Clark was the only one I knew.  They all went home but I guess Wright will have to come back when his ankle gets well. 

The nights are cool here.  I sleep fine since I got another blanket when we first come.   They give us a cot, a tick filled with hay and two blankets.  That was all the blankets they had then.  But they got some more in a few days and give us all another one. 

Myran Loy wrote home the same time I did before and he has never got a letter yet.  I wrote to Frank and Lizzie both yesterday and day before.   All the rest of you are close enough together to read the same letters.  We get shot in the arm every seven days, then we get a day off.  It sure makes lots of the boys sick, but the two shots I have got didn’t bother me any.  Only made my arm a little sore. 

Well, this leaves us both well and getting along good.  

Your son, Charles.

Letter 3 - June 23, 1918

Letter #3 Addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ
Postmarked June 23, 1918

Camp Cody, NM
June 23, 1918

Dear Mother,

I will write you a few lines this morning and give you my new address.   We were moved yesterday and we sure are scattered.   I haven’t seen Jim since yesterday noon.  He went more than a quarter of a mile away but we can’t leave our co. streets for a few days.  Jim and Joe Smith are both in 133 but probably won’t be together.    

There was a whole bunch of our old Co 2  came here to 134 with me but we are all split  up since we got here.  There was one Flagstaff boy called out in Co. D with me and we were staying together.  Thought we might be put in the same tent but they told us to line up according to our height and he was only about five feet six inches tall so when they told us to line up he looked up at me and said good-bye but he is only about five tents away.  

Here in A B and D Co. I found about ten of our old Co.  There was a ranger Frank_____  from Flagstaff.  He was in the tent right at the side of ours in Co. 2 and yesterday he was called out before the rest and he didn’t know where any of us was, but I knew where he went so I went over to his street yesterday evening and when he saw me he was sure tickled.  He jumped up and started to shake hands with me when it had only been about two hours since we were separated.  

I have in my tent one other man from Arizona, two from Texas and one belongs in this state.  They all seem to be good boys and I don’t feel so lonesome.  We will stay where we are now for some time I think and in a few days we can hunt up the rest of Co.2.   

It has been raining here every night for 4 or 5z nights now.   I guess I will get some letters soon.  I haven’t had any for some time.  They said they would bring our mail over from the other place it is only about two miles over there but they won’t let us go.  Well I will close for this time.   Have all your letters so they will return if I don’t get them. 

Your son, Charley.
Co. B. 134
US Inf
Camp Cody
NM

Letter 4 - June 30, 1918

Letter #4 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ
Postmarked July 1, 1918

CO. B 134^th Inf
Camp Cody, NM
June 30, 1918

Dear Mother,

I got your letter and one from Frank day before yesterday.  The first letters I have had for two weeks.  You said it was your third letter though, so I have got all you wrote so far.  But this last one was delayed in being forwarded from the casual camp.  This is the 5th letter I have wrote to you.  Let me know if you got them all.  We have a whole lot better place since we moved.  The tents here are walled up about 4 feet and they have a floor.  We get plenty to eat here so we had pie last Sunday.  I eat half of a pie and some of the boys eat a whole pie.  

We are still not supposed to leave the Co. St. but we all go over to the other streets and some go to town.  I have never been to town yet.  Only when we were marching.  The most of the houses in town have big green trees around them.  Some are elders, cottonwood and locust trees.

It sure is windy here today and there is to much dust in the air.  You can’t see anywhere.  It has been awful hot here.  I can sit in the tent with the sides rolled up and sweat clean through my clothes when the wind isn’t blowing.  Did the PO department advertise for three times a week mail?  Jim was over yesterday evening.  He is getting along alright. 

Have the boys seen my cow that we milked last summer we didn’t find her before I left?  Well I don’t know anything more to write so will quit for this time.

As ever, Charley

Letter 5 - July 7, 1918

Letter #5 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ

Postmarked July 7, 1918

Camp Cody, NM
July 7, 1918

Dear Mother

I got your letter you sent to Flag and the one you sent from home both together day before yesterday.  I went on guard that evening and that last 24 hours, 2 hours on and 4 hours off.  Jim was here at my tent yesterday evening when I came off guard.  He had already found the letters.  When the fruit gets ripe mail me some.  It won’t cost you anything for postage anyway and if it spoils you won’t be out anything.  I eat some apricots and plumes that came from Phoenix.  And a few days ago one of the boys in my tent got some peaches and tomatoes from Texas.  The peaches were alright  but the tomatoes were mashed.  His was mailed in a tin cracker box.  I got payed of to day for the month of June and six days in May. I didn’t take out any insurance so I got $36.00.  Will send $30 to Ed Postom.  Earl Germany went into the artillery when were were all moved and they have all left but I don’t know yet what state they went to.  I haven’t never seen Myron Loy since we moved.  He was in the same tent with us over at the other camp after the first week.  He went in the 135^th Inf when we moved but I don’t know what Co. So I have never went to hunt him up yet.

Jimmy isn’t very far from me.  These streets are about 30 ft wide and the 134^th runs as far as I, then the 133 starts in and Jimmy is in H.  There is a row of mess houses along the front street, on for each Co. then our tents are in rows back of the mess house about four feet apart in the row.  Dock Wyatt is in the machine gun Co.  That is the first st. the other side of A so  he is only two streets from me.  He said he was going to have his wife come down to Demming and live if he ever got of quarantine.  He was turned lose the 4^th and yesterday she found a man in his CO with diptherie so they quarantined them again.  My Co is not quarantined but we have to have a pass to go to town.  I have never went yet except when we were all marching through town.  Well I don’t know anything more to write today.

As ever, Charley

Letter 6 - July 14, 1918

Letter #6 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ

Postmarked July 15, 1918

Co B 134 Inf
Camp Cody, NM
July 14, 1918

Dear Mother

I got your letter that Green mailed in Flagstaff four or five days ago but I went on guard again that night and haven’t had time to write since.  My CO is quarantined now.  One of the boys broke out with measles.  I have been using a handsaw the last two days.  They have been moving some tent floors and I help saw the timbers I n two so they could load the floors on the truck.

Denny Hibbon got shot in the jaw a few days ago he is in the base hospital now.  They took some skin off his arm and feet and put on his face.  There was a man in Co. E killed his self yesterday morning.  He was from Phoenix but I forgot what his name was.  He took his rifle and shot his brains out.  There was a big fire in Demming a few days ago.  They took my co. up there after it had been burning for some time but we didn’t have to do anything but carry back something that was piled out in the street.  It burned one whole block in the middle of town.

Did Pendley ever get a letter from me.  I wrote to him after I had been here about two weeks and I have never heard from him.  Jimmie got a letter from Lizzie and she said she never got the letter I wrote her.   Well I don’t know anything more to write just so you know we are getting along all right that is all that is necessary.  

As ever, Charley

I haven’t had any pictures taken yet.

Letter 7 - July 25, 2018

Letter #7 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ     Postmarked July 25, 1918

Co B 134 Inf
Camp Cody NM
July 24, 1918

Dear Mother,

I got your letter day before yesterday just before we left to go out to the rifle range.  We shot out there yesterday and came back in the evening.  We have been out there twice now and I think we go twice more.

Well I guess you heard from Jim since he had the measles.  When I seen him Sunday he said he had wrote.  I went over to his tent after I came back off the range before and a man in the tent next to his said that one of the men in his tent got the measles and they took Jim and rest in the tent to the contact camp, so Sunday I went down there and they said there wasn’t anybody there by that name but I looked around until I found the men that had been in the tent with him and they said it was Jim that got the measles but they didn’t know what hospital he was in.  So I came back to his co. and found out from the Sargent where he was.  And Sunday afternoon I went up to the base hospital and thy told me he was in ward 22 and I went there and they said he was sent there but there had been some letters come there for him and they has sent them back to the receiving ward.  But they told me that he may be in 21 as that was a ward for measles.  So I went there and found him out on the porch.  He said he hadn’t had any mail since he had been there and I went back to the receiving ward and found three letters, one from you and one from Ab and the other from Lin Derrick.  I guess he will be there about two weeks.  Yet he was up and looking good but they won’t let him leave until he has been there for 21 days.

I got a letter from Earl Germany the same day I got yours.  He is in Fort Sill Okla. He said that place there was a paradise beside this pace but the water wasn’t as good.  You don’t need to send me anything to read as there is a YMCA here and I can get all kinds of books there.   I sent you a picture of the fire in Deming a few days ago.  I had a man here in camp take a Kodak picture me.  He said he would have some ready this evening if he does I will send one in this letter.  Did Frank get the second letter I wrote him.  Tell him that I would rather not sell that mare if he can get a horse somewhere else.  She wouldn’t be good to work on that mail route anyway with a young colt.  I didn’t sell her to Fred last fall because I wanted to sell her.  I let him have her because he wanted her and then he decided he didn’t.  Have they ever found Tom Hunt yet?  Jim Ivy joined the army to get out of his trouble.  He is in this camp.  Mrs. Grey or his wife came down when Dach Wyatt’s wife came.  I think they are still in Deming.

Well this is all I can think of this time.  As ever, Charley

You can give these pictures around to whoever wants them.

A soldier’s camera that was used at Camp Cody in 1918

Letter 8 - July 31, 1918

Letter #8 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson

Sedona, AZ     Postmarked August 1, 1918

Co B 134 Inf

Camp Cody NM

July 31, 1918

Dear Mother,

I will write a few lines today.  I haven’t had any letters for over a week now but I guess there is some on the road somewhere.  There was two French officers drowned in a river somewhere around here and they are to be buried today so the Captain said we wouldn’t drill today that we could go to the funeral if we wanted to but none of us went and there won’t be any mail today on account of the funeral and we go to the range this evening so we won’t get any more mail until tomorrow evening when we come back so I thought I would write a little as I think it has been over a week since I wrote before.  There has been talk of us leaving here for some time now but I don’t know whether there is anything to it or not.  I think though we will go to some other state before long.  I hope so anyway since I am this far away I would rather we saw more country than to stay in one place all time.  

I have one of them fine pictures that I want to keep myself so I think I will mail it to you and let you keep it for me.  I think I will be back there before fall.  The Germans are losing every day.  One of our officers said the other day that he thought all of the drafted men would be home within sixty days.  Well I will write again when I get your letter.  There ought to be some here when I get back to (unclear – in margin…)

As ever, C S T

Letter 9 - Aug 2, 1918

Letter #9 addressed to Mrs. Maggie Thompson
Sedona, AZ     Postmarked August 3, 1918

Co B 134 Inf
Camp Cody NM
Aug 2, 1918

Dear Mother,

I got a letter from you yesterday and today I got yours and Claras letters and one from Fred and one from Green.  You ask me how much I owed on the mules.  I will send you a bill of what I have payed and from now on I will send the money there each month as I haven’t heard from what I sent last month yet.  I will only have $20.00 to send in this letter as I want to send Germany $5.00 that I got from him when we first come here and I will keep $5.00 myself. 

I will make the money order out in Green’s name as he seems to be going to town the most.  How much did Ab pay Pendley?  I think I owed him $30.00.  I will make a bill of what Ab and Green pays and pay them when I can.  You said Derrick was asking what he owed Jimmy.  He owes me $9.75 if he ask about it. 

Dennis Hibbin was out with what they call the war strength Co. and I think it was a machine gun off a long ways that he was shot with.  I got a letter from Jessie D. yesterday telling me about her wedding before Brian Homer left for the Navy.   Jim came back from the hospital yesterday and came over here in the evening and we went out and seen my Captain about having him transferred over here and the Captain said he thought we could.  I think we will leave here in a few days but I don’t know where we will go.  Today was pay day and there is poker and craps games everywhere.  Last pay day about half of the boys were broke before night.  This is the way I made my payments.  I will send that note back and the payments are marked on the back.  Ab can figure what the interest is if he knows how.  The dates on this note may not be just the same as they have them as I sent the last two payments by mail.

I think Joe Wyatt can tell the boys where to find Ed Postin and if they can’t find him they can turn the money over to George Babbitt.

Well I will close for this time.

As ever, Charley