THE FIRST WORLD WAR LETTERS OF CLARENCE McDONALD
 
     Registered Letter: Return Address: C. G. McDonald, 120 E. Chestnut St. Lancaster, Ohio. Lancaster, Ohio, Dec. 20, 1916
    My Dear Father: Although I have stayed away for so long, please don't think I have forgotten you. I was going to come down next summer but I got to thinking so much about you and sis that I could not wait any longer to write. I am at Lancaster about thirteen miles from Columbus, got back here last fall, have had my ups and downs but have always fared pretty well. Hope you are getting along nicely. Well dear dad maybe I have done wrong but I cannot see it that way. But if I have please forgive me! I suppose Mary is still at home. I really hope that you have been good to her anyway. Tell her I would love to see her and all the rest of them. I was often tempted, dad, but I can say that I have and am leading as near a Christian life as possible. Very seldom [do] I miss church or Sunday school. I have an awful lot to say so I had better stop before I say too much. Am sending a small Xmas present. Hope you will appreciate it. Tell everybody Merry Xmas.
    Your forgotten Son, Clarence.

Lancaster, Ohio, August 16, 1917 Dear Sister.

    Have not gotten a reply to my post card so I thought I would write to you. I do not like army life very well so far as they have inoculated me twice and have put 30 million jerms into us, and we get one more inoculation in about 3 or 4 days which will be 30 million more jerms. They certainly do make one sick, some of the men fainted when they did it. They have vascinated us also and my arm got as big as my leg and have got a soar on it as big as two silver dollars every body says it is the biggest vascination they ever seen. Well I hope you are doing well at your place. I hope so anyway. I suppose that you will be going back to school in a few weeks. Well, go and learn all you can because you will never be sorry for it. I know. Well I will have to close soon and write about fifteen more letters tonight. So write real soon and let me know all the news. I am trying to get transferred to the airplane army if I can, but I do not think I can. But write soon.
    Your loving brother, Clarence

Camp Perry, Ohio Co. L, 4th Ohio Inf. Aug. 24, 1917

    Dear Father: Received your letter yesterday. Was glad to hear from you. My clothes were left in Lancaster in charge of the boarding house, I did not have time to send them home after we were told to leave, but the landlady said she would send them as I had them packed, and I suppose she had not sent them yet. But I am writing to her tonight about them. I sold some of them before I left. I sent a suitcase full of every day clothes to Uncle Jim's a couple of days ago, or at least I sent them to town with a couple of fellows and I suppose they expressed them to him.
     I had some money with me and drew my pay last week, and night before last I had every cent I had stolen from me. I have borrowed a couple of dollars from one of the boys. If you would send me five dollars I will send it back to you next payday if we draw a pay before we are in France. This is the first time I have done this, but I hate to be with a bunch of boys and be broke. I sent or rather the landlady sent my other clothes collect if she sent them.
     I will try and send those papers before we leave here but I have not got time now. Ans. Soon, your son, Clarence.

Camp Perry, Ohio Co. L. 166 Division U. S. Infantry Sept 2, 1917 Dear Father:

    Am getting along pretty good and having a fine time. Had a little fight last night, and did not get the worst of it but am arrested in quarters, but they will not do anything with me. It was with one of the lower officers but he is not liked by nobody and that was my first fight and that is the reason that I am telling you about it. Nearly every fellow in camp came around and shook hands with me and said that was the best thing that I ever did in my life. Will, Pop, we are leaving here before long and we don't know where we are going but we think we are going to Long Island. But write to me once in a while and let me know the haps and mishaps around there. Tell Mary she can answer my letter if she wants too.
    I don't know when I get to come home, but I will the first time I get a chance. My side is not hurting me much anymore, but I am still taking medicine for it. They say that it is not a rupture but wind in there some way. I am still trying to live up to my church but I am with on awful rough bunch. Well I will write as soon as I can and let you know where we go to.
    
    Your Son, Clarence. Camp Mills Hempstead N. Y Co L. U. S. Inf. Sept 21, 1917 Dear Father:
    Received your letter and was very glad to hear from you. No, I do not need money now and never did really need it. It was so long before I recd an Answer from you that I was kind of worried, so please write once a week or every two weeks even if it is only half of a page and says, we are all well, only I want it because we may not be in the United States more than another month, as I have accidentally heard that we will not be here more than fifteen days but we cannot tell anything about what we hear. We are drilling most awful hard and are nearly all in, every night. But I guess I can stand it if the rest can. I am getting strong and healthy and my side doesn't bother me very much.
    Well.. Father, whatever happens I am going to do my duty and stick up for Old Glory and do as near right as I can. Ans. Soon when ever you can. Your Soldier Son, Clarence.

Camp Mills Hempstead N. Y Co L. U. S. Inf. Sept 25, 1917 Dear Sister.

    Received your letter today and was certainly glad to hear from you. I did not get your other letter as you said you wrote to me. I thought that you was on your third year instead of your fourth, but I am glad that you only have this year yet to go. Yea, I am having a fine time but I am going through more hardships now than I ever did before but I am getting hardened and used to it and am standing it fine.
     I was in New York City last night and had a fine time. Some city. Six boys and I got an automobile and went from here. It is about thirty miles form here and we drive around town about forty miles and took in every sight that was worth seeing. Went through Chinatown and saw all those large buildings, but did not go to any shows as we only had time to get our suppers and the rest was riding. The great white way certainly was pretty. We do not expect to be here long, as we are expected to sail for France any time now but it may not be this winter, and it may be inside of a week. But whenever it is, I will try and let you know before I leave.
    I wrote to father the other day, but you had better write and let me know the news as he may not write for a good while. I haven't got anything to send to you now and do not expect I will have now because it seems as though I am pretty low myself all [the] time. Well, be good and put up with a whole lot as you do not know how hard some people have it. And a soldier at that don't have it so nice. Ans whenever you can. Your loving brother C. G. M.

Sept. 30, 1917 (YMCA paper). Hempstead, Camp Mills, N. Y., Co L. 166 U. S. Inf. Dear Father:

     Will try and write you a few lines this cold Monday evening. Have been feeling pretty good but am most generally pretty tired in the evening. this was our afternoon to take a hike but for some cause or other we got to lay around and rest. I went over to the field hospital to see the sick boys as there is four out of four Company and there are certainly some sick ones over ther too. From the way they talk around here we have not long to enjoy the Good old U. S. A. but I am going to try to enjoy myself wherever I am or whereve I go. I got my discharge from the national guards today and am sending it to you so that it will never get lost. Don't forget that paper that was sent to me at Lancaster and have it sent to some one that can get it now. I suppose mamma wil know some one that would want it. I mean the Register Leader i got from Mary. I am going to try to get some of my money sent direct to you and if it comes you can put it in the bank for me and if it is ever necessary use it. But I hope it is never necessary. We are drilling most awfully hard now and going on long hikes twice a week. But I guess I can stand them if the rest of the boys can. I was up to Ne York City with a bunch of boys the other day and it was certainly come place. We went up from here in a machine and our drive took [us] all over the city and pointed out all the mostprominent places there. We drove thru all the most prominent streets through chinatown and down the Great White Way, but we were not out of the machine only long enough to get our supper. Some say that we go to France from here and some say to Phillipine Islands so you see we don't know we are going until we get there.
     I hope everybody is well down there. If anything ever does happen down there, at home I mean, or if any of you get sick please let me know, if you can, because I often worrie about it and wonder if anything out the the ordinary has happened. We have gotten two full suits and winter underwear, shoes and everything, an overcoat, raincoat and our eating utensils. so from the way they are fitting us out, they are going to send us some place. Well, Father, I will have to close for this time but you need never to worry about me as I now found out how to take care of myself, and it seems as though every body is for themselves in the army but believe me I am going to look out for No. One from now on. Well, ans' soon as you can and don't forget that one of Uncle Sam's boys thinks aobut his father once in a while.
    Your affectionate Son, Clarence. (On YMCA stationery but undated. In same envelope with Sept 30 letter.) Hempstead, N. Y.
Dear M:
    Recd. you letter and was glad to hear from you. Mary tole me Dewey Stowhead had spinal Meningitis, there has been a lot of it in our camp, but I don't think I will ever get it. We expect to leave tomorrow or next day for France, but I might be mistaken. I had my picture taken with a bunch of fellows while taking dinner to a bunch of guards and am sending one. I was guard over a German spy night before last he was caught in camp. I am a[t] Hempstead and only have 35 min. to get back to camp in [sic: and} so I will have to close. Ans soon although I amy never get it here at this camp. I certainly would like to be home for a little while. One of our boys was transferred to the Aeroplane Core, and I would like to be but I guess you have to have a pull to get transferred. Well, I will have a good time in France but may have some hardships but am going to stick to right and not wrong if I possibly can.
Your loving son, Clarence.

Camp Mills Hempstead N. Y Co L. U. S. Inf. 10-11-1917 Dear Father,

    Have not hear[d] from you for some time but will try and write you a fewlines this evening. We have not left Camp Mills yet, but I am looking to leave any time now. I had some pictures taken and they are not good, but will send you one anyway. I understand that we are going to begin to drilling in the evening as well as day, but will still have Wednesday and Staurday afternoons off, but righ now we are having it very easy right now.
     You can give this picture to Mary if she leaves it there, but it is to all. I only had six sent to me and they are hardly going around. I hope you are getting along all right. I got a letter from Mary and I guess she is getting along good in school.
     Well, father, I will have to close as it is getting most awfully cold here in the tent and I am getting to feel like going to bed although it is early. Ans Soon. Your Affectionate (changed from loving) Son, Clarence. PS. We have all our winter clothing now. Overcoat, Raincoat and all. I sent to you by mail a part of a suit I got from a fellow in Lancaster before I left. I hope you got it. I am going to send some more stuff to be kept for me before long. Will have to close for this time, so good night.

Camp Mills Hempstead N. Y Co L. U. S. Inf. 10-18-1917

Dear Father:
     There has been a good bit of moving and things going on in camp in the last few days, but we haven't left yet. And now the report is out that this will be a regular camp and we will stay here all winter as a provo guard that is doing police duty around camp and in cities close by here. But we can't tell anything about it as part of our regiment packed up and left last nigh for some place. One of the companys of our regiment are quarantines in on account of measles, and some say that as soon as they are will we will leave also. I was on guard last night over south of camp about one mile from here, and they are having an awful time until about midnight every night keping some of the fellows down and quiet. There are little temporary stores place around camp run by Jews and foreigners and they charge the fellows about two prices for everything they get and as the fellows leave they make raids on those little places and take everything they have because they think they will leave the next day or two ane they want to get it back on those fellows that cheat them. And I am on gaurd with the rest of our company to keep them from doing that. There was another fellow in our tent tha lost his pocket book last night with sixteen dollars in it, and it seems that you can't trust anybody in the army.
    Well, Father, I have made one allotment to you for fifteen dollars a month and if you do not get it,(you can) well, I suppose you will find out where to write and find out about it, as I don't know as present where you would write but more than likely it will come to you and you can put it in the bank in my name with the other money that you draw from Uncle John's money which he had for me. I took out ten thousand ($10,000) dollars worth of insurance to be paid to you in nd in case of your death it goes to Mary. Was that all right [?], of course it cost me an awful lot to take that much and I will have very little left to spend each month but I will try and do on it. Father, I have did this for your sake and I want one fifth of it to go to the little girl I left at Lancaster, and if I shold happen to die or get killed it will be one wish of your son to see that she gets it. Her name and address is Miss Gertrude White, 405 East Mulberry Street, Lancaster, Ohio. But then here's hoping that I come back on my feet and no branches gone. I am going to write to Mary and tell her about it also and I think if it is up to her she will see that Gertrude her part of it. She has done and awful lot for me while I was away from home and I think she had ought to have something for her kindness to me when I had no friends. So father please do this. About two or three years ago I might of started drinking and many other things if it hadn't of been for her. Well, Father, I wish also that you would write and tell her if anything happens to me because the government would only notify you and Mary, the two names I turned in. They wouldn't let me make out my insurance to any one else in the family but you or Mary as that was the law, I guess.
     I will have to close for this time, but will write soon again if we don't leave. I thought that we were going to go two or three days ago, but we didn't so you see we don't know anything about it but if we do go this winter it will be soon. Ans soon. Your affectionate son, Clarence.

Continued