DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Robert Morriss Browning correspondence to Karl S. Hoffman, 1918 | 1918-10-21 Bob Browning to Karl Hoffman Page 3

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Robert Morriss Browning correspondence to Karl S. Hoffman, 1918

1918-10-21 Bob Browning to Karl Hoffman Page 3

command when I get a bunch of huns out in front of me. That's where my midnight hours may help I hope, but every time I think about taking that platoon of mine up against a bit of woods drenched in mustard gas and covered by machine guns I want to get up in the night and learn more about handling different situations.
This is all very dull and dry psychologizing I suppose but it's dawn now and you asked for a letter, this is it.
I've been in Boston once except just to get in & out again as between trains from New York. I saw a lot of "historic spots" and narrow crooked little dirty streets. Didn't care much for it. Went to New York for Marietta's wedding to Jim, and again a couple of weeks ago to see a Red Cross secretary from Washington who happened to be spending the weekend there. Had a wonderful time but have been scared ever since as she has had influenza and nearly had pneumonia. She's getting better now.
Our camp was fairly hard hit. Seventy or eighty deaths a day with some companies having half their men in the hospital was normal for a while. Our regiment, being mostly regulars, suffered less than others. We lost fewer men, no officers (only one officer in the hospital even), and came through fairly well, although one officer's bride was a victim.
We are hoping to be on our way within a couple of weeks and I'll try to write to you from my ship and again from France and then Germany. But please don't be grieved if I don't write often as I don't seem to have the knack of dishing up letters fast between first call and drill - the way some people do. It takes me a long time to write even the sort of thing I wrote this time and time is the scarcest thing in the Army here at Devens. In fact I get out & urge the men vehemently to "save a fifth of a round" in their bayonet work.
Write soon & I'll try to answer [illegible].
Affectionately Bob
P.S. It's quite a bit after eleven now & I have to do a bit of work yet so I'll sign off without saying anything about my [illegible].
Bob.

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command when I get a bunch of huns out in front of me. That's where my midnight hours may help I hope, but every time I think about taking that platoon of mine up against a bit of woods drenched in mustard gas and covered by machine guns I want to get up in the night and learn more about handling different situations. This is all very dull and dry psychologizing I suppose but it's dawn now and you asked for a letter, this is it. I've been in Boston once except just to get in & out again as between trains from New York. I saw a lot of "historic spots" and narrow crooked little dirty streets. Didn't care much for it. Went to New York for Marietta's wedding to Jim, and again a couple of weeks ago to see a Red Cross secretary from Washington who happened to be spending the weekend there. Had a wonderful time but have been scared ever since as she has had influenza and nearly had pneumonia. She's getting better now. Our camp was fairly hard hit. Seventy or eighty deaths a day with some companies having half their men in the hospital was normal for a while. Our regiment, being mostly regulars, suffered less than others. We lost fewer men, no officers (only one officer in the hospital even), and came through fairly well, although one officer's bride was a victim. We are hoping to be on our way within a couple of weeks and I'll try to write to you from my ship and again from France and then Germany. But please don't be grieved if I don't write often as I don't seem to have the knack of dishing up letters fast between first call and drill - the way some people do. It takes me a long time to write even the sort of thing I wrote this time and time is the scarcest thing in the Army here at Devens. In fact I get out & urge the men vehemently to "save a fifth of a round" in their bayonet work. Write soon & I'll try to answer [illegible]. Affectionately Bob P.S. It's quite a bit after eleven now & I have to do a bit of work yet so I'll sign off without saying anything about my [illegible]. Bob.