Lester Scott to Minnie Riggle: “Dear Sister,”
A World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers were trained. Scott served as a Wagoner (mule team driver) in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home from Camp Lee, September 30, 1917.
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Letter 03: September 30, 1917
Sun. Sept 30. 1917
Petersburg, VA.
Dear Sister,
How are you all by this time. I am just fine and enjoying myself fine. I wrote you and Cleo a letter some time ago and havent got any ans yet. But I am looking fur [sic] a letter any time. we are not in the same Barracks that we was. we have moved to field artillery supply Co. about two mile from where we was. But there are some of the Boys got mail. Walter got a letter from his girl today. I may get a letter this evening. we are off today. we get Sundays and Wednesday after noon off. I am at the Y.M.C.A. now. they have a piano here and victrola and singing of all kind. this paper and envelopes does not cost us any thing. I sent my clothes Back last night. they are in nice shape. Blevie [sic] me I have got a good suit now. will send some pictures as soon as I go to Petersburg; cant get them taken here. we can go to town every night if we want to. I have been vaxcinated [sic] But my arm has never got sore. I have seen dutch lots of times, he is right close to where I am at. he seems to like it fine. we get plenty to eat and a good bed. I don’t think we will ever see france. I will be at W.V.A. by spring see if not right. we get Wheeling papers here. would not come back if I could start in the morning. you can learn something here. if you know of any one that has wrote to me you tell them the reason I have not answered. I will get my mail all right now. I have not wrot [sic] to any one But you and Cleo. tell my friends the address and tell tehm write to me. I guess this is all fur [sic] this time. will more next time. So Good By and ans Soon.
Address in this manner
Supply Co. 314 F.A.
Camp Lee
Petersburg
VA
Listen to Episode 3 of “From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle”
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“From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle” is brought to you by Archiving Wheeling in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (Wheeling, WV) and the Wheeling Academy of Law & Science (WALS) Foundation.
Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler with music courtesy the Library of Congress.
[Music on September 30, 1917 episode: “Junk Man Rag,” Roberts, [Luckyeth] (composer), Victor Military Band (performer), 1913, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/]
Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.
▶ To listen to the prior Camp Lee podcasts, visit our SoundCloud page.
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