Letter dated Sep 10, 1918 to Millard Robbins, Mima, KY Sent from Camp Taylor, KY

8 Co 2nd BN 159 Depot Brigade, Camp Tayloy, KY

Mr. Millard Robbins

Dear Bro I will rite you that I have arrived in Camp Taylor hant been exzamined yet but will be this eve are soon in morning I am liking very well No body that I no but Sanford So take care of my corn and use it as you please help take care of my boy and I will be home some day but I cant say when a hard roe to hoe I guess but I am as tuff a nut as eny body tell Pa and Ma I will send them a presant before long when I git to go to town it will be 3 weeks be fore we git out of quarntyd they is seventy thousand boys here We are all in tints but is very cold tuction O say tell evry body to rite me if they want to and if they dont kiss my ass I have been working in the kitchen tell no one we all eat off of the ground wash our dishes make our beds I am going to take 10,000 life inshurence for I see a man cant save eny thing hear so I will rite again when I have time Yours Resp Bro Willie Robbins

8 Co 2nd Bn 159 Depot Brigade Camp Taylor, KY

ps: Pay Armstrong 3 bushell of corn out of mine when you gather it

Postcard sent to Merl Robbins, Mima, KY Postmarked Sep 12, 1918 Louisville, KY Taylor Branch

The Postcard is a picture of Special Services held in the YMCA Bldg, Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, KY

Joshua how are you. Just lazy as ever I guess ha ha. Rite me soon Tell evry body to rite me at once for I want to hear from evry body tell Joe Keeton to rite me

your Bro Billie

Postcard sent to W.M. Robbins, Mima, KY Postmarked Sep 13, 1918 Louisville, KY Taylor Branch

The card is a picture of The Boys on a hike, Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, KY

There is no message. The card simply states "Willi Robbins, 8th Co 2nd BN, 159th Depot Brigade Camp Taylor, KY"

Postcard sent to Susanne Robbins, Mima, KY Postmarked Sep 13, 1918 Louisville, KY Taylor Branch

The card is a picture of Maj Gen Hall and Staff Reviewing the troops, Camp Zachary Tayloy, KY

How are you Mama I am feeling fine So rite soon Help take care of my baby so I have got so much to rite I will write you and Pa a letter before long your son Billie

Postcard sent to Millard Robbins, Mima, KY Postmarked Sep 13, 1918 Louisville, KY Taylor Branch (The card is a picture of calisthenics at Camp Taylor Louisville, KY)

How are you Chig all OK I trust as for Billie I am all rite tell evry body hello and rite me I have rote to evry body I could think of so rite soon Willie

NO DATE ON THE FOLLOWING LETTER, ASSUME IT IS AFTER THE POST CARDS

Well Chig I will rite you a few lines hope you are all well I have just come off guard of 24 hours and I fieled wore out This Army is some life if you dont wearting In the last 5 days have sent one thousand to the houspittle and they have got Spanish influensy and it is taking lots of the boys a way too so if I git that I dont no what I will do for I am so tired and woren out I cant stand much so rite me Millard I want to hear from you all I hant had but one letter from you all and have rote five hundord to you all so me and Sanford is together yet but looking to be transfeared eny time one of my main Buddys was transfeared to West Point today he is from Floyd Co How is Pa and Ma and Merl I have rote you all cards and letter but cant hear from none of you so please rite I have rote Franklin Robb but cant hear from him So you all be good and rite soon I would haft to come back before I leave hear but I cant say whether I will or not So good by from Willie

Letter to Ora Robbins from Willie Robbins Dated Sep 20, 1918 Camp Taylor, KY

Dear Bro I will ans your letter Was sure great to hear from home I am feilling tuff got my 2 shots this morning how is old Smith Creek Now tell Buck to suck my toe I am liking a Army life fine I hant heard from Florida but I dont give a damd so put Will Blevins a way for I dont want him to make way of enythink I have for I couldnt get him to help me eny last sumer so I am going to try to change my inshurence if I can so see my baby is cared for

I may be back some day and I may not but I dont dred this damd war eny

so rite soon Ora fo I want to hear from home. Tell Pa and Ma I will send them some thing before long. I hant been to town yet. Your Bro Willie

Letter to Millard Robbins from Willie Robbins Dated Sep 20, 1918 Camp Taylor, KY

Well Chig I got your letter just now and it finds me feeling tuff I have got my second shot this morning and I am sore I say thay was 4 boys that fell but I can stand eny thing I think now Drilling is hard but I like it glad you all was well I think this war will soon be over I cant say when I will be back if I was discharged I dont think I would come back so I had my inshurence made to Florida but I aim to change it I want you to look Elisha papers over and rite me what to no about it I had to take ten thousand dollars and I allotted 1500 of my wages to Florida shuk I cant do eny thing with that but you and Pop take my crop and all I ask of you is to see that my baby is cared for and Florida can kiss my ass what I made I want yous to have it - and put Will Blevins away for I couldnt git him to help me do eny think last sumer Well Millard you try to stay out of this Army if you can I am looking to be transfeared eny day to Camp Knox So rite me soon I am so sore I cant rite much this time so I hope you are gitting along fine So rite soon your Bro Willie Robbins 8 Co 2nd BN 159 I.B. Camp Taylor, KY

Letter to Florida Robbins from Willie Robbins Dated Sep 20, 1918 Camp Taylor, KY

Well I will rite you again as you have minded me so well. What can you promos your self to stay thear with Blue Billie I aim Pap and Millard to take what I raised and I tuck you thear to stay and I made my inshurence to you and allotted 1500 a months to you but I am going to change it you though I wouldnt no et but I got a letter from Millard and Ora and thay sead you wouldent stay now just do as you please but if you ever expect me to ever kelp you you want to mind what I tell you and if you dont you can go for me I am telling you what I mean now I am going to make my inshurence to my baby and make it payable to the West Liberty bank to be payable when he is 18 years old and if I never come back nar you never git eny more letters from me I want you to take my baby to Paps when he is one year old so you kneedent to think I cant help my self a bout you gitting my money for I can have that change for my Lieutendent sead I could so now you can do as you see fit you no I am whear I haft to stay but I aim to see no damd people will lay around on what I am reasking my life for so I dont no wheather I ever will rite you again are not but be damd shure you take good care of my baby I am fielding like hell today but I will make et all rite I guess so I aim to have my inshurence change and make my allotment to my baby to be given him when he is 18. So you had better take care of him So do as you see fit but you will remember this some day Willie You can do as you please about ritting me you needent to unless you want to I dont care

Letter to Millard Robbins from Sanford Blevins Dated Sep 20, 1918 Camp Taylor, KY

Mr Millard Robbins and all the rest Will has just received your letter when one gets a letter we both haft to read it to here the Old Smith Creek news well Millard I am so darned sore I cant hardly write or move we took our second shot this morning we will lay up 48 hours I feel like I ought to lay up six months well Millard we are liking are Army life fine I am better satisfied here than I have been in a long time it hant had so tough as it has been Recremended to me why should a man worry where he is getting his board and clothes and a place to lay his head looks like I ought to be satisfied well Millard it dont look like they ever will need you fellows registered last it dont look like they can make room for any more well Millard we wrote Elisha a letter the other day but we havent had time to get an answer well I was glad to here that my kids was well Millard I thing if a man stays here six months he wont fear hell but I sertainly enjoy it the best of any thing I have tried lately I dont wish you boys any harm but I hope and trust it will last long enough for us to get to go across and see some of this old world if we live to get back we can have something to talk about well Millard if you see Boobie tell him to be a good boy that he has a dady called a soldier so write as often as you can tell every body we are as mean as ever tell Ally Smith to be dam sure he has them logs out of the road a gone your old time friend Sanford Blevins 8th Co 2nd BN 109th Depot Brigade Camp Taylor, KY

They were transcribed in May, 1997 by

Notations in parentheses are those of the transcriber. Spelling & Grammar is as written.