Sincerely, Joel C. Swisher

Dear Mary,

Just got thy letter of Dec. 11 and sure thank thee for the addresses of all those GS people as it may be my good fortune to get in the same neighborhood as some of them some of these days, as we are often moving to a new place. This moving has its advantages. We get to see the country. We don’t have to work while moving and we get a chance to live on those charming delicacies known as hard tack and corned beef.

In thy previous letter, thee spoke of liking Cal[ifornia]. we have a lot of fellows in this company from Cal. and they claim it a great place. There is one fellow who lived in the Valley of the Moon and knew of Jack London’s ranch and had talked to London himself. This fellow’s name was Sheppard and he lived near Santa Rosa.

I am writing this by the light of a candle. They seem to bethe cheapest and easiest light to get over here. Fire-wood and coal is very scarce but we get all we need. We have the same kind of stoves as are Penn Hill M.H.

In my other letters I told about being quartered in a French village for a few days. That was sure an experience. Made us realize we were in the Army and in France.

Thee suggested that I keep a diary. I would like to do so but we are not allowed. At the beginning of the war, all the German soldiers kept diaries but they proved to be so useful to the Allies that no Allied soldier keeps a diary.⁽¹⁾Actually, the diary of Sgt. Philip Olson is available online, and was apparently kept in violation of orders. Olson was in the same regiment, but a different company, as Joel Swisher. Both men crossed on the same transport, and were hospitalized with measles at about the same time. It is unknown whether the two men ever met. However, I wish my relatives would keep my letters and at the end of the war I can use them as a diary.

It sure snows easily here. Some times it rains it as easily as it snows and then there is fun. But we have all ready got so hardened that we can work all day and don’t care a bit what the weather is.

After looking this country over, I can’t figure out why the Germans are so crazy to capture it. By the way, altho we heard a lot about the atrocities of the Germans over in the U.S. I find that they are many times worse than we imagined.

Firewood and coal is scarce and so is lumber. Most of the lumber comes from Switzerland and is very high. Tell Harlan that I have seen people thrashing with flails.

This French money is queer stuff. When we first get it, we think we have an awful pile but the first thing we know it is melted away. We figure francs as dollars but soon see we have made a mistake.

If thee wants to know the kind of work we are doing read Irving Cobb’s article in Sept 2 or 3 as we are not supposed to write too much. And there is a good description of the trip across in Lit. Dig. for Sept 8.

There is a good YMCA building here. It was built by the 16th Engr’s. It was furnished by a Detroit lady. They have a small library. I am reading some O. Henry just now.

I met a [Penn] State man in he 16th Engr’s that I knew last winter. He is the first person I have met that I knew.

I don’t know when this letter will reach thee as mail seems quite slow each way. Wish I could tell you where I am but will wait til after the war and then can tell many things.

By the way, please give me Barnard’s address in thy next letter.

Here’s hoping thee is passing the winter comfortably.

Sincerely,
Joel