Sincerely, Joel C. Swisher

Troop transport convoy including USS Agamemnon, which J.C. Swisher was aboard

Dear Folks,

Before you get this I expect you will be wondering where I am. I will mail this as soon as we get to the other side and it will come back in this boat or another, but it may not reach you before the end of this month or the first of next. They slipped us away from Ft. Devens very nicely. I would like to tell you all about the trip as it was fine but will have to wait till the war is over. We had an idea that we were going to leave Ayer but did not know when we would leave until we were on our way. I would have told you folks that I was expecting to be sent across soon but I thought that you would worry more if you knew I was on the ocean than if you did not know where I was. You may remember that I told you sometime ago not to worry if you did not hear from me as often as you thought you ought, I had this trip in mind when I told you that…

… We have not been at sea so very long yet but are a long way from shore. The sea is a little choppy but not at all rough. The boat we are on is a big one and so far there has not been much motion to it. Of course if we strike a storm it will be very different. Some few of the boys are already a trifle faint about the stomach, but I am still O.K. and so is most everyone else. Of course, if we strike rough weather we may all be leaning over the railing.

The ship I am on belonged to Germany before the war.⁽¹⁾The USS Agamemnon, formerly the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II The Kaiser has offered one-half million dollars to the submarine that sinks it. That doesn’t worry me, in fact, I am glad we are on it because it has been newly cleaned out and fixed to carry troops.

You may be surprised that I have been sent to France so soon, as I never mentioned anything about it in my letters, but I found out 2 weeks ago that we were likely to be sent soon. I guess the Engineers are needed over there. This regiment has 3 companies at full strength and the others will probably be sent over as soon as they are filled.

We get good grub here and lots of it. More than I can eat. We have had butter nearly every meal, eggs once, and oranges once, and we have only been on board a few days.

We have drills twice a day so each one will know just what to do if something should happen.

This being out at sea is quite an experience for one that has never been out before. You can’t see a single thing except sea and sky. It looks as if the ocean were only a few miles wide in any direction. So far it has been warmer than when we were on land or in the harbor.

When you write you had better write only on one side of the paper as the censor may use scissors in striking out what he don’t like. If I find that he only uses a pencil I will let you know.

Now please don’t worry about me as I won’t be on any more danger over here than if I was home.

Lovingly,
Joel

Nov, 12. We expect to land very soon. We have a very good trip. Am very well.