LETTER FROM SCOTLAND (1913)

Dec 17th 1913


Dear Cousin:

I received your letter and was very pleased to hear from you. You will be Uncle Bobs daughter I never heard very much about you but we used to correspond with your Brother Roberts family they were nice you might give them my kind regards. You have had your own brothers too losing your Husband so soon but we must submit to Gods will. I am sorry to have to tell you your Aunt Christina my Mother died on the 1st of August of this year she was 83 years of age but she was prepared to go she said she was just going Home Father died 11 years ago. my Sister Mary Mrs McGregor has two sons and one daughter living then John comes next he has four sons and four daughters he has four of them Married and another one named Bob gets married this month

James comes next he died in London on May 22d 1912 he was twice married and left one littler girl of 6 years the older ones are all able for themselves then Bob and I come next neither of us are married we looked after Mother and we do miss her dreadfully then Lizzie Mrs MacMillan she is the youngest she has not any family she lives in Neilston a small village about 2 miles from Barrhead that is the lot of our family. I got the other letters also Aunt Kate died 10 years ago her Husband and Son are dead too then Aunt Mary Sellers lives in Paisley she is 76 years and getting very frail but she was able to come to Mother's Funeral I will give her your letter and she can write herself the Aunt Jeanie died 5 or 6 years ago she was the youngest of your Fathers family Mother has 16 Grand Children living and 13 Great Grand Children now I think this is plenty for the first time I will close now write soon again

from
Your Affectionate Cousin
Deena Douglas

PS. do you know anything of Aunt Lizzie of St. Louis if she is dead Aunt Mary will be the last of the Generation

Miss D Douglas
13 Paisley Road
Barrhead
Scotland

[Most likely written too Cecelia Longmore of New Jersey]

LETTER TO A GHOST (WWI)

On 4 February 1919, little more than a month after hostilities in World War I ceased, my great uncle Harry Francis Longmore, son of Cecelia Longmore, while serving in the American Expeditionary Force, United States Army, 348th Infantry Regiment, 87th Division, Company M, contracted a disease (most likely influenza) and died in Bordeaux, being laid to eternal rest in Plot A Row 16 Grave 8 of the Suresnes American Cemetery, in Suresnes, France (although he may have initially been buried in a cemetery in southwestern France). He enlisted for service 28 May 1918 at Camp Dix, Wrightstown, N. J. and served as the company bugler. His unit never saw action, having arrived in France late in the conflict. I am not sure exactly when the family was notified of his passing, but on 17 February 1919 his mother posted a letter that obviously he never read (and its existence may be the result of it being returned by the War Department to Fort Dix on 22 March 1919 and to Trenton on 25 March 1919). Sadly, his elder brother James Brook (after whom apparently my father was initially named), who enlisted 3 September 1918 and served in 10th Battalion, Company 37, 153 Depot Brigade, died of pneumonia at the age of twenty-eight at Fort Dix on 8 October 1918, so Harry's death was a double blow to Cecelia and the whole family. Herewith the unread letter, a missive to her son, hopefully read by a ghost on his way to heaven. [I tried to transcribe it exactly as on the pages.]



My Dear Harry

I hav got the letter of Jan 6 and am looking for a letter again every time I see the Carier I am looking for the letter I mean the Great one - of things that - are wonderfull. Oh Harry I have something to tell you when I see you. Dad was up to the 2nd Pres Church with me Sunday. all the children are well Laura & Joe sends love to you, a great many of the Boys are geting Discharged from Dix & other camps as well Gorge Gildea says he will run all the way home from Camp Dix if they only give him chance and his Discharge Uncle Joe's James gets one to Day so uncle Joe told us yesterday young Joe is in som land near Spane. Harry I do hope you will only keep well and get home soon for we do want to see you so badly Harry send me a postal card picture Just bust so that your Face is large and your Hat of [off] do write to me soon for it is so long since we got a letter from you Dad sends love to you and he as got Ducks & Chickens so you will have a good time when you get Home I send Love to you I do not want a large picture for Maby I would not get it in the mail so Just Postal kind so it will not cost much

I close with love to you
Mother

You asked of Jack Flager he is fine look as if he was never sick Mrs Emdy is fine Dad see her evry day or to she is not geting letters eather only 2 from Burnard since he left home 2 months since one from Frank or Conard she is looking for them home Henry Mullan in Brooklyn is like Police so fat and John is fine & in France

The War Department (although it may too have been a private concern), made postcard pictures of each US grave in France and sent it to the family. This may have been a temporary grave in Bourdeaux.