It’s been awhile since I posted anything from the series of World War I letters written by my grandfather, Allen Lee Millard Gooch. Here is one written in late September of 1918 from “Some Where in France.” They were not allowed to disclosed their location. A.L. (or “Nig” as he was known) was a jack of all trades back home in Duncan, Arizona, including a sign painter, and in this letter it appears his many skills are coming in handy on the war front. You can read his previous letters if you want to catch up. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Continue reading ““…You aught to see my mustache…””
Category: Letters
What kind of pioneer are you?
On July 24th Pioneer Day is celebrated as a state holiday in Utah. In 1847 the first LDS (Mormon) pioneers entered the valley of the Great Salt Lake. The Pioneer Overland Travel database at LDS.org has an introduction which reads: “Between 1847 and 1868, Mormon emigrants traveling in more than 300 companies departed from various places and headed for the Salt Lake Valley. More than 60,000 LDS Church members traveled in these companies — some traveling by foot, some in wagons, and some pulling handcarts.”
Check out this database if you have Mormon pioneer ancestors, and you will find them listed with other family members and rosters of entire pioneer “companies” (the group they traveled with); you might find journal excerpts from individuals they traveled with, letters, and other valuable source material connected to their trek. Here is what an entry looks like – note the wonderful source references:
Notice the blue link to “Trail Excerpt”. Click it and you will see a letter written to Brigham Young from Edward Hunter and Jacob Foutz, leaders of a particular pioneer company:
Finding a name in the database is just the start of your research. Be sure to follow up with the sources named, and tap into the Journal History of the Church, Selected Church History Manuscript Collections ( I found some great information in Brigham Young’s Letterpress Copybooks regarding dealings with Native Americans in NE Arizona), and General Church Minutes 1839-1877. Those are some of the primo resources at LDS.org.
Of course there are a zillion sources I could direct you to for early LDS research, but I will just direct you to the Research Wiki link for Tracing LDS Ancestors and you can take it from there.
I created a fan chart and color-coded it to show my children how many Mormon Pioneer ancestors they have. Red=crossed the plains with a Mormon pioneer company, Blue=Mormon, but not part of a pioneer company:
My Gooch line is full of pioneers as well, but their records will not be found in the Pioneer Overland Travel database above, since they were not Mormon.
I owe everything to my pioneer ancestors, and I have loved learning about them as I have researched their lives, and I love them even though I have not yet met them. I hope my children can get a sense of who they are from looking at this chart, and cherish their roles as the “keepers of the flame.” I think we can all discover something about ourselves that qualifies us as a pioneer – taking a path that nobody has trod before – whether it is with a covered wagon or with our lives. Happy Pioneer Day to you all!
“If I could barber all day I couldn’t carrie my money”
[This is 9th in a series of letters written by Private A.L. Gooch to his parents in Duncan Arizona, while he served in France during WWI. This letter was written 8 Sep 1918. Original letters are in possession of Dayna Gooch Jacobs, King City, California. Envelope missing. Transcribed by Dayna Jacobs. Slashes in the transcription indicate line breaks. Links to other letters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]
Some Where In France
Sept 8, 1918
Dear Mother:
Your letter of/ July 3d received and you/ know how proud I/ was to get it. I also/ got a letter from/ Aunt Sarrah and Pinkie,/ and five from Doll/ all in a bunch./ I am realy too tired/ to write when I have/ time and then I have/ to slip off, for every-/ body wants a hair cut/ I cant begin to do it/ all. I get to work/ about two hours evenings./ If I could barber all/ day I couldnt carrie/
[pg 2] my money. [Note: A.L. Gooch was a jack-of-all trades and worked as a barber back home in Duncan, Arizona] I have had/ two pay-days here and/ they failed to take out/ the allotment Dont know/ why, But I sent you/ $285.00 of Franc’s a few/ day’s ago. That means/ $50.00 in American money./ And I still have my/ pockets full of this/ stuff they call money/ here but it looks/ like soap coupons to me./ Will send you some/ more soon. If I dont/ spend it all at the sal-/ vation army but for/ doughnuts. We can buy/ most any thing we/ want here at the/
[pg 3] commissary or the/ Y.M.C.A. and just/ as chap as we can/ buy in the states./ As there isnt many/ thing’s we want/ for except letters/ from home, it seams/ so long to wait./ I guess you think I/ neglect writing, But/ I cant write every/ time I would like/ too. I guess there wasnt much/ to the letter I got from/ Jess, and I am sorry/ I written to Doll the/ way I did, But I hadnt/ heard from her in/ so long, I thought her/ letters aught to reach/
[pg 4] me if Jessie’s did. But/ I finaly got the letters/ she written and answered/ them, Guess she will/ get over it. And dont/ think that I let/ anything worry me/ for you cant worry/ in the army. Well I have seen our/ anti air craft guns fireing/ on [‘enemy’ crossed out] enemie/ aireoplains, also saw/ enemie gun’s fire on/ our plains but haven’t/ saw any brought down/ Can hear the guns/ roaring all the time/ But it doesn’t worry/ us any we sleep sound./ This is just about/ as interesting as the/
[pg 5] hunting trips we/ use to have. Ma I havent met/ any Adventist boys/ as yet. I sent you/ the slip I signed as/ an iclanaglegment [acknowledgement?] to/ the Adventist church./ I am sending my/ searel number to/ be used in writting/ to the government in/ case you dont get/ my mail or loose/ track of me.
Write me soon as you/ get the money I sent/ you.
Please dont worry/ about me mother for/ I am doing fine and/
[pg 6] feeling good. Sure/ would like to see/ those kid’s. Tell all/ hell’o and to write./
With love and best wishes
Your son
Pvt A.L. Gooch
Troop A. 314th M.P.
Searel No. 2186203
American E. F.
Censored bye
R. McClaushan (his signature)
Lieut. Inf. M.A.
P.S. heard from sis and Bob but haven’t answered yet.
“About the only thing we fear is the gas”
These are letters sent from Private Allen L. Gooch to his family in Arizona during World War I. Up to this point, the letters have all been from his training camps in the United States, but this is the first of his letters from France. As you will see at the end, the letters are censored by the military so he doesn’t give away any sensitive information. This is the 7th letter in a series. To view the others click: 1 2 3 4 5 6
[Transcribed by Dayna Gooch Jacobs and in her possession. Slashes indicate line breaks on original letter.]
Some Where in France
Aug 15, 1918
Dear Sis and Bob,
Well I guess you/ think I have forgottan/ you. But I havent./ You know how I/ am about writing/ and besides I cant/ allways write when/ I want to, I got/ a card from you/ the other day addressed/ to camp Mills, N.Y./ Also a letter from/ mother, But havent/ received any mail direct to the A.E.F. [American Expeditionary Forces]/ as yet. But hope to soon for I sure/ [2] would like to hear/ from you all./ Well sis I know/ you expect a long/ letter and lots of/ news. But there isnt/ much I can tell/ you except I am/ feeling fine, getting/ plenty of eats. And/ realy getting fat/ I weigh about 134 lbs/ my duty isnt very/ hard. But it is/ getting rather serious./ While I dont mind/ that for that is what/ I am here for./ I cant see what, the Huns want with, this country for it, [3] doesnt look good/ to me.
We are now where/ we can see some/ excitement quite offen/ can hear the big/ guns offen and at/ night can see the/ flash from them./ Fritz comes over/ most every night in/ his aireoplains and/ drops a few bombs./ But I am getting use/ to that and seldom/ awake, only when/ our anti air craft/ guns begins. They/ almost awake the/ dead. I have also/ saw an aireal fight/ [4] there was about ten/ or twelve machines in/ all, they were so/ high up I couldn’t/ tell one from another/ but it sure was/ interesting to see/ them dive at each/ other and see the/ fire fly from their/ machine guns. There/ wasnt any brought/ down.
Tell Bob this is/ about as interesting/ as the hunt would/ have been that he/ and I was planning./ But we will get/ to take that hunt/ yet for this isnt/ goeing to last long./ [5] This whole world over/ here is lousy with/ soldiers and most/ of the soldiers is lousy/ But they have got/ the pep and mean/ business. About the/ only thing we fear/ is the gas. But we/ are well protected/ against that we have/ a mask which we/ carry at all times/ that is absoulate protection/ so don’t worry about/ Nig for I’ll get bye/ if any body else does./ Tell Cap to write. I/ written her several/ cards from Mill N.Y./ [6] and will write her/ again soon./
I sent mother 285/ Franc’s the other day./ That’s $50.00 in American/ money. Expect to send/ her some more soon/ for I cant spend it/ here like I did in/ N. York. While of course/ we have the Y.M.C. A./ where we can get most/ anything that we/ want. Also have a/ Salvation Army hut/ run bye two N.Y./ girls that sells nuts,/ candies, lemonade, ects./ So you see it isnt/ so bad over here/ at that. Its not/ [7] half so bad as I/ expected./
Will close for this/ time and write/ you ever chance/ I get. Be good and/ I will see you/ again some time./ Genl Pershing says/ Heaven hell or home/ bye Christmas but I/ dont believe it hardly/ that soon./
Love and Best Wishes
Your Bud
Censored bye
Y.E. Lowle [his signature]
Capt 314th M.P.
“The sights I have saw is worth a million” and “…there will be no capturing me as a prisoner”
These images were loaded in reverse order, so start at the bottom right to read them…
6th letter in a series. To read the others click here: 1 2 3 4 5
[Letter from Pvt. Allen Lee Millard (“Nig”) Gooch to his family in Duncan, Arizona, written during World War I, 22 Jun or Jul 1918 at Hemptead, N.Y. Transcribed by Dayna Gooch Jacobs. Slashes indicate page breaks. Original spelling and punctuation.]
Hemstead, N.Y.
6 p.m. Saturday 22 [Jun or Jul 1918]
Dear Parents,
Received two letters/ from you in the past/ few days and was/ awfly glad to get/ them. I am now in/ Hemstead on a pass/ there is about a dozen/ towns alond the south/ east side of this/ Island and I have/ seen most of them/ today don’t have to/ go back to camp/ until 10 oclock tomorrow./ Oh how I wish you/ was here to see the/ sights the pretty homes/ and parks. This is/ a wonderful place. So/ much different from the/ west and a very nice/ climate. But give me/ cactus and the west./ We boys don’t get/ along with these people/ for they laugh/ at us when we talk/ and we can hardly/ understand them. But/ they sure are good/ to us at that. And/ I had rather stay here/ than in Kansas for/ the wind and sand/ never blows it s allways/ cool and nice. Havent/ heard an more about/ moving. But cant think/ we will go over for awhile./
Mother I think you/ will get your alotment/ next month and I/ had it sent to the/ Phoenix address so you/ had better write Cap/ to watch out for it/ or have it sent to/ you from the post/ master./
Yes you can send/ Grant my clothes if/ you like. Poor kid./ I guess he needs them./ Yes I have written/ Sis and Bob and sent/ Cap a few cards with/ my address. Will write/ her soon./
Well I guess Doll has/ blowed up. I haven’t/ heard from her/ since I came here/ only letters she/ written to funston./ I got a letter from/ Jessie Sanders sayin/ Doll was not at home/ and didnt know when/ she was coming home./ Also said they expected/ her to be married/ in California the last/ of July. Now I don’t/ know what to think/ if that hardly. There/ is some thing wrong/ some where. I think/ it a put up job in/ a way. But I cant/ see why she doesn’t/ write. For she surly/ has got my address/ and could get me a/ letter some way./ Any way she knows/ what she wants to do/ so I wont loose much/ sleep. Of course I like/ her, and I know they/ are trying to split/ us up. But she should/ have let me know/ she was leaving./ And if she has found/ someone else she likes/ better, he’s the guy for/ her. This letter from/ Jessie was written the/ 13th, I answered it with/ a very friendly letter/ and spoke of Doll/ very little. So if they/ are working us some/ way they wont get far/ with me. I have some/ friends in Duncan/ yet. And if she lets/ them work her ____ well/ she isn’t the girl for/ me. I have enough to/ worry about allready./ So I will leave it all/ up to her and when I/ come back I will know/ all before goeing farther/ with her./
Now mother you/ musnt feel so/ blue and worried about/ me for if I cant be/ with you I am perfectly/ satisfied. Am having/ a good time when I/ feel like it and the/ sights I have saw/ is worth a million./ This letter will have to/ do you all this time. And/ I will go take in another/ town. Tell dear old dad/ that if I get a chance/ I will go over the top/ with the same old/ smile I allways wore/ and there will be no/ capturing me as a prisoner./ We ware a tag around/ our neck that would/ identifie us if killed./
Love to all,
Chears Nig
On Granny's Trail 