Otto CW Kappelmann to Anna-Marie Bubendey
Title
Otto CW Kappelmann to Anna-Marie Bubendey
Creator
Kappelmann, Otto Carl Wilhelm, 1888-1960
Identifier
WWP18907
Date
1918 January 26
Source
Daniel Metraux
Subject
World War, 1914-1918
Language
English
Text
New Address { Pvt. O. Kappelmann
Finance Division
Camp Quartermaster
Camp Wadsworth, So. C.
Am pretty certain that the finance dept will never be sent over to France!
My dear Anna-Marie,
As you will see from above and also from my recent postal sent to father, I’ve moved at last. Got my transfer order last Monday night, and got down here Tuesday afternoon.
It's simply great in the Quartermaster Corps. Of course, I miss my friends of Co. A, but everything is so much better and more satisfactory here in everyway that I certainly do not regret having taken this step.
In the first place, the fellows in the QM are generally of a splendid type and class,—college men, etc. and surely do make a fellow feel very much at home,—in fact I’ve never felt so much at home and comfortable in the Army as I do now and very happy with surroundings. Of course, there are some splendid men in Co. A, especially some of the officers, but, as you know, there are also quite a few whom one doesn’t just exactly cares to associate with. So far, I haven’t met one objectionable man here, quite on the contrary; my five tent mates are especially fine comrades. Furthermore, the food here is the best I’ve come across in the Army; and I’m very glad that this is so, as the stuff they were dishing out in the Co. A lately was hardly fit for human beings.
My work consists of checking pay rolls, so far I’ve been doing nothing but adding columns of figures from 8:am to 5:pm (these are our working hours), and while this, of course, is not very interesting work, it sort of gives me a very welcome rest after the other rather strenuous work in Co. A; and then, there is more interesting work in our office, which, no doubt, I will soon come across.
Our tent, containing only six men, including myself, is very home-like—boarded in, even a rug on the floor and photos on the wall, and, best of all—a regular spring bed with comforters, pillow, hay mattress, and blankets, instead of a canvas cot as heretofore.I had intended to answer your letter of the 16th inst. sooner, however I had written to father last Sunday, and furthermore was very busy fixing up my things and also doing some work in Co. A for my recent Captain. The new top sergeant and new Co. Clerk in Co. A are not quite familiar yet with the job up there, and so the Captain requested me to help them out a few nights, which I was very glad to do, especially after what he said when I said good-bye to him. He thanked me for “the very loyal spirit I always showed in Co. A” and said he would always be glad to have me visit him. The first lieutenant was also extremely kind. He said, “I’ve had experience with many Company Clerks, in fact the one in my previous company, a sergeant, was particularly good at the work, but I’ve never seen as good a company clerk as you have been and I’m sure you will have success in the new organization.” That was extremely nice of him, don’t you think so? I was so tickled with my farewell from Co. A that I gave my automatic revolver (quite a good revolver at that) to the captain as a present and he was glad to get it!
The men of the Quartermaster Corps have the privilege of getting a 24 hour pass every Saturday night and so I had planned to go down to Spartanburg this evening and spend the night in the YMCA, after seeing some show. However, unfortunately, all passes have been withdrawn for the present as there is an epidemic of spinal meningitis in Spartanburg. Anyway, it’s raining now and so I’m comfortably lying in my nice bed this evening. Our tent is quite warm, the weather has been very much warmer than usual, in fact, regular spring weather.
Please tell father that I received a letter from him today and will answer very soon.
By the way, I want to thank you for all the good things you sent me for Christmas, the cakes, etc. were fine,—I enjoyed them immensely, and the gloves fit great, I can use them very well, especially as I did not get my gloves back from the former first sergeant. They issued me another pair which, however, are very cheap and don’t fit at all. I have not heard whether you received my letter which was written in Spartanburg immediately upon arriving but no doubt, I’ll soon hear whether you got it.
I do hope you are now also having warmer weather up north—the winter was certainly disagreeable and lets hope we’re through with the worst of it.
Paul, no doubt, is still on vacation Father wrote me about his position, etc., and I do hope things will turn out a little pleasanter for him. Father’s idea about possibly going into the new lamp business, judging from the way this seems to be growing, is certainly a very good one, but of course, he must insist on getting the chief job in the place! It certainly would be the best thing for the lamp business as well, and it seems to me the directors should jump at it! However, if he feels like retiring altogether, it certainly would be fine. I feel, of course, very much satisfied that there will be a place in the lamp business when I return home, however I wouldn’t think of taking any job there for the $20.00, as promised at the time. I certainly would not consider anything under $30.00 at least! That is if the business grows as it promises to be doing.
By the way, I got Mrs. Koechle’s package from the Post Office recently. It was not forwarded to the company as the address was blurred. It contained Xmas cakes, which I enjoyed very much. Will write to Tante, to-morrow.
How is father’s cold? That walk down to the ferry with me on that very cold Sunday certainly was not good for him. Of course, I was glad that he brought me over, but it would have been better for him to have stayed at home. I hope he is quite well again by this time. Hope you and the kiddies are also quite well. Has Elisabeth been over to see you?
Please don’t worry about me, there is absolutely no cause for it and I’m feeling fine.
With lots of love to all,
Your brother,
Otto
Finance Division
Camp Quartermaster
Camp Wadsworth, So. C.
Am pretty certain that the finance dept will never be sent over to France!
My dear Anna-Marie,
As you will see from above and also from my recent postal sent to father, I’ve moved at last. Got my transfer order last Monday night, and got down here Tuesday afternoon.
It's simply great in the Quartermaster Corps. Of course, I miss my friends of Co. A, but everything is so much better and more satisfactory here in everyway that I certainly do not regret having taken this step.
In the first place, the fellows in the QM are generally of a splendid type and class,—college men, etc. and surely do make a fellow feel very much at home,—in fact I’ve never felt so much at home and comfortable in the Army as I do now and very happy with surroundings. Of course, there are some splendid men in Co. A, especially some of the officers, but, as you know, there are also quite a few whom one doesn’t just exactly cares to associate with. So far, I haven’t met one objectionable man here, quite on the contrary; my five tent mates are especially fine comrades. Furthermore, the food here is the best I’ve come across in the Army; and I’m very glad that this is so, as the stuff they were dishing out in the Co. A lately was hardly fit for human beings.
My work consists of checking pay rolls, so far I’ve been doing nothing but adding columns of figures from 8:am to 5:pm (these are our working hours), and while this, of course, is not very interesting work, it sort of gives me a very welcome rest after the other rather strenuous work in Co. A; and then, there is more interesting work in our office, which, no doubt, I will soon come across.
Our tent, containing only six men, including myself, is very home-like—boarded in, even a rug on the floor and photos on the wall, and, best of all—a regular spring bed with comforters, pillow, hay mattress, and blankets, instead of a canvas cot as heretofore.I had intended to answer your letter of the 16th inst. sooner, however I had written to father last Sunday, and furthermore was very busy fixing up my things and also doing some work in Co. A for my recent Captain. The new top sergeant and new Co. Clerk in Co. A are not quite familiar yet with the job up there, and so the Captain requested me to help them out a few nights, which I was very glad to do, especially after what he said when I said good-bye to him. He thanked me for “the very loyal spirit I always showed in Co. A” and said he would always be glad to have me visit him. The first lieutenant was also extremely kind. He said, “I’ve had experience with many Company Clerks, in fact the one in my previous company, a sergeant, was particularly good at the work, but I’ve never seen as good a company clerk as you have been and I’m sure you will have success in the new organization.” That was extremely nice of him, don’t you think so? I was so tickled with my farewell from Co. A that I gave my automatic revolver (quite a good revolver at that) to the captain as a present and he was glad to get it!
The men of the Quartermaster Corps have the privilege of getting a 24 hour pass every Saturday night and so I had planned to go down to Spartanburg this evening and spend the night in the YMCA, after seeing some show. However, unfortunately, all passes have been withdrawn for the present as there is an epidemic of spinal meningitis in Spartanburg. Anyway, it’s raining now and so I’m comfortably lying in my nice bed this evening. Our tent is quite warm, the weather has been very much warmer than usual, in fact, regular spring weather.
Please tell father that I received a letter from him today and will answer very soon.
By the way, I want to thank you for all the good things you sent me for Christmas, the cakes, etc. were fine,—I enjoyed them immensely, and the gloves fit great, I can use them very well, especially as I did not get my gloves back from the former first sergeant. They issued me another pair which, however, are very cheap and don’t fit at all. I have not heard whether you received my letter which was written in Spartanburg immediately upon arriving but no doubt, I’ll soon hear whether you got it.
I do hope you are now also having warmer weather up north—the winter was certainly disagreeable and lets hope we’re through with the worst of it.
Paul, no doubt, is still on vacation Father wrote me about his position, etc., and I do hope things will turn out a little pleasanter for him. Father’s idea about possibly going into the new lamp business, judging from the way this seems to be growing, is certainly a very good one, but of course, he must insist on getting the chief job in the place! It certainly would be the best thing for the lamp business as well, and it seems to me the directors should jump at it! However, if he feels like retiring altogether, it certainly would be fine. I feel, of course, very much satisfied that there will be a place in the lamp business when I return home, however I wouldn’t think of taking any job there for the $20.00, as promised at the time. I certainly would not consider anything under $30.00 at least! That is if the business grows as it promises to be doing.
By the way, I got Mrs. Koechle’s package from the Post Office recently. It was not forwarded to the company as the address was blurred. It contained Xmas cakes, which I enjoyed very much. Will write to Tante, to-morrow.
How is father’s cold? That walk down to the ferry with me on that very cold Sunday certainly was not good for him. Of course, I was glad that he brought me over, but it would have been better for him to have stayed at home. I hope he is quite well again by this time. Hope you and the kiddies are also quite well. Has Elisabeth been over to see you?
Please don’t worry about me, there is absolutely no cause for it and I’m feeling fine.
With lots of love to all,
Your brother,
Otto
Original Format
Letter
To
Bubendey, Anna-Marie Kappelmann, 1887-1986
Files
Collection
Citation
Kappelmann, Otto Carl Wilhelm, 1888-1960, “Otto CW Kappelmann to Anna-Marie Bubendey,” 1918 January 26, WWP18907, Otto Kappelmann Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.