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Date: August 1914
To
Essie Douglas
From
Nelson Campbell
Letter

Valcartier Quebec

Dear cousin:-

Dont say I dont write well we arrived here on Friday night started away from Guelph Thursday at 9.35 pm C.P.R. I tell you what it was some trip drunk men singing songs telling storries and waving at all the girls

We had a train of 12 coaches a box car and caboose so you can think what kind of a crowd we had. Well how is Willie coming around as regular as ever I suppose. Been up to orchard lately I’d just like to be up there tonight for just a few hours how is things at the house. I suppose you seen our pictures and heard all about the great send of. I tell you what the lead pencil and knife comes in pretty handy and blame often well we stayed in Guelph as you know 3 days boarding and staying any place we could get in I stayed at the city hotel how is you know I wrote her a card from Guelph. say nothing saw wood this is the life beans for dinner just soaked just beging to turn white a slice of bread big slice of meat. bread is cut from an inch to two inch thick but cheer up the worst is yet to come. down there in Guelph they took us up to exhibition park gave us a preaching then parade us back to the armories gave us a package of pins needles safety pins bachelor buttons chewing gum yarn and thread court paster why who wouldnt be a soldier three cheers. Say is there supper now so I will have to go to supper.

Well Quebec is an awful awful country all along the line is little houses from 18 ft square to about 24ft and all painted white or rather white washed and a lot with straw thatched roofs.

Oh when I git back we will sit by the Window pull down the shade and I will have a whole lot to tell you. We stopped in Quebec but they would not let us off but I tell you what I certainely would like to have got off just to see the fortifications and I will before I git back home.

Well how is Jesus Jessie Hoy game as ever but may God help me till I get back to see all the girls and boys. To night there is 14 men in a tent sleeping and it is not as big as your kitchen all Mt. Forest lads smoke is that thick you could cut it. Oh this is the life. But oh I wish they would ship us of to the old sod. they give us 1 rubber sheet 2 blankets to sleep on a can to carry your grub in a canteen they call it. a knife and fork and a spoon and I have lost it already. Say do you know what we got for supper a slice of bread cut 2 inch thick some butter and a square inch of cheese and a cup full of coffee that is all no more no less

say I was going to write to you know but I have got no ink so I wont bother it would’nt be gentleman like you know that say is there any more around there around there joined. tonight we went to bed at 6.30 but this is the life sleeping on the old no the new camp ground with an oilcloth and a blanket under you believe me when I get back I am going to be have a jolly good time. oh I’ll be a tuff guy when I get back say we have the darndest water out but every thing else is fine pop 3cts bottles 10cts bannas 40cts a dozen cigarrets regular 10cts 15cts. such is life well I think this is all for this time but when I git back Ill be able to string it off by the yards over so good by from one of your true Friends

Nelson Campbell

Valcartier
Quebec

pleace excuse extreme bad writing no tables to write on you know so please excuse and please do write Ill drop you a card once a week and a letter occasionally

Write if – dont care oh say did they ever find out if we were to the Garden Party or not Well bye bye xxxxxxxxxx not allowed when mothers around

Original Scans

Original Scans

Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx Campbell, William Nelson 1914-08-xx