Floyd Boyce Phillips was one of millions of boys from the United States who were sent across the Atlantic to the Old Country to fight in the Great War. In this series of posts, we follow the 101st anniversary of Floyd’s journey and get glimpses of what was going on at home while he was over there.

Many thanks to Coralee for providing me with artifacts throughout the years and especially for the stack of WWI-era letters that were delivered to me on 31 May 2019. They have provided countless hours of family history entertainment.

– Denise

When we last left Floyd, he was asleep on board a Norfolk & Western train headed northeast from Florence, South Carolina. His travels continued on 25 July 1918. He started the day still not knowing his destination, but he had a “hunch” about where they were headed.

Don’t know when we arrived at the North Carolina line but we arrived at Rock Mountain at 7:00 AM Wed July 24.

I was on guard from 6 A.M. to 7 A.M. Found a stone near R. Mt. for the fire place.

Had breakfast at R. Mt. (Capt. Harkins fired five or six shots from the window at the telegraph poles).

For breakfast we had hash, bread, coffee, and pears.

Left Rock Mt. at 8:00 AM a new engine on.

Have a ‘hunch’ we are going to New Port News, Va. (We’ll see how I come out).

11:00 A.M. just crost the boundry into Virginia County in Northern N.C. better and more prosperous towns.

Saw first field of clover or alfalfa 25 mi S of Richmond. Also first two-horse team on a cultivator.

Land here a little more rolling than in North of N.C.

Corn not near as good as in N.C.

Three small silos 17 mi from Richmond.

Crops not a good average (poor).

Arrived at Richmond at 1:30.

Stopt on big R.R. bridge a long time.

Saw Bull Durham Co.

‘Some’ long dam across the river.

Stayed two hours here. Had mess.

The country between Richmond and Newport News is a very beautiful country.

We arrived in Camp Stuart, Newport News, Va. at about 5:30 PM. Did not get out of train until 7:30 PM.

Had eats on train at 7:00. Beans, jam and bread.

Saw the ocean or rather Hampton Rhodes at 7:05 PM July 25 1918.

We were marched from the train over to Block No 12 and the second Platoon was put in barracks No. 17.

At first the “13 sqd” was put down stairs in the N. end but we had to move up stairs.

Then the ‘13’ were ordered down stairs again and FBP got the “high” and was the first man down only to his sorrow us right then they ordered us up again so there I went.

Had a swell shower and a good nites sleep followed as we all had spring beds – my first since leaving home May 29.

Those who cared for a lunch got coffee, bread & jam. FBP thot the bed looked better than the lunch so they he stayed.

Next…

Camp Stuart

Sources:

Floyd Boyce Phillips, “Journal” (Army, 1918-1919).” privately held by Denise Krueger, Rochester, MN, 2019.

Google Maps, Google ( https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Florence,+SC/Newport+News,+VA/@35.7629476,-78.6473069,7.75z/am=t/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x885566d61ff10fe9:0xac3c3b81f5d91e2a!2m2!1d-79.7625625!2d34.1954331!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b07b82704d56d9:0xec7e55ec03c8cb1b!2m2!1d-76.4730122!2d37.0870821!3e3 : accessed 3 June 2019).

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The Phillips Family