An American Negro stevedore assigned to the great docks in southwestern
France had written several letters to his black Susanna in Jacksonville,
Fla., when she wrote back saying:
"You-all don't nevah tell me nothin' 'bout de battle a-tall. Tilda
Sublet's Dave done wrote her all about how he kotched two Germans all by
hisself and kilt three mo'."
The stevedore was reluctant to tell his girl that he was doing manual
labor and that his only accoutrement was the tinware from which he ate
his war bread, "slum" and coffee. His reply ran:
"Dear Sue: De battle am goin' on. You would faint if I tole yuh de full
details. Ah'm standin' in blood up to mah knees, and every time Ah move
Ah step on a daid German. We're too close to use our rifles, and we're
bitin' and gougin' 'em. At one time me and two othah niggahs was hangin'
onto de Crown Prince wid our teeth, an' old Papa Kaiser done beat us off
wid a fence rail untwell ree-umfo's-ments come!"