Letter from Lissie White Hammond to her husband Absalom, June 22, 1915

Below is a letter my grandmother Lissie Arie White Hammond wrote my grandfather Absalom Hammond when he was working in Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. A little background will help the reader understand the letter better. Absalom Hammond and Lissie White married November 7, 1913. Their first child, a son Wilbur White Hammond was born August 4, 1914. Momma Hammond was just over 20 and Granddaddy Hammond was almost 25. The next child was a daughter Sarah Louise born June 21, 1920 some 6 years later. During these interim 6 years between ~1914 and ~1920 Granddaddy Hammond worked for a time at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia and at the shipyards in Wilmington, NC. Based on the letter's content I suspect Granddaddy went to Newport News looking for a good paying job. The opening of the letter implies Granddaddy's first letter home had just arrived, and Momma Hammond's attached letter was her first to him in Newport News. Momma Hammond wrote the letter when Wilbur was about 20 months old. Jack and Fred are mentioned in the letter. Jack is Andrew Jackson White, Momma Hammond's youngest brother, born April 27, 1902. Jack was 13 years old when the letter was written. Fred is Fred Lee White, Momma Hammond's immediately younger brother. Fred was born May 13, 1896 so he was 19 years old when the letter was written. We can understand how Jack and Fred could have an influence on young Wilbur.
As information Mildred Bacot Hammond has the original letter.

Saturday evening
June 22, 1915

Dear Bub,

Your letter rec'd today.
You can guess how I felt when I got it. We are both getting along fine so far. Wilbur is getting meaner every day he lives. He goes with Jack and Fred everywhere they go and says everything he hears them say. I have just got back from home. Everything is just like we left it. Ella went with me. We got some beans and ripe tomatoes. Must I sell it now or wait a while? Bertha ask me about it today. She said Jim Erby had joined the army since he left. They have moved May Sellers to a camp in Kentucky. He left today. Jim was going to see him tomorrow and carry him some cake, but he was too late. Are you working in a ship yard? You did not say. Write and tell me all about it. You know I am always interested in you. Tell me how you like up there. I am afraid you won't like it. Do the very best you can and don't get homesick. I will write often. I want to come to you if you can find us a place, and make enough to board us all. I feel so much better since I came here. The water is so good, and so much fresh air to be in all the time. I got me a bottle of Tarrlac, am taking it now. Pa has been a little sick today. They went to Juniper yesterday and caught a nice mess of fish. He ate too many for supper last night. I thought of you all the time while we were eating them. I saw Aiken this evening. He said they were all well.

My glasses have not come yet. I am going to write to Dr. Lewis about them. I wrote King about them goods. I sure put it on him. Boss sent a telegram for me to come and stay with them a while. Alma is a little sick. I thought I would go and stay a few days with them. Thurman is going to carry me Tuesday or Wednesday. I have no idea of staying but two or three days. The kids will be so bad together. If I go I will write you after I go there.

The plaster came off Wilbur's head. It is well now. His finger is right bad, where he mashed them on the car door. I have been painting them with iodine. He said to tell "Dad" to hurry and make some money and come get him. He wants to see you so bad and he is not by himself. It seems so long since I saw you, but don't worry. We are alright. Yet if you have a good job I would not give it up as long as I could help it. We will come when you get ready for us.

Bub, I want you to go clean and decent. If your clothes is dirty, buy you some more till you can get them washed. Did you give Uncle Anderson any money, for that pig, or must I pay him?

I thought I would get that check from Mr. Davis yesterday but he was in the market all the time, so I did not get to speak to him. Johnnie is going to stay on with his Daddy he told me today.

I have not spent any money yet, except what I had with me at Cheraw that day. I got a bottle of fig syrup and some ice cream. We came home as fast as we went. We thought the cloud would catch us before we got here, but it did not.

I'm finishing my letter today. I was so sleepy that I could not finish last night. Ross Rivers is here today. He came from Sunday School with Fred. How I wish you were here too, or I were there. How would you like to have some pudding, and plums. We are going to cook some to send you and John. When you want anything let me know. They are sessing (assessing) the people with war stamps. Mr. Hammond's sessment is 250 dollars. Aikens is 70. Pa's is 100 and Thurman's is 100. Your name was not in the paper. I don't know what yours will be. Some people is sessed as high as 1000 dollars. All the Rivers men are. They say it goes hard with Bob too. It must be paid by the first of December. Most every body says they are not going to pay all they are sessed to pay. It seem like it is too much. Old Pusser has to pay $1000.

When you write again tell me whether to move the things or wait a while longer. If you are getting good wages try to stay there. If you like the place, you may like it better the longer you stay. I want to go to you just as soon as I can. Don't you wait to get my letters before you write, for I want to hear from you as often as I can. Do you want me to have the advertiser changed to you? Mr. Davis wants to State. Bub, Mrs Walt Davis called me today and ask me if I had heard from you. I told her I had. She ask me if you said anything about Frank Deberry. His wife is sick. They wanted to send him a telegram. He has not wrote a word to her, and they didn't know where he was. I told her just what you told me in the letter. Walter Teal is going to hunt you to try to get him a job. Pearl told me this evening about it. She thinks Charlie is going to hunt him one before long so if you have a government job, you sure better hold it if it is not too hard. There are so many people hunting them.

Well I wrote last night, and all day today when I would get a chance, so I better close for this time. Don't forget to be a good boy. I will try to be the same till we meet.

Lovingly yours
Lissie

PS. Write me at Pa's if I go to Boss's (Lissie's brother William Henry White was nicknamed "Boss".). They will send it to me.