Transcription Page

Frederick Tregillus Letters from the Cariboo Boys

Letters to Frederick James Tregillus from Barkerville men who served in the First World War: Joseph Callanan, J.H. Ellis, George Freeman Killam, George Gilchrest, R. Norris, Mr. and Mrs. Nowosky, John Petterson, Ernest Seeley, N.W. Thompson, George Turner, and John Benjamin Westover. Learn more.

*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person. 

BC Archives MS-0426

Current Page Transcription [edit] [history]

Say you talk about an interesting letter once could well be written from here. Full of side lights on that wonderful man Sir Thomas Atkins. He is well worthy of Knighthood much more so than most men who get it. He seems to have no equal any where at this kind of fighting. He will after he has gone over the trench) advance either alone or in 2 or 3 or perhaps 5 or 6 are in touch together he will go on in this way alone without any officer & work his way into Fritz trench & throw bombs at Fritz & have them thrown at him. He will fight on all day is this one way knowing he is helping the game & that perhaps later on other men & some officers will come up & take hold. No other army can do it this way on thier own they must have dash & numbers or at least numbers & the to me rather strange part of it is that Sir T. A. does not appear to be a very aggressive man & is not at all savage like Fritz. Say you have no idea what a savage war this is in spots & how close we play up to the Appache Indian Fritz started all the dirty work & as is usual if you turn a decant man into a devil he is very much a devil, well so are we now. The best of this war is something prouder & better than we see in the papers & the worst is not fit to write & never will be written & perhaps never told except among men who have seen it. I must tell you that it is a very serious crime to write any thing about military matters. But some day I may get a better of understanding of Just what I may say without harm to myself or country & may be able to write a bit of real doings from here. M. McNeven & G. Hamilton are all OK yet J. McLeam teamster (of Fks mostly) was hit but not seriously he is in hospital doing well. I have not yet met any other Cariboo men though I have been near Scotty Gilcrests unit. We seem to be able to do up Fritz now any time we like but of course at a cost. Leaders, Men, & Guns are now all OK with us Will it pay us to do it quickly?? Haig & others must say as to that

Regards to all friends Yours Truly Ernest Seeley

BC Archives, MS-0426 Box 1 File 5 / TREGILLUS, Frederick James, 1862 - 1962. Barkerville, miner. / Correspondence from Ernest Seeley, 1915 - 1919.

Current Page Discussion [edit] [history]

Image 162 of 568