Good Eats and Bad Bunks on Transport

Crossing the great Atlantic on one of Uncle Sam's transport ships was an interesting journey for Sherman M. Sykes of 825 Lake avenue, and now with the Expeditionary forces in France. Sykes' observations aboard ship were extraordinary as is attested in this letter writtten at sea about the middle of March, and recently received by relatives here.
At Sea

Dear People:
I will try and tell you a little about our trip this far, and one of the sailors on board will take it back to the states.
We left Camp Sherman on Monday afternoon, at about 1 o'clock, and had a fair trip to Camp Merritt, N.J. We were there just one week and one Thursday, March 13, or 14, I forget which now, and at 3 o'clock in themorning on this date, we were pulled out of bed and marched to the train. After a two hours' ride we marched to the shipping point. There we lined up and the Red Cross gave us some good eats, cards etc. Then we were checked off the shippping list and up the plank we walked like a bunch going to some place a lot ewarmer than the U.S.A. Well, we were ordered below and about 5:30 o'clock our engines began to throb and we were on our way. We were not allowed on deck until 6:15 o'clock. As I came up on top the view was more than wonderful. New York in all the bright light loomed up like a great electric city, and a big storm was blowing, thunder, etc., and as the flashes of lightning crossed the sky I could catch glimpses of our old statue of Liberty through the heavy rain. It was all far beyond description. Well, in the morning we awoke on a heavy see, a bunch of the crowd were very sea sick and were feeding the fish, strange to say, I did not get sick. Well, with 3,000 on board and sick it was some place. However, it soon passed. The next 7 to 9 days that came, passed much the same. Cold rain and heavy sea, day and night. The food is the best I ever had since I joined the army. They sure do feed, and I sure did eat.
Well, early Palm Sunday as Cavanaugh and I were sleeping on deck we heard a call and awoke with a jump, it was on the dot of 5 o'clock, just day break. We looked over the sky line and for miles were seen flashes of light. Our convoy of 12 subchasers were arriving. Wel, as soon as they came our battle ships, that had been with us since we left, turned and signaled full speed for New York again. In other words they went back and our new convoy took us on. Palm Sunday was a wonder, the sea, for the first time, was like a mill pond and warm and beautiful, and worth seeing, and with the little oil burning destroyers all around us made it a sight worth speaking about.
Our fleet is made up of five troop ships in all about 10,000 troops. We are on an old German boat called by them "Princess Irene," now called the "Pocohontas." There is one other interned German ship besides our. Well, to go back to the trip. Last night was a beauty, moonlight and calm. Today is warm, calm and a fresh breeze. We expect to see land about 4 o'clock this afternoon (today is Tuesday) the 12th day out of New York. I have slept on deck nearly every night. The sleeping quarters are awful, not a bit better than steerage, I guess, so for me, the deck. They say we have the heaviest convoy yet, 12 of them all around us.
Sherman M. Sykes.