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| Trinidad, Spain
Dec. 23 1907
Dear family,
This port is different from the others we have encountered. I guess that's because we have traveled out of our own region of the world. I have heard rumor that a meeting didn't go as well as planned between our admiral and their governor so there is weird tension going on here. I guess I had gotten used to the praise we got back home, so not having a welcome party for us was weird. I am nervous about spending Christmas here, and I know I will miss all of you dearly. I will try and write often. Love and miss you all.
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| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Jan. 17 1908
Dear family,
After traveling for several weeks we finally arrived at Brazil, where we were greeted with open arms. They were very kinds saluting us and greeting us. It certainly made up for the lack of enthusiasm at Trinidad. The Brazilian soldiers are very curious of our culture, so we are giving them tours of our ship and I have been selected to give one of the tours. Being so close to all these cultures has been a great learning experience for me. You should be very proud of me for expanding my horizons. The Germans visiting here are also very kind to us. I have heard though, that they are trying to get in close with America in case they go to war with England. This situation makes me feel powerful. America has that much power in the world and I am part of it. It blows my mind. Ive got to get back, so I will write again soon. Love and miss you all.
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| Callao, Peru
Feb. 27, 1908
Dear family,
After making few stops in Chile, we have arrived in Callao Peru. They people here were very nice and greeted us just as grand as other ports, but in all honesty it is getting old, and tiring. At first things were a bit odd because we had just come from Chile and Brazil, and Peru is in conflict with those two countries. Everything had smoothed over nicely though and we are looking forward to what Peru had in store for us. We celebrated Washington's birthday, and President Pardo's birthday which happen to be coincidentally were on the same day. Things were looking up after this, and were were excited to watch the bullfighting they planned for us..... I am going to tell you it is the most cruel and gruesome thing to watch. None of us enjoyed it, so our first thoughts of Chile were not so great. The next event did not go well for us either. We were taking a train trip of the top of Mount Oroya, and almost everyone got altitude sickness, it was not enjoyable at all. We had to spend the night in the train cart because there was not enough bedding and I think the most exiting thing about that trip was leaving. Although the people in Chile were kind, it has been my least favorite port so far. I will keep you updated with my travels. Love and miss you all!
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| Auckland, New Zealand
Aug. 14, 1908
Dear family,
We have traveled to Mexico,and Hawaii and now we are in New Zealand. New Zealand is different from the past ports, but the people have been just as, if not more welcoming. It has been celebration after celebration here, we have met very important people, like the prime minister and the Maori chieftain. The whole city has been decorated and the people are just so kind to us and very curious about our culture. Everywhere we go has been a learning experience. My favorite thing from New Zealand was spending time at the Aukland Orphans Club. We watched the AOC Orchestra. They were so elegant and a nice change of pace from other things we have been doing. Our next sop is in the Philippines and I do not know what to expect. Everyday on the voyage is an adventure. I love an miss you all.
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| Sydney, Australia
Aug. 26, 1908
Dear family,
We arrived in Sydney Australia a few days ago and our time here has been so memorable. I have really enjoyed the leisure time at the beaches and awesome energy that comes from the locals. We have had the pleasure of meeting the Prime minister and many other important officials. My time here, talking to the locals and just having time to organize my thoughts has made me realize why I mined the Navy, and why we are taking this voyage. Seeing the impact America has around the world has shown me how important we are, and how much power we hold. Every time we go some place new, I am reminded of it, and I am sure that if I am reminded of it, the countries we are visiting are reminded too. I think that's why I joined the navy in the first place, I like being a part of something that has such an impact in the world. I just thought that since I had this revelation I would share it with you, so maybe we can make sense of me being away for so long. Love and miss you all.
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| Yokohama, Japan |
Dear family,
Traveling from Australia was terrifying. There was a typhoon that terrorized us that I thought was never gong to end. We lost a few men due to the storm and that made me not sad, just uneasy feeling. I don't know how I am supposed to respond to the tragic event but I tried to be strong for my fellow soldiers who were grieving. The warm welcome from the Japanese made us feel better, and move on. The Japanese were very excited to have us, which I think mostly comes from how other countries will view us visiting them. We were all pretty excited about the souvenirs that have been talked about so highly from Japan. I bought some silk and I looked at some incredible murals but decided not to buy any of those. Going to Japan we all understood the importance of us keeping a good relationship with them for trading purposes. I think they had the same understand too, there was so much American decoration for us, and you could tell they were putting in an effort to make us feel comfortable. Although I am enjoying this voyage, and appreciate all I am learning about other cultures I am ready to be home. I am tired. Love and miss you all.
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| Suez, Egypt |
Jan. 4, 1909
Dear family,
We have traveled to Suez Egypt, and you can tell all the sailors, including myself, are getting restless. Our ships are not up to par, they look rusted and like they have living things growing off of them. They have told us we are allowed to visit the pyramids and Cairo, but we have to organize it ourselves. I think I might sit this one out. There isn't much to say about Suez, we are about to head through the Suez canal, then we only have a few more stop then we are home. I can't wait to be home. Love and miss you all.
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| Gibraltar
Feb. 5, 1909
Dear family,
We have made our last stop before coming home. I can't wait to be back on American soil. Things at Gibraltar have been stiff. I think We are all just ready to be home. We were highlighted by the Russians, French, and the Dutch to show how high of a position we have in the world, which was cool. I have definitely decided that is why I joined the Navy, and that is why I am proud to be a part of it. If I take anything away from this voyage it will be what I learned about other cultures and how powerful The United States are and how proud I am to be a part of it. I will see you all soon. Love and miss you all.
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The Great White Fleet: Reassessing America’s Rise to Power - This paper a student at Auburn wrote gave me an understanding of why the fleet was taking place and what the soldiers thought of it.
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