Trips to Mom's: Postcards from World War I: a final set of 10 cards

This final set of 10 cards from my Grandfather in World War I is more difficult to present. Each of the cards has the same back side.

The text going down the left side says "Illustrated Postal Card & Nov Co. N. Y." and in the left bottom corner "1370". The "1370" is obviously the code to select these cards, but all 10 cards have the same number. So "1370" must identify the set, not a particular card within the set. All 10 cards must have been sold as a group.

The Illustrated Postal Card & Novelty Company, of New York, New York is listed in Geyer's Stationer, Volume 48, July, 1909 as moving from Walker Street in New York to Numbers 520, 522, and 524 West Forty-Eighth Street, New York, to have enough room for their growing business of printing post cards. John and Simon Bergman, president and vice-president. They are mentioned in Volume 81 of "The Atlantic Reporter" as having sued (and won) a case in the Supreme Court of Conneticut in Jan 1912, concerning an order for Christmas cards. They are listed in The American Stationer, Volume 78, July 1915 as being in the "Stationers' Specialties and Supplies" trade in New York.

Of these 10 cards, Ray wrote on only 6 of them; 4 are blank on the back. So these might have been the last cards he wrote before he returned to the United States (and brought the blank cards back with him). Again the cards, while clearly to his wife, Ollie, are not addressed, so must have gone back thru the Army mail, in a separate envelope.

Front caption: Yes Sir! Sherman was right.

Message on back: This is me and that was one man that sure was right believe your old uncle.

On the top left corner of the front, is written To Ollie.

Why does he say "your old uncle"? And who is Sherman? The obvious Sherman is William Tecumseh Sherman, the Civil War general who burned Atlanta in his march to the sea. But there is a memoir about the 1918 Meuse-Argonne offense which references "John’s last letter home ended with the words 'Sherman was right,'" referring to his quote that "War is hell".

Front caption: Say! I'd like to surround you -- and bombard you with kisses.

Message on back: To Ollie. Well girl the front of this card expresses my feeling exactly and if I'm as near I would too till you surrendered believe me. Ray

Front caption: If your liver's out of order and you don't sleep nights, try this.

Message on back: To Joe Reeder. Now old of if you will try this I'll bet it will help you sleep all right it does me anyway and I don't need any rocking on anyone's lap either. Ray

Note: Joe Reeder would probably have been Ollie's brother. I think Ollie was Ollie Reeder before she married Ray. We saw one other reference to him (possibly) in the 2nd set of post cards, which we know was written after the Armistice (since they are German post cards) where Ray said "How does Sis and Joe like it in California" and then complains that they never wrote back. And there is no suggestion here that he has seen Europe, so maybe these cards were written first and sent out during basic training.

Front caption: It gets mighty lonesome sometimes.

Message on back: Well Ollie this is the way I feel most of the time down here anyway and that is the way I look also Can't you cheer me up just a bit oxox Ray

Front caption: Gee! If you only knew what the mail meant to us fellows, sometimes.

Message on back: To my wife and flower of my heart a soldier. Girl this is just the way I feel sometimes and there is more truth than poetry in that verse on the front because it sure does cheer me up to hear from you my love as ever, Ray