The pajamas finally came about two weeks ago and were much appreciated.

One hundred years ago--November 7, 1917--the October Revolution began in the streets of Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia. Two days later Grant wrote this letter to the folks in Mankato. Most likely he was blissfully ignorant of that world-changing event until weeks later. 
Due to the fact that he was now a buck private in the U.S. Army living under military rules, he was restricted in what he could tell his family about his situation.

Nov. 9, 1917
Dear Family:-

Am well, safe and as happy as circumstances will allow. This is as much as I can tell you about myself now except that as I write I am listening to “America, I love you”* as rendered by a very nice Victrola here in the Y.M.C.A. The work is hard but I guess it is doing us all a great deal of good.
Owing to the changes in our service I haven’t received a single piece of mail for a month tomorrow. It seems like a year and I have no idea how long it will be before mail does begin coming through. I hope you received all the letters I wrote while on permission. It was a glorious five days and did us all much good.
The whole situation with me has worked out just about as I had figured it – not entirely satisfactory but it is coming, I think.

I’m sorry I can say no more – I have much that I would like to say but I guess it can keep.
I’m at a loss to know how to tell you how to direct your future mail. I still think the wisest plan is to send it in care of Miss E. G. Mullen, Hotel Lotti, Paris, and then I will notify her how to readdress it as soon as things have straightened up a bit.

I hope you are corresponding with Dot regularly because I am all bawled up on my correspondence and I may have told her some news that you might be glad to hear or vice versa.

Please don’t get discouraged in sending mail and warm clothing to the latest address you have because I think they will come through eventually if it ever gets on this side. The pajamas finally came about two weeks ago and were much appreciated — more so than if they had arrived earlier. Thank you much for them.
 
And now I must quit because I’m allowed to say no more. I’m almost frantic for mail from you. Happy Ahlers is with me. Keep in touch with Mrs. Ahlers and Harriet. Johnny Taylor is still with us.

Hope you are all well and happy. Did Mrs. Patterson ever receive a letter from me?

Much love,

Grant.

*AMERICA, I LOVE YOU
(Edgar Leslie / Archie Gottler, 1915)

A mid fields of clover,
'Twas just a little over a hundred years ago
A handful of strangers,
they faced many dangers to make their country grow
It's now quite a nation of wond'rous population,
And free from every king,
It's your land, it's my land,
A great do or die land,
And that's why I sing.

From all sorts of places,
They welcomed all the races to settle on their shore,
They didn't care which one,
The poor or the rich one
They still had room for more
To give them protection
By popular election,
A set of laws they chose,
They're your laws and my laws,
For your cause and my cause
That's why this country rose.

America, I love you,
You're like a sweetheart of mine,
From ocean to ocean,
For you my devotion, is touching each bound'ry line,
Just like a little baby
Climbing it's mother's knee,
America, I love you,
And there's a hundred million others like me.