"At the French post we unloaded and marched to another
so-called rest camp. Here we camped in tents, had good
warm meals and felt pretty good when we started out for a
thirty-six hour trip to this camp. We made this trip in little
box cars, and although not so very comfortable, you can imagine
the fun we had rambling along. We certainly enjoyed the beautiful
scenery.
"Saw lots of German prisoners along the way. They were
all doing some kind of work and seemed to be well satisfied
with their fate.
"Arrived at the station near this camp about noon Friday.
The Y.M.C.A. had a man right on the job with hot coffee and
two apples for each of us. They tasted good after living
on traveling rations (canned food) throughout the trip.
"Our camp here is a big place and is an old French camp.
They say Napoleon used it for a camp in his day. The
barracks are old, but we have cleaned them up and they make
the most comfortable barracks we have had since arriving in Europe.
We expect to be here some time and start in to-morrow on a good
stiff training schedule.
"The weather here is ideal and is giving us all the
spring fever. We are all feeling fine."
May, 1918, Somewhere in France.
"Received all your mail O.K. today your letter of the
13th came and you got all the dope on our departure right and
it is
a good thing you did because no letter of mine could ever
relate such facts, as it is strictly forbidden to mention anything
of that nature.
"This camp here is entirely an artillery camp. The rest
of the division is somewhere else but of course we do not know
where. Every day we are busy right from the sound of the
first call until 4:30 p.m. Then we have retreat. As this has
been formal most every night, it takes all out time before mess.
After mess we are now having nine non-coms school from seven
to eight o'clock. This ends our busy day: taps at 9:30 p.m. You
can judge for yourself, how much time we have to ourselves. Our
detail is getting a very thorough course of instruction in telephone
work. We go to school every morning, then have some sort of practical
work in the afternoon. It is all very interesting. Most all of
our instructors are U.S. artillery men. All have been at the
front, so we get all information first class. Besides, we hear
lots of good stories on the side about their experiences.
"There is a church in this village that must be a century
or two old. It's about the size of our church at home, built
of big
stones. Even the floor is of big stone blocks. The seats
are cane chairs. The congregation - mostly French women. They
all had their white caps on - looked to me like fancy handkerchiefs.
They all come to church in two wheeled carts, just like pictures
we have seen so many times."
May 27, 1918.
"I was one of the lucky ones to get a pass for twenty-four
hours and took advantage of the chance to visit a city - it was
not Paris though. Went with four other fellows, three of
them from our Battery. The train we left here on was jammed full
of officers and enlisted men. They were all going away on passes.
We rode first class and certainly enjoyed the trip. Spent most
of the time standing at the window - just looking at the wonderful
scenery, French villages, etc. The trains are not allowed to
run into . . . . . . . between the hours six p.m. and six a.m.,
so we all had to get off at a little station nearby and ride
in on a street car. This was another crowded affair and lots
of amusements for the French as the little street car tugged
along with 'Sammies' hanging all over it. When we arrived at
the city, there was another wild rush for rooms. After this the
crowd was lost and each little group had its own troubles.
"Sunday a.m. we were up at eight-thirty (the soft bed
was too much for us) - at night we both thought we would sleep
until noon. Had another time ordering our breakfast at a
little restaurant. Spent the rest of the forenoon walking about
the streets, taking in the sights. It had been so long since
any of us had seen a regular store that even the display windows
looked good.
"At eleven I went back to ask a friend about church
and he took me with him. He was the proprietor of the hotel,
a large
man. He walked very slowly and talked every minute telling
me about the different buildings we passed. He took me into the
Perfecture, a civil government building about three hundred years
old and it looked just as though it were built a few years ago
- only that the floor was worn down and its design was ancient.
It was beautiful. From here we went into the cathedral, which
also had been struck by a shell, not directly though. The shell
burst just outside and all over the front of it one could see
places the flying splinters had chipped off - all the windows
were broken out. The church inside was beautiful and showed no
signs of the shelling outside.
"Arrived back 'Home' about four-fifteen in plenty of
time for mess and satisfied to the limit with the time I had
in the city.
"In the evening Captain Hudnutt gave a lecture about
the life at West Point. It was a dandy lecture and was enjoyed
by
all. This captain has charge of us at school and he does
treat us fine. It seems he is always looking out for our comfort
and welfare. This is our last week of school and I am sorry it
is not five weeks more. Last week exams came out O.K. for me.
Got 93 per cent.
"J. B. and Steve are getting along O.K.
"Haven't any news about our next move, but really wish
that our turn would come to go up to the front. You know we
envy the fellows running around with the gold service strings
on the left sleeve. We can hear the guns booming at the front
quite regularly now, and it only makes you wish you were right
up to them.
"We can get good chocolate, both in bars and to drink
here at the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army but at another
village near here has fresh pies, doughnuts, and cookies.
So you see everything is pretty fine around here.