"Judging from the weather here, it must be fearfully
cold in Wisconsin. Wednesday it started to rain and continued
to do
so until Friday morning, and believe me, it rained too. After
it had rained, the wind started to blow and brought with it a
touch of winter that nearly made me home-sick. The mercury dropped
to about zero and was accompanied by a gale that nearly took
the barracks off their posts. Well, all went well until Saturday
night, when the pipes froze in the kitchen or rather those leading
to the kitchen. Here they lay the pipes six inches deep and you
can imagine what a time we had.
"John, I am wondering if you have any conception of
the job it is to supply a camp with food. Just stop and think
of the
food it takes for one day alone for thirty or forty thousand
men. Then, too, there is the fuel proposition which is certainly
a big job in this time of scarcity. When a carload of coal comes
into camp there are wagons there by the dozen and it is unloaded
right into them.
"To handle the supply each battalion has its supply
wagons. Our battalion has four, each wagon being drawn by two
span of mules. In the morning three of them pick up the ash
cans and garbage cans and then bring back coal and wood or whatever
else is to be hauled. The other wagon hauls provisions only.
Each mess sergeant gives the supply sergeant a list of the things
he needs and he goes along on the wagon to the commissary to
get them. In rainy weather the wagons are covered, having those
oval shape staves over them, then covered by heavy olive drab
canvas. They look to me like the old covered wagons."
Camp Gordon, April 7, 1918.
"Will drop you a few lines now that the music has ceased.
This dining-room is a regular dance hall and stage about four
nights each week. We have a dandy violin and other stringed
instrument players, so we do not lack the music.
"This sure has been a busy week. Something doing every
night over to the 'Y' and some sort of inspection nearly every
day. Friday they had to take all their stuff outside, and
a record was taken to see if they had everything they were supposed
to have. That took from one o'clock in the afternoon until half
past nine. The wind and sand blew something fierce, too, and
there they were with all their belongings in that dirt. I did
not have to take mine out though, for they came inside and looked
mine over.
"There has been a terrible sand storm raging today.
In fact, it has been for three days now, and no signs of letting
up
either. It blows right in the barracks, and the dust and
sand is so thick in here that you can write your name anywhere.
Sand Prairie is nothing compared to this. Most of the time you
cannot see across the road.
"Yesterday was a big day for me. I'll tell you what
I had to do. I got up at three o'clock and got breakfast. Had
steak,
gravy, fried potatoes and grits, and of course bread and
coffee. Then, after breakfast was over the other cook had to
go out for gas-mask practice, so I had to get the dinner all
alone. We had hamburg, potatoes, gravy, bread, coffee, and bread
pudding with lemon sauce.
"After dinner I had to fall out for pup tent practice,
and believe me, that is some job. We had our haversacks with
two
heavy blankets and a half a tent rolled up in it; and this
fastened on our back. With this load we had to drill for over
an hour, then erect our tents. Then we spread out blankets out
in them in all the dirt, etc. We then took them down and packed
up and drilled again. After about another hour or so we came
in and then I had to help get supper, and make preparations for
breakfast.
"This morning I got up at three and baked pancakes for
only one hundred and seven men. Some fun, I'll say! Then I
helped get dinner, but this afternoon I slept, and put in
a good afternoon at it too.
"Well, as three o'clock comes rather early in the morning,
I think I must close for this time and retire."
Camp Mills, New York.
"Well, Thursday morning I got up at 8:30 at Camp Gordon
and got breakfast. Then we had orders to have dinner ready
at ten and we did. At twelve we were all lined up in front
of our barracks ready to depart. It was about 98 degrees in the
shade that day but we had to put our blouses on and our overcoats,
and then our belts and haversack. In that haversack there are
two blankets and half a pup tent rolled up, besides several other
useful articles, such as mess kit, towel, socks, underwear, tent
pegs, etc. You can imagine how heavy that pack was strapped to
our back. Well it was about a two mile jolt to the train and
I'll tell you we were all in but we were soon settled in the
Pullmans.
"Sometime Thursday night we were out of Georgia and
in South Carolina. Friday morning we woke up and found
ourselves in North Carolina and at Southern Pines. That place
is a winter resort and they sure used us great. The Red Cross
came out with coffee, fruit, flowers and cigarettes. One lady
that runs a store there gave the soldiers $60.00 worth. She was
sure a busy one and had the right spirit. I met a lady there
from Beloit. Her father is a Beloit College graduate and graduated
in the second class from the college. Of course our stop was
only for about five minutes and we were soon on our way to Raleigh.
The Red Cross met us here also with apples and magazines. Our
trip through North Carolina was a long one because we went across
the entire state.
"About noon we entered Virginia and at four o'clock
we pulled into Richmond. Now there was only one difference
between Grant's forces and ours. He took in the city in time
of war in a warlike way and we took in the city, in time of war
in a peaceful way. We all lined up and marched around the city
and took in the sights. I guess we were welcome because I saw
two or three women cheering us. We saw the monuments erected
to Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee.
"When we got back to our train, the Red Cross was awaiting
us with apples and lemonade. About fifty men got
lemonade, but ice water in the pullman tasted just as good
because we were nearly famished after that hike as they would
not allow us to drink any water on our march.
"We next had what they called supper on the train, but
it was so little that I forgot what it was. A cup of coffee was
all
that interested me. About 8 o'clock we were northward bound
again and this time for the District of Columbia. Of course it
was dark because there are no lights on troop trains but you
can light a candle if you have one. We went to bed but told the
guard to awaken us when we went through Washington. I guess it
was about 1:30 when we were awakened from our slumber but we
were wide awake when the capital presented itself to us in the
moonlight. That night we passed through Maryland, and Delaware,
but when the sunshine greeted us again we were in Pennsylvania.
The north surely welcomed us. Everyone stopped work to greet
us and I guess all the whistles within hearing distance were
blowing. We just cut across the corner of Pennsylvania so we
were soon in New Jersey. That is some state. It is so much like
Wisconsin that I felt right at home there. But, when we reached
New York we were all excited. However, we did not see much of
the city as we went by way of the three mile tunnel which brought
us out on Long Island. It was one o'clock when we reached camp,
and we were certainly glad to get here. It is some change, though,
from the sunny south to the cool climate here and a decided change
from the comforts of our barracks at Camp Gordon to this of the
squad tents. However, as soon as we get accustomed to the sea
breezes I think we will like it. In fact, I am beginning to like
it already.
"I have a wonderful opportunity to see New York City
here and I am making plans to go there this week. We are given
twenty-four hour passes but no longer, so I certainly won't
be able to come home."