The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-07-17

OF THE BEST
Lieut.. Spaulding Says None
Need Worry About
Company |
PELLET TREASURER
OF COMPANY FUNDS
shower Baths in Use All the Time
Taylor Morse Writes from Thar,
Texas - Benjamin Bingham with
Armored Motorcycle Corps.
EAGLE PASS, Texas. july 10

EAGLE PASS, Texas, July 10.
Col. J. g. Estey:
Dear Sir:-9ours of the 9th and en-
closed check for $50 received. | will
say that this check came at Just the
.rl2ht time. There are many things
that we have to purchase at once to
make the camp comfortable and sani-
tary. The sanitary conditions are the
hardest to handle the ground being a
Regular hardpan of clay and very dry.
1t is difficult proposition to construct
SINKS and latrines, especially for a
ieDS stay III permanent quarters.
In behalf of Company | and myself
| Wu't to thank you and all opr
friends for all they are doing for us.
acquisitions have been sent to the
war department for complete new
equipment. This includes two suits Of
underwear, sweater, cotton olive drab
uniforms, new tents, new style army
packs, blankets and all new utensils.
l have deposited both checks in the
Border National bank as a company
fund We held a meeting and elected
Z. A. Pellett treasurer of the fuad,
Henry +. Robbins, Godfrey Crosby and
myself as auditors and Lieut.. Miner.
Sergt. Marion and Private Dunlevv as
committee to look after men in need
OF any assistance. | am seeing per-
sonally that every man has equal com
forts and that none is shown any par
| tiaity.
The night of our arrival here the
third battalion was ordered for out
| post duty along the Rio Grande. The
rlver IS about a mile from our camp.
Every man armed with rifle carried
2I0 rounds of ball ammunition. Those
armed with the pistol carried 80
rounds. We carry this always when
ON outpost or guard duty.
On our outpost tour there were Mex
leans on the opposite shore of the river
and armed. Our men did not show
any uneaslness or seem to realize
what might happen. At $40 a. m
Mexican patrol of u men came across
an open field directly towards US as fa1
as the river. After a short halt they
returned to the weeds. They don t
seem to be overorganized or uni
| formed.
1t is rumored among the regular of
ficers that all companies are to be sep
arated into halves and sent to differ
ent parts OF the country to recruit
| each half to the minimum strength.
They are to take this means to organ
lie lO new regiments of regulars. All
reserve officers, West Point graduates.
militia officers and those given certif-
Gates Tor commission at the training
camps are to be given chance to
take examinations for commissions in
the regular army. All officers of the
| regular army will be promoted first
to fill vacancies and the new officers
given the lower grades.
The machine guns of the 9th Mas
sachusetts regiment are being shipped
to the lst Vermont and a machine gun
company Is to be organized at once.
[ Col. Reeves is certainly a fine man to
command this regiment. He is getting
results fast and when we return home
Vermont will have fighting unit to
be proud of and / bar none of the fed
! eral militia All of the men are
around with their manuals studying
: hard and then putting the results in.
| to practice.
The heat was terrible at first, but
we are getting acclimated fast and
l don t mind it much now. Sometimes
! 1t Is l25 degrees. We don drill at al
S for few days except in the early
: morning and late at night. We spend
I most of the time fixing up around
camp and resting,
We have 90 shower baths and they
are in use all the time. The Este,
organ is one of the most beneficial
/ gifts We have received. The
boys use it every night and Chaplain
Thomas uses it for all his services.
Q viii you ask The Reformer to sa,
that no one need worry about us. TIL,
Y sanitation is of the best now and al
| the men are in the best of health AM
s gaining flesh. We never had bette
: rations in camp since | have belonged
:, to the militia
Give our regards to all.
Resoectfully,