St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-07-26
LETTER FROM sERGT DOE
Company L Quartermaster Writes tC
The Daily Caledonian.

Company L Quartermaster Writes to
The Daily Caledonian.
The following letter, written spec
tally for The Caledonian, has been re-
ceived from Co. L Quartermaster
correspondent at Orleans:
Eagle Pass, Tex, July IT, 1915.
Friend McWain:
Received your letter and sure
would take pleasure in writing few
lines.
We arrived here Sunday, July 2,
on one of the usual hot days. Their
mometer registered about 100 and the
soil was mighty hot for our feet. We
were five days and nights, in day
coaches all the way, Vermont being
the only regiment so unfortunate as
not to have Pullmans.
The camp ground was staked out
and water pipes laid, so in several
hours we were ready for mess, or
supper Immediately we were visited
by one of the customary dust storms.
How it does blow and the dirt is
fierce. Just can't keep it out of the
tents, and it covers everything with a
fine coat of dirt. Believe me some
job to keep gun clean.
brooks, just mesquite bushes, which
only grow four feet high at the most.
The sun bakes down the clay and then
the dust is fierce. When it rains we
plough around in two inches of the
stickiest clay you ever saw. And we
had rain the second day, which the
natives claim was the first shower
since September.
Our first night here Co. L went on
guard for twenty-four hours. Imme-
diately after returning, the third bat
talon, that is Co.'S L. K, L and M
were ordered to do outpost duty as it
was reported a squadron of Mexican
cavalry were just across the river,
which is the Rio Grande. So all the
boys had to rest all night with their
ammunition on, and guns handy. Co.
L has the distinction of being the first
Vermont company to carry ball car
tridges since the Civil war.
By the foregoing you may judge
| just how much time we have for
play"
And to add to our discomfort, up
until Sunday we were still in the
heavy olive drab wool uniforms. Now
we have the cool cotton khaki. 1t is
far more suitable to this climate.
fine receptions by the Red Cross and
| business organizations. Waco was a
most hospitable city, for punch,
| cookies, peaches and post cards were
handed out freely, and at San An
tonic ice cream cones galore were put
onto the cars.
But for Eagle Pass. This is a city
of seven thousand inhabitants, 65 pei
cent being Mexican. Just across the
bridge is Piedras Negras, a Mexican
city of about the same size.
Customs officials, assisted by the
guards stop everything going across
the bridge, searching all packages, etc.
Shoes, (men's), ammunition, in fact
everything that might be of use to
Mexican army are confiscated.
We have the list and End Kansas in
fantry and A battery of field artillery,
1st, 9Th and 9Th Maryland infantry,
including the ambulance corps, two
batteries of regular Rhode Island
Coast Artillery, three batteries of
regular Field Artillery, the 3rd and
3Oth regular U. S. Infantry, and the
1st Vermont, making most 10000 SOL
diers in this town.
We all have had two doses of ty-
phoid serum third to follow in a few
days.
Our food is excellent, for example,
this noon we had bread and butter,
green peas, roast beef, mashed pota
toes, chocolate pudding and iced tea,
Co. L is congratulating itself every
day on having such a wonderful pair
of cooks as Earl Davis and Joe
Schayltz. Davis, by the way, is one
of the most popular men of the regi-
ment, entertaining with the assistance
of piano. or organ every evening.
The ground is quite hard, Vermont
being the only regiment here without
cot beds. Ours for some unknown
reason are still in Vermont.
The collection of native enemies
consists of scorpions, rattlers, taran%
tulas and centipedes. Several rattlers
and centipedes have already been
caught
This evening we were out for a drill
about a mile from here and on the re-
turn made an imaginary capture of
our camp. Furnished a good prob
lem.
Practically every man is in good
health and spirits, bound to do his
best for Vermont.
Mail should be addressed very care
fully for letters go astray in the com
pany if they are not perfectly legible
The right way for example would be
JOHN SMITH,
CO. L, 1st Inf.
Vermont Natl Guard,
Eagle Pass, Texas
Must close now for it is most time
for taps.
Best regards