Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-07-17
SECOND Maine
BOYS STANDING
UP WELL IN TEXAS
Third Battalion, Including M Co.
of Augusta to Leave Camp for
Somewhere Along Border on
Patrol Duty-Excessive Heat
Curtails Drill Periods

and pitched our tents on the soft and
hot sands on the sunny bank of the
Rio Grande and during that time it
has been an uneventful period and it
is not what any one of us anticipated
Between the extreme quietness of
camp life and patient waiting for
something to drop any moment, it has
been a tension or a feeling one cannot
quite explain. We are supposed to
be ready for anything that might
happen and at the same time a GER
| tain amount of freedom is enjoyed
and between the two extremes some
of the boys have hard work to re-
frain from casting wistful glances to-
wards the north and thinking of
home, mother, young wife and baby
so much so on this point that not
few have dwelt too long, causing a
WEAKNESS around the heart that robs
them of appetites and and making
them homesick which seems to be the
only kind of illness in the camp. There
is lot of kidding" in the company
and many are made to forget their
malady and are gradually becoming
accustomed to the situation.
| Many of the officers say the morale
and discipline of the camp is wonder
full and it is not to be wondered when
you see the fine lot of young men
that are members of this regiment and
| there does not seem to be roWdy in
it and at the same time a bunch that
would not stop at anything under
! command of the officers, who by the
way, are the best men you could find in
the country, intelligent, humane, brave,
we'll trained and devoted to their men
and their mems interest.
1t is amusing to read some of the
Boston papers which have special
writer's with their troops. boosting the
several companies in their remarkable
showing and quoting regular army Of
ficers as saying that they act just
like regulars" There is no question
but what they are as good as any Mi
litia body, but when YOU see regulars
perform (and if there is any other
body of trained soldiers in the world
that can match them, show meD your
heart begins to bump with pride and
admiration and you wonder IT any
National Guard outfit will ever catch
up to them, and if a regular officer
would try to kid us that we We're
near regulars" | think we would
credit him with being a Toreador and
would not fall for the Bovine" Speak
ing Of regulars, | got the surprise of
nv life when | ran into an Augusta
boy here the other day, James Scan
lon. who is with one of the regular
outfits stationed near here. Jimmy is
some soldier and is very much taken
up with work in the army. believe he
is on his second enlistment.
1t is hard to get line on just what
is going TO happen around here, as
the officers themselves, if they have
any knowledge Of what is going on, are
very reticent. but we are constantly
being prepared for anything that may
come up and not much stock is being
taken in the present attitude of Car
rama troops and the native Americans
will tell you they arc not to be trust
ed Texas National Guardsmen who
are on outpost duty to the north of us
are constantly under fire of Mexican
Snipers and occasional brushes with
them are reported and once in a while
a shot is heard near the outpost of our
camp.
There are a lot of Mexicans living
in Laredo and it is claimed they are
Americanized hut we have learned that
some Of them are thoroughly Mexican
lied. Two of them were captured by
member of G. Co, who was on guard.
and were brought before the officers
and were questioned by member If
the Bangor company who speaks
Spanish. The Greasers were released
but were given a good warning to steer
clear of the camp vicinity.
The Rio Grande at this time of the
year is not very grand and if the au-
thor of the sorg Down by the Silvery
Rio Grande" wrote it at this time of
the year he must have been lying on
his back looking at the sky and Java
and Mocha Grand would be a better
rame at this time of the year At some
time of the year where the SHOWS melt
IN the San Luis valley in southwestern
| Colorado and he streams feed it in tho
western part of the state, the Great
River" at this point must be pretty, as
the shore which is long and low at
this side indicates the river at some
time of the year is quite wide and also
the bridge that spans it at this place
! is a big steel structure of the type of
| lNe OIQ TdliTO ga lTlQSe at augusta, We.
having five large spans resting on five
river piers besides The abutments
! / believe our cook is showing signs
of improvement and we had some corn
soup for dinner one day and the boys
all declared that it was great. There
will be some class to us when he gets
to cooking out Of the army cook book,
as we have plenty Of stuff to eat and it
is Of the best.
| A man has got to have lot Of sand
to stand up under the wind storms they
| have down here. We had one Of these
storms a few days ago and it was some
blow. sand was so thick in the air that
you would think some one was throw
! ing it around by the shovelful getting
into your eyes. nostrils, ears and down
your neck, filing the tents and cook
| shacks.
| We expect to have some real work
most any day now. the battalions are
to take up outpost duty several miles
away from camp along the border.
There has been rumors of expected
raids and it is reported that Mexicans
are massing under cover across the
river to the north of us This means
| the real test of endurance under ser