St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-08-09
VERMONT TROOPS
Private Leonard Tells of Daily Life
At the F'ront-PIenty of Sand,
Snakes and Lizards.
Eagle Pass, Texas, 1916.

Eagle Pass, Texas. 1915.
Dear Friend:-I thought 1 would
write you few lines to let you know
that 1 have received your most well
come card and was glad to hear from
you. Arthur and 1 are very well and
happy at the present time.
Now I am going to tell you a little
of soldier life on the border in Texas.
We don't have much news here as
you know it is the same thing over
every day. We get up at 5.45 a. m.
and after reyeille we have 10 minutes
exercise, breakfast at $50 a. m. and
at 715. drill till 1870 a. m. Then
we have nothing to do until $50 p.
m, when we drill until 4.30. We
have had one night drill.
About our trip, we left home, or
Essex Junction and it took exactly
five days and nights for the trip. We
were not allowed on the platform or
steps while the train was either going
or standing still. The girls were all
out at all the stations we stopped at
and were all anxious to obtain our
addresses so that they might write to
the brave soldiers like Arthur and
are. We left the train each morn
ing for a I 5 minute walk and that is
about all the exercise we got. We
arrived in Dallas, Texas, about 8 p
M, the last Saturday of our trip and
the girls there had prepared for US
with lemonade and cookies which
looked good to US, you bet.
But what got my goat was when
we landed here at p. m. Sunday, the
warmest. time of the day, and we had
to put up our tents. I being a little
thirsty thought 1 would try some
Texas water so 1 went down to the
pipe (they have them arranged here
the same as at Fort Ethan Allen only
they are on top of the ground) to get
a drink. The water, having been in
the sun all day was boiling hot and
that made me mad, for l could have
licked all the Mexicans there is in
Mexico. Then about Z p. m. we had
our tents nearly all up when up came
big sand storm and covered every
thing with dust and dirt. Every lad L
bet, said to himself at that time, St.
Johnsbury couldn't have been Gas
sometime you have heard state), the
last place God made, for this had it
beaten a mile.
We were allowed to go to the Big
City of Eagle Pass the next day and
after seeing it such a pleasant place
we all felt much better. The city is
about one mile from our camp. We
are not allowed out after retreat,
there is no danger of any call. They
have each man armed with 210
rounds of ammunition.
We don't hear one tWenty-fffth as
much war news as you do in Ver-
f0,~ hi
along smoothly as would a muster at
Burlington. The troops have been
streaming into camp here every day.
We now have troops here from Mary
and, Kansas, Vermont, also Goth and
Bird Infantry, 14th Cavalry, machine
gun troop. We have nice cool nights
and hot days but the country is very
healthful and you never hear of any
one sustaining a sunstroke. Unlike
Vermont they have very little rain
here until we came and we have had
,wo rains here this week 1t sure
1oes takes the Vermont boys to bring
'ain because we have proved it.
There is plenty of lizards, big
black spiders and rattlesnakes here. |
0ne of our boys killed two of the lat
.er last week.
It started to rain a little and then it
'ained in good shape, the land being
so dry it would not soak in at all and |
t washed mud in large quantities |
down through the company street !
and also into tents, getting everything
hat was in the tents wet In YER
mont it would soak in little but here |
t all ran off and carried everything
with it.
Someone just said that there were
1000 militiamen and 5000 regulars |
1ere at the present time. We are at /
The present time doing guard duty, |
guarding bridges, and that is no pleas
ant job for it is a dangerous one /
Well, 1 think I have written all the
news that I know of for now, hoping /
20 hear from you soon.
Your truly,
PVT. A. r. LEONARD,
20. d, First Vermont Inf. Eagle Pass,
Texas.