The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-07-06
EXTRACT OF LETTER
From Cleveland Frost in the Yale
Battalion Of Artillery. New
Haven, Conn.


MY first service on guard dut
was uneventful, but rather interest
ing since il was so new. The bat
talon equipment is all being as
sembled, marked and packed over il
the baseball cage, which is our TEN
porary armory. The cage" is
large barn. about as big as the tab.
ernacle. About two hundred thous
and dollars worth of stuff is stored
there now. Sixteen guns, thirty
two ammunition wagons and thirty
two store wagons take up most oil
the room. Then there are the ten
thousand and ten bits of minor
equipment ropes, axes, hatchets,
lanterns and spare parts, extra har-
ness. gun parts. bolts, tents, covers,
buckets, etc. etc.
went on duty first at ten o'clock
in the morning. being stationed at
the door, with orders to allow no
one to pass except on business, and
no one in civilian clothes except in
company with an officer. The cage
swarmed like bee hive, men busy
at work marking the material and
packing it away and streams of men
bringing new stuff in. The boys
worked hard and willingly. II is
good for them. We are by no means
ready to move yet. but Major Dan
ford is making every effort to get
us in shape.
There were also many visitors
who passed by just to look-mostly
fathers and mothers Of boys in the
battalion. They all had innumerable
questions to ask, most of which
either IGNORANCE or orders forbade
my answering, and all were more or
less obviously anxious. One man in
particular I remember, an SO man,
with hair already whitening, who
has boy in this years graduating
class. He wanted TO know what we
all want TO know-when and where
we are expected to go. or course
I couldn't answer that and he went
on talking, talking so intimately out
of his distraction that I felt like an
eavesdropper. "Of course he want
ed to go We would be ashamed Of
him if he hadn't -of course its you
boys that have the hard part-the
danger. But its hard on us old folks
too. My wife and I can't get it off
our minds. We're thinking of it all
the time, in our minds. | remember
this morning we both woke up early
and lay there staring at the ceiling,
not saying a word. but we were both
thinking of the same thing, the
boy. He's the only one we have"
Then quite suddenly he stopped
talking and turned away. But be-
fore he left, he shook hands and
said. Good luck, my boy"
The night ten TO twelve post was
not so interesting. The cage was
quite deserted, except for the other
sentries. My only thrills were
when I had to challenge all corners.
A figure would be silhoutted in the
archway OF the gym entrance and
then blotted out as the man came
nearer, his footsteps ringing out on
the pavement. At about thirty
PAGES I would call out, HALT Who
is there?" The man would stop and
give his name and rank. Then I
would say Advance, friend, and be
recognized" II he gave a satisfac-
tory account OF himself. let him
pass. Others were turned back. II
was pure bluff on my part, for auto
mates have not yet been issued TO
us and my holster swung empty at
my side.
Once, the Officer Of the Day came
and made me repeat my general or
ders. | was glad had learned them
thoroughly. Il seems 10 me that
such long orders should be put In
verse, so that they might be more
easily remembered.
From twelve till three forty.
slept like log. rolled up in a blank
ct on a cot in the guard house.
Then we were called out fer the
last and dullest watch OF all
Al ten thirty we were all as
semi ,eled on the campus and then
mar he'd 10 the Center Church,
NhArt n snecial and uarx innnaasiual :