Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-12-07

are loaded you see, we have about
fifty pounds of stuff to carry. 1t is
no snap and gets pretty heavy by
night.
Friday a. m. we started at about
1880 and were ordered to advance on
a sugar mill about four miles away,
the enemy were entrenched there and
our orders were to leave no natural
obstacle stop US, and nothing did, we
pushed through jungles which Colonel
Billiard Of the 9Th United States IN
fantry, had declared impossible and
waded the same pond three times in
different places to get across to a
good trail, we landed at the sugar
mill in time to get into action and had
the Brown army surrounded and cap
tured Brownsville That was proba-
bly, the hardest days fighting,
though it did not last long as we went
into camp about 80, but we had our
packs on and all the trees in Texas
caught on them and conspired to hold
US back. The water softened our feet
and soaked and punched our socks,
causing our feet to burn and many to
blister. When we had our camp
pitched and had loafed around a bit,
Colonel Eva got orders to move US
to another position, this was about
4;3O and a few of the Company had
gone to Brownsville, on leave for a
square meal. We moved our camp
about a mile and pitched it again. 1t
was here that we heard that the war
was ended and had the final confirma-
ton that the Third Minnesota, Third
Indiana were to leave following the
review next morning for Llano
Grande and that we were to be trans
ported back in trucks. Colonel Eva
also had the Major of each battalion
read the order, officially ordering US
home as soon as transportation could
be provided by the Southern Depart
ment of War. This was joyful news
to all of US.
We had good weather for the hike,
no rain, not any real hot days, but it
was rather chilly at night and early
morning, the only cause of complaint
while on the hike and during the man
ouvers was because of the food and wa
ter. Palo Alto and Reseca de la
Palma are in the desert and water is
very scarce also no other parts of our
trip our only water was from drain
age bitches and this ran very slowly,
so one canteen a day was all we could
get so while we controlled our desire
to drink all we wanted in the morn
ing we would be out of luck and could
not get any in the afternoon, the mat
ter of food would be different, we had
poor bacon, fried potatoes, coffee and
hard tack for breakfast, for lunch we
had two corn-beef sandwiches made
from bareback, supper, beans, corn
beef, potatoes and bareback. Our
cook was not used to cooking in the
open so did nothing to make the stuff
any more appetizing Some of the
fellows were bothered with sore feet
and a couple of cases of malaria de-
feloped during the hike. Our Com
pany held a good average, we had
only three men less at the finish than
: when we started, these were sent back
: to the hospital at Llano Grande OF
to Harrington or Brownsville, by or
der of the Major Doctor. Some fin
ished on one cylinder instead of two
and l was among this gang, the first
day out | developed a swelling on the
cord between the ankle and heel.
thought it was a Charley Horse, from
too much walking and that it woulc
go away. 1t didn't and on the finish
of the second day I was pretty lame
One of the Hospital Sergeants put
a bandage brace on and the swelling
gradually went down. That was the
only trouble had, my feet stood W
fine, no blisters at all and nothing elst
the matter One of the fellows, Char
ley Kelly had two bad ankle blisters
one on each foot, and falling arches
and kept right on going and finished
with the rest of US although he hmpet
pretty badly.
The Review at Reseca de la Plat;