The Dickinson press., 1916-12-23
ARMY LIFE ON THE
MEXICAN BORDER

MLAlCAN DUkDLk
The following article was prepared
by Bert Waddell, who recently re-
turned from the Mexican border, and
read at a recent meeting of the
Congregational Brotherhood:
When the Presidents call came June
10Th, 1916, we were very busy for one
week at the armory enlisting re-
cruits and getting them QUILTED with
such equipment as we had on hand,
It found us short a good deal of cloth
ing and equipment and much of what
we had was unserviceable, so we did
the best we could with what we had
on hand.
We reached Forth Lincoln at Bis
marck Sunday evening, June 25th, and
there took up the drill, meanwhile
some more clothing and equipment
was available from time to time. The
weather was very hot and we still
had our wooden clothing as the light
er cotton o. DIS were not to be OBJ
tanned. Many of the men were short
hats, leggins, shoes, etc., but attended
drill anyway with their civilian
clothes. After about a month at the
fort, We started for the Mexican
border, reaching Mercedes, Texas, on
July 26th, about S p. m. Most of us
know where Mercedes is located but
for the benefit Of those who do not
will say it is about 5 miles from the
Rio Grande and about IS miles from
the Gulf, on the branch line west
from Harrington. 1t is situated in the
midst of an irrigated district and part
of the land is cleared and cultivated
while the greater part is still in the
wild state.
Our first impressions of southern
Texas we're not very good. Well for
one thing the rainy season was on
and night with few intermissions, the
temperature varying from about 80
to 115 degrees in the shade, this to-
gether with the low altitude made it
doubly ~disagreeable. AS stated be-
fore we landed there about 5 o'clock
in the evening, had supper on the
ground beside the a and then waited
for orders where to camp. You know
the days down there are not as long
as the days up north in summer and
it was soon dark. Just before dark
the column started south through
town to the camping place on the
outskirts of Mercedes.
The ground had been partially
cleared at one time but there was
still a good deal Of cactus and mes
quite to be contended with. That
night we slept in the pup tents. The
night was about as dark as could. be
and foggy, the mud being from six to
eight inches deep in the shallow
places. Not very promising.
If I remember correctly it was
raining the next morning before we
had a chance to get our tents up
so we ate breakfast and rain to-
qether. Of course it was nice clean
rain so we didn't mind much. A good
many of the boys had no change of
clothing should they get wet.
There followed about ten days of
clearing grounds, grading streets and
digging drainage bitches; then bath
houses and latrines had to be built
and all the trees in officers row
trimmed and whitewashed. After this
the regular routine of drill began, the
weather being so muggy and warm
that the exertion started the sweat
rolling.
Bye and bye after the hottest wealth
er was over we received twenty-four
pairs of light cotton breeches and
these together with the obsolete khaki
was enough to give each man one
pair, then about September LIST, we re-
ceived more clothing and at the
present time acquisitions for clothing
are filled about once each month, so
that now after four or five months of
service we all have thu necessary
clothing.
Many a long day during the sum-
mer the boys had to drink from rusty
canteers and many c%anteens leaked so
the water supply often a short on
the long hikes. Each man now has a
good serviceable canteen made Of
aluminium with detachable cover. We
now have about forty of the new
stvle cartridge belts with double pock-
cts. holding ninety rounds of ammu-
milton. The other ten rounds are
carried in the haversack. Our COM
pany has a fairly good buach of rifles
and bayonets and arc always kept in
workable shape.
On the 18th day of August, which
by the way was on Friday, we start
ed on the weekly regimental hike.
After going three miles, the Colonel
seeing a storm coming, gave COM
mand to right about and we started
back to. camp. We hadn't gone far
when the rain began which lasted
until we reached camp. There fol-
lowed a little intermission, then the
storm began in good earnest and
lasted until about 10 o'clock that
evening, with a strong northwest
wind. Several of our tents went
down, three of them lying there I'M
til next morning. The men crowded
into the other tents. the balance Of
the day and night, while some took