The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-15
LIFE OF THE SOLDIER
SUITS GEORGE BLACK
From Tuesdays EaTTy.

I
The following letter WAS written by
George Black to mcnbers of the Elks'
! lodge in Mankato:
Ell Paso, Tuesday June 5.-Your
most welcome letter received. Am al
ways glad to hear from the boys at
! homo. Have been busy since getting
y1ut CT the hospital. Am now assistant
| quartermaster of our company, which
will mean corporal soon. Chances are
| better for promotions now than at any
| other time. | have been turned to
! duty which is first class private, which
means thirty three dollars per month.
! Have been on the range for several
| days, and made some fair scores for a
| beginner. | never did shoot anything
| but an air rifle in my life, and that
old rifle does kick. We have a rifle
and a forty-five automatic Colt. We
have some expert shots in our COM
pany. Sergeant Moquin is considered
the best, he is an Elk from Bristol,
| Conn. We go down town once in a
while together, and he says he will
recommend me for sergeant after I
get the corporal job. Our company is
within four men of war strength and
| will have them tomorrow. In fact the
second regiment expects to be up to
war strength this week. l don't have
to drill any more, have finished that,
and when turned to duty, we don't
stand any formation other than in
spection Saturday morning. Our COM
pany is a new one, only three weeks
old, but have good many old men who
were in Mexico with General PERISH
ing in the punitive expedition, Com
pany E is known as the best in the
regiment. We have all new buildings.
a young commanding officer, Who is
an athlete, and boosts baseball and
all other sports. Harmony reigns
supreme in Company and conse-
quently we are accomplishing more
than the other comtanies. We ARE all
friends down here and the old men
mingle with the new, and Tell us
things which are Very valuable to us.
We have been, issued all new equip
nent, and never realized what, 1t took
to equip new company of engineers
until I got into the quarterinaster's
supply house. Everything from a
kodak to Steam shovel. Swell survey
| ing instruments, Autograph and map
ping supplies, and SO much other
material | cannot commence to name
it. Last but not least are the picks,
shovels and strong-back, and weak
minded tools. We certainly will not
stay here long. Most all are anxious to
| leave on account of the wind and
sand. Some days it. is impossible to
see ten feet ahead of you, and it is
| getting awful hot. have seen some fine
prize fights among the army men.
Every night ring is made and several
so to it for hOnors. | never was much
of a pug" so | don't chip in for fear
l will be challenged, and it is hard
on the eyes. The regular army before
this present crisis was known as rath-
er a tough bunch of men, or neer-do-
wells, but you would. be surprised to
see the clean-cut, intelligent men here
now. OF course the engineering corps
is the highest branch of the army serv-
ice, and always had a better class of
men, for this reason. Nearly every
| man has a trade, and is a skilled
] workman at it. On the whole | am
much pleased with my life, and do not
regret in the least the move ; have
made. Another thing which makes the
army better than before is that no
saloon, club or civilian is allowed to
sell soldier any intoxicating drinks
And you don't see the drunken soldier
of days gone by. 1t surely is hard on
some of the old army men who have
been used to it for years. There is a
little "boot-legging" going on, but the
| government sure does soak anyone
caught at it. 1t does seem awful to think
| civ Il 4
the countries at war in Europe are
trying with all possible means to ex-
terminate one another 1t makes a
fellow shudder when going through
bayonet exercises to think that
some day he may be pierced by one of
these or may pierce some other fellow
being
| There is no doubt but that we will
! be in France in several months
! Troops are leaving this fort everyday
for eastern and western coasts to
mobilize l presume and sail at the
word go. | have often thought that
after this war we will probably have
another on our hands within few
| years. | have expected to see the
Mongolians jCin the Teutons. 1t would
not seem Mar so terrible, if we were
fighting the yellow race, but to be
| hghting Our own white race. Heard
| Dewey Johnson, Charles Schwanen-
| berg, and Ben 1verson are on their
| way down. | will be looking for them
every day, and hope they can arrange
| to get into Company E orr at least the
| second regiment. The fifth regiment is
also stationed here, but is a new reg
| lment and is not as far advanced as
! the second. Wheaton Williams expects
to transfer to Company E. He is now
| in Company A. George Schwannenberg
is in Company F while Jorgensen and
| are in Company E. The rest of the
Mankato boys are in the fifth.
receive the Free Press every day
so get most of the news although it
: is four days old. | surely read every
word of it. Well this is getting to be
an awful long letter, and no doubt you
are tired of reading it by now Sincere
ly, George w. Black, Company E sec
ond regiment of engineers; Camp
Baker lei PaSO Texas