The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-10-08
LIFE AT FORT
OGLETHORPE
work Different From That Of
First Camp = Busy Days
and Fascinating Work
HIGHEST TYPE OF MEN

Real Trenches and Battle-Marked |
Spirit of Competition-Bewen Com.
mands Platoon in Battle on Histor.
lie Field.
10 the Editor of The Robesonian:
l have intended for some time to
comply with my promise to write you, |
and find that this is the first real |
self. -
l am at present interned in the
camp hospital, unable to use my right
arm on account of fall which sus-
talned some weeks ago, and which has
caused an ugly abscess and contrac-
ton of the right forearm muscles I suf-
Ter very little pain and will probably
be out the last of this week ready for
line duty again.
Work Different From That Of First
Camp.
The work here is so different from
That OF the first camp that hone of
us had the correct idea of what was
coming to us when we entered. All
the information we had gotten from
those who took the first course and
from what had been published on the
subject was very far from the point;
so when we expected one thing we got
another. There are a number in nv
company who were in the first camp
and much of the work is entirely new
to them.
/ Every Detail is Fascinating.
Every day is different, and each
little buster than the preceding one.
We are up at five fifteen and from
then until nine-thirty is crowded with
hard work. From ten o'clock at night
until five-fifteen in the morning we
have it very easy, nothing to do but
lie up in bed and sleep. But while
, the work is hard and rests infrequent,
every moment is interesting and ev-
cry detail Of the work is fascinating.
The spirit of competition among the
cadets is most marked, and even on
the police jobs there is race between
squads to get through quickest and
to have the cleanest grounds when
through. This spirit is encouraged
by the officers and has most desir-
able effect upon the men.
Very Few Have Fallen Out.
Contrary to what was generally
expected, that is, among the men, on
| ly very few have fallen out so far,
! even under the strains of long hikes
and the work of digging and then
living in the trenches. Our company
has. lost only seven men and two of
these went home on account of death
in their respective families.
Real Trenches-A Battle.
I expect to send Mrs. Bowen, later
some pictures of the trenches. These
are real trenches and not the toy
bitches which they had in the first
camp. They are constructed on the
] same scale and pattern as the most
approved systems Of entertainments
: on the western front in France. Theil
:, construction was supervised by two
officers of the French army, now at
tached to senior instructors staff o:
! this post. We dug them in about three
days. Our battalion was the frs
to go in. We stayed in tw'
days and one night, defending tn
position against the attack of tn
Fourth. We then left the trenche
and took the offensive, the Fourtl
defending the trenches and the Firs
covered itself in glory when it tool
charge. I sent Mrs Bowen a clip
ping from one of the Chattanooga pa
pers describing the first part of tn
battle. It may be of interest to yor
l had the good fortune to be as
signed to command of the Fourt
platoon of our company during thi
battle and it might be interesting t
note that at the same time of night
on the same day Of the month an
the same month, over the sam
ground and in practically the sam
formation, my platoon moved agains
the enemy. holding the same positio
I held by the Federals when the Mort
= Carolina troops pierced the Unto
:, line in the battle Of Chicamauga. A
imposing monument to the memor
of the North Carolina troops stand
at this point and signs. of the Unio
works are still discernible just mort
of Snodgrass hill. The surest sig
that the old sectional wounds hav
healed is found in the fact that tn
North and the South are about equal
ly represented in the camp, and tia
on the same grounds where our fatk
ers fought each other, we are trainin
IlITnEE1 Arn CTnkH TIT