Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-10-11
ASSIGNED TO ARTILLERY.
Captain Of Second Chittenden County
CONTINGENT Writes of Trip.

Contingent Writes Of Trip.
The following letter received by the
Hon. C. p. Smith from c. w. Kempter'
formerly teller in the Burlington Saw
ings bank and now at Camp Devens'
Aver, Mass. dated October 4, 1917, de-
scribes the experiences of the last
Chittenden county contingent to join
the national army:
The treatment given us this morning
was evidently considered a good days
work and as a result we new arrivals
in Battery F., 302nd Field Artillery,
have nothing to do this afternoon. the
mornings entertainment consisted o.
another physical examination. conclud-
ing with the first inoculations for small
pox, typhoid and typhus and the oom-
binatlon has already sent some to their
hunks.
At the risk Of boring you, I'll ten
you little Of what has happened since
leaving Burlington. There seemed to be
a sense of relief among the men In
my care after the train started ana
some of the fellows remarked that any
thing from then on would be easy by
comparison. We picked UP other parties
on the way: Franklin County meeting
us at Essex Junction, Lamoile County
at Waterbury and Orange County at
South Royalton; the whole town was
out at the latter place and gave their
men royal send-off. We had dinner
at White River Junction and incident
ally picked up "a men there from Wind
sor county amidst Il large demonstra-
ton. The weather cleared as wc near
ed the State line and 1t became quite
warm. The real things of interest all
happened in New Hampshire and at
Concord, Manchester and Nashua the
stations and road for miles were lined
with crowds as very large quotas
were leaving these places Manchester
was particularly enthusiastic, one fea-
ture being military guard Of honor
composed of girls in regulation uni
forms. At Nashua every man on the
train. and there were about 500 there.
was given bag of peanuts and fruit
by the Nashua Red Cros3 while the
Y. NJ. c. A. men distributed real post
| cards to all who wanted them. We
arrived in Aver about half an hour
late and after having been shifted
about considerably were detrained
about two miles from camp and divided
into counties. then marched to the out
skirts of the reservation. where each
mans throat was examined for con-
tagious disease. This done. the YER
mont men were reported to the Ad-
Jutant-Generals department by their
leaders and assigned to Field Artillery.
We were taken in charge by a re-
serve officer. who after keeping US
waiting nearly an hour had our Chit
tenden county men report at head
quarters of the 302nd Field Artillery
regiment and we were assigned to Bat
terry f, conducted to our barracks.
measured for uniforms, issued a mess
kit, one blanket and a comfortable and
assigned to a cot. Then, and not until
then, did we get anything to eat, and
we were even treated to butter as a
special honor. This was at $3.50 and
| after washing up our dishes, which is
| the style here. we were ready to hit
| the hay" (for that is what our mat
| tresses are filled with. This morning
was occupied with examinations and
! inoculations as I have told you.
Conditions here are really very
good: the conveniences are better than
| at the Plattsburgh camp. aside from
| being upon a much larger scale. The
first impression of the place is one of
awe. due principally to the magnitude
| of it all.
Socially it is cosmopolitan and nee
esSarfly democratic