Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-31
"RAINBOW Division" IS
SAFE IN N. Y. HARBOR
RUMORS THAT l6STH NET WITH
= MISHAP AT SEA SEEMS
UNFOUNDED.
SOLDIER WRITES OF OCEAN TRIP
Letter from lie Roy Goodrich VIII Set
at Ease RumOrs About Boys
Bound for France.


morning from Leroy Goodrich. men,
ber of the Rainbow Division, will
set at ease rumors about the soldier
boys from Manchester, who had been
at Camp Mills, Hampstead, n. Y. and
who left that camp some days ago,
supposedly for France. Our readers
understand that no detailed info"ma-
ton can be given as to the movement
of troops either by rail or ships, and
that fact accounts for some facts being
no doubt withheld in the letter Mr..
Goodrich wrote on the 2Sth. Follow
ing is the letter:
October 2Sth 1917
Dear Friends -
No, this is not from somewhere in
France, as I expected my next let
ter to you would be, but instead, it
is just New York city, U. S. A, but
instead of Camp Mills, Hampstead, it
is Fort Jay, Governors Island. 1t is
a fine little place too, by the looks o.
it. Have not seen much of it yet. The
Statue of Liberty is just across the
East River from us. Can see the
Woolworth building and many of the
other large buildings very plainly
from here.
Well, folks, | am rather tired from
our trip, but I've got this paper over
my knee and shall endeavor to tell
you of our trip to France.
Monday, the Sth, we packed our
squad kits, and marked them, "A. E.
F. France. T." The A. E. F. meant,
American Expeditionary Forces in
France, but what did the seven in
side the circle mean? Wednesday we
received our pay and the weeks
end" found many new petty" officers
and some Of the old ones found them
solves ranking as low class privates.
Monday, the 18th, we received hun
dreds rounds of amunitions, and on
Tuesday we packed our barrack bags
and folded our cots Every one slept
with one eye open, with expectation
to roll packs about twelve O'Clock,
but we still slept on the ground under
the tents Wednesday night Thursday
morning after mess we got the final
orders and with hundred pound
pack on our backs we trudged along
to the depot at Garden City. We did
not know where we were going. but
/ think now we landed at Long Island
City. where we were ferried over to the
docks and were on the U. S. S. Gen.
Grant by 1880 p. NJ. 1t was one of
seven big boats in the transport fleet,
with about five thousand troops on
each. The ship cut loose about nine
O'Clock and silently steamed out of the
harbor. No one was on the main deck
and there was never a shout from the
time we left Camp Mills, but it was
only because we were not allowed to.
We were crowded into the lower decks
of the ship and the steam heat surely
made it hot for us, for we were used
to. sleeping in the open tents. | don't
think very many slept very well that
night Friday morning we washed our
hands and faces in salt sea water.
Experiences on the Sea.
Well, folks those of you who have
never been on the ocean do not know
what it is like and | can not explain
it. To look in one direction it SEEM
ed to me as if we were going uphill,
and on glancing all around it seemed
as though we were on top and going
down hill We had lost sight of land
but could see six other shops, besides
a battleship, and two destroyers. Well
we lined up for our first mess and af-
terwards our matches and flash lights
We're taken from us and given strict
orders to thrown nothing over board in
the day time Smoking lamps were
in the kitchen. We could smoke as
much as ever on deck between sun
rise and sun set, and in the kitchen
until later The ships sailed without
colors or lights. That night the most
of us went to bed early, but we were
disturbed more or less as any one on
board will tell you.
Saturday the sea sickness began,
and say it was fierce. l shall not
attempt to explain it. but really one
needed hip boots to walk any place.
Nearly everyone "fed the fishes more
or less. Sunday we felt some better
and on Monday We felt pretty good.
Along towards evening we turned
around and started back. 1t was a
surprise to all Some said it was the
sealed four days orders, some said it
was on account of leaky boiler, and
some thought it was the ''7', meaning
seven days sail, which really meant
transport boat No. z Tuesday morn
ing we were all alone on the high
seas with no other boats in sight and
sailing west. 1t was surely some live
ly bunch on deck that morning, and
you could hardly blame them. Every
one had by this time accustomed
themselves to the life on the ocean