The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-12-20
WITH SOLDIER BOYS
IN SUNNY SOUTH
Chas. Rudd Writes Of Camp Life mt
Houston, Texas /.
18th F. A. Camp Logan,
Houston, Texas.
December s, 1917

hOuStOn, texas.
December 8, 1917.
Dear Alfred--I received your letter
today and was glad to know you were
still alive. I expect you are having
quite a time keeping tab On me when
l tell you that we are going to move,
and then that we" have changed our
minds. Anyhow, we were just about
to pull out of Camp Logan when the
order was countermanded. In fact,
we had everything on the cars but
the horses and the e We had 8
cars Of mules loaded and the stock
train was to pull out in a couple of
hours but the order came and so we
stayed. We had 500 or 800 head of
stock, nearly all horses, and there
are 1920 men in the regiment. The
regiment is a two battalion, 3 inch
gun regiment Of Field Artillery.
There are six batteries, and each bat
terry is armed with 4 3-inch guns and
has $50 men. Besides this there is
a headquarters company, and a sup
ply company. Grandpa probably an
tell you all about this.
Anyhow l am glad we didn't move.
Ii was quite a job-ioading a regi-
ment IN trains, and it took us several
days to do it and then several days
to get Strengthened around again.
Besides Houston is a fine live town,
and a clean looking place. 1t is
scattered some on account of the con-
dition of the surface of the ground.
There are small cuts and draws In
and about the city. 1t is the home
of a good many weaIthy people, large
ly Northerners, who came south TO
live and who have made money in
oil, for this is the great oil country.
There are hundreds of oil wells In
this part of the country and there
are soldiers on guard at the import
ant places. Hundreds of car tanks of
oil are seen every day going some
where
The 33rd Division is located here
and we are actually acting as part
OF il although IL Is not our Division.
It is thought that we Will form part
of the 9Th Division, and | hope We do.
The 33rd Division is a National
Guard Ollinois) outfit. The General
(BelD commanding that Division is
Just back from a visit to the front
line British trenches and he knows
what we have to buck up against.
Accordingly we expect TO see some
strict discipline and thorough work
1t is colder than you think here
Last night we had our first frost 70
| degree above, and it sure was chilly.
| wore my sheep lined o a all day,
and we have a wood fire in our tent
! 70 keep US warmed up. our tent Is
! hoored and is about 14x16 feet and
plenty large enough and a fine place
to sleep. Four of us eat there, and
only two OF us sleep there. We have
a pretty nice place. There are a few
flies, and some mosquitoes chewed
my arm the other night, but the most
of them quit" last night.
1t was cold all right for we had
to break the ice on our pals OF water
but we warmed it before washing
ourselves. About she coolest 1t got
last winter was 81 degrees above OF
IL degrees below freezing. In the
daytime as a rule it Is too hot fol
b. v. DIS. and at night you pile OF
clothes.
We were cavalry until Novembel
10, when we were officially changed
to the 18th +. A. II is the same regi
ment, men and all, but under thu
new name OF 18th Fled Artillery
After the war we will likely go bacl
as cavalry. Still we may remain F. A
Your Brother.
Charles Rudd.