The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-08-01
HAROLD SlLlETTO
Davenport, Iowa.
Iulv 2h 1917
The Denison Review,

July ~, A0At.
The Denison Review,
Denison Iowa
Dear Editor:
Now that l am a regular soldier
guess it's safe to let you know what
we are doing and try to give you some
idea of the organization. A battery
consists of 191 men and officers.
The latter are captain. senior and ju-
Nor 1st. and senior and junior End
lieutenants. The men are divided into
sections, each containing about 20 pri'
Yates. 2 corporals and sergeant or
chief of section. There are nine of
strength, besides several extra non.
commissioned officers who have spec
ial work to do such as stable sergeant.
quartermaster and 1st sergeant. The
s'irst four sections are the gun sections
and the rest have only caissons. The
men in each section are divided into
-wo classes, drivers and cannoneers.
The former have charge of the horses
and the latter drill with the pieces
only. Each gun section is composed
,f one field piece and caisson, the
after carrying the ammunition. The
other sections contain only caissOns
and these are used to carry ammu-
milton and any equipment needed.
Section Five is what is known as the
special or B. C. Detail section. From
this section are usually taken the men
who go out ahead of the battery.
pick positions for the guns and fig.
ure firing data. This Is the most
IN, ho hot hIYt
certainly is interesting. The men in
the B. G. Detail have their own horses
and don't drill much with the rest OF
the battery. The ninth section is com
posed mostly of mechanics, horse
shOers, etc.
1.-THE past week or so we have been
following a regular drill schedule. de-
voting part of each day to each of
the several departments. We get up
each morning at $40, march about
quarter Of mile and upon returning
have breakfast. Immediately follow.
ing the meal, the grounds and build
ings are cleared up for the day. At
8 o'clock everybody falls in for roll
til 1l:O0. This drill consists of about
an hour Of dismounted drill, which Is
about the same as what the fellows
at home were doing, except, of course,
we have no rifles. CannOneers' and
drivers drill is next. the former work.
ing on the guns and the latter driv-
ing the horses. About every two or
three days we devote most of the
morning to hike. The battery is
usually divided into two platoons each
taking a different road and meeting
at some specified place. We then have
a fifteen or twenty-minute rest and
trade routes when we return. The
afternoons are spent on theoretical
drill, lesson is assigned each day and
recited the next.
Ben and l are getting along very
we'll so far and like the work fine. We
have been promoted to 1st class pri-
Yates and at present are classified as
cannoneers. There will undoubtedly
be a great many changes when we get
into concentration camp as each man
will be given the position he is best
fitted for. but at present the idea is
to get into shape more than anything
else.
I'VE have another Crawford coun.
ty man in Battery D. young Blare
of Charter Oak. who has been work
ing in Davenport for some time. The
bunch as whole, are all real nice fell
lows, most of them living in Daven-
port. There are about ten or dozen
from S. U. l. Some OF the picture
shows and amusement places have
been made free for battery men, but
we haven't been banqueted like Co.
B, as yet.
mo one knows when we will move
and probably won't until we are load
ed on the train. but every day there
are rumors of some sort. | think we
will go to Deming, N. NJ. but that
isn't certain yet.
1--WE have taken all examinations
and were mustered in Yesterday.
Very truly yours.