Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1917-09-14
LETTER FROM
MAJOR hfDR|CK
HIS COMMAND EXPECTS SOON
TO MOVE SOUTH.
NOW AT MoBRIDCt, s. D.

SAYS BOYS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE
AND ANX10USLY AWAITING
ORDERS TO ENTRAIN.
My Dear Warner:-
Whether you care for it or not
am going to let you know a little
about myself; what l know about
our immediate future, which is a
mere trifle, and few things II
think. The latter know, of course,
is of little consequence and you no
doubt don't care what think, but
l can write it and think it just the
same.
Well, we are still here. right
where we have been since about
April LIST. We are now waiting for
orders as to when and where we are
going. They have bounced us
around like a football. on paper.
First we were slated to go to Dem
ing, New Mexico, as a part of the
18th, new 34th Division; we were
then, about July 28th, assigned to
the old goth, new 41st Division, and
slated to go to Palo Alto, California.
Then some board of health in Cali
fornia, who think they know more
about camp sanitation than the
army does, decided the govern
ment must construct a water sewer
system, so the papers say. The
government knew what it wanted
and what was needed, SO simply
abandoned Palo Alto as camp, SO
the papers say, and are going to
send the 41st Division, to which, SO
far as we know we still belong, to
Charlotte, North Carolina. But we
are still waiting and it's getting on
our nerves. Not but what we are
very nicely situated and very nicely
treated here; but when one expects
every day to go and don't go 1t gets
monotonous after while.
l now have over 600 men, splen-
did young fellows, in my battalion;
306 here, 154 at Ft. Meade, $50 at
Yankton. The rest of the regiment,
called out July 18th are still at
their home stations. My battalion
has been putting in five hours drill
day, besides schools, ceremonies,
ETC., and is in very fair shape, bet
ter than when we returned from the
border; OF course, our 400 men are
men enlisted since March 26th, but
they have worked hard and do very
we'll. Don't understand that mean
that they are ready for the trenches.
far from it. We have great deal
of hard, gruelling hard, work yet to
do before that. But they are in
shape now to begin and stand up
under that work.
There is lot of talk that all
infantry companies are to be in
creased to six officers and two hund-
red men, making battalion, twen-
ty-six officers and one thousand
men. I believe it will be done.
have my hands full now; expect to
be real busy then.
Wish you might see my horse.
He's a beauty and just as smart as
he is pretty. Is hands, inch tall,
weighs about 1850 pounds; sorrel,
with silver name and tail. Gentle
as a kitten, and still full of pep"
and life. Lois rides him every
where. And, by the way, the wife
and kiddie are just fine. They have
enjoyed living in tent as much as
it can be enjoyed, but are getting
anxious to get located SO Lois can
get in school. The weather hasn't
been the best lately, cold and
windy. Had to put up q stove the
other day.
Haven't heard who were certifi-
ed under the draft, and I'm mighty
anxious to know.
Suppose Hot Springs is as leth-
argic as ever over the war. But
few people seem to realize we are
at war with the greatest military
power on earth; that we have stalk
ed our all. Most people instead of
finding out where they can do their
bit, are busying themselves trying
t. keep from being called on to do
anything. 1 would violate the
postal laws II told you what /
think of such mollycoddles. Sufice
it to say they have no right to be
called Americans; because they are
not Americans, and our forefathers
who fought and died that we might
have this. the greatest country on
earth. must be turning over in their
graves to think we would harbor
such reptiles In our midst. Under
stand I am not referring to those
who have bona fde grounds for ex-
emption, but the mass Of cowardly
ours, who trump up any thing, go
any route, to get out. They must
have pure white livers, and self re-
spect and love of country. are alb
solutely unknown to them.
: I have wondered what those
friends (?l Of mine. who busted
themselves villifying me during my
absence. are doing for their country
now, when It needs them. But then
I don't need to ask, for any one
would know where they would be.
and you can just bet they won't be
carrying q musket either. It takes
better stun than that to make
soldiers. Soldiers meet their