Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-09-13
Battery B, 3l3 Field Battery,
Camp Lee, Petersburg. Va,

september III, 1914
Dear Editor Register-The Jefferson
county first contingent OF the National
Army arrived at Camp Lee at 3 O'Clock
September 9Th. II is composed OF Loyal
Gravatt and Adrian Wynkoop, OF Charles
Town, and myself. Each man as he ar
rives at camp is assigned 10 a barracks,
issued a bed sack, two blankets and
cot and assigned place for his cot. He
is then given his physical examination,
after which, if he has passed, he furnishes
certain information and is mustered into
service. Then he is given mess kit
which consists OF knife, fork and spoon,
cup and plate with a cover. He IS then
measured for his uniform.
All of the West Virginia men are placed
in either the Light or Heavy Artillery.
From rumors, all OF the men from the
Eastern Panhandle will be placed in The
313th Field Artillery. This regiment
handles the 3-inch guns, which CORE
spond 10 the famous French 75's. Six
battery is composed OF a captain, tour
lieutenants, four guns each drawn by six
horses, and about 100 men.
AT present the Y. NJ. c. A. is located
in temporary quarters, but there will be
about eleven buildings built especially Tor
them. You can get free writing paper,
pens and ink and are furnished with ia
bles TO write on. Reading matter is pro-
vided, which is sent TO the Y. M. {. A..
from the homes OF the country. A phona-
graph and piano will be in each building.
Each regiment runs an exchange, where
candies, tobacco. pop, etc, are sold. II
is worked on a cooperative plan.
The camp is laid out in the form Of a
horse shoe, and will house 10000 men.
Each barracks will hold from $50 10 zoo
men and the mess room is in the same
building. II we are allowed, we will be
on the lookout for the rest OF the men
when they start TO arrive on the 18th.
The officers here are fine men, and are
doing every thing in their power TO make
things easy for the men. ! know some
OF the men at home are not looking ior-
ward with pleasure to coming down here,
but the first contingent, so far as have
been able to Judge, are contented and IN
tend TO make good soldiers OF themselves.
Most Of the West Virginia contingent is
made up OF seasoned men. have not
heard anything like sedition from anyone.
The spirit OF the men is good. Several
of the men who were rejected in the phys
ical examination cried when told they
were not accepted.
Yours truly,
PRIVATE A. T. BRAGoNIER.
We are quite sure that our readers will
read with great interest the above letter
from Mr.. Bragonier, and we hope that ne
NAV write us often concerning the new
life upon which so many OF our young
men from Jefferson county are about 10
enter.
The Petersburg camp is known as
Camp Lee, being so called in honor oil
General Robert E. Lee, the great Con-
federate leader. 1t has accommodations
for 1900 soldiers, and il is expected
that within the next few months many
men will be in training there. The camp
is situated on high elevation about
hall way between Petersburg and Hope
well, the latter the mushroom city which
has sprung up since the beginning OF the
war because OF the great plant erected
there by the DUPONT Powder Company.
The camp covers $500 acres, which
until recently were twenty live prosper
Gus farms. Sixteen hundred buildings
have been erected al this camp, arranged
in great semi-circle In the very GEN.
ter is located camp headquarters, and a
great space has been LETT open adjoining
il for drill field.
Each building is large enough to house
an entire company, and a description Of
one answers for all. The lower floor IS
given over 10 the kitchen and mess hall,
and the upper floor provides sleeping
quarters Tor both men and officers. Al
this camp il has been necessary to install
a complete waterworks system, and the
pump-house mas capacity OF 5000 gal
Ions a minute. Ftty-iwo miles OF bitches
for water and sewerage systems have
been dug and fourteen miles Of water
mains laid Although the camp is situa-
ted only short distance from the James
river, 1900 shower baths have been in
stalled. as the weather shortly will be
too cold tor river bathing. A large por-
ton OF the reservation at Camp Lee re-
mains TO be cleared. and this task will
fall TO the soldiers in training
The district exempt on board, in ses-
sion at Clarksburg, has certified the
names OF Is additional men to the local
board for army service from this county.
Their order numbers range from lis TO
l45. None Of them will be required TO
90 in the first draft, as enough have al
ready been selected for this. even though
more thar an unexpected number are re-
iected by the army surgeons after exam
ination on their arrival in camp. The
list just certified contains the names OF
Chas. F. Drew, Joseph K. Williams,
Oscar F. Flanagan, Raymond 7. Harrell,
Roy E. Cook, Oscar NJ. Scarlet, Charles
Wethers, Charles Earl Dorsey. Geo. K.
Mckee, VIM. NJ. Robinson, Lincoln Jack
son, Thos. F. Hamilton, Alien 7. Sager,
Raleigh Hughes, Elder Y. Mitchell, En-
rond Walker. Thomas a. BriScoe and