Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-12-07
1T. WITTEN
WRITES OF
CAMP LIFE
'Fazewells Soldier-Doctor is Il
Walking Advertisement For
North Tazewell--fiad a
Thanksgiving Dinner Like
Used to Get at Home.


| atives and friends here on his return
to camp, has written us the follow
ing interesting letter.
81 found things about as left them
on my, return to camp. Was glad to
get back for the trip is long and
tiresomc onc-the trains are crowd
ed these days and all of them run
behind schedule. Lots Of people COM
ing from New York to Florida about
this time of year and II berth on the
train | came on is almost ungcttablc.
The camp is still in the grip of mcn-
slcs, and pneumonia. Think the mca-
sles are abating, but the pneumonia
is claiming lot of the sclectmen. IT.
seems to be II septic form of the dis
ease and hard to gct under control.
feel so sorry for these poor fellows
that must die in these training camps
away from friends and before they
have an opportunity to fire shot fo:
the flag and country. know that they
wouldn't mind it so much if the lat
ter privilege could he afforded them;
yet they are as much II hero as they
would be if it was otherwise and their
friends should feel that way about
it, The doctors and nurses are GER
tainly doing their part working both
night and day giving the boys the
best there is i'll them.
The weather is real weather nt
this camp, just like early summer in
Virginia. am sitting in my tent
without fire and with the flap open
writing this. For II camp site this is
an ideal place. level with sufficient
drainage and lots of room, never gets
muddy rs there 10 nothing but sand
over the entire camp. Most in the
center of the camp is II good size
lake dividing it, The infantry and
Cavalry are on one side and the AR
tillery, and Sanitary Train (this in
cludcs the ambuances and field hos
pitals) on the other. You should hear
the bands from these different organ
izations open up each morning just
before revielle, when the mir is crisp,
each one trying to out do the other as
there is great rivalry between them,
know you would enjoy hearing the
big brass horns as they challenge the
other fellow, having been an old band
man yourself.
want you to know that we had n
great Thanksgiving dinner. This is
what we had, and when speak oil
we | mean the enlisted men also. 1t
was n spread in abundance, and was
as nicely cooked as you could WISH.
Just before mess our mess sergeant
said to me, "Lieutcnant. bet we VIII
have something the others wont,
and asked me to guess what IT would
be, but | had to let il pass. When the
mess hour came the something was n
nice linen table cloth with real dishes
for the officers of our company, and
50 far ns | have been able to learn
the sergeant was right. None OF the
others had table cloth. On the cv-
enjnp before, without anyone of the
officers suggesting it the boys ot our
company went to one of the swamps
near here and got n lot of holly, ms
tletoc and a vine they call smilaX
and with red cross and The stars ana
stripes in the center OF the mess haii
thev had it decorated very prettily.
The menu consisted of turkey, cram
berry sauce, roast pork, apple sauce
potato salad, peas, mashed potatoes
dressing with oysters, stewed oysters.
celery, mince pie, ambrosia, fruit CAKE
nuts. oranges, apples, cocoa, coffee
cigars Can you beat it! just before
mess our captain lined the men up
and his wife on behalf of the LADIES'
of North Birmingham, presented the
company with beautiful SILK Gui-
don, and it fell to my lot TO make the
speech of acceptance.
like our captain. He IS real
| Southern gentleman and prince
but | am still living in hopes OF be-
inc transferred to Camp Lee. Peters
burg, Va, as all my friends ere there
and when the time comes to go over
the top, I will feel better going with
them. Then Virginia folks are oui
folks, and there are no more ike
them.
| was about to forget the best
thing on our menu, so voted by ev-
eryone-Was-C Cott ginger ale, donat'
ed by my good friend, w. A. Scott
and from the best town on earth
North Tazcwell, Virginia. 1t is quite
popular down this way end is regard
ed as real ginger ale"
The speech made by DR.. Witten, ii
accepting the Guidon from the ladie:
of North Birmingham, is as follows:
"The ladies of the home town of oul
commanding officer through him ant
his good wife present to you this
beautiful silk guidon. to be your stan
dard, your gudon. in the land which
to each of you at the present is
land Of dreams-thc battle front. Mex
TO the flag which we all love and re
spect believe each officer, non-com
missioncd officer and enlisted men il
ambulance company number 122 viii
protect this guidon from insult ant
that where the fight is the thickes
you will find it.
, 1t is such thoughts. it is such sac
/ rifice, of the loved ones that we hav
/ left at home that make us know in
fnrDnt{n,,