McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-10-19
From Camp Gordon

Co. D, 325th Inf, Camp Gordon,
Atlanta, Ca. Oct. 8, 1917.
McNairy Co. Independent:
As have been requested by sever
al of my friends to write them and
tell them how we liked soldier life, to
do this separately would be almost
impossible, but il the Independent
will be so kind as TO publish short
letter for me | will tell them a little
about Camp Gordon.
Now, it is useless for me to say
that any of the boys are liking their
new home as we'll as the one they
left, for these are some Of the COM
plants you hear among the boys: Il
could make it all right if it were not
Nor my wife at home;" others have
mothers and fathers that need their
presence, and last but not least, you
find others that have sweethearts
bearing on their minds" 1t seems
sad to hear the boys tell Of the condi-
tions they left things at home, but
they rally up over this when they re-
alize how much is expected Of them.
for one left as happy a home as
Tennessee afforded, but l am not
grumbling, for | realized long before
was called that somebody had to
60. | knew was no better than
others.
Now ! will give some of the rules
and regulations at the camps. We
arise at S o'clock every morning Tex
cept Sunday, which is one hour later
We have fifteen minutes to dress in;
then we are called out for reveille;
then we take breakfast at 6 o'clock.
commence our drilling at 7:l5 o'clocl ,
drill till IL o'clock; then we get
ready for dinner, which is II O'Clock.
We 60 back on duty at 1::30 o'clock,
and off again at A o'clock; answer
retreat roll call at s O'clock, and have
supper at 6 o'clock.
We can 70 anywhere we want tc
after supper till 1920 o'clock, when
we have to be in our hunks.
So you see our work does not last
SO very long. We have as much pas
time as we have to work.
The greatest pleasure the solder
has is the Y. NJ. G. A. They furnish
us amusement every night: moving
picture shows, boxing and wrestling
contests, speaking, preaching, and
Sunday school every Sunday morning.
/ don't know just how many Of these
buildings are here, but have been 10
four. They also furnish us all the
writing material we use and urge Us
TO write home often. Everything in
them is free; they furnish baseball.
basketball, tennis ball and sever
other outfits free to the soldiers. SO
you can see they are Of great benefit
to us.
Camp Gordon consists only Of q
cantonment; every building is new.
| understand the buildings cover about
I36 square miles, and they are still
building.
1t is show to anyone that was
never at place like this to see how
many hands they work every day and
to see the foodstuff that they unload
in the big warehouses almost every
day. !.
/ But the greatest sight Of all is to
see the soldiers when they are on a
hike, as they call it. / have been
on two Of these hikes since | have
b zen here; each one was about 18
miles. 1t would look strange in Nc
Marry to see 10000 soldiers marching
through the country.
We can also get passes occasionally
to 60 to Atlanta, which is only twelve
miles away. We are going to march
through that city before long, | un-
derstand.
| noticed in to-day'spaper that they
are planning to move Camp Gordon's
boys to Camp Wheeler at Macon, Ga.
If they do We will be 80 miles further
from home.
| | must not fail TO mention what an