La Junta tribune., 1917-10-04
SOLDIER BOYS Down SOUTH
Harmoa Downey Writes Interesting
Talc Of Soldier Life In Canton.
meat near Montgomery, Ala.


Tale Of Soldier Life In Canton.
meat near Montgomery, Ala.
Harmon @. Downey. son OF Mr..
and Mrs. H. 8. Downey. 31s Cimar-
ron avenue, writes the Tribune .
very Interesting letter OF his exper-
iences and observations In one Of
the southern cantonments. located
near Montgomery. Ala. Young Dow
ney . not yet twenty-one years Of
age. and until two years ago lived
In La Junta. where he was employed
IS an operator. Since leaving "a
Junta he has been located at Lima.
Ohio. where he was employed as a
machinist In the locomotive works.
He enlisted II the army In Ohio. but
was taken out OF the Ohio division
and II now located with Truck Com
pany No. /. Hath Supply Train.
Camp Sheridan. Ala. The letter fol-
lows:
Way down south in the land of
cotton are located the several can
tonments OF the National Guard
from the northern as well as the
southern states Of the Atlantic sea-
board and the middle west. The
largest Of these cantonments Is Camp
Sheridan. situated three miles north
Of Montgomery, the capital city Of
Alabama. where the Ohio National
Guard is now encamped.
The Ohio boys were mobilized To-
cally on July 18th and after An
impatient wait. were started on their
way south the 23d OF August. The
first troop to arrive at Camp Sher-
idan was the Supply Train In which
am . private. When we dropped
off the train that chilly morning the
first thing we saw was cotton field
and everyone started to pick cotton
TO send back home to the folks.
Once we were put to work Kidding
the fields OF cotton In order to start
drilling and we decided that we new
er wanted to see any more Of the fluf-
~ stuff. = ope. company. however.
made . hundred dollars gathering
cotton and then selling II 1t the gin.
This fund the boys used to buy all
eorts OF good things TO eat that
they do not get At their daily mess.
Pulling peanuts out Of the ground
was another Job we had to do. but
as the gubers were not yet ripe we
could not sell our crop.
Camp Sheridan. itself. Is larger
than can be imagined. for the camp
site alone covers more than 2.200
acres. As far as the eye can see
stretch kahki tents and rough
boarded buildings. When the camp
Is completed and all the Ohio SOL
diers arrive. about November lst.
10000 men will be housed in TO-
0A0 tents and buildings. Three
thousand iaborers. both white and
black. have been working on the
camp from daylight to darkness
since August LIST.
The center OF the camp sight In
about three miles from the State
House and ID reached by . trolley sys-
TEN which formerly WAS = flat fall
ure but In now = BONANZA TO It's
owners. In order TO secure the bene-
fits Of the soldiers' payroll Of = mil
iicn and . half dollars-cvcry month.
the people OF Montgomery sub
scribed to = common fund 10 lease
the ground covered by the camp and
then turned the land over to the
government for the period Of the
emergency. Consequently the War
Department has decided 10 erect
more permanent quarters for the
men 20 that when the Ohio troops
move to France others may be
trained here.
when We arrived the Alabama
troops were QuArtereu on the otuer
side Of the camp waiting orders to
march 10 Macon. Georgia. where
their vintsr tssiniag viii bs carried
%. TIE OAis Buckeyes and the
Alakana Csacksrs became good
- - bssoss tAs Iattss marched
away. ssA shs Nerth aal oosth
asrse1 that thsy weuh meet asaia
h Dssiis- ne headquarters u the
S7th Dtvlslea. - ~ 0Alo 1oatteaal
ouasA = NV asslgsats1 ~ ths Fed-
ssai Army. ere nsas IT, ssssa1s ed
tull1laes q The Alabama oeate Pair
Anoelatlea. vh1sh were used Tor
Twelve neaths - ~ camp Of lhis
Aiatana Dsi0nls.
nsstseassy. WITH . population
u se.eee. = . tyuscsi southern ssty.
0vss half tAe eitlssas ere eolese1.
oe ssnlReora's ~ eh0y en11 then 1own