The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1918-02-14
From Camp Sewer.
Greenville S. c., Feb. ID, 1918,
DEAR Mr.. SPARKS:

lNCtbC w liiNNiSptNNA III
short account of army life or rath-
er a musicians life in the army, we
are taking the liberty of sending
you short article.
We enlisted in the 2nd Tennessee
Infantry Band at Memphis on July
29th, 1917, and until Sept. 10th
we were stationed at Memphis.
Each morning while in Memphis we
had rehearsal and twice a week
we went to Overton Park for drill.
We left Memphis Sept 10th about
10 O'Clock a. m. We went by the
way of Birmingham, Atlanta and
Greenwood, S. G.. We were not al
lowed to get off the train but few
times and when we arrived in camp
about IL O'Clock on the night of
Sept. 18th we were about ready to
quit the army. We had spent a
couple of the most miserable nights
on the train one could imagine and
the last night spent on the siding at
camp we thought we would freeze.
Wednesday morning we detrained
and started for camp. Some of the
fellows had their blankets wrapped
around them and two had on palm
beach suits. Some officer yelled
why don't you paint fire scene
on that suit ?"
We were in this camp just long
enough to get everything cleaned up
when the End Tennessee was broken
up and we became part of the 55th
Depot Brigade. This organization
was soon broken up and we were
transferred to the 18th Machine
Gun Battalion and from there to the
120th Infantry, on January 7th of
this year.
Since we have been here this camp
has changed almost beyond recog-
milton. What was once primeval
forest is now a drill ground as
smooth as a floor, Except when
you have to play on a march,
Roads have been built and several
large quartermaster storehOuses.
There are seven Y. NJ. C. A. build
ings, two large theaters, a Knights
of Columbus Hall, Y. w. G. A.
Hostess House, Soldiers Free Lii
brary, a hospital for each regiment,
base hospital besides a score or
more business houses at the camp
station. SO quickly has the forest
been cleared and the wood burned
that we now are compelled to use
coal in our tent stoves.
Our duties consist of playing
guardmount and retreat each day
and an occasional concert. During
the morning we have an hours lit
ter drill or lecture on first-aid
work, as this is the duty we are
called upon to perform in time of
battle. The other day we had a
gas mask drill. A body Of men with
with gas masks looks far more like
a group of the ku klux khan than
modern soldiers.
If one were to search the unabridg-
e dictionary for term to apply to
our food he could not find more ap-
appropriate word than the regulation
-messl Take raw onions, stewed
peaches, three kinds of beans, dump
them into a shallow dish, mix
we'll and serve and you have
a feeble imitation of what we
get. OF course this is rather exag-
gerated. Sometimes we have chick
en--farnished by the chicken squad.
A bunch of rockies are given guns
and sent out to procure chickens.
They shoot anything with feathers,
such as owls, iay-birds, crows, etc.
These are dumped into a pot Of
boiling water and if the feathers
come out o. k. if not o. k. also.
Fer recreation we have the Y. M.
C. A entertainments, picture shows
and ne theatres. The favorite rec
reati of the band, however, is
sleel ing. We get more pleasure
out letter from Gods country"
thar anything that comes our way
ia b of eats" excepted) and we
feel ure if the folks at home realized
this they would write oftener.
With best wishes for the success
of Il ,'VIDETTE, we remain
Your friends,
CLIFTON B. REID,