The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-02-22
FROM BOYS
IN The ARMY CAMPS
From Thursdays Daily.

/
/ Rev. M. w. Fleckenstein received
the following letter from Private
Engwal Olson, stationed at Camp
Hancock, Ga.
/ Dear Rev. Fleckenstein and
Family: Your most welcome letter
received this noon and can say
letter from home people sure makes
me feel like new soldier boy. /
have wished many times that a
chance would come to me that I
could get furlough to visit my dear
folks and friends but as it is SO far
to travel on a ten day leave l feel
l should stay at my post. We may
be called for shipment at any early
date, so if l should miss out then /
would not feel just right. l am en-
joying army life very much, espe-
cially at this camp. Was stationed
at Jefferson Barracks, Mo-, for five
weeks, it was a tough place for
raw recruit. One good thing l can
say for it and that was we had ex-
cellent meals and lots of it too. We
are now in the land of sunshine and
sand, and good heavy rain visits
us once in while, that settles the
dust. We have been drilling four
hours each day. 1t makes the sweat
roll down our face when the sun
beats down up on us like it did today.
The thermometer registered in the
neighbOrhOOd of seventy eight de-
greeS above at two o'clock
This morning we took hike out
on a country road. My hobnail shoes
are a heavy load on my little feet,
but then we all get used. to that in a
little time. This is one of the health
lest camps IN the United States. We
sleep in tents with the door way open
all night. l certainly can sleep well
with all the fresh air we get at night.
My folks wrote me that Minnesota
has had very cold weather. Would
like to have you all down here to
enjoy this country. Some farmers
are beginning to plow already. They
do not seem to be very prosperous
as a whole Most of the fields are
cotton and peanuts. Our evenings
are spent to a good advantage we go
to bed most of the time at nine
O'Clock. Sometime we go over to the
Y. M. C. A. where l am at present.
Here we are entertained with
| lectures, moving pictures and regi-
ment bands. The boys are all happy
and bunch of the best in the land
Everyone has lending hand when
in need. / feel very much cortented
here. In our tent are eight OF us.
One fellow is married with wife
and two children living in Pittsburg,
Pa. The rest of us hail from Sioux
Falls, S. D., Mo-, Savannah Ca, Min
neapolis, Mankato, Va, and Pa Boys
from all over the country are here.
In the morning we get up at six,
wash, dress, make our cots and
polish up our tents by $50. Six
forty revielle comes and then from
now on we get fifteen minutes in
calisthenics before breakfast. Eight
thirty we go to the drill grounds for
two hours.
i There are more than 10000 SOL
diers in this camp of whom 10000 are
infantry. From the distance we can
hear the firing of the infantry guns at
the camp trenches. Everything in
war fighting is given here. Tomor-
row being Sabbath day will try and go
to the meeting here at $50, providing
we do not have to drill We were
obliged to drill this afternoon and
were informed that we had to drill
Sundays as the motor mechanic regi-
ment were to leave soon. But there
are so many orders given out that the
only one to follow is the last one CIV
en-. There are going to be some
changes made in the second regiment
tomorrow. In some branches there
are too many boys so we may get a
new home by tomorrow night. Am
anxious to go to France and get to
work. Severay boys from Mankato
are here. Was with Clifford Hedberg,
son of the life insurance man, last
night. Got letter from my sister
stating that Elroy Burmeister was To-
Gated in North Carolina. / saw him
several times at Jefferson Barracks.
AS l have few more letters to write
this evening / will close for this time
with my best regards to you and the
family. l would like to hear from you
again. With love and sincere thoughts
l am as ever, Private Engwal Olson.
Blizzard Has Gone.
UNITED Press Dispatch.]
st. Paul, Mimi, February 15.-The
northwest today returned to it's semi