Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-02-20

BY Raymond Nelch Camp Merritt, New jer-
Dear Folks: We left Waco Sunday. Feb
rusry Sd at about / O'Clock. We didn't know
ve1y loaG ahead of time when we were going
Ii was real warm that day. We had about
~ miles To walk with our rolls. rifles. saddle
bags and oVercoats. The cars pulled out as
soon got on them. II, q. supply. and
machine sun companies We're on our train
about 500 men 1 think. | saw Mrs. Buffers
just before left. the first | had seen her
since she came dawn. She was at the train.
Six orderiies staid there with the horses.
Two are across with Capt Buffers and anoth-
er is with the other horses that went ahead
to New Port News, Virginia So there are
only five orderlies left with the company.
We left tents standing there Just clean
ed things up good. / suppose there win be
another bunch in there right away. Our
train was made UP OF about IA Pullman
sleepeTs. three freight and one baggage
car, which they used to cook in. They had
their stoves up and cooked up. then they car
ried the things through the and dished
it out to We had sleepers so we didn't
loose any sleep. Sergeant Griffin. Gulmo ia
eorporal) and myself had one section, one in
the upper birth and two in the lower We
got into TT. Worth, Texas, about four o'clock
That is another large training camp. We
passed right neaE the aviatioa field Saw IL
machines up at once One few quite low
and followed the train for quite distance
and waved at Us, then he turned and went
back a ways then turned again and for some
reason he didn't set turned and fen. 1t
smashed the machine up quite q Bit but we
think he ct hurt any. At Waco they were
UP every day. Sometimes d dozen at n time
They Iooped the loop and did all kinds OF
stunts, but l don't think they had any acei-
dents. They will be like automobiles, pretty
soon. Everybody viii be getting them. We
got out Ct Texas and through q corner Of
Kansas in the night and woke up ia okla
homa. We got TO a town called Muskogee
Oklahoma about $50 in the forenoon. We
got of and marched around for a couple Of
hours The Red Cross gave us apples. tohac-
a a
town. A lawyer took me up 10 his Office and
ave me lot Of magazines to read en- the
train. That was about all we had 70 do on
thc train.
Ca, Tuesday morning we woke up in Mis-
souri,. Stopped sat a little uiace about the
size Of Liberty Pole, called Mokane. We
got back in the cars. We passed in sight Of
jefferson City the capital Of Missouri. The
weather has been fine so far. Getting up 70
where there is more snow ROM though We
got into the yards at StIouIs about g
O'Clock, filled the tanks in the cars with water
Otto Oliver took down with the measles on
the train and had TO be left at the military
hospital al Stbouis, Cowden and carried
him UP 20 the depot stretcher. They
lad an ambulance waiting for him. He wasn't
80 very SEX. ] think he viii be all right in
a few days.
We crossed the river into East St.Louis
about 10 o'clock. When awoke she next
morning we were in indianapolis. There is
good frm land along here. We don't get
70 see much of the cities. We didn't set fed
so very good on the train, only two meals q
day, one at about and the other Ut between
-four and FIVE Costing and l bought Csc
| peach pie and ate II this morning. We were
| fed as good as could be expected though.
Stopped at Unoin City q while. IL is on
| the line between Indiana and Ohio. We
passed through Cleveland some time after
midnight. crossed part Of Pennsylvania in the
night too. stopped at BSfalo. Neg York,
| about nine O'Clock. liked around there FOR
| an hour. Didn't any Of the main part
of town though. The Red Cross gave Us bars
of candy and cigarettes. Left there about
i 10 80, run along the lake shore Lake Eriel
/ for several miles. Got into Rochester, about
/ and Albany in the night Also went along the
Hudson river in the night. We woke up in
Dumont. II 10 just a small place. but our
/ barracks are located there. We gut off the
ears about s o'clock. Lots of snow here and
I the road we had 10 march all glare
of ice, so il Was rather hard walking. l
havn't seen much here yet. The barracks are
wooden buildings two storisS hsgh and equip
/ ped with electric lights and heating plants.
something like they have n The school house,
/ Each room has little spring bed and mat
1 tress that all resdy in the building. We
don't know anythinS about how long we
will be here but ] don't think we will leave
/ for three or -four weeks Before we leave
| we can take a card and just write on it ar
rived safely and sls-n il and mail them here
/ They are all taken care Of here until they
get word here that boat has arrived all
/ right. Then they mail our cards Tor Us and
/ by that way you will get word n week or
/ ten days sooner. II is cahled back when the
/ bost gets over all right II is much colder
day though. Everyone is feeling fine here
now
IBy Sergeant Timer Runaing. Co. l., ls4ih