Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-07-03
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

This punishment is aWarueu "heh0
there is a doubt as to the willtul gullt
- man who has committed an Of
fence punishable by death.
Then comes the famous field pun
ishment No. l. Tommy has nicknamed
# "crucifxion." It means that a man
ia spread-eagled on a timber Wheel
two hours a day for twenty-One days
During this time he only gets water
bulIv beef and biscuits for his chow.
Won get "crucffied" for repeated minor
OffenSeS.
Next in order is field punishment
No ,.
This is confinement in the "clink,"
without blankets, getting water, bully
bppf and biscuits for ratiOns and doing
all the dirty work that can be found.
This may be for twenty-four hours or
twenty days, according to the gravity
Of the offense.
Then comes pack drill" or default
srs' parade. This consists of drilling,
mostly at the double, for two hours
with full equipment. Tommy hates
this. because it is hard work. Some
times he fills his pack with straw to
tighten it, and sometimes he gets
caught. If he gets caught, he grOuses
at everything in general for twenty
one days, from the vantage point of
timber wheel.
Next comes &C. B." meaning Soon
fined to barracks" This consists of
staying in billets or barracks for twen-
ty-four hours to seven days. You also
get an occasional defaulters' parade
and dirty jobs around the quarters.
The sergeant major keeps what is
known as the crime sheet. When a
man commits an offense, he is
''crimed," that is, his name, number
and 0ffense is entered on the crime
sheet. Next day at 9 a. m. he goes to
the orderly room" before the captain,
who either Furnishes him with sc. B."
or sends him before the o. c.. (officer
commanding battalion). The captain
of the company can only award &c. B."
Tommy many a time has thanked
the king for making that provision in
his regulations.
To gain the title of ''smart soldier"
Tommy has to keep clear of the crime
sheet and you have to be darned smart
to do it.
l have been on it a few times, most
~ for Yankee impudence."
During our stay of two weeks in
rest 5Ilets our captain put US through
course Of machine-gun drills, trying
out new stunts and theories.
After paradeS were over. orr prns,
crews got together and also tried ont
some theories of their own in reference
10 handling guns. These courses had
uothlng to do with the advancement of
ue war; consisted mostly of causing
tricky jams in the gun, and then tho
rest OIL the crew would endeavor to To-
Na'e as quickly as possible the cause
VI uhe Stoppage. This amused tban
LOT few days and then things came TO
3 StandStiH. ~
one OF the boys on my gun claimed
mat ne could play tune while tho
gun was actually firing. and demon
Sua'ed this fact one day on the target
range. We We're very enthusiastic and
O0,'ueu TO become musicians.
after constant practice T hooor,o
g Su,'e expert in the tune entitled IAN
Conductors Have Biz Feet" All
"hen l had mastered this time onr
once wen" ZEN. rest came to an end, and
. ., again We went up the line and
wood. Aioht OF O.
,on a. Uni. lnls point the German trenches
ton a a. around the base of a hill, on tbe
Wy u which was a dense wood Tbie
r ~y'U was infested with machine onns
NMeh used TO traverse on- is suns,
m IN and sweep the streets Of . T+tpo a.
s. ''ase' where We were biIIeted Will 1t
~ reserve "hAlS
-, mere was one gun in nor+,,,,
So --,1 USED to get our goats, it had tho
ent-er ..''se OF our elephant" dusout
Tina r,~ .,,.. and every morning, abont the
bBTa+ = . LUIS We're being brought nm its
ms mas would knock up the dust on ~ + i,o
w. more than one Tommy Won
them. S W running into
and FTit gun got our nerves on edge.
BE- na, -,.l seemed to know it, because
rep1to+;o.s save Us an hours rest Onr
sts p1Sanon as machine gunnarS r,S our
,n4 1e We tiled various rusps - I ,oo, a. a.
Zach ono ~, I,s gun out of action, but
proved TO be a failure. and