The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1918-01-10
Editor County Record:

written from Texas. NOW, Wnlle
Pm about to freeze to death and
thinking of the good oak fires at
home, shall write again while we
are still in the u S A.
Just about the time the last snow
melted, we were visited by another
yesterday, so now we shall have to
hike about twelve miles daily until
the snow melts again. Yesterday in
a binding snowstorm started to the
city. Being Saturday and half hol-
iday, | thought there would be no
trouble getting car, especially on
account of the snow and the intense
cold. but the boys were undaunted.
The roads erelined with them from
Paris to Greenville, some waiting on
public service cars and others hiking
in. | crawled into a wagon, got
ahead of the crowd and finally got a
car. The first place we visit in town
is q restaurant, then barber shop,
and last and best, to a fair danes
home there to sit by a good fire and
tell her of the hard and soft times
since we saw her last. | think the
soldiers have the inside track over
the civilians with the fair sex.
The class order drill is almost a
thing of the past since the drafted
men have learned all the facings
right Qeft) steps. squads right Qeft)
and the manual of arms. We have
some extended order drills. but the
principal drills now are bayonet ex-
ercises and trench warfare. Some
officers and non-com's from each
company are going to bayonet schools
under English and French officers,
and as soon as the course is finished
they will be detailed to teach their
respective companies the bayonet
drill. Others are being taught bomb
throwing, and some are taking a
course in the use of the gas mask.
For about three months we were
busy digging trenches, which are
now finished. From now on we shall
be taught exactly what we must do
when we join the American forces in
France. A description of tent-mak-
ing may be interesting. We have
five lines of trenches. The first is
four feet wide at the top. The front
is four feet six inches deep, the back
six feet. This gives a firing step in
front Is inches high. When not
firing, the men step back and are in
trench six feet deep. This, with
the parapet which is the dirt leveled
off to one foot. slightly lower to the
front. protects them from the ene-
my's fire. This is called the first line
trench,or trench of departure. Steps
dug in the sides make it easy to
climb out. For twelve yards it is
built or dug straight. Then for six
feet it turns to the rear, then straight
again for six feet. then six feet to
the front, which brings it back on
line with the first sector. This
leaves solid bank of dirt across the
trench every twelve yards. 1t is
called the traverse and is built that
way to protect the men from flank
fire by machine guns. The front top
of this trench is called the parapet.
The twelve-inch space between the
parapet is called the "berm;" it is a
place for the elbow to rest while fir.
ing.
Then comes the front firing STEP"
next, the soul, or back" then the
paradoux (paradous). This is the
dirt thrown behind the trench to
hide the head, or cut it off from the
sky line, and for protection from ar
tillery fire.
The second treEch is called the
cover trench, but it is not covered
1t is four feet wide and seven feel
deep. This is where the support
stays. The third and fourth line