The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-05-23


seems to come of at first. felt lit |
tie ennui myself at the getaway. But
that was certainly one thing that didn't |
annoy the later.
In the latter part Of October. 1915, l
decided that the United States ought |
to be fighting along with England and
France on account of the way Belgium
had been treated. II for no other reason.
As there seemed to be considerable
division OF opinion on this point among
the people at home, came to the con-
! clusion that any man who was free,
white and twenty-one and felt as j did
ought to go over and get into Ii single
handed on the side where his convic-
lions led him IL there wasn't some par
ticular reason why he couldn't. There
fore said goodby to my parents and
friends In Lexington and started for
New York with the idea Of sailing for
France and Joined the Foreign legion
of the French army.
Decides to Go TO Canada.
A couple Of nights after got to New
York I fell into conversation In the
Knickerbocker bar with chap who
was In the reinforcement company or
Princess Pats regiment of the Cana
dian forces. After my talk with him
decided to go up to Canada and look
thinks over. I arrived at the Windsor
hotel. In Montreal, at o'clock In the
morning couple Of days later, and at
10 O'Clock that morning / was sworn
IN as a private In the Canadian Grena-
der guards, Eighty-seventh overseas
battalion, Lieutenant Colonel F. s.
Meighten commanding. They were Just
getting under way, making soldiers out
of the troops enlisted with, and dis
cipline was quite lax.
They at once gave me weeks leave
to come down to New York and settle
up some personal affairs. and l over
stayed II FIVE days. All that my COM
pany commander said to me when l
got back was that I seemed to have
picked up Canadian habits very quick
ly. At review one day in our train
ing camp heard a major say:
"Boys, for Gods sake don't call me
Harry or spit In the ranks. Here comes
the general!
We found out eventually that there
was a reason for the slackness of dis
cipline. The trouble was that men
would enlist to get $110 day with
out working for II and would desert
as soon as any one made 1t unpleasant
for them. Our officers knew what they
were about. Conditions changed In
stantly we went on shipboard. Disci-
pline frightened up on us like tie rope
on a colt.
We trained in a sort of casual, easy
waS In Canada from Nov. 4 to the fol
lowing April. We had a good deal OF
trouble keeping our battalion up to
strength. and l was sent out several
times with other "noncoms" on a re-
cruiting detail. While we were In the
training camp at st. Johns made the
acquaintance of young Canadian who
became my "pal." He was Campbell
Mcfarland, nephew of George McFar
land, the actor, who Is so well know
on the American musical stage. He
was a sergeant. When i first knew
him he was one of the most delightful
and amusing young fellows you coulc
imagine.
The war changed him entirely. He
became extremely quiet and seemed Il
be borne down with the sense of the
terrible things which he saw. He new
er lost the good fellowship which wai
inherent In him and was always read,
to do anything to obiige me. but h'
formed the habit Of sitting, alone anI
silent, for hours at a time. Just think
ing. II seemed as II he had Fremont
ton about himself, though he neve
showed fear and never spoke Of tn
dangers we were going into, as TN
other fellows did. He was killed II
\ the Somme action In which 1 wa
wounded.
/ also had been made sergeant OF
account of the fact that / had beef
at school In the Virginia Military In
! stitute-that is. I was an acting ser
geaRt. II was explained to me tina
my appointment would have to b.
4 confirmed In England and then recon
frmed after three months service II
\ France. Under the regulations of tn
4 Canadian forces a noncoinmissione
j officer. after final confirmation In hi
grade, can be reduced TO the rank
only by general courtmartiaL thougl
he can escape courtmartial, whel
confirmed with charges. by revertin
to the ranks at his own request.
Forty-two hundred OF us sailed 70
England on the Empress OF Britain
sister ship to the Empress Of IRELAND
I which was sunk In the st. Lawrenc
( river. The steamer was, of course
a very crowded and uncomfortable. an
, the eight-day trip across was most III
. pleasant. We had tripe to eat unit
{ we were sick Of the sight of II.
q sergeant reported one morning. "Eigh
b men and twenty-five breakfasts al
, sent" There were two other troo
o ships In our convoy. the Baltic and IN
s Metagama. A British cruiser escorte
Q us until we were 400 miles on the cvai