Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-03-06
HIKE OF 56TH BRIGADE

Thursday morning at nine-ffty the
Fifty-sixth Brigade fell in line under.
heaAJy marching crder for hike to the
rifle range. The rout taken was via
Wheless, over the sNTilledgeville road. with
the 18th Regiment were Secretaries
Adams, Hughes and Veech of Y. M. 6. Al
rs. Secretaries Smedley and Keller from
T. NJ. c. A. 232 were with the 111th Reg
iment.
The hike to the place of encampment.
was without any special excitement The
and the word all along the line was "PiclkS
it up and don't drop out" At one point
when Fall OUT was given, the men
showed good skill as scouts by finding al
soft drink stand and persuaded the owner
to upen up and exchange his wares for
their money which seemed to please all
parties concerned.
When the camp was reached tents were
quickly pitched and mess served. Then
everybody made quick path to the lake
where good old swim brought back to
view the picture painted on childhood's
art gallery and written of by the Hoosier
poet THE Old Swimin' Hole"
Thursday night the men were given a
little training under darkness in trench
digging and scouting, after which they re-
tired to camp and gathered around for a
band concert. After the concert the
camp fires were lighted and tent candles
soon began to sparkle forth likez stars.
Then the boys in khaki sang and made
the camp sound like the old vets tells US
about, Taps was sounded at ten-fffteen
as usual but quiet was restored some time
after.
taken down and packs ready by eight
o'clock for another days hiking. At
efght-thirty march was begun and every
body with his gun and pack on, includ
ing Secretary Veech. who marched with
the Headquarters Company, started out
for somewhere in Georgia. where stop
would be made for diAss.cr. After seven
miles hiking at twelve-ffteen, fall OUT
ship School house and church, After
mess two miles more were covered. Then
the command halt was given. Pioneer
troop get picks and boots from supply
wagon Signal squad, a Co, B Co.. for
ward march" Off they went to the woods
to fight forest fire. Here it was that
Secretaries Adams and Hughes qualified
for their branch of army service and
have been recommended by the officers in
charge as Bush Beaters In the fire brig
ade.
Captain Miller of Company B had
charge of the fire and it was what we call
q forest fire about two and half miles
long and the blaze 30 feet high in some
places. If the officers and men show the
fighting spirit against the Germans that
they did against the fire land they wild,
there will be no Germans While we were
fighting the fire the rest of the regi-
ment returned to the artillery range. At
sos p. m, the fire was under control
and we were ordered to fall in. Lieut..
Smith with his trousers partly torn off
hardly tell our color, doubled time
back (what call double time), 81 miles
distant
That night Secretary Tebbs came out
and led the sing song and concert which
was followed by boxing and wrestling
act The next morning many were awak-
ened in the early hours of the morning
by the quarreling of the "mule SINNERS
and the iodine, dobbers . After mess
no tents were to be removed until the
command was given at $3.50 a. m. We left
for our return trip at 9:05 q. m. Tho
band leading and Headquarters Company
close behind. The band was playing,
when l Dream About the Moonlight on
the wabash" At $3.50 a. m. the band
played Goodbye Broadway Hello
France" TART of the trip back was to
the scene of whistling bullets as we were
brought through the rife range. The re-
turning march was made with but one
stop. At 10 a.. M, after hiking 8 Ia
miles we fell out to the right of the road
for a e-minute rest. Then we hiked it
back to camp with the band playing
''Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old
Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile" The
hike was carried out under fine military
order. The brigade passed in review be-
fore the commanding officer nm the drill
field of Camp Hancock at 1890 Thus
ended the hike of the Fifty-sixth Brigade.