Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1918-12-26

Where He Is And Has Been
Private Mackley Tells OF His
Trip From Meade To France.
Souilly, France, Nov. Is, 1918.
Dear Mother and ALL
As censorship has been lifted to a
certain extent, will give you a brief
history of my travels since leaving Camp
Meade, writing it with some carbon cop
les to save time which l guess you won't
mind.
left Meade at 442 on Saturday even
ing, July 9Th, and arrived at Jersey City
at II o'clock that night and slept on the
train. At o'clock l went down on the
wharf, as l was on baggage detail, and
helped to unload our baggage from the
wharf on to the barge and while on the
barge had my first and only seasick-
ness. We went on the barge to Hoboken
and went aboard the Leviathan, formerly
the Vaterland. She was surely some
floating palace.
We left Hoboken at 6 o'clock on the
evening of July 9th, without anv convoy
and did not have any until the last "
hours, when Ave destroyers met US, and
they surely did look good. The weather
was ideal, and we spent most of the time
on deck. We made the trip in 81 days,
and went in roundabout way at that.
We landed in the harbor at Brest on the
18th, but did not 70 ashore until the fol-
lowing morning, when we unloaded and
hiked several miles to the famous strong
hold of Napoleon. Pontannezen barracks.
This is very large camp surrounded by
high walls, and you can see where men
were lined up against the wall and shot
in ancient days. We stayed here until
the evening of the 10Th, and then left
Brest by train end class) and was on the
train until the evening of the 23rd, ex-
cept that we were on sidetrack, over
night. 22nd. and slept in barracks at
Is-sur-Tille overnight, but got up at 2.3O
and went on the train and then came to
MISSY sur Seine. which is the incest
place have been in yet, and the people
were very fine.
We were in MISSY until the morning of
the 9th, when we took trucks and went
to Prauthoy. arriving there at a p. m.
the same day This was some place, and
it was here wrote the letter that was
published in the paper. We stayed here
until September 9Th in the evening. We
then hiked to Vaux, and when we got
there our train had not arrived and while
waiting for the train rain began to fall
and have never seen 1t rain so hard.
We piled in large tent and about 2.3O
in the morning our train arrived and we
went aboard. 1t was small car marked
"8 horses or 40 men," We arrived at
Rivigny in the evening and camped in a
field in mnd shoetop deep during rain
storm until the following evening of the
10th. We took a truck from here and
arrived at Robert Espain about an hour
later. We were here until the 18th, when
we took to trucks driven by Cinnamon
anu arrived at Blercourt on Friday, 18th,
in the midst of the first American often
sive, or the St. Mihiel drive. The heav-
ems were lit up every second by giant
gun exploding. We stayed here until
Sunday night, September 18th, when we
walked to Jouy, as shells were beginning
to come too close to headquarters. The
morning after we left the buildings in
which we had our headquarters were
blown to pieces. We were mombed by a
German plane the first night at Jouy,
but | slept through it all and knew moth
ing about it until the next morning. We
were here through the drive of the 26th
or Montfaucon drive, and by the way,
the boys of Company A went in the drive
the same time. We left here by truck
on October 4th, and arrivedat Tillembois
where we set up our Office and in about
an hour we packed up again and moved
to Camp Gibralter which was on top of a
high hill and away off from civilization.
Here we functioned until the 9th, when
we went back to Tillembois and set up
office again. This is the reason did no t
write oftener were too busy packing
and unpacking and all the time we were
moving our work piled up.
We left Tilembois by truck on Oct.
9th, and arrived at Troyon the same day.
This was some beautiful trip which
have already explained to you about.
We were at Troyon until Oct. Goth, when
we arrived by truck at Dieue. Were at
Dieue until goth, when we again moved
by truck to Dugnv which is only few
kilometers from Verdun. / visited Yer
dun and saw the inside of the famous
cathedral and also saw the underground
city which accommodates the large number
of IS, 900 men. Verdun is some wonder
full place and you can not find single
building in the town that has not got
some damage done to it. | stayed in
Dugny until Sunday Nov. 18th, when
was transferred to CT, Headquarters
First Army located at Souilly. l have
visited the large government cemetery
and hospital here and yesterday | hiked
about Is miles to see the boys at Dugny
over the sacred way or the read that
saved Verdun. We expect to move AGAR
in few days to Bar-Sur-Aube an eight
hours ride by truck from here and Incl
dentally toward seaport. Do not know
how soon this army will disband but