The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1918-11-01
From Ross Chappell

The following letter was written
by Ross Chappell, to E. E. Bechtol
and 0. E. MACPHERSON. Mr.. Chap
ell taught in the Kendrick High
School two years ago and has many
friends here.
Dear friends and your families:
As a last resort, l am going to
write letter to the two of you,
for l see absolutely no hope of get
ting a letter to each Of you. You
can share the letter as you wish,
divide it where you please and ac-
cept it as you will. 1t seems to me
that wrote card or letter to one
or the other of you late in the sum-
mer while | was at Fort Riley. l
was at Fort Riley from June 20 to
Sept. 3, 67 days. | learned quite a
bit while l was there but not
enough to make me general or
even corporal. | was in four diff
ferent barracks locations during the
67 days. The permanent buildings
at Fort Riley are all of stone, are
we'll situated, and are no doubt
pleasant to live and work in. | was
in the new part of the fort, the part
which has been built since the war
began. These building are of wood.
There are no big barracks like
those at Camp Funston or Camp
Lewis. They are all one story, and
have no main halls in them, the
mess halls are separate. Some 16
foot pyramidal tents were used.
Riley accommodated about 10 to IL
thousand men at the maximum. The
water was good, cold and with a
good pressure. The water reser-
voir is we'll guarded at all times.
The great objection to Fort Riley
is its dust, which was fearful at
times. It has more good character
istics than bad.
l was one of IT'S men who left
Fort Riley on Sept. 3. We arrived
here early on Sept. 5. We were the
nucleus of the Sanitary Train Of the
18th Division which is being organ
lied and trained here. The San
itary Train is composed of A Ambul.
ance companies, a Field Hospitals,
and several small units among
which is the. headquarters.
We had been here only four days
when was designated to attend g
class for Supply Sergeants. So fol
a week l studied supplies. On the
tenth day l was pulled out of that
class and was taken into headquart
ers as Personnel Clerk. l have
been doing the work of that position
and some work CT typewriter, file
clerk and some other dignitaries
We have been getting some new
men since Sept. 80, so my work ha
taken fairly definite form in tn,
last two weeks. My work is sup
posed to be with the records of mel
composing the Sanitary Tram. A
present we have only 1874 men
The authorized strength is abou
900. So we have some more worl
before we get records started fo
the whole Train.
have not had the good forum
or the i'll fortune to get out of tn
ranks of the privates. No one know
whether | shall. l don't worr
about that part of life. Camp Lc
gan is pleasant place. 1t is outsid
of Houston; the intervening spac
is small. The camp site has been
woodland of yellow pine. In plac
ing the camp the trees have been Gu
out for the streets and the builc
ings. The other trees still stanc
The ground is fiat, with just enoug
slope to drain poorly. The drainag
is provided by bitches about thre
feet deep. The surface soil
sandy, several inches deep. b
meath it is clay subsoil. The raj
makes mud for a little time, br
the mud soon dries and the g1oun
becomes firm We have had sever;
rains lately.
We are sheltered here in 16 fo,
pyramidal wall tents, floored. TT
mess halls are not foored. In seve
al | have seen stumps, just as tt
trees were cut down.
We are we'll fed here. Occasio
ally a meal is poor, but there a.
only a few of those meals.