The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-02-28
AT CAMP! HANCOCK
TWO oSKALooSA ENLISTED MEN
AWAY DOWN SOUTH.

lonesome for word from home. Send
them letter and word of cheer.
DAVIS Barr and c. c. Carroll tell a.
good story of what they have seen.
Mr.. Chas. Walling, Oskaloosa, Ia.
Dear Sir:-As we are the only two
Oskaloosa boys in this division we
thought you would like to hear from
this camp.
There were over 200 of us selected
through the personnel Office at Camp
Cody, N. NJ, for oversee duty with
the motor mechanic regiment here.
Our train left Camp Cody $3.50 p. M,
Jan. 80. We were given rousing
send off as we were the first to leave
camp for France. AS our train APP
preached the border near Ell Paso 1t
was interesting to see how the border
was dotted, the landscape every few
miles. We saw the guards patrolling
the bridges over the Rio Grande river,
also artillery close by.
We left Ell Paso about 8 p. m. We
began to wonder about this time why
they did not turn on the electric lights
but we were soon informed that there
was a government order prohibiting
lights on troop trains as several had
been fred on, but we were. allowed
candles to make our beds by and about
midnight we pulled into Fort Worth
Had a little excitement here as one
fellow attempted to make a get away
and upon being questioned by Major
Phillpot, commander of the train, it
was found he did not belong on the
train at all; but had intended to ride
as far as Fort Worth and give himself
up to the military authorities, as he
was taking this plan of getting out of
Camp Cody.
He was placed under arrest and TAX
en- along and later was turned over to
the military police. From Fort Worth
on we began to see few trees and
further east we got the more trees we
saw, as there are some great forests
| in Texas. Louisiana is a great tim
Der country and lots of swamps. Our
train made slow time in some places
on account of soft track.
We were all anxious to see New
Orleans. 1t was o'clock in the after
noon when We arrived there. Our
train stopped nearly on the bank Of
the Mississippi Our train of twelve
coaches was pushed on the big ferry
boat and in about eight minutes we
were on the other side and our trip
from here on for several hundred
miles was along the Gulf. We crossed
several bridges from one-half to one
mile in length, to cross these bayous
of back water.
What land there is here is standing
in water. At Mississippi Bay we saw
IT large wooden vessels in different
stages of construction. At Mobile we
were taken for a hike "in the rain"
Saw lots of big three and four mast
sailing vessels, also lots of autOmo-
ment. We sure made time from Mo-
bile to Montgomery They have a
large cantonment there, mostly Ala
bama troops. We were talking with
a military police and he stated they
had been seriously troubled with
pneumonia there. We left Mont
gomery at p. M, and next day, Feb
ruary 3, at p. m, we arrived at Camp
Hancock and were put under quaran-
tine for ten days.
This camp is located five miles from
Augusta, Ga. There is a street car
line and lots of jitneys.
This sure is fine camp and eli
mate. We did not know how to act
when we first arrived here, it was
such change from Camp Cody. The
soil is slightly sandy, no dust or mud,
There are lots of big pine trees and
they are sure pretty, green as can be.
You can hear the frogs croaking OF an
evening; never gets cold here. All
you need for a coat is a rain coat as
it showers occasionally. They claim
that this is the healthiest camp in the
United States. We have seen the
dust storms so bad in New Mexico
that the cook served dinner with Cog
giles on, and before morning the
ground covered with snow and 6 be-
low zero, so there is no use for us to
explain further how willing we were
to leave Cody.
We are one of the Motor Mechanic
Regiments attached to the Flying sec
ton of the Aviation and just how long
we will be here is a matter OF guess,
but we are positive we won't be here
any length of time.
These regiments are composed of
men from all over the United States,
organized under General Pershing's
orders. The First and Second Regi-
ments have already left here and we
are in the Third and next to go, and
they can't say the word any too soon
for we are ready and willing to do
our bit. This makes the third can
torment we have been in and IL there
are any slackers in Oskaloosa, If they
only knew what most of the boys in
tend to do to them when they come
back, they couldn't get to recruiting
office soon enough.
We are both getting along fine and
hone all Our old friends are the same