Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-07-10

The following is an extract from
letter from Harold Sheperd, of Iras-
burg, who is in training at Camp
Jackson, to G. w. Russell:
Dear friend George:
l have a few hours to myself SO
will drop you line. I have just had
my last incubation so have 48 hours
off duty. Only one thing I have to
answer call to and that is my meals
and believe me I should have to be
some sick if I can't take my rations
for they are SO tempting. 1 never
had any better feed than I get here.
i The battalion commander told the
battery commander that if our barracks
stood a good inspection to give us a
good dinner and we can figure on get
ting it if he says SO. Our captain and
officers are just fine and l like the
army fine and am right at home here.
| It is some hot though, anywhere from
| 100 to 100 degrees and we have had
| two days of 165 in the shade. When
you get out in the sand up to your
ankles and drilling in the hot sun it
| is good for a farmer. You ican't
realize how have developed my mus
cles since I came here. 1t is wonder
full. I have signed up for the band
and would have been transferred on
| Thursday but fellow broke out with
measles about three hours before I
would have been transferred. They
are hard up for band men. The 9TH
er day the officers obliged us to report
all musicians we knew of in civilian
life, so think yourself in luck that l
did not report you. Ha! Ha!
that would make my hat raise from
VIII LOT
in the barracks. All the boys are at
me every spare minute, so / am play
ing most of my spare time. I have
some writing to do. Have been get
ting from two to four letters a day
and that and my other necessary
work like washing, takes up some
time. A man has got to snap out of
it some to be soldier, but it's fine
just the same. The army is a good
place for me as it makes a man out of
a boy. But, George, when you hear a
man say that drafted man isn't in it
with an enlisted man, you tell him for
me to come to Camp Jackson and
find out. The battalion commander
here told us night before last that if
he wanted picked company for any
men every time. He said that we fell
as long as we could and that a man
that was doing so was making good
and when you get such men into the
army they take an interest in their
job and make good there, too, and he
also said, God pity the enlisted man
he heard making any distinction or
any remarks concerning such. He
said that majority of enlisted men
were fellows out Of a job, lazy and
good for nothing, thinking if they
got into the army they would get
their board and clothes and have a
soft snap. A drafted man isn't sneer-
ed at in this place. am farther from
home than I ever expected to be,
about 1900 miles. I can't realize 1
am in South Carolina. l have taken
out $4,000 insurance, half of it 60
ing to dad and the other half to
mother
Well, it's getting nearly time for
feed and guess you will be tired of
reading this trash. I haven't been
sick minute since I came here, not
even homesick. Although I think of
the old home town every day. Well,
George, write me all the news and
write often. With best wishes from
Harold Sheperd,
18th Bn. F. A. r. D.
Camp Jackson 6 C.