The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-11-19
LAST LETTER FROM
ARTHUR BARTLETT
The Dapville Boy Writes Home
from Camp Grant, Ill.


publish tire last letter written by
Lowell Arthur Bartlett to his motIt-
er, Mrs ida Bartlett Of DanvIlle. The
young man was at the Central OH-
GERS Training school, Camp Grant,
H., and died of pneumonia at the
base hospital on October z.
Dear NJ other:
A few Ines to give you an idea of
what | am doing and just what sort
of school this is.
Camp Grant is about three miles
from rockford city, city of about
$4,000 population.
The camp is called one of the best
in the United States and at present
there are about $4,000 in training
here and more coming continuously
as about $T,000,000 issbeing expended
to enlarge it.
There ale 1000 workmen on the
/ job and double that number are de-
sired as soon as they can be procured.
These Buildings will take care Of
about 24,00Q more men. AS soon as
the buildings are finished they will
be used by the Central Officers Train
/ ing School, which will mean that we
will probably have to change quarters
| before our four months course is
completed.
AS this section is very level it is
possible to make nearly a perfect az
rangement of buildings, which has
been done. All streets are named and
numbered the same as in a city, and
principal s'leets are of cement, max
ing a very good appearance. There
is the usual Liberty Theatre, great
many Y. NJ, c. A. and K. C. build
ings.
Now as regards our school in par
ticular, it's four months course and
all those passing at the end of that
tiIne are commissioned second lieu
tenants. There are about $4,000 en-
rolled here to start forming the 1st
! Battalion and is divided into six COM
panies. In a month another $4,000
will arrive, which will be the End
Battalion, and so on for the third and
fourth months. Then when the 1st
Battalion leaves another list will take
its place in perfect rotation.
Our barracks are very comfortably
steam heated and we have a dining
nall for ec2h company. AS regards
eats, one Of the things that's next a
soldiers heart, they have started in
to feed u5 fine. Hope they keep it
up.
We are to be issued woolen cloth
ing at oIee and complete equip
ment within a week. or so. That is
! I mean mess kit and gun etc.
A rotation of the men is used to
choose acting corporals, sergeants
and lieuterants for the company that
all may have the experience. A small
red sergeant, and a blue button {
lieutenant. The lieutenants. are or
for two days and the non-coms fol
one week. Our hours are from 5.3t
till 500. Then again from 100 p
m. to 900 p m. for studying. An6
guess we will need all the study
time we can get for they have giver
us only ~ sections of the Infantr!
Drill Regulations to learn by hear
and besides 25 others to know anc
one paragr&p ph in Non-Com Manua
: to learn by Wednesday, when oul
: real work begins. In the meantime
) we are getting organized. Rigi(
/ discipline is the keynote of the train
: in, and every minute thing is no
ticed. The candidates are from al
/ branches CT service, and from al
5 corners Of the United States. Man.
: of them are of quite long training
: while some are of only few months
} There are some fine fellows. Ant
5 the main thing is that l like in spit,
of the fact that | am quite a wa,
from home and among strangers, a
: the bunch that came from the Uni
t versity of Vermont have been sepa
: rated and there are only two of u
|. in this company.
d Had narrow escape from a bat
t accident when we came in on tn
|. train from Buffalo. About four o
o five miles out of Cleveland before w
got speeded up coach was deraileC
d caused by broken axle No harm
n was done except for little shake
f up, but l hate to think of the conse
+ quences had it happened five minute
a later whea we had attained spec
+ of sixty miles per hour that is Gus
tomary as soon as it gets that ia
+; out.
IS We were used fine all along tn
e route. REQ Cross canteen worker
5. met US 1t Utica, Syracuse, Buffalo
n and Cleveland and gave US cand,
apples, chewing gum and cigarettes
n | struck 1t lucky on the train, bein
;e given a lunch and some fruit by tw
% different ores, and young lady CAV
n me pound box of chocolates, al
E. other maazine with her address an
ID stating she would send me somethin
te if I would write. Guess l had be
ter, eh?
ie We had from 430 till 500 in Ch
a cago and l used the time lookin
o. around instead of sleeping as
Is should, as we left Burlington at III
I'd Friday night and l hadn't been alb
o. to sleep any in the meantime ar
I'd that was Sunday morning.