Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-09-20

took US nearly an hour omarch
through it. 1t is large enough 70 ac-
commodate 100000 men, and Camp
Stuart accommodates 10000 men.
DO you know whether any more of
the boys from near home have gone
across yet. 1t isn't anything to see
twenty large transports standing at
the wharfs unloading. There was Il
large Italian ship came in here the
other day, and some of the boys went
aboard. One of them reached for his
canteen, thought he wanted water.
but instead he filled it with ISalian
vine. He gave us drink 1t sure was
line. Yesterday l saw eleven aero
planes flying around over us at on.
time.
There were 1900 negro soldiers in
ore company marched by us the other
aay, with negro band playing Dix
re Land. 1t sure was some show and
,, the music was fine. We are not hay-
ing to work as much rs we did at
curtis Bay. | have to 20 on guard
here every third day and drill four
hours the other two days.
I've not been out much since heinz
mere. There isn't much to see thar
but the shipyards and Pm right in
them most of the time. There are
lZ,ooo men working on the shipyards
SO you can imagine what they are do
ing m the ship-building line. They
are building ships from the largest
type modern battleship down. They
turn out two finished torpedoe boats
every month. 1t is a show to see the
I camoufiaged ships. They are repaint-
cd every time they come into bort
are painted all colors, striped and
spotted, IN many different ways.
Speaking of us. taking the artn-
iery training, | don't guess we will
get to take it for sometime vet. All
i've OF the new companies are now on
guard, and we failed to get transferr
ca 70 the field artillery, so guess we
Wi! have to guard for sometime vet
instead of getting to go across.
Ihere are over 200 in our COM
Pany guarding here and 40 police
men in the shipyards and an anti
aircraft squad with two anti-aircraft
guns, SO you see they are guerdinp
TINS place close. The anti-arcraft
squad keeps a close watch out for
German aIrplanes. You know they
rear the eGrmans will bring an aireo-
plane on the submarines that have
been operating near the canes here
but with the watch out they have
mere 1t would be nothing less than
suicide and sure to be made prison
Tor German plane to attempt to
drop bombs on the shipyards.
ran across Edd Buchanan, from
Pearisburg the other night. He is n
policeman here. | had seen him sew
erai times but hadn't recognized him.
The other night as we came off guard
| got to talking to him and recop-
niZed him; He now weighs 275 lbs.
we had an awful rain storm here
! last night. | never saw it lightning
so much as it did.
Ihey launched two ships here La
por day, and there was large crowd
here. doubt if there is another.
small port in the country where Won
can get grimmer realization of the
war than here. You see the shin
yards, the central industry of the
town, along the water fronts are
;an:ouilaged either load ng, or wait
ing to be loaded with munitions of
war. You see soldiers marching
PACK and forth continually. the ar
mytrucks rush over the streets. In
[ the night the tramp of the soldiers
marching to transports are heard,
sometime you can see ship arrive
with those who have been woupde,:
over there, and that is the most ter
liple reminded OF all the going and
coming of the soldiers. They 90 hnia
and hearty in the best CT soirits us.
ual!y, singing as they tramp towards
inc vessel that is to TRANSPORT them
but those who are returning here are
manned and the terrible Impression
OF the ordeal through which they
have passed is stamped on their fac
es: They have endured the hard
SHIPS and dangers of war, the suffo-
eating heat of the trenches, the she'll
fire and hell fire of the huns. the
stiiilng gasses and all the devilish-
instruments of torture which the
nuns have invented. This is the time
tor sacrifice, personal sacrifice The
soldier and the civilian have duty
the soldier to fight, the civilian to
work and support him. The soldier
will do his. and from the evidence /
nave gathered from the civilian since
we left Bristol May the 10th, to Fort
ress Monroe and to Baltimore and
then TO Newport News, the wav the
Red Cross and Y. NJ. C. A. have been
en- the alert. gives us the satisfaction
OF knowing some one was willing 10
contribute for our comfort and to
keep up the spirit and morale of the
Continued on next page1
4