The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-09-12
TELLS OF TRIP
TO The COAST
Judge E. B. Belden Gives
An Interesting Story of
the Embarkment of Ke-
nosha Soldiers.
HOW 85th DIVISION LEFT
People All Along the way Showed
Great Interest in Soldiers Off for
Battlefields Of France - Men Are
Anxious to Get Into Service.

Judge e. B. Belden has sent from
Camp Custer, the interesting story of
the trip Of the 85th Division, including
many Kenosha men, which recently
reached France and which is now in the
/ fighting lines somewhere I over there.
In his letter Judge Belden says:
IT told you that I accompanied a
troop train to port OF embarkation,
but that / could not say more about
that earlier because doing so would yio-
late army orders prohibiting giving out
any information concerning movement
Of troops. AS matter Of fact, Of
course, the world knew the 85th Diyi-
sion was going to move, that it was
moving and that it had moved, but no
information regarding such movement
could be properly given out until the
Division arrived at the port of debarka-
tion. A newspaper man who had the
run of the camp did give out detailed
information, in advance, concerning the
movement of the Division, for which
violation of regulations he and all others
representing his newspaper are perma-
nently denied admission to the camp.
On Thursday, July IL, the first seventy
trains carrying the 85th Division left
Camp Custer. 1t was followed by the
other sixty-nine with clock-hke preci-
sion. Each train carried somewhat
more than five hundred troops and of
fcers. The railroad service was good
and the run to the coast made in about
twetny- four hours. In every instance
! the soldiers were. aboard the train and
ready to move nearly an hour before
the scheduled time for departure. At
precisely four minutes before the hour,
in every instance, the train pulled out
amid the cheers of soldiers and civilians
along the line. Flags were waving
Everywhere. Many civilians along the
line tossed luncheon boxes to the boys,
nearly all of which were caught by out
Tstretched hands. I saw two or tree
miss their destination and fall under
the train and in one such instance the
anxious, disappointed donor, pretty
young girl, turned away and buried her
face in tears on her companion 8
shoulder. At the larger stations along
the journey women of the Red Cross
beautifully served sandwiches, fruits,
coffee, lemonade, cigarettes and news
papers. I think every man enjoyed the
journey and I know they all arrived at
destination in high spirits and eager to
go over, Hundreds of letters and post
cards were written and mailed en- route
and upon arriving at Hoboken, all of
ties until such time as the government
thought it advisable to forward them.
/ glanced at mary of the cards and
found them all of the same tenor.
Most Of them were addressed to Dear
Mother others to Dear Wife, Dear
Sister Dear Father, and some to
Dear Brother Nearly all said, Am
having fine trip, am all right, don t
worry. In no instance did I discover
an attempt to give information regard
ling the movement of troops or their
destination. The boys spent their time
en- route, when awake, in games, sing
ling, reading and writing. The field
kitchen was set up in a baggage car in
the middle of the train and what the
newspaper man reporting banquet
would call bounteous repast was
served three times a day. No mother
or other relative need be bit anxious
lest her soldier does not get enough to
eat. He has all he wants and of the
best quality and in great variety. He
lis well housed and well cared for In
EVERY respects In very many cases he
never lived so well as he does as a
soldier. His health is looked after with
lscrupulous care, he is excused from drill.
or other duties If he is not well and
lput under the doctor s care immediate
lly. There are only about four hundred
and fifty men, out Of forty thousand,
in the hospitals.
The train I accompanied was the
headquarters train of the 330th Field
Artillery, Colonel C1oke and his staff
and FIVE hundred and thirty men, and
trench mortar battery. Major Nash,
well known lawyer of Manitowoe, is
with this organization. Captain Nash,
manufactures, of Grand Rapids, Wis,
is regimental adjutant, and Captain
Anderson, Manitowoc business man, is
in charge of the trench mortar battery
IL had previous acquaintance also with
isome of the Heutenants.
Upon arriving at the end OF the RIM
the troops were detrained in perfect
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