The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-12-19

It was a real hike and all down hill.
The only trouble was that George and
and Charlie had sack Of grub that
we had saved up so as not to starve
| if we hit any place where the rations
were short. lugged it most of the
way up the hill and Charlie the rest of
the.way. George took his turn carry
ing it down but it finally got SO tough
for him that you would have laughed
to see the expression of misery on his
face. But he would not say anything
and he would not have dropped that
bag for anything in the world because
we did not know when we would run
into REPETITION of Winchester. Well,
we finally got to station and sat
around the platform for while. Then
they loaded us on the train. Box
cars and holes in the floor that you
could stick your foot through, no
straw on the floor and it was the cold
est part Of the winter over here. We
were on that trip for four days and
about as many night and | can tell
you we were doggone glad that we
had saved that bag. l had managed
to get some tobacco out Of my bar
racks bag which happened to be lying
on the dock at Southampton and so
George and I and Charlie were lucky.
The rest of the boys in the car had
to take what we threw away in the
line of smokes or else 60 without.
forget now just what big towns we
stopped at on the way but at one of
them one Of the boys who could talk
French got us some white wine or win
blanco as it is called over here. It
tastes like vinegar to start with but
it sure had kick. Well, a little way
farther down the line bunch of the
boys from one Of the other companies
stole hogshead of red wine or vim
rouge and the whole train got in on
it. The whole regiment later had to
pay for that wine. did not get
stewed but had my share of it. On
the evening of the fourth day just
about dark we stopped at LaCourtine
which is an old French artillery school.
There lis not much of town there and
We had hike of about mile to the
barracks. They were old stone bar
racks with French hunks in them.
We landed there on the night of the
fifth and the rest Of the company ar
rived on the night of the sixth. Our
barrack bags arrived about as soon as
we did and found that l was one Of
the fortunate ones. My bag had not
been touched. But during transit
open and the stuff taken out of it. But
several Of the boys had been slaske,l
everything of mine was there includ-
ing the tobacco. The seat was still
out of my pants but from some place
or other Waite Olander had unearthed
pair of pants that would fit me. I
do not know where because at that
| time there was not quartermaster
outfit within couple of hundred miles
Of US. I-asked him what he wanted
for them and he said we'll l will give
you these and try to get you another
pair for sack of Bull. Well you
can imagine now just how valuable
| that Bull was to the boys. The pants
are worth about three dollars a pair.
On the morning Of the eighth we re
ceived orders to send all our privates
and privates first class to the 10th
and 18th Infantry. If you ever saw
a dumfounded bunch it was us. We
worked all that day and that night
getting the service records ready and
on the ninth the bunch left US. Well,
I guess can imagine just how every
one back home felt when they saw
the boys leaving. started in to say
goodbye to the bunch but the first
man hit was Tom and quit right
there. 1t sure hit me hard to see
the kid go and have never forgotten
it. Well that night early the band
went around to the different outfits
trying to cheer the gang up but there
was no cheer in that gang. will be-
that the colonel aged ten years in
those two days. Well about ten
o'clock that night Bill O'Leary, who
was there with the 10th So. TT. and
M. P. came up with some refresh
ments. After we got rid of that we
got some more. We did not care
whether the war went to H or not
And Jimmie and woke up the next
morning with our head in the same
pail. 1t was the first time in years
that had ever been tstewed and what
| mean is the first time was a gool
one.
We left LaCourtine (what was left
of us) about the twentieth of Janu.
airy and landed in Gondrecourt-sur.
Mouse on the 23rd The first corp;
schools are located there and we stay.
ed there for about seven months. That
is did not stay there that long but
the rest of the bunch did. Meanwhile
at LaCourtine had been assigned tt
the Regimental Statistical Depart.
ment and when Regimental Headquar,
tiers moved on the Goth of June Il
Langres, Haut-Marne, the home Of
the Army Schools. On the way dowr
just short ways between Neufcha
teau and Gondrecourt is the little VII
lage Of Domremy. It is pronounced
Do-Re-Me. It is the birthplace OF
Joan de Arc and it is worth whole