The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-10-15
CAMP LIFE DESCRIBED
BY LIEUT.. WATSON
OF BRANDON
Prisoners Are Shot Down
Who Try To Escape
From Camp


ID. Watson OF that village. DR.. Wat.
son was born and reared in Brandon,
but previous to his enlistment was
a veterinary surgeon practicing at
Lexington, Ky. The lieutenant is now
at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas.
His letter follows
Dear Parents:
take this to be one of the greatest
pleasures of my life-to write home
as | feel somewhat in writing atti.
tude at present. However. | can't
say ] am bubbling over with news.
Since my last letter to you there have
been some changes. One of these was
Uncle Sans suddenly sending me to
Texas. or course did not object,
but l would much rather have had oy-
crseas duties.
The trip from Camp Grocnloaf.
Chickamauga Park, Ca. to Camp
Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas, was sure.
ly great. Another lieutenant and |
had planned 10 go as far as New Or.
leans together. We started soon ar.
ter getting orders to make our de.
parture and, after lot of checking in
and out, found we were somewhat
late. We had not gone far when our
taxi had blowout. The taxi driver
could not put the tire on. This look
ed very much as If we were Off on the
wrong foot for a successful trip, but
luck changed and VIC arrived at the
station in time for the train. We were
too late to get bcrths so we sat up all
night and visited about everyone on
the train and watched people get on
and off at the different stops. The
next day the scenery was somewhat
changed. Instead of seeing mountains
and pine trees we saw sWamps and
saltweed. Farther on. in Louisiana,
we saw much timber being hauled to
the sawmills by oxen. Then we came
to New Orleans. | think this city one
Of the most interesting I have cvel
seen. believe that about all nations
of people are there represented. An
other thing noticed was the differ
cnce in the atmosphere. Lookout
mountain, whence came, is 400
feet above sea level and the air is
light and fresh, while at New Orleans
they told me we were 6 feet below
sea level. Here the air seemed heavy.
Nm InI nm tnttr
ncy and came to tthe Mississippi riv-
er which we crossed in fcrrybOat.
AS to Texas, can say little so far,
except the country, from Houston
to Dallas and on towards Fort Worth,
was vast prairie with little grass
and few trees. The grass anJ trees
were sunbnrned. | could see the long
horned cattle, aud the men with
broad brimmcd hats walking i'm the
sand which spashcd under their feet
about like slush. Cotton, a very i'm
urc. Some of it had little blossoms
on and the plants were only a few
inches from the ground. In Georgia
the cotton is two to five feet high this
year.
like Fort Worth very much. can
stand on u slight elevation at Camp
Bowie, which is two miles from the
city, and see almost the entire city,
The soil in this vicinity is very pro
ductive.
Camp Bowie is not SO small, as VIC
have over $1,000 horses and look for
more. Yet, Of all camps, ] will never
forget Camp Grcenleaf. it recalls all
my military chool experiences There
were 5000 studentOllicers at this
school. They included medical doc
tors, veterinarians and dentists. Al
SO there were between Is and 20 thou
sand enlisted men who did not get
commissions and are in training to
assist the officers. AT this camp
there is general hospital to care for
wounded men from France which has
IL capacity of 10000. Then, too, there
Is the German prisoners camp that
has over $500 at present. Two fences
about 20 feet high and about that far
apart surround this camp. Several
steps from the outsid. fence are the
guardhouscs. from which the entire
camp can be seen Also the entire
camp is covered by machine guns.
The Euardbouses are placed about 80
yards apart along the fence around
the camp. There are lights shining
under brilliant rellectorB every few
feet along this fence which make the
line to be guarded as bright as day,
during the night. Inside of the inner
fence about six feet, Is IL dead line
and the prisoners know il means
death to cross it. Al the guards are
equipped with short -barreled shot
guns that are loaded with buckshOt,
The guards never leave their post and
at night any nCise along the fence
l.,