The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-05-18
VISIT TO CAMP JACKSON.
Mr. T.. W. Dabbs Writes of Interesting
Trip.

Last Friday at one o'clock we left
home for Greenwood to attend the
marriage of Lieut.. Jas. McB. Dabbs
and Miss Jessie Armstrong. l was
particularly impressed with the good
promise Of wheat and the large area
i'm wheat from Sumter to Rcmbert.
Crossed river 46 miles from home mt
to 4.30. The road from the river
to the Richland county line was fear
ful. not often was there two hundred
yards of smooth road i'm a place.
Bumps and bumps of the worst sort
AT Dents Pond we turned to the
left and was soon in the environs
of Camp Jackson. We kept straight
ahead and soon found ourselves in
maze of trenches and sand bags
so we had to turn round and go hack
to the forks Of the road. After one
or two inquiries we found ourselves
in the artillery section, and then be
gan the search for the quarters of ny
son James. eugene had left for
Greenville on the train preceding the
wreck of the morning.. We found
his roommate, Lieut.. Jolly, who told
us James was i'm the city. Gnder
Lieut.. Jolly's escort we found the
'Y" hut where Mr.. and Mrs. Real.
are doing fine work to help the enlist
ed men spend profitable and pleasant.
ly their leisure hours.
1t was very interesting to sit and
watch the long rows of mon writing
letters to mothers or sweethearts. or
to see them walk up to the small H.
brary, select a book and go off to :.
quiet spot TO read. Some were play
ing games, some the piano. some
the graphophone. | asked one fel.
low who stopped by the grapaphonn
to sit down. NO" he said. seems
like | can not keep still. / want to he
going all the time. / am from Lou
isiana. When | got out of this wal
there are three things | never want
to see again. Il piano, grapophonc
and cow" l asked "why the cow"
lie said because he had lived on milk
for thirty days in the hospital.
There were games going on out OF
doors. While watching some men
make extraordinary standing jumps
| spied face some thirty or forty
feet away through II window that
thought was Willie Rhodes. He was
intent on a letter he was writing and
when he looked up did not look my
way. The uniform makes the sol
diers look so much alike that | asked
to make sure before going up to
speak TO him. He is now i'm the vet
erinary department. looking after the
stock. Not so much drilling and he
says he likes it much better than i'm
the depot brigade where he was drill
ed all day.
After seeing all that there was to
see, we took ride around tho
camp with Lieut.. Jolly to point out
the places of interest The negro
section was the jolliest part OF the
camp we saw. They were singing and
eating ice cream cones and as happy
rs only they can he.
The base hospital is q village in |
itself, but we did not have time to
examine it nor to go into the Hostess |
House nor the Liberty Theatre:
but did we have time TO go near the |
remount station where there are
literally thousands Of mules and
horses. Going out of the camp we
passed the scene of the morning |
wreck. There have been vast i'm !
prcvcmcnts since | was at the camp |
in January. But to see it with any /
satisfaction one should have his own
clr. a competent guide ana plenty of !
time.
H.. w. DahbS