Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-05-20
COMPANY c BOY
DESCRIBES HOUSTON.
NEW YORK JOURNEY.
SERGEANT LEON CARPENTER IN
LETTER TO MOTHER TELLS or
CROSS COUNTRY TRIP OF OF.
TAWA BOYS ON WAY TO SEA.
BOARD.

IN a letter received after COMPANY
a mad embarked upon the high seas
for duty in France. Sergeant Leon
carpenter, member of the Ottawa
command, writes interestingly TO his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Car.
penter, 1922 +. Norris street, of his
travels from Houston, Texas. TO Camp
Upton, ~ Y.
That the local fighting men were
Keen for action and ready for any
thing coming to them" is easily read
between The lines in Sergeant Car.
penter's letter. He says:
My dear Mother.
we have finally arrived at our des.
tlilatlon IN the east. and suppose
yon would like 10 know something of
our experiences while on the road
Will begin at the beginning and tell
you. ! have made notes of all the
happenings while enroute, so will
be able to tell You nearly everything
mat happened. | don't know how
much of this will get to you. for they
are censoring our mail and the censor
VIII be apt to blot out a great deal
lat what he leaves YOU may read. r.
VIII begin at the beginning and give
the events day by day as take them
from my notes,
lhursday, May -, 19lS--Left Camp
Logan, Texas, bound for the east at
l2:o5 p m. Loaded in the rear of the .
post bakeries onto the third section
'l Santa Fe train, and into ear mum.
)ered No. 1863, had section No. s.
hree men in berth W. r. Fox and
man by the name Of Fulton were nv
)unk mates. Two good fellows and
'oth clean. The section composed Of
Companies c and d, Captain Ander.
on commanding c, and Captain Stew.
rt commanding u
Passed through Greenville. Culch
md arrived at Dallas, Tex. on Thurs.
lay evening at 1910 Dallas is a
'retty old historic town. We changed
Dads here, and left Dallas at 1l.05
J. m.
Friday morning we arrived in Den.
lson, Tex, at 1855 a. m We parad
Il through town to an abandoned
aseball park. where we had setting
p exercises for 45 minutes. A large
fowd gathered to watch us. We ar.
lved back in town at 10:45 a. m |
Nhlle waiting for train to pull out
ne OF the boys was feeling pretty I
risky and when negro girl passed
ne train she looked over toward him I
nd smiled. He ran over to her and
)ok suit case she ha dand carried I
for about block amid the laughter
our boys and the jeers of the ma. !
yes Left at HOS a. m. Arrived !
Muskagee, Okla, at 5:05 D. m. The :
cd Cross met us al the train and
ave us apples and candy. Quite !,
w girls were there and each and :
very one of them grabbed one of y
le boys and we all had a great time :
n about 20 minutes When we left !
ley all shook hands and bld us good. !,
ve and good luck Left at $50 p. m. =
We arrived at Pearson. Kas., at .
IN. Again the Red Cross met us and ;,
I've us gum. While there had an ;,
'portupity to talk with the leader of =
e chapter She told me how they !,
ere informed when a troop train was o.
le and they always managed some. :,
Nv to give us something to remember n
EN- by. They wished Us the best of n
ok and gave us their blessings. d
We were up the next morning at o
3O For breakfast we had boiled :,
'gs, puffed wheat. bread and butter, rf
anges and milk and coffee. Onr II
ute has been along the Missouri
YER for some hours. As we went in. ~
st. Louis we met the first section In
our regiment going ont over the II
abash railroad The members of 81
G Rotary club met us at the train ol
m