The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1919-03-13
"AT PONTANE-
ZEN BARRACKS
Article Six

I quartered one hundred thirty
men. For their comfort each bar.
rack had two stoves-conical
pieces of iron open at the bottom
and resting on the ground,-ano
at the vertex, or top, a four inch
opening from which the smoke
entered the pipe and was ther
conducted outside through hole
cut in the oiled paper of the win
dows, as it was at Camp de Meu.
con. We had green wood, al.
ways wet, so the stoves were OF
very little benefit to so many
men. Many a time we would stay
in bed to keep warm, though al
| this time of the year it was not
cold enough to freeze, yet it was
often quite uncomfortably cool.
/ had picked me a bunk near
the door, and laid out my pack
and spread the blankets for a
little rest at about four-thirty
but just then | was called out to
help move some provisions in out
of the rain, which was still fall
ing heavily. This took us about
an hour. At about five-thirty
was in bed, and a Corporal came
and called me, and said he want
ed some men to move the officers
baggage in out of the rain, and
told me to get up and dress and
go with him. / cheerfully COM
piled; and after about an hours
work in the mud and rain, we
dragged all the baggage to . place
of safety.
At six-thirty we were dismiss
ed, having had no sleep, and told
that we would not have to work
any that day, and could sleep all
day. Contrary to his word, we
were awakened at eight-thirty,
for the days work.
Water had to be brought about
quarter of a mile for use in the
kitchen. Water tanks on wagons
were used to bring it, and we
learned to our dismay that the
| soldiers played horse when water
was needed. It took ten Of us to
/ bring back supply of water for
breakfast.
The mud was fierce. In walk
ing from the barracks to the
kitchen and mess hall Cor dining
room) it was absolutely impossi-
BILE to shun the mud. It was over
the shoe top more than half the
| distance. The floors of the kitch-
en- and dining room were inundat-
ed with water, and the tramp OF
twenty-two-hundred feet soon
| worked the floor into slime
Bread and meat scraps were Of
ten brushed off the table, OF
carelessly thrown down by the
boys, so that by the time we
were there the odor was terrible
in fact it was difficult matter
for person to remain inside
long enough to eat his meal
Many Of the men took their food
and went outside to eat. My
readers will understand that We
stood at tables to eat. For q
part Of the time we were there
negroes were fed at the same hal
we were, and it was not uncom.
| mon for us to go in and find all
the. tables occupied by them
Usually the northern boys would
eat with them, but the southern
boys considered it preferable tc
eat outside.
We were held closely within
our sector Of the Camp and were
not given permission to visit the
Camp Y. M. G. A., much to oul
dissatisfaction, for there was the
only source Of recreation.
We expected to be ordered tt
ship the next day after
we arrived. But this order never
came. On the third, we were
told a return convoy would leave
and we might 60 with them. Bu'
no such good fortune. We re
ceived word that we were to leave
on the seventh, and were wadinf
mud, pretending we were salts
fed, and looking forward to thai
date. When it came, the ordel
was cancelled and our. hopes agar
fell. just about this time the i'm
preston grew that we were to n
made into q permanent labor bat
TALON and kept at PontanezeI
barracks 70 40 building and haul
ing and the other rough RoIi
that a. o 6 6oo ~ T.