Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-06-20
A SOLDIERS DIARY.

Private WIN. l.. Taylor, son of Cos
Taylor, of MaNwelton, during his
service in the army:
Private William L. Taylor left
home May 25, 1918, was ordered to
Camp Lee, Virginia, and there was
drilled for two months and, on the
18th Of July, was marched with his
unit to City Point and there took the
boat at 8 O'clock and went to New
port News, was unloaded at three
O'Clock and was marched UP to the
Park where we rested for while,
where the Red Cross gave us cook
les and ice cream. Then they march
ed us back to the Port and we were
loaded on the S. S. and set in harbor
until the next day at II O'Clock
when the ship began to move. The
most of the boys were as happy as
larks. Seven other ships sailed with
us, We were on the water until
August 9th without seeing land. Gee!
but we were happy when that old
ship stopped rocking. The tide was
down and we had to set in the har-
Dor all night That morning, Aug
ust 9TH, we were loaded on two
small boats that took us to the docks.
We were a happy bunch, After so
long 4 time we found out the name
OF the city, ii was BrcSt. France, and
then ! saw more sights than | ever
saw before. We stayed there until
after dinner. About the first thing
| saw the next day was The Ianks,
pushing the box cars around, and
then came The French girls. they
We're ali dirty and ragged and wore
some sight. They marched us up
:hc track Il little ways To what they
called the mess line and gave us
meal tickets. We ate dinner and
there were so many to feed that ii
was O'Clock when we got through
The chow line. Then we lined up
and were given squads left and
marched to what they called. the
rest camp. Ii was about 4 miles and
mostly up hill. 1t was very hot and
we ali had our packs and guns 10
carry. Well, we got TO the place
and there was nothing but tents and
we had TO sleep on the ground. We
fixed our tents up and then had a
little supper, The next day, The Sth,
We didn't do anything and we had
not hardly anything to eat. On the
morning of the 9th they marched us
back to BrcSt where we handled
freight all day and got Il very good
dinner. That evening we marched
hack TO the rest camp. The next
morning, the 10th, they took us back
to Brst and we dug bitches. The 1 tn
was Sunday and we got orders to
roll packs so that eve we were
marched back to BrcSt, starting for
another camp and we waited till
eleven o'clock at night, then we
were loaded in box car 1873 feet
-l2 of us and our packs and five
days ratiOnS. Gee! but we couldn't
Ill sit down a. oTcc and we stayed
on that train Till Wednesday. AT
! / O'Clock we unloadcd at 81. Agony
and there ihc company was split up
and sent TO different places. We
>.crc there ill he l7th. Tie moss
Of the company marched up the
channel to ScllcS SurchcS-a town
OF about 1000. Some Of us gol bill
lot, and some had TO put up their
little tents to stay in but | got Il bill
let. ScllcS Surcllcs was very nice
place We didn't have to drill very
hard and We got fed we'll enough.
On Sunday night, September lSt,
1913 the officers gave us orders to
get ready to leave the 2nd and that
morning VIC marched to the depot
and were loaded on the trains
some in box cars and some in pas
ScngCr cars. The cars were crowd
cd but got box car to ride in and
some of my friends happened to get
in the car with me and we passed
through several towns and cities on
our way to the front. We rode day
and hight an hadn't very much to
cat, were on the train till Thursday
evening. The trains don't run very
fast in France. We were unloaded
from the train September 9Th. There
we rested while and that evening
were loaded in big trucks and TAX
YEN to another town. IT was late
in the night when we unloadcd. We
stood around on the streets till one
O'Clock before we got a place to lie
down. They finally found an
old barn counted out 10 Of us and
Told Us we could sleep in The barn.
We went in and urrollcd our packs
and all slept well. But that morn
ing we didn't get any breakfast and
very little dinner or supper ard That
night We were called out, ordered
TO roll packs and were marched out
on the streets and sal there till II
O'Clock at night. Then we were