Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-15
TELLS OF SEA TRIP
OF TROOPS TO WAR
Son of Former Lieutenant Gov
crnor Writes Vividly Of How
Soldiers Were Trans
ported to France.

How the American Expedltionary Forc-
es were transported to the front across
the seas is told vividly in letter written
by Edward Mcndinhall, wilmington
boy, to his father here, which was read
at a recent meeting of the Current Events
class of the New Century Club by the
soldiers aunt, Mrs. Frederic Robin
son. The letter dated from Nernueil,
France, follows in part
Dear Father: Fill tho fountain pen
and sharpen the pencil, for the censor $
lid is off for Dads Christmas Letter
saws the Stars and Stripes and tell
everything YOU know.
perhaps the trip over telling OF our
experiences and modes of travel will be
of most interest. We left Camp Meigs
rather hurricdly at q p. m, Tuesday,
January l5, 1918, and found our troop
train in three sections waiting on the
siding lust over the hill. We were gwen
hot coffee and buns by tho Red Cross
before departing. 1t was the first meal
| had received from the Red Cross and
did not know then that there would be
many more. and under circumstances
much more trying We went over the
Pcnnsv route and were sound asleep
while passing through Wilmington, so
| have not seen the good old town since
leaving on the midnight train on the
first. after spending New Years at home.
I'VE arrived at Jersey City the next
morning lust MS the factories were start
ing. and presented a scene of wild west
Indians howling at every crossing
slipped my letter to mother IN the sta
ton lust before we were put on ferry
| do not know the name OF this ferry
or where we went, for we were kept be-
low and out Of sight Of the people on
docks and piers. But putting up at some
wharf, We marched up steps to huge
pier, up the gang plank to the transport
which was to take ls TO France glanced
at the name before going below and
read =. 5. Celtic We left Halifax at
10 the next morning, lined up in con-
voy; il was bitter cold and terrific gale
blew
The fleet consisted Of L. S. destroy
or San Diego, leading, British auxiliary
cruiser Victorian, II NJ. :. Monaghan,
Carpathia, which, Will be remembered, II
went to the aid Of the Titanic; Cedric,
Mctagonia. Saturnia, Belglc and our
boat, Celtic, making nine in all, and at
that time good sized convoy. The Celtic
carried our unit 303, OF 200 men and
officers On the Cedric were two casual
companies attached to our unit, The
other two units departed earlier, 302
from Hoboken on the Olympic, 3Ol on
the Mercury, which sailed direct TO
Brest
The voyage was cold and rough
until we hut the Gulf stream. Once on
guard mount, my feet froze quite SC
verely, which sometimes bother me
when out in the wet and mud. big
wave one evening went over the decks
and nearly washed overheard the gun
crew aft. The life preservers were our
constant companions, and very heavy
penalty was imposed II one should ven
ture out Of his stateroom without the
life belt strapped on and tied. We never
knew when 10 expect q boat drill. AT
the signal all the troops and crew would
20 to the assigned positions and pre-
pare to man the life boats, but 1t was
never necessary Our course took US
around the north coast of Ireland, and
thence up the Mersey 10 Liverpool.
Two DAYS out from Liverpool we
met the submarine chasers, six LII all,
and what feeling Of relief came over
us | shall never forget the sight, as one
by one the little forms were picked up.
signalled, dropped into line, and formed
a defence OF three on each side M our
convoy, the respective transports zig
Tagging all the while. On entering the
mouth Of the Mersev a mail boat, out
ward bound, missed signals and the
Cedric rammed and sent her to the
bottom Il was sight and some excite
ment for a while when searchllghts play
ed and rockets hared. We were afraid
that one Of the boats had been torpedoed.
The destroyers picked up most of the
crew and | do not think there was much
loss of life. The lights were a new sight
for US, since from the first day out the
rules were most strict about lights
on board even that of cigar.
AT noon Of the 29th we landed at
Liverpool and were immediately hustled
aboard the English coaches and rode
across the country to Winchester. The
trip across the channel was made at
night, and again We were introduced
to life belts The transport, $50 feet
in length, was swift. We were packed
III like sardines with a number OF British
troops. mostly of the Cold Stream Guards.
1t was pitch dark and only the red lights
marking the line of the submarine nets
shone out.
AT 5 a m. February 3, my birth
day. we set foot on French soil at lie
f1aSTe, anu uDUcT ItdFy uIdA CiilHG VI
ders went seven miles to a rest camp y e
had had very little sleep and it was mar
velous how everyone came through in
frst-class condition; had tasted only
a bite for the previous lunch and supper,
and no breakfast at all On the follow
ing afternoon we went back to lie Havre,
boarded a troop train and left at p. m.
Instead Of coaches, our cars were box
cars with forty men in each. All that
night and the next day up To Q o'clock
that evening We did not leave our side
door Pullman, so it was relief 10 get
of at Nevers (Nieyre) and arrive at
another rest camp, where We slept on
the ground that night For the next
two days we underwent a period Of
quarantine, and then began our sight
seeing times Of the French towns, and
We were lost in wondcrment at the strange
ness Of the foreign populace.