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September 2, 1917
September 9, 1917
September 16, 1917
September 25, 1917
Dear Mother,
You came near seeing me today, and if the train I started on
from Ayer hadn't been late, so that I missed my train at Worcester,
I would have been home between 1:30 and 5:30. We had the privilege
of taking 24 hours leave, and as assignments were flying around
so thick and fast to all sorts of places, I didn't know what
might be in store for me, and I thought I'd better [see about]
that stuff of mine that came up from Pleasantville & [get]
all my stuff fixed up permanantly before I got too far away to
do it. But missing connections at Worcester dished the whole
thing; I went out to Raymond's, lest by any chance they might
be still there; of course they weren't and I came back to Worcester,
ate a good dinner, and trolleyed back to Ayer. I found my assignment
on the bulletin board when I got back, and I am to be with the
division supply train. The regiments have been split up, that
is, a large number of 4th Co. men have other assignments than
in the 304th regiment, and there will be many men from other
companies in the 304th. So far the present just address me Camp
Devens, Ayer, Mass., until I can get something a little more
complete. There are 8 officers with the divisional supply train,
a major, a 1st lieut., and six 2nd lieuts. The 2nd lieuts. were
all appointed from our company, just a block of us taken in order
from the list, right next to the last man on the list assigned
permanently to the 304th regiment. I knew last night that I was
not to be with the 304th, and felt pretty much disappointed,
as I hoped to start right in with it & with these men I knew,
and grow up with the regiment as a regular line officer, but
this assignment I did get is I think the next best thing, and
I feel fairly well pleased with it. I'm glad they're going to
be other men of the 4th Co. along with me. We'll occupy a little
shack all by ourselves; Moody and I went down and found it tonight.
Of course there's a lot I don't know about my job, but it is
essentially this: we are the supply officers for a division,
and in action we superintend the bringing up of supplies from
division headquarters to the firing line. We'll have under us
men and mules and horses and motor trucks.
We had little to do Wednesday and Thursday; but Friday and Saturday
we spent entirely in map sketching around the land leased by
the gov't (something over 60 square miles). The idea was to give
us more practice in this work, (and I was glad for that reason
to have it, although I suppose now I won't need it any more),
and also to get us acquainted with the country. We worked by
squads of 6, and covered a great deal of ground; about a dozen
miles Friday, and, without exaggeration, 20 on Saturday. Tomorrow
we'll probably do more, and about Tuesday I rather expect we'll
move to our permanent quarters. Lights are going out very soon,
and I'll have to wait and tell you more about the camp later.
I forgot to speak of the razor strop when I wrote to Lucinthia.
Thank you for sending it. That fountain pen is an old one. The
embroidered book-case cover is one Amy Leavitt made for me last
fall; it is very attractive, I think. I bought a wrist watch
guard this week; it cost considerably under the alloted amount.
Those express bills & other little items I forgot to take
care of before I left you, I'll finish up all in a heap when
I come down home some Sunday this month, as I think I shall;
if I find I'm not going to be able to, I'll send it. Will that
be O.K.? I'm glad you had such a good time in Worcester. I'm
ever so much obliged to Lucinthia & Father for the work they
put in on my things.
I must close this disjointed epistle, or I'll be writing in the
dark.
With much love
Sylvester.
I'm not even re-reading it.
I sent a little package of laundry home last night.
Dear Mother,
You probably received the postcard I sent you in the middle of
the week with my address. That showed the prevailing type of
building used here for the enlisted men, and it would seem to
be the natural thing to start with in giving an attempted pen-picture
of the cantonment. These barracks, as you perhaps can tell, have
two stories; and incidentally,they are much wider and much better
ventilated than our coops at Plattsburg; I believe they are meant
to house 250 men each (the size of a co. in the new organization),
but I don't see how they can possibly do so, if they are just
going to use the single cots they are furnishing the men at present.
One half of the first floor is the messroom, kitchen, & pantry,
and again, how they're going to get 250 men seated there is more
than I can see.
So much for a single building - Each regiment occupies a group
of these buildings situated fairly close together; with the headquarters
building, the regimental dispensary, and officers' quarters at
one endof the group. The arrangement of a regimental section
of buildings such as the above is about like this:
[_____] [_____] [_____] (have your mind
/ fill in the top
Men's --- [_____] [_____] [_____] line of the
Barracks \ buildings)
[_____] [_____] [_____]
[_____] [_____] [_____]
[_____] [_____] [_____]
Dispensary
\-----[_____] [___] -----------Hdqrs. for reg't
[___] [___] [___] [___] ---Officers' barracks
The officers' barracks are long one story affairs, covered with
tarpaper fastened on by lathes, and the prevailing size has about
15 rooms, a mess room, and a kitchen. Some of the officers have
single rooms and others have to double up. The arrangement as
per diagram above holds good for the four active regiments of
infantry, three regiments of artillery, and two regiments of
infantry in the depot brigade. Then there are groups for the
engineer units, the headquarters train and military police, the
sanitary train, the ammunition train, the supply train, and the
quartermasters - perhaps others that don't come to me just now;
these groups are arranged a bit differently, according to the
varying sizes of their organizations. There are usually no more
than two regimental sections of barracks in close proximity;
this is, I presume, expressly designed to prevent the spread
of fire, if once started; I notice on the big blueprints of the
camp many of these spaces between groups are reffered to as "fire-
stops." All these groups of buildings, as you can well imagine,
cover a tremendous area; the cantonment gives the appearance
of a big mushroom city. The buildings of course don't cover but
a relatively small proportion of the 60-odd square miles of land
the government has leased; the rest of the land will be used
for manoeuvres, rifle ranges, and I have heard there is to be
a big 6000 yard artillery range. This will give some idea, perhaps,
of the cantonment as a whole, and now you'll probably like to
know something about our little corner. The Division Supply Train
(the finest outfit in the camp, of course - 34 strong at present)
occupies a little section rather off by itself in the southwest
corner. Our buildings are arranged in this fashion:
.________[________] \.________ } Men's Barracks[________] /.____[____] Hdqtrs building.___[___] -Officers' Barracks
Our officers' barracks are smaller than those in a regular infantry
regimental section, due to the smaller personnel occupying them.
We have eight sleeping rooms, a little office, a mess room, and
a kitchen. There being eight officers in the train, a major,
a 1st lieutenant, and six 2nd lieutenants, we each have a room
to ourselves, about 8 x 12. Isn't that luxury for you? But I
haven't painted the whole story - a nice iron spring bed (the
men are getting them too in our outfit anyway) , a table and
a chair. With the work this job has thrown me into, I feel rather
as though I'd gone back into business life again.
A major regularly is in chief command of a division supply train,
but ours hasn't come yet, and the 1st lieutenant is in charge.
His name is June, a man who has been in the regular army for
almost twenty years, and as pleasant a man as one could ever
hope to meet or work with. The train is divided into six motor
truck companies of 76 men and 31 trucks each, under command of
a 2nd lieutenant, who according to the tables of organization,
is furnished with a Dodge roadster; but trucks and roadsters
are both still hypothetical, like the dismounted hobby horse
cavalry, and for the present the men will get the elements of
infantry training - I am glad we are going to be able to have
a hand at some of that. Each of the two men's barracks is expected
("expected" used advisedly) to house three companies;
there are three large rooms in each, two upstairs, and one downstairs,
for each seperate company.
The 2nd lieutenants in the train are Wade, Co.1, who was a reserve
officer in our co. at Plattsburg, the humorist of the outfit;
Moody of Hartford, Co.2, an insurance solicitor, a man about
31, a very pleasant man, but he impresses me as being a bit loose-tongued
and superficial - I've got a man slated for a certain job, for
instance, but I didn't want him to know it until I had a chance
to observe him more; however, friend Moody asked the man yesterday
(I overheard him) how he'd like the job in question, and of course
the fellow expects it now; he's just a little bit too glib -
has sold insurance too long, I guess; Butler, Co.3; Greene, a
lawyer, a good solid sort of chap, Co.4; Achorn, Co.%, also a
reserve officer in Co.4 at Plattsburg, whom I haven't known well
therefore until now, but with whom I am quite pleasantly impressed
- he seems very sensible and altogether likable; Spaulding, Co.6,
a man who is in the antique furniture business for the biggest
house of its kind in the country, I believe, a man of artistic
nature, I think I am right in saying, a man who has traveled
a great deal, who is very polished but not in the least effeminate,
and whose ideas always seem fresh and interesting. I think we
will all work together pretty well.
Thirty four mes out of a total of 450 odd came this week, all
from either Brockton or Fitchburg, according to this seemingly
peculiar scheme of assigning men from the same locality to the
same outfit. Three of our companies have been started, mine being
among them, as it is the 3rd. But while they are so few, they
are all drilled together, of course. As far as we officers have
been concerned this week, our duties have been largely registering
the men, and getting the necessary supplies for the train, the
latter of which is no small job, because supplies & trucks
to haul them in are none too plentiful, and one must be very
aggressive to see that his wants are looked after. I have a special
job as mess officer for the train, and it's taking most of my
time for the present, and will take a great deal of it until
the mess sergeants and cooks are broken in. There is a lot of
red tape to drawing the rations & running the mess but I
am rather glad to have the experience. My fatal Plattsburg reputation
for gormandizing got me this post.
Yesterday afternoon I went into Boston to do a little shopping
and much needed haircut - I don't like the looks of Ayer's barbershop,
and will have to contrive to make my out-of-town trips when I
want to get into one I guess. Imagine a little town of 2500 with
50,000 men camped on it; the merchants are only just waking up
to their opportunities. I don't know just when I'll be running
down home; I think I'll try to make it two weeks from to-day,
but I can't make sure of it at all. I don't think there is any
likelihood of our being sent away from Ayer; I am quite sure
we shall go across when the division goes. Our men will be trained
in infantry drill and will carry rifles, so that they can defend
the train if it is attacked from an unexpected & unprotected
quarter. The chief danger to the supply train is from artillery
fire, of course.
I think I'll try to get the N.Y.Times up here and send what I
want to keep home from time to time, so you can discontinue it
if you want to. But if you're anxious to have it every Sunday
for the pictures, why just say so & we'll keep on with the
old arrangement.
I have kept the laundry bag here to throw soiled clothes in;
I think we can get along without it for mailing purposes, can't
we?
The Whistling Mother Story is a gift from Miss Dagnall. It's
rather a cute little story, I think; I left it on the bureau
because I thought you might like to read it, but didn't say anything
about it because I know I'd rather find something like that than
have someone point it out to me - a peculiar attribute of reverse-geared
mental mechanism.
We have had good food thus far, and I hope to have my mess, which
starts tomorrow, a good one. We have been eating with some quartermaster
officers for the last week; their food has been good and been
plentiful, but their cooks keep the screen doors open and the
flies are legion. In my kitchen the flies will be disinterested
onlookers from beyond the screen or else the cooks will be. We
are going to mess with the men for a while, chiefly to get the
mess fund for added varieties & delicacies started, then
I hope to start our own little mess in our shack. For the first
six weeks each mess has three civilian cooks, and the men picked
from the company to be cooks will assist them & learn all
they can; there are also some mess sergeants from the regular
army here as special instructors for prospective company cooks
& mess sergeants in cutting meats, running a mess, &
various phases of army cooking. I have four cooks and a man I
have picked out as one of the mess sergeants starting in training
to-morrow. Most of the cooks have had some previous experience
in that line. They aren't so hard to pick; in fact, I took everyone
who wanted to do it, after a good glance at the men's personal
appearance, especially finger- nails, while I was talking to
them. The mess sargeant is a harder man to pick; he's got to
be able to handle men, to be good at figures, & to do clerical
work; I hope the man I have picked out of three will justify
my choice. Later I'll have to have another when we get men into
our second building. Our chief civilian cook is a kind of garrulous,
grumbly old Englishman, and I may have quite a trial in diplomacy
with him, if the experience of others is repeated. I bought him
a fine mesh coffee strainer last night for a special way he says
he makes coffee; it tickled him to death, and may prove, I hope,
part of the every little bit that helps.
I am sorry I haven't had a chance to write Ralph since I've been
here, but I've been so busy that I haven't written any but my
regular letters. Perhaps I'll get a chance an evening this week.
If you didn't happen to get my postcard my address will be Division
Supply Train, Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. Telephone 8284. Anybody,
if they ever come up, had better telephone me from down town
so that I can come out to the entrance & meet them, otherwise
they might not be able to pass the guards.
With much love to you & all,
Sylvester.
Dear Mother,
Your letter was surely full of news. That must be a fine promotion
for Winnie and I am certainly mighty pleased to hear of it. And
good for Curley! I wonder how he ever worked it at home.
The mess officer task has occupied the lion's share of my attention
this last week, and I think it is pretty well started now. The
garrulous and at first fault-finding old Englishman hasn't been
very much trouble; the first two days with him were very trying,
for I had to oppose him in a number of his desires & proclivities,
til I was at my wits' end, but most everything was settled then,
and with a good man for mess sergeant on the job all the time
& keeping things going right, affairs have run pretty smoothly.
The old boy's chief fault at present seems to be an insatiable
desire to season everything with onions; the first two or three
days I think onions appeared in gravy or hash or in some way
at least twice a day, until it got to be a great joke at the
officers' table. Our mess started Monday, and for the present
we are eating over in the men's barracks. I think everyone has
been pretty well satisfied with it, and personally I've relished
my food more this week than anytime since I've been here, and
only paying half as much as before. The old Englishman is a mighty
good cook - he can make bread pudding really taste good, which
surely must be an art. Of course I get joked about the mess a
good deal from my fellow lieuts.; they fish up something to kick
about every meal and Wade gets off some of his funny stuff like
"There's been no joy in Mudville since Butsie took the mess"
and so on.
The nights have been very cold ever since we've been up here,
and as yet there is no heat in the barracks. We do however have
a kitchen stove already set up in our shack, and it comes in
pretty handy cold evenings. The hardest thing in the day is getting
up into the chill of the morning; in fact, it takes somewhat
more resolution to throw off my nice warm blankets than it does
to duck under the cold shower I usually find time to regale myself
with right afterward.
Ralph Gabriel remained with the 304th; he was 5th on the list
of 2nd lieutenants, and every one of them down to the 26th or
27th stayed with the regiment. The first ten were recommended
for promotion to 1st lieutenancies, so I presume that he'll be
wearing a white bar one of these fine days.
About the Current History - I haven't resubscribed to it. Lucinthia
was going to subscribe in my stead and before I write them to
discontinue my subscription will you ask her & tell me whether
she has done so, and in my name? I thought she might have done
that, seeing it came to Cromwell.
In the laundry this week was a new pair of blue pajamas also
a BVD union suit. You will notice that I have used the breeches-lace
in tying up the package, so please be sure and return it. It
might be well to mark the sheet, as it's my personal property.
The white shirts came all-right; if she can, I'd like to have
Mrs. Knudson put a little more starch in the cuffs.
Please let me know your plans for next Sunday, as it probably
will be a convenient day for me to take a run down home; but
I can easily enough put it off to a later date. Father sent me
a bunch of those pictures this week, and I am returning those
of which I have duplicates. You asked me how long it took to
write you last week, but I can't tell, for I was at it off and
on thru the whole evening, with frequent interruptions from considerable
general jollity afloat in Barracks 391 during the course of the
evening. Tell Father that whenever he writes to be sure &
address me Division Supply Train and not Supply Division; the
latter address shunted my letter off down to the quartermaster
Dept.
I must try to get a few other letters written tonight. I finally
wrote Ralph yesterday.
With much love
Sylvester
Dear Mother,
I finally got back to Barracks 391 about a quarter to one Sunday
night. I had company from Worcester on, so that the long trolley
ride was made considerably less tedious. The train I took at
Meriden was not the 6:18, but one which comes about ten minutes
earlier & only goes as far as Springfield. For that reason
I got off at Hartford and waited for the other one to come along,
rather than wait for it at Springfield. A lieutenant by the name
of Harbison, from Hartford, got on the train, and because it
was over a half hour late when we got to Worcester, he decided
to get off at Worcester with me, and not to go via Boston as
he had intended, for he couldn't have made connections with the
delay. It took us over 3 hours from Worcester on. There was an
Italian band on the car to Leominster, which gave us selections;
we were kept constantly in the worry, because after every piece,
it seemed, somebody would call for the Star Spangled Banner;
but they didn't finally give it.
I have been drilling the men to-day for two o three hours, and
am glad to get into some of that work.
I called Preston Monday morning and he was going to stop on his
way down but I never saw him. Sam Sewall called me up a half
hour or so ago, by proxy, & he says he's going to leave Keene
Oct.5, so I am going to try & get up next Sunday awhile;
nothing the nurse who talked to me said seemed very encouraging
about his condition.
The camp had a fatality Sunday afternoon, when a Vermont man
was drowned in a pond only a few steps from our section; circumstantial
evidence pointed to suicide & I believe that was the finding
of the court martial; I don't know what organization he belonged
to. Some reporter from the Courant was up here Saturday to see
Moody, so he wasn't responsible for that write-up after all.
The enclosed picture may be interesting. The four officers in
the picture, reading left to right are Achorn, June, Butler,
Moody. It was taken a week ago Sunday afternoon by some visitor
to one of the men.
I must get at a little work this evening.
Lots of Love,
Sylvester.
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