April 8th, 1918
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Apr. 8 '18 Dear Mother, I guess I never told you that the watch came. Well anyway it is running alright. The cookies came in good condition just one day after the letter. If these were barely good enough to pass, as you say, I'm sure I should be immensely interested in the improved ones for I got lots of satisfaction our of them, and the fellows dug in after seconds without being asked. Since you say so, I will consider them not your best, but I surely don't remember when I ate any that tasted better to me. I am on guard again under a new plan. The battery has been organized by sections with three tents to a section. Now the guard detail is one section at a time. That |
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plan started Friday and that was the say that pistols were discarded for the sentries and the guns (which are issued permanently) used. Tonight I pulled a bone-head stunt which the captain has not yet heard about because he is ill in town. I knew better, because the guns which we used at university were practically the same and I did both sentry duty and corporal of the guard duty on the hikes. I relieved the old sentry on no. four and that involved transferring the ammunition to the new sentries gun. When I turned the safety lock down and pulled on the bolt it stuck. I pulled the trigger to help loosen the bolt and to my surprise the gun went off. Now if the sentry had followed the proper instructions (battery instructions) there would have been no bullet in the barrel and no one would have to know about my bone head stunt. I guess I had the pistol |
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and rifle confused for very often I will, while cleaning my pistol, cock it with the revolving chamber open and then it won't close until the trigger is pulled (a very safe and sane scheme). And now you have been in suspense for about fifty words and are wondering how many I killed. One thing I did learn at U of C was to point at the ground every time I meddle with the works. This bullet went into the ground several inches. That play with blank ammunition at school made me careless. One of the effects is that the prisoners think I'm not afraid to shoot and I am certain they won't try to get away while I'm on watch. I hope the captain won't get |
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too thoughtful about it and then take me off the overseas list of non-coms. Ralph would laugh. I am looking for Dave Wed. Now as I look back I am rather surprised at the intensity of my impulses. You don't know just how glad I am to have him with me. I think I was moved by selfishness and [unbothered?] with any check on myself until I had sent him a telegram to come. It wasn't till after, that I thought about your viewpoint and I could know only his restlessness then, and his hatred of inaction. This outfit has in it something that I have never mentioned. It has men who ought to be good fighters for they seem to love their homes. There are eight men in the guard house now for what is called french leave, which means going home without a furlough. There are three away now who had the money to get home but no furlough and went anyway. |
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Some others in the battery are drawing no pay on account of fines paid for punishment for french leave. It seems as though when the battery was formed (it recruited out of the 13th, 16th, and 77th Fa.) that it got all the french-leavers in the camp. The captain hates the idea of beating it off that way and is slow about giving non-com jobs to offenders. One of the recruits who joined the day I did with no experience was made corporal the other day. We have eight drafted men in the battery now. I am not sorry that he is joining and would not be even if I were not so lucky, lucky I mean to be in the same battery with him. I received a dandy letter from |
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Ralph today. Talking about the draft he said "before many months" Horace would be going. Said he would enlist himself if there was not so much at stake financially. Didn't mention his own prospects in the draft. He wanted to know what branch of service a private should try for. Am going to try to answer him right away. I received the papers with Alex Burns picture and splendid tribute. Will forward. The Easter music was wonderful and Mrs. Knebel exquisite. Attended with a pretty girl, a tiny girl from the Y.W. who was introduced by Mrs. Knebel. Called with Corporal Mudge on her and her chum Sat. and the party got together again Sun. eve at church. The other girl at the big southern home is so flitting and so much like a girl in curls that I do not enjoy her company over much. This latest girl is very entertaining. |
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This writing letters between 2 a.m. and breakfast os sleepy work and I'm going to beg off explaining the battery ____ture this ______ [battery's structure this time?]. Will look up Lange. DId I mention that I heard from H____ Slusser? With love, James |