Monday, June 24. Do my own laundry for a change and sleep most of the day. In the evening "K" Co. is paid. I receive one hundred fifty-five francs. Tuesday, June 25. Have slept the past night fully dressed, expecting call to arms; undress in the morning and go to bed. About ten o'clock the call comes and I have to dress at triple time. In the evening we march to the trenches, first platoon goes in reserve at Arguitance. Wednesday, June 26. Managed to get to bed at midnight the night before. Get up at 4:30 and rout out the detail to carry grub. It's a man-killing job to carry those cans up through the woods, and in the afternoon the boys get some little burros, "bolos" the French call them, from the Frenchmen, and each detail has two of them in the evening to carry supper; very comical to see them. Thursday, June 27. Rains this forenoon, but the little burros are able to take the grub to the G. C.'s anyway. Very comical to see them climb these hills, which are the foothills of the Alps. They are not over three feet high and weigh about one hundred fifty pounds. A battery of Frenchmen arrive this evening; meet one who can speak English. They are a very jolly bunchand like to visit with us. Have first argument with platoon sergeant. Friday, June 28. Go on grub detail every meal today. The little burros are just the thing to carry the grub with. It is difficult to make them go across the bridge on account of their little feet. In the evening I have a big feed with Earling and Hansen of the medical corps. We have bread, canned peaches, apricots, lobsters, and potted ham. I find Hansen to be a fine fellow, as well as Earling. Saturday, June 29. Go on patrol this morning. German sees some one in no-man's-land. I find out later that it was Bill Rutledge. I sleep all forenoon and after dinner go back to bed again. At supper time I take Settler's place and go on one of the routes with grub. I receive tonight my first mail I have received in three weeks. German, Freeman, and I have a feed before we go to bed-canned apricots, pineapples, cookies, and chocolate. Sunday, June 30. I go on grub-carrying detail all day. Even if our comical little burros do carry the grub, it is tiring to walk the trip three times in one day. I receive two letters from Madison, one telling of the death of Winfield Haskins. Monday, July 1. Go on patrol this morning. I rest most all day, as we are going to leave in the night. Tuesday, July 2. Leave for Mertzen three o'clock in the morning. After breakfast we sleep for the forenoon. Germans attack "C" and "B" companies in morning. "C" Company goes out to meet them. They are sure that at least eighteen Germans are killed. Two Americans are killed and eight wounded. I command firing squad for one funeral in evening. Wednesday, July 3. No passes issued now, so we have to stay around. Call to arms in the afternoon. Thursday, July 4. Fourth of July. Even if we are in France, American and French flags are flying everywhere. Kent and I go over to St. Ulrich and listen to a program in the école, also several pieces by the band, including the American and French national anthems. About ten o'clock they come over to Mertzen and play for us. Friday, July 5. March to de-louser at Valdieu. I manage to get a whole new uniform. Saturday, July 6. Have nothing to do all day. I get good dinner at Altenach. Sunday, July 7. Go to Dannemaire after inspection and spend the day. Phair and P. Peterson go along. Monday, July 8. Maneuver in morning. See German planes attempt to get French elephant balloon, but the French put up too good a barrage with anti-aircraft guns. Tuesday, July 9. Go on guard in P. M. Have cossack post between Mertzen and Fullerin. Wednesday, July 10. Easy day of guard duty. I find a tree with bushels of cherries on it and we get all we want. Thursday, July 11. Platoon leave Mertzen in evening at intervals. American artillery fires volleys from woods while we are marching; it sounds fearfully loud this evening. First there is a flash of light on the sky and then a loud report. As we enter the woods, Huns return fire, but only four explode of the two dozen they send over, which is very lucky for us. Darkest path I ever followed. Friday, July 12. Have slept under the trees for the night and it has been a satisfactory place. After having to "stand to" to get used to our positions we go over to some dugouts and make ourselves at home. I have charge of the third group. Find out that Earling's nickname is "Chub," so I have a lot of fun with him now. Pat Savee, Pansy Veley, and Goodrich and myself get in the same dugout. Pete Saturday, July 13. Spend most of the day resting. Peterson and I were in charge of the guard the night before. We have three posts out in front. Freeman wants to sing and whistle and Hoke thinks he has heard women singing off in a distance, which is very amusing. Savee and Kent run down a deer which gets caught in a fallen tree. Savee is dubbed "champion runner." Sunday, July 14. Receive ten letters in morning, so it makes a pretty good starter for the day. Artillery gets a great deal of shelling from Huns during morning, so we can't go out in woods as we wish. In the afternoon Kent and I go out picking berries. I had a great many to eat the day before. We pick a cupful apiece and put sugar and water on them, which makes them delicious. Monday, July 15. Get all my letters answered and sleep during afternoon. Very warm today and I never saw such a variety of flies to pester one. Tuesday, July 16. Sergt. Williams and I have working detail today. We have a good group and the French lieutenant compliments them on their work. French sergeant who is with us tells us about the armies. Wednesday, July 17. Very warm today. "Shorty" Hart and I go swimming in a good place down in the brook near Friesen. Thursday, July 18. Sergt. Williams and I have the working detail again today. Check up on extra ammunition, and Sergt. Seigman has the working detail carry the rifle ammunition to Battalion Headquarters in afternoon. Friday, July 19. Hear news in morning that we are to be relieved that night. Day seems long as we have to wait around. It is a very pretty sight in the evening to see the platoon going down the winding path in the moonlight. Saturday, July 20. Kent and I explore surrounding country during the day. Lieutenant pays the company after supper and I receive same as before. In the evening we have the long hike again. We take a different route and it is a little over ten miles. Sunday, July 21. Have a good night's rest and after breakfast I take a walk to Montreux Vieux. Old chap in Epicerie tries to get information from me. All I inform him is how I would treat a Hun if I got near enough. for Montreux Chateau. Leave again in the evening Monday, July 22. Never saw so many soldiers in one place in France. Units from three divisions are here. Make trip over to Montreux Vieux during the day. Tuesday, July 23. Go swimming in canal with Olson and Nelson of "I" Company in the morning. Leave in evening and march about ten kilometers to Morvillards. Full moon and it is very pleasant marching. Wednesday, July 24. Entrain at four o'clock a. M. in boxcars. Very crowded with forty men in these small cars, and impossible for every one to lie down. Had French hard tack and canned goods to eat. Thursday, July 25. Have ridden nearly two days and a night. Great sights while going through Paris. Detrain about four o'clock in afternoon and march a little way along a very dusty road. Friday, July 26. We are not far from the Somme front now, and things begin to look like business. See great flashes in the sky and dozens of observation balloons. I never saw so many trucks and all kinds of machines. We are in a little place called Rhuis, and one isn't able to buy anything to eat for love or money. I try to get something to eat but it is impossible. Saturday, July 27. Sergts. Seigman, Hahn, Williams, Koser, and Corp. Jamieson leave for officers' school this morning. I lend Jamieson fifty francs as he hasn't any money. About ten o'clock battalion marches over to another town and we load on auto busses. I never saw such a line of busses. There must have been nearly two miles of them to move the division. We are taken to Chateau Thierry. (To be continued) RECOLLECTIONS OF LIFE IN EARLY WISCONSIN1 AMHERST Willoughby Kellogg My first experience at a Methodist camp-meeting was at a notable one held at Brookfield the summer of 1851 where Spring Street Church had a big tent for living and another larger one for meetings. Mother was one of the active workers in both, and I helped in the living tent, which called for not a little work. Brother T. T. Greenwood, a local preacher from England, had just come to the church and his work in the meeting tent at exhortation and prayer made a profound impression. The cholera had solemnized the people and there was a genuine turning to God, and the camp meeting was greatly successful. I recall the coming of Bishop Beverly Waugh, who stopped on his way to the Conference at Waukesha, held the next week, and the great effect of one of his evening sermons. He was a small, slender man, but as with a pale face and snowy hair he stood before the great congregation, beneath the fire-lighted trees, he preached and then exhorted with a power that moved, aye swept a crowd of seekers to the mourners' bench, and thrilled us all. At the Waukesha Conference the Reverend I. M. Leihy was continued as presiding elder and Brother Miller was sent (I think) to Fond du Lac. Reverend Leihy, though a small man, was a strong, oftimes a great, preacher, and I recall with interest one of his special sermons on the unusual subject of church music; he was also a wise elder, doing good work but inclined to hold himself reserved and seemingly cold in manner, intellect predominating over heart. After filling out his term on the district, and several other appointments in this state, he went to California and finished his work and life there. Reverend S. C. Thomas from the Erie Conference soon took Brother Miller's place. While not a great preacher, he was a wise, well balanced, devoted Christian worker, whose honest kindly eyes looking out through gold-glasses at once inspired confidence as one to be trusted, and his faithful work, calm sweet spirit, and good business sense ever brought good results. It was this year that the firm 1 The first two installments appeared in the June and September issues of this magazine. |