[ NOTE: IF YOU ARE READING THIS SERIES FOR THR FIRST TIME, IT'S BEST TO START AT THE BEGINNING]

More diary entries -

Oct. 31, 1917, Wed., Fair. Cool.

Arm very sore - feel punk. Did not drill. Muster at 11:45. Bum lunch. Wrote letters in p.m. Read in the evening. Bed at 9:00.

Nov. 1, 1917, Thurs., Cold. Clear.

Cold morning. Drill & lecture this a.m. Staid around for the Governor this p.m. Very easy day. Wrote letters. Bed early.

Nov. 2, 1917, Frid., Cold. Cloudy.

Practiced for review - then marched to field and about 11:30 passed Gov. Whitman. Our lines were excellent. Whole Div. was there. Had signal practice this p.m. Guin was over for evening. Bed late.

Nov. 3, 1917, Sat., Cool. Fair.

Inspection this a.m. I got H--- for dusty rifle & had to have it reinspected. Wrote letters & read this p.m. Wrote Sis. Bed early.

Nov. 4, 1917, Sun., Fair - quite warm.

Went over to 10th to see Guin, with Harold Smith this a.m. Slept after lunch until 4. Guin & a Sgt. were over. Good supper. Wrote. Studied. Bed early.

Nov. 5, 1917, Mon., Fair, cool air. Election

Great day. Drilled all day but when we were voting. Had signaling, bomb throwing, bayonet drill, etc. Good supper. Wrote in evening. Bed early.

Nov. 6, 1917, Tues., Fair. Great day.

Beautiful day. We had a extra good drill at marching & close order this a.m. Had road map sketching & bomb throwing in the p.m. Strong lecture on non-com weakening this evening. Ernest Ward was over. Wrote home. Had 2nd jab in arm. Bed early.

Nov. 7, 1917, Wed., Great day. Warm.

Did not drill today. My arm is very sore. Feel rotten - actually dopey. Wrote Claude, Margaret and Anna. Rec'd letters from Anna, CJB, A.E.H. today. Feel better tonight. Assigned $20.00 per month to Claude, last night, commencing Nov. 1st. Bed early.

Nov. 8, 1917, Thur., Fine day.

Good drills and lectures all day. Very interesting all day. Went to lecture on "The 11 countries at war" in evening. St. Sgt. tomorrow.

Nov. 9, 1917, Frid., Fine day.

Had charge of quarters today. Was short a detail and had re-arrangement of mess hall but all went OK. Got called slightly about latrine only. Bed at 11. Some tired.

Nov. 10, 1917, Sat., Fine day.

Regular inspection. Dread cots - cleaned up - fell in at 8:00. [fall in = To take one's place in a military formation.] Over soon after (?). Went OK. Then we took the company census. I helped fill blanks. Finished before 4 p.m. Wrote to Sis. Bed early. Cold night. Dinner 1:15 - Supper 7:00.

Nov. 11, 1917, Sun., Warm. Partly cloudy.

Up for reveille [Reveille is a bugle call which is played at either sunrise or the start of the duty day on military installations. It derives its name from the French word, réveille, which literally means, “wake up.”] & breakfast. Went back to bed and slept until noon. Read & studied all p.m. Bed early. Cool night.

Nov. 12, 1917, Mon., Cloudy. Rained some. Cool.

Drilled in setting up exercises, extended order and marching this a.m. Went to the trenches this afternoon to dig. Good supper. Wrote Anna. Received our pay tonight after 9 p.m. I received $38.00. Bed late.

Letter to Aunt Nell [new stationery]

Co. M. 107th U.S. INF.

-C. G. B. -

Camp Wadsworth

Spartanburg, S. C.

November 12, 1917

Tuesday evening

Dearest Aunt Nell : -

You are very much in the right in saying that my letters only come when I owe them! Obstinate mutt - that I am - wouldn't answer a letter, to even you, if they waited a month! Just bullheaded enough so that I suppose I wouldn't write if they sick abed! Ha!Ha!

You can bet I appreciate the papers - and - I echo the words of Sergeants Seelie, MacDowell and Toombs and Corporals  Hayden, Bauber and Smith - my tent mates - as most of them are New York City men - and - queer coincidence though it be - among soldiers - all are more or less of a literary trend of mind - all like the New Republic and Digest, all enjoy Life - and - it goes without saying we appreciate and devour the Times and Post. And - you're a brick to be so much of a Lady Bountiful to us lonely soldiers!

Yes - I know what my address will be in France. It's the regular form - and is simple : -

Co. M. 107th U.S. Infantry

27th Division,

American Expeditionary Forces

That's all there is to it - no "France" - or anything. The "A.E.F." is enough to make it understood that we're "over there."

Do you know - I was never more pleased with any worldly business than the news that came to us thar women had won the vote in York state. I voted for them Monday - and sincerely hoped they would win - for several reasons. First - with the majority - yes - the cream of America's manhood in service - it behooves us of the military to have voters at home who have our welfare uppermost in mind - and - I surely had rather have those high minded, sympathetic women marking the ballots than the men who are left behind - or - who will be left in six months from now.

I am pleased immensely with the up-state vote. My friend - Judge A. L. Kellogg - was elected as [NY} Supreme Court Judge. He was formerly County Judge.

[Additional information from various on-line sources] - 

[ABRAHAM LINCOLN KELLOGG, a prominent young attorney of Oneonta, was born May 1, 1860, at Treadwell, Delaware Co., NY. Admitted to the bar in 1883. Became Otsego County judge in 1908. In 1917, he was elected justice of the Supreme Court, 6th Judicial District of NY; He continued in that post until he reached the age of mandatory retirement in 1930. He died on Aug. 25, 1946, in Oneonta, Otsego Co, NY.]

Return to letter -

Then - every Otsego County candidate who was elected was a Republican. I did not vote for them all - as there were a few Democrats who were my personal friends - that I voted for. Ernest Auger's father - who has been supervisor in my township - (the township of "El Refugio" - Ha!Ha!) is Hartwick - was beaten this year - after being supervisor for many terms.

Oh!  - no - I haven't as yet read "Over the Top" - or - "A Student in Arms." In fact the last book - novel - I have read - and the only one since arriving in So. Carolina has been - "Plunder" - written by Roche. Practically all my time - excepting that spent reading current stuff - has been confined to several volumes of Infantry Drill Regulations, Field Service Regulations, Non-commissioned Officers' 1917 Manual, Manual of Guard Duty, Small Arms Firing Regulations, Army Paper Work Manual, Manual of Court's Martial, Manual of Field First Aid and that excellent publication by Major Moss - "The Manual of Military Training" - which by the way is the basis of the Plattsburg, Madison Barracks, and other, officers training camps.

[Note - Plunder by Arthur Somers Roche was published in 1917 and is a crime drama also published as "A Scrap of Paper" and was the basis for the 1922 silent movie "Living Lies". A newspaper reporter investigates a group of crooked financiers and, after discovering an upcoming illegal deal, is caught and tortured by the head boss. He survives and continues to work toward publishing all he knows.]

I'll make note of my field message book - which is always with me - if Jerry Reynolds - and who knows but what I may meet him some day "over there?"

No, I don't think Ernest Augur will go across when I do! It's like this - the 105, 106, 107 & 108th Infantry Regiments are the four composing the 2 Brigades of the Infantry share of the 27th Division. That is - the original Division. Of course - these other Regiments - including the 10th, 1st. 14th, , 74th and 12th are members of the division, but must have their ranks filled with raw - green drafted recruits - then - sent by units to patch up the original 4 regiments as we who are first to go are killed off. So - you see - the 107th will never come to exist. As her ranks are thinned by us who die in battle - more will be put in our places - so - there'll always be a 107th Infantry - though every one of us 3700 who now compose it are killed. Such is the system!

Yes, I've considered making out the $10,000 policy to father & mother. I have $5,000 in New York Life made out to them - if I should die - this $15,000 would be a handy little sum. Then "El Refugio" is already allotted to Claude and my Liberty Bonds are classed in my will with enough other bonds to make $5,000 of bonds - others being gov't and municipal for Grandma Spoor. In addition to these few resources - every blooming cent I have in the world is my share in the E. Fur A. - a consolidation of fur & hide buyers & dealers, custom taxidermists and retail & wholesale sporting goods dealers. I am a director and my interests are worth possibly $10,000 or more. This - it would now sell at about $8,500 and in January is positively sure to be $12,500 - is allotted to Doris & Delia in my will. It would provide for $3,000 each - to educate them as they see fit - and $3,000 for Claude to buy a farm with and the balance to be divided between Doris & Delia.  So - you see - while not a big success in this old world - I have left it - the financial, money making world - with some $15,000 cold cash, or more behind - besides an equal amount of life insurance. So - I don't think - for a youngster of 22 I am so much of a failure after all. Now - for somewhere near equal success in this game! Here's hoping!

I enjoyed - immensely - the regents questions - and entertained the fellows in my tent for some time reading them to the bunch!

The one about 'fascination' for prevention of small pox was a hit. We realize all the pains of this jab in the arm. How is my arm? Well - for the third time - I can say "Sore as H---!" and twice "Better now" and in a day or so - for the third time, and last - "Better!" The prevention of the accursed disease is nearly as bad as the disease! Ha!Ha!

We are surely working here now. As our officers say "We're speeding up!" First we learn a few hundred new stunts - then we go over them in review - and now we're at 'em again - to do them with speed - that we can - in the pressure act & think quick.

As Captain "Dick" Coleman - our K.O. - said tonight - we'll learn to think and act so quick that when we go over the top - we'll have completed our job so speedily that before the german mind can grasp our purposes - he'll be scorching in Hades! He's some lecturer - keeps us awake - on the job - and - doesn't say Hades! Ha!Ha!

Well, it's 9:30 - I'm pretty sleepy - so will close - hoping to hear from you very soon, 

With much love, / Clyde

Morse code                                   Translation

                                                             

_._.     _ _.     _...                           C  G   B

_._.  _ _ _  .  _ _                             CO   M

Observations - It seems that Clyde has really taken to soldiering and has kept up an interest in reading and current events.

Up next - More diary entries and another letter wherein we learn more about the routine and about his friends in camp.