More diary entries -

May 4, 1918, Sat., Very Warm. Camp Stuart

Check up inspection. Checked everything. Took until noon. Loafed, read "Seventeen" and smoked all p.m. [Seventeen by Booth Tarkington, 1915] Slight disturbance over the mess this noon. Bed early.

May 5, 1918, Sun., Very warm. Dusty. Camp Stuart.

Fine day. Wrote Burr and Sis, also Joe Toombs this a.m. Loafed, slept & read White's book "The Riverman." [The Riverman by Stewart Edward White, 1908, historical fiction] Parade at retreat tonight. Turned in overcoats at 8 p.m. Bed at taps. Warm.

May 6, 1918, Mon., Very Warm. Camp Stuart.

Drilled in C.O. this a.m. The 2nd platoon under Turner & I carried away all honors for (?). Good luncheon. Letter from Anna - a cuckoo! Wrote her. Paid in p.m. $14.55 as usual. New equipment arrived. Bed at taps after (?) & doing up laundry.

May 7, 1918, Tues., Very warm. Dusty. Camp Stuart.

C.O. drill & ex. this a.m. I had Co. in setting up and then a half Co. Had a review this p.m. in half Co. (?). Also a venereal examination. Letter from Sis. Wrote her.

May 8, 1918, Wed., Warm. Cloudy. Camp Stuart.

Exercises and C.O. drill this a.m. Emptied our bed sacks. Packed our barrack bags. After luncheon filled out our "safe arrival" cards & filled our condiment cans. Sent out our bags, checked up, all ready to go.

May 9, 1918, Thur., Fair. Aboard ship.

Up in morning early. Stuff all packed - barracks cleaned. Lunch at 11. Moved out about 12. Marched to piers. On board U.S.S. Susquehanna about 2:30. Berths very closely packed. Mess on board about 7 p.m. Very close quarters. Not a very big ship. About 11 Co.'s on board. Pulled away from pier & anchored in bay before dark. Many ships in port.

U.S.S. Susquehanna

[USS Susquehanna (ID # 3016), 1917-1919.

Originally the German steamship Rhein (1899)

USS Susquehanna, a 10,058 gross ton transport, was built at Hamburg, Germany, in 1899 as the North German Lloyd passenger liner Rhein. She operated commercially for the next fifteen years, but was interned at Baltimore, Maryland, after World War I began in August 1914. The ship was seized by the U.S. Government in April 1917, when the United States entered the conflict. Turned over to the Navy and converted to a troopship, she was commissioned as USS Susquehanna in early September 1917 and later received the registry number ID 3016. During the remainder of the First World War she regularly steamed across the Atlantic to France, carrying over 18,000 troops in eight round-trip voyages. Once the Armistice went into effect she began the work of bringing U.S. forces home, making seven more voyages with over 15,500 military personnel embarked. USS Susquehanna was decommissioned in late August 1919 and turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board. Reconverted for commercial use, she operated briefly in 1920-1922 but was then laid up. The now-elderly ship was scrapped in 1928.]

May 10, 1918, Frid., Fair. At sea. Left U.S.A.

Up 7:30. Cleaned up - had bkfst. Still laying at anchor in harbor. Staid on deck all a.m. Feel fine - great air. Col. Fisk & band aboard. Fairly quiet sea. Our Co. went on guard - rougher at night. Bed 10:00. Pulled out of harbor about noon - along coast for a while - then the U.S.A. dropped behind.

May 11, 1918, Sat., Fair. At sea.

Rained in night. Lots of fellows (?) sea sick. I'm OK, as yet. Rougher today. Two other transports are alongside us. Had an abandon ship drill - twice! Co. on guard tonight. Rained. Devilishly rough. One ship sighted in night.

May 12, 1918, Sun., Fair. Warm. At sea.

Hit gulfstream. Much warmer. Low fog settled this morning. Whistle signals sounded. Suddenly the fog lifted and in less than a half hour - our fleet had increased from 3 to 13 transports and a cruiser. We saw several schools of porpoises & some flying fish. Sea very calm. Wonderful sunset.

May 13, 1918, Mon., Fair. Cooler. At sea.

Up 7:15. Washed & shaved & had bkfst. Feel fine, not a bit sick, as yet. Lots of fellows have. Fleet very scattered about now. Very calm sea. Regular drills today. Read "The Human Desire." Cooler at night. Bed at 9 p.m. Beautiful sunset. 

[The Human Desire by Violet Irwin, pub. 1913.  Inspired by a statue of the infant Christ in the hands of the Madonna, Bernice who lives in a convent in Naples, Italy conceives of a deep passion for babies. Learning that there are infants dying of hunger and neglect in America, Bernice determines to come to their aid.]

May 14, 1918, Tues., Fair. Warmer. At sea.

Up early. Washed. Fair bkfst. Sea like glass - not a break on its surface. We are towing a target this a.m. - barely moving. Ship has laid quiet since last night. Waiting for rest of convoy. Target practice today. Two ships fired on our target. Very interesting. 6" guns. Venereal inspection today. Read "The Running Fight." Bed early. 

[The Running Fight by William Hamilton Osborne, First published in 1910 by William Hamilton Osborne (1873-1942), this book tells the thrilling tale of millionaire Peter V. Wilkinson, on trial for larceny, forgery, and perjury in the wake of a crashing stock market. In this wicked plot of conspiracy, betrayal, and attempted murder, is anyone truly innocent?]

May 15, 1918, Wed., Fair. Warm. At sea.

Up early, good breakfast. There are 16 ships in sight of us now - some very large - all loaded. Ship's canteen opened today. Mild sea. Feel fine! Luncheon good. Read most all day. Co. on guard today. Chatted with John Crowley until 9 p.m., then bed.

May 16, 1918, Thur., Cloudy. Cooler. Some rain. At sea.

Up later - rush for breakfast. It is rather damp above. Sea has a very metallic tint today. Read "The Black Boy." Good story. Feel OK. Had box of cigars from ship's canteen today. Sea grew much rougher tonight.

[I'm unfamiliar with this book. Richard Wright's Black Boy was published in 1945, so the book that Clyde read preceded that by decades.]

May 17, 1918, Frid., Partly Cloudy. Windy. At sea.

Awful sea last night - by far worst yet. Lots of sick guys aboard. I don't feel any too smart. Boat so tippy couldn't serve bkfst. Lunch was a scream - and slide. Slept most of day. Bed early.

May 18, 1918, Sat., Fair. Quite cool. At sea.

Up at 8:00. Feel inspiring. On deck all day. One H--- of a sea on - old ship is rolling to beat the d----. Read, chatted & smoked. Now near the Azore islands, and near the war zone - last abandon drill today. On deck 'til dusk. Bed 9.

May 19, 1918, Sun., Fair. Warm. Cool breeze. At sea.

Up at 8:15. Just in time for bkfst. Now in danger zone - crossed 3 a.m. today. Now have to wear our life preservers all the time. Fast destroyer with us. Read, slept, smoked, bathed & shaved. Church services this a.m. Bed early. ("All hands darken ship. The smoking lamp is out.")

May 20, 1918, Mon., Fair. Bully weather. At sea.

Up at 8:00. Good bkfst. On deck almost all day. Wrote a letter to mother and one to Anna - that they may go back on this ship. Only a few more days - well in the war zone now. Alarm sounded - everyone below. The big battleship sighted & fired on a "school of 10 foot blackfish - false alarm. Co. on general guard. Bed early. 

May 21, 1918, Tues., Fair. Cooler. At sea.

Battleship left us this a.m. 13 destroyers with us now. Fair sea. Smoked & loafed all day. Had meeting with Lt. Cramer & us sgts. on future plans. Played rummy - Dan, Mac & I - Dan lost to a qt. of Lt. wine! Easy going sea. Bed early.

May 22, 1918, Wed., Fair. OK. At sea.

Up at 7:30. Good bkfst. We are nearing land, the "ears" say. [?] Flat very close together - chasers very active. [?] All mail in at 1:00 today. Loafed & smoked all day. Nearing land.

May 23, 1918, Thur., Fair.

Went on deck after bkfst. to find that we were entering this beautiful harbor of Brest, in single file of ships. Harbor a bevy of vessels of all sizes & types, with airplanes, dirigibles & balloons overhead. Wonderful (?) on both sides - surely looks good. The city looks very antique & picturesque on the hillside. Beautiful bay scene by moonlight at 12 p. Baggage all unloaded during night. Slept by spasms. 

Next up - Clyde steps foot in France.