More diary entries -

July 22, 1918, Mon., Fair. Warm.

Had an hour of drill on offensive combat - line of half platoons, combat groups and skirmishes. Then observation practice, and some dictation on Boche organization & identification to finish a.m. Went to 100+ range in p.m. Made 7 straight bulls on 3" bull - and 5 hits ex 5 shots at 4 sep. varying target. Wrote notes. Out from 8 - 11:30 p.m. on a patrol problem - hiked 3 miles out & back. Bed about 12. Darned tired. Good patrols.

July 23, 1918, Tuesday. Rain. Cloudy.

Result of last Sat. Exam: Lt. Duane - on maps, etc. 98%. Lt. Conley - on musketry, sniping & R.F.'s - 97%. Lt. Graustedt - on patrolling, sketching, etc. - 90%. Lt. Egan - musketry, sniping, telescopic sights, etc. - 60%. Grand average 86 1/4%. On 400+ range in a.m. Poor light - did not shoot very well. Formed up for battle show - but it was called off on acct. of rain. Had a patrol problem and planned athletics for tomorrow. Wrote a bit in evening and went to movies. Have diarrhea again - feel bum.

July 24, 1918, Wed., Partly cloudy. Cool

Am feeling pretty bum - have stomach trouble, runs and a cold. Lecture on map visibility problems this a.m. Gas lecture 1 - 2 p.m. Athletics from 2 to 4:30. Our class won 1st place today - by 1 pt. So have the silver cup for a week. Worked on notes in p.m. Went to YMCA in evening. Feel bum all day. Fine soprano singer and lady harpist. Excellent music.

July 25, 1918, Thur., Fair. Warmer.

Hiked across the valley to a field and put on a big attack on a nest of M.G.'s [machine guns]. T.M.'s, 1 ef. (?) Cannons, M.G., scouts, snipers, (?) from combat groups, etc. were used. Fine show! Very realistic. Back 11:20. Had work on Range Finders in p.m. and examinations in p.m. & evening. Wrote Clyde. Wrote "Peggy" in evening. Bed early.

July 26, 1918, Frid., Fair. Cool.

Had a stiff patrol problem in locating & driving back enemy outposts (SP & MG) & finding his lines in a.m. - very successful. This p.m. a gas lecture, final lectures by officers & review of work. Passed 100% in each final exam. Note book "Excellent" - shooting score good, no misconduct, etc. Turned in ordnance at 4:00. Got laundry. Bed quite early.

July 27, 1918, Sat. Cool. Cloudy. Some rain.

Did not leave today. In town to see cathedral & museum in a.m. - read & drew travel rations in p.m. After supper - Lindsay of S.C., West. of Tenn., Montgomery of Ill. & I went over to see the cave of Sabinus and the source of the Marne.

[Near the springs of the river Marne, in Balesmes-sur-Marne (Haute-Marne), here’s the cave of Sabinus: it’s 20 metres deep, 30 long, 1,30 high.

But who was Sabinus? What about he and his wife Eponine from Langres, who hid here for 9 years, in 70 BC?

Julius Sabinus was a Lingon chief. Lingon? What’s this?

An old Gallic people living near Andematunum, the current city of Langres.

Langres was allied with Ceasar since his arrival in Gaul, and at that time, it was a big Gallo-Roman city, very prosperous.

In 78 BC, when emperor Nero died, Sabinus tried at all cost to take power and to found his own Gallic empire: the imperium Galliarum.]

July 28, 1918, Sun.

Fell in 11:30 [Got in formation]. Roll call - hiked to sta. (Gare de Est) with packs. On train 1:30. Left 5:30. In box cars. Passed thru Chaumont - GHQ [General Headquarters] - A.E.F. Rode all night. Not even seats in cars. Cold night. Crowded.

July 29, 1918, Mon., Fair. Warm.

Awoke 7. We stopped 20 kilos from Paris. Had coffee - washed up - and reached outskirts of Paris about 9:30 - in [train] yards. Laid around until 6:30 then came around Paris and north on Gare du Nord - rode all night. All the officers & some of the men have sneaked into Paris. Car less crowded.

July 30, 1918, Tues., Fair. Warm.

Awoke 7:30, are in Abancourt. Washed up. Train left at 8 - north. Slept until 11 again - when we arrived at Eu [Eu is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France]. Staid at Eu all day. Went to casualty camp for a hot supper & met Corp. Wakeman there - who is getting over his bad foot. Staid in yards all night. Coldest night yet. Nearly froze. Nice beer here.

July 31, 1918, Wed.

Left Eu about 9 a.m. with a trainload of Tommies & Aussies. Arrived in Abbeville about 11. Went into a rest camp. Spent p.m. drinking lemonade & English tea; shaving; taking a bath; smoking & napping. After supper we hiked 4 1/2 K to a rest camp on the hills. "Jerry" made three attacks but the A.A.'s [Anti - Aircraft guns] drove him off each time. Cold night. Nearly froze.

Up next - Letter to Aunt Nell

Envelope for next letter to Aunt Nell.