More diary entries -

September 30, 1918, Mon., Rain in a.m. Clear p.m.

Fired rifle grenades in a.m. - to Langres at 10:00 - 5 of us - to be "de-cootieized" again. Had excellent dinner, long bath, shave, clothes pressed & cleaned - back at 3:20 for a map conference. Study & lecture in evening. Very cold. Am feeling more fit today than ever before. This stuff is great! Bed at taps.

October 1, 1918, Tues., Cold day.

Had offensive formations & maps in a.m. and bayonet & messages in p.m. Studt 7 - 9. Stiff stuff. We hear our Reg't. is in Cambrai. Oh! to be with them! No mail.

October 2, 1918, Wed., Cold. Fair.

Had bayonet & lecture on Infantry weapons, lecture on Field Fortifications & in p.m. 2 hrs. of formations for combat & a lecture on the organization of terrain. Study 7 - 9 in p.m. Very good news in the papers today. Wrote notes 9 - 10. Cold night.

October 3, 1918, Thurs.. Fair. Warmed up in p.m.

We had C. O. drill,bomb throwing (live) & a maneuver. Had attack formations & defense lecture in p.m. Study 7 - 9. No mail since coming here. Cold night. Busy at study & notes ever spare moment. Feel pretty uncertain about my chances here - we all are!

October 4, 1918, Frid., Fair. Cool. 

Had a terrain exercise (occupation for defense) which went OK. In p.m. we had exercise in bombing section raiding trenches - also pretty keen. Study 7 - 8. Lecture on tactical subjects 8 - 9. Wrote Anna. Busy cleaning up for insp. Bed at taps.

October 5, 1918, Sat., Fair day.

Inspection of rifles this a.m. and Terrain exercise - Advancing under artillery fire - by Co. Also a map conference and in p.m. went to Polygon to see construction of field fortifications by French engineers. On work detail - 15 minutes - went to movies in evening. Bed at taps.

October 6, 1918, Sun., Cool - partly cloudy

Wrote several letters & studied nearly all day - in Y.M.C.A. - shaved & a bath - bed early. Went to church in evening at "Y" - good songs and sermon. Rumors of a peace proposal (!?)

Letter to Aunt Nell -

October 6, 1918

Dear Aunt Nell -

Well - Sunday evening - no mail from you, as yet, since last writing you - but - a few lines to say I'm O.K., etc.

Of course you've read the news. I presume today's Sunday papers in New York were full of it. How I would like to read the Times & Post editorials tonight. But - by the time you get this - it will be ancient history and the world will have moved on - toward either peace or more war.

Perhaps you wonder how I feel about the present news - it just reached us a few hours ago. I can only say I should be glad for our nation's sake - if it is the right kind.Peace, However, before next spring means a smash for my own finances - if peace affects my particular market. I think you already know where my investments are placed. We had figured on this writer's production being marketed at war - contract prices with a market big enough to buy all we've contracted for - and - peace may, yes, it automatically will cancel our contracts - and - break us - smash us like our barrage smashes a Hun first line defense. But - what's a measly twelve or fourteen thousand to the happiness in a million American homes, a billion American hearts. I would gladly give it just to relieve the worries of those few who are anxious for my welfare. And - why should I worry anyhow? I've still got El Refugio and - at the least a few thousand - and - my youth, pep and a greater determination to do things in a big way after the war than ever before. So - I can take a vacation - and make a new start, so, I'll go far better than worrying - I'll say that, with the coming of peace, and my automatically losing $10,000. I shall be glad for the world's sake - and for my opportunity to return to a life that I can live much more profitably than ever before.

I've had a busy week - everthing has gone O.K. and I've reason to believe I am not as yet slated to be kicked out! Ha!Ha!

The weather the past week has been quite decent - cool crisp days, frosty nights and snappy mornings. It was dark when we got up - but now with the time changed again, it's not so bad. Food has been good - we have good bathing facilities, good study halls and our barracks are much better than my last two homes, a sod tambeau up in the trenches and a pup tent in rest camp.

We'll finish here I guess by the last of this month - and at the rate we're going will surely be very completely informed & trained by that time.

How does school go? Are you busy with any other work than school work - the draft - for example?

Will close for this time - as always, Clyde.

My address -

Sgt. C.G.Bliss. 3rd Bn.

Army Candidates School,

A.P.O. 714. A.E.F.

France