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Dear Mother: -
I'm taking a little time this p.m. to write you once more from Augusta.
This is a land of clothes boxes & equipment just present. I was just
posted in time to get out of the heavy work. Started on my new job this
morning. My new equipment consists of three lead pencils, one drawing
board, and field glasses with a compass. I am assigned to the Intelligence
Dept. and am classed as a professional soldier. My duties are to sketch
landscapes, enemy positions and everything of military importance in view.
We work in conjunction with the scouts and Artillery. Of course you know I
am not an artist but they are teaching us the essentials of this branch
same as they teach us to handle a gun. They don't care how good or how bad
you draw you are taught to draw to their set standards . So you see I have
a good chance to learn. This morning we sat upon a hill and as the Lieut.
pointed the railroads, telegraph lines, roads, etc, we sketched them in. I
am sending you an Augusta paper, it has a good account of the man we are
going to follow from now on. You should hear him talk to the boys. He
claims that if his reputation is as good here as other places that a man
has never told him a lie the second time. You know one fellow in this
brigade asked for a furlough to go home, his sister was very ill and it
was refused him. He brooded over the treatment and taking his rifle he
went out of the tent and placed it aiming at his head and pulled the
trigger and shot himself. Well for a few weeks they thot he was going to
die but he pulled thru and was brought before the Gen. for trial. Suicide
is a heavy offense in the army and some have been given long sentences for
it. This man took the fellow off by himself and after questioning him
dropped the trial and sent the boy back to his company a free man. Also
ordered anyone locked up who taunted him about trying to croak himself. He
(the officer) talked here the other night and told the fellows what a big
game they were in and altho some had domestic troubles that seemed big
they were small compared with the trouble the country was in at present.
He's a man and knows this stuff. I don't think this letter will be
censored but they asked us not to give the date of our departure to the
next camp so will keep in touch with you right along but I think you
better hold your mail till I write you again. We are not going over right
away I am sure but this will be our last trip in “seeing America" before
we embark for a tour of the Continent. We have an English bayonet
instructor hear that is a typical "Johnny Bull". He will stand up in front
of the class and everything he says they are all made to shout “yes sir" !
The other day he was telling them how things were to be done and they were
all agreeing. At last we ended up by saying "I know this to be true
because I train the best men here”! The whole bunch shouted 'No sir'! Oh!
he is a dandy. In this work you are taught to jab with the knife & then
turn the gun and strike forward with the butt. One fellow was doing it
right but sort of lazy like when the “Johnny'” fixed him. He rushed over
and picking up another gun and said "Must we teach you Yankees how to
fight separately?” The fellow said back that he never saw in history where
they had ever taught us how to fight. The teacher said “Strike at me, you
are too slow to hit anything". The guy never spoke but he lunged forward
on the butt stroke & caught the Johnny Bull square on the chin before he
could guard himself. He was out four minutes. Talk about conceit, they got
it all. The "Sammies" are just beginning to strike their pace "over there"
and will soon be killing two with one bullet. I'm not sorry at all that I
was sent down here because you learn more the more camps you see. Each one
has a difference of some sort. You can write me if you wish at this
address but it may be a good while before I get it. I'll keep writing and
sending my love to "you all ". Hope you are all well and tell Ben that I
hope he will like the game and not get homesick. This war has proved with
all the new methods that a "rookie" has the same chance to learn and even
better than the veterans. They have to break themselves of all that old
stuff and learn anew. I have found out that my views on the selected man
were all wrong. These fellows here will all tell you that the man who
waited was wise. An officer yelled at a private in our squad the other day
“Come on! Get into it! Are you asleep." The buck returned this reply. “No
sir, I was though, when I enlisted. “ No one is crazy about it but we are
all learning that there is a part for each one to play and I'm just as
sure as I sit here that Uncle Sam is the guy to trim that bunch up right.
I'll have to quit before I make the eagle scream. Love and best wishes to
all.
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