Friday morning, December 20th, reveille was held in the rain at 5:45 o"clock. Immediately after mess the auto trucks were loaded and made ready for the trip. The detail, in charge of Capt. Smith, and accompanied by Lieutenants Yeager and Bennett, ploughed through the mud to the section of the remount that housed the horses the convoy was to escort.
Each member of the convoy selected a horse to saddle. The animals were of various spirits. Many of the battery detail were recruits who did not have the lessons in equitation at Camp Meade that the older members of the battery experienced. After considerable difficulty the horses were saddled and the convoy a.s.sembled in a large field to receive the consignment of mules.
Many of the horses had never been ridden in the saddle before, with the result that a regular wild-west exhibition transpired on the field. Riders were thrown from the saddle into the mud, but all the boys had their nerve with them and stuck to the horses, bringing them under control.
Lieut. Yeager was induced by the remount officers to saddle a large and fiery stallion, but after a brave attempt on the part of Lieut.
Yeager to break and ride the stallion, during which the rider was precipitated into a large, muddy pool and covered with mud from head to foot, change had to be made for another animal, the stallion being left behind when the convoy started.
When all was set with the detail mounted, the remount attaches trotted out 237 mules, tied in series of three.
The mules were divided among the mounted men, each man getting three mules to lead, besides having to manage the horse he was riding. All the mules were frisky, having remained unworked for a considerable period. There was great prancing around as the convoy a.s.sembled. The mules, in many cases, started to pull one way and the horse pulled the opposite. Many of the mules were tied up in various speed combinations. Ones that were always on the run were coupled with ones that did not know how to step lively, or else the horse of the mounted party was either too fast or too slow for the trio of mules the driver had to lead along.
At 9:30 a. m. the convoy got started on the road. The convoy consisted of 96 mounted men leading 237 mules, the rolling kitchen drawn by four mules, in charge of George Musial, who had the a.s.sistance of Cook Burns and two K. P."s in preparing meals enroute. Five auto trucks, carrying the forage and picket-line equipment, formed the remainder of the train.
Slowly the convoy proceeded over the mud-covered road leading from Lux. At noon stop was made at Fontaine-Francais, where the animals were watered in a stream and given nose-bags. Then the rolling kitchen came along the road and hot slum and coffee was served to the hors.e.m.e.n stretched out along the side of the road. It was against orders to tie the animals anywhere while on the march. Each driver had to hold his charges at rein"s length with one hand, and attempt to eat the slum with the other hand.
After a two and one-half hour lay-over the march was resumed, a distance of thirty kilometers having been set for the day. The route was through Montigny in the afternoon and at 5:15 p. m., under a cover of darkness the convoy reached Champlitte. Through the town the road stretched, past a large chateau, then came a long hill, down which the horses and mules galloped, wild with hunger and fatigue. It was a dark night and difficulty was experienced in keeping to the unknown road.
In making the descent of the hill leading from Champlitte several riders and mules almost struck the edge of the elevated road and had a narrow escape from going mounted over a precipice.
It was about 6 p. m. when stop was made at the base of the hilly road, where orders to remain for the night were issued. There were no stable accommodations, or nothing ready to receive the animals. A picket line had to be erected in a muddy ravine. The animals had to be led to a nearby stream and watered by bucket as there was no shallow approach to the stream. As the animals were watered and lead to the hastily thrown up picket-lines they began to bite and kick each other.
A miniature stampede resulted until the several hundred nose-bags were adjusted and hay shook out along the picket line. Then all horses and mules had to be blanketed for the night. The detail secured the blankets from the auto trucks and started the task, which took considerable time and which was finally accomplished at the risk of life and limb. A limited amount of picket line had been erected and the mules especially were tied in very close proximity. To get between them and blanket the frisky jacks was to dodge bites and hoofs in all directions.
Mud was kicked up in all directions while the animals were receiving attention. It was a tired, muddy and dirty lot of soldiers that finished their tasks at the picket line at 11:30 p. m., and started to march up the dark hill to Champlitte; to the old chateau that was to house the troops for the night. It was midnight when the troops got something to eat from the rolling kitchen. Then they stretched out on the floors of the old chateau to rest for the night.
Next morning was Sat.u.r.day. It was decided that the convoy would remain over at Champlitte and rest for the day. There was but little rest, however, as everybody was kept busy caring for the horses and mules; watering, feeding and grooming being in order. When it came to grooming the mud was caked thick on all hides.
It rained Sat.u.r.day night. The guard detail at the picket line had a merry time chasing mules that broke loose and started to roam over adjacent hills.
All hands were up and on the job at the picket line at 5:30 a. m., Sunday morning, December 22nd. It was 8:30 o"clock before all sections were watered and fed, the picket lines packed in the trucks and things made ready to start. With the sections lined up on the road ready to start, count of the mules was taken and it was discovered that five were missing. An hour"s wait resulted until all mules were present and accounted for.
The drive continued through the rain, until 11:30 p. m., when the town of Pierrefitte was reached. Detailed work in throwing up a picket line in the yard of an old chateau and duties equally as strenuous and similar to the first night"s stop at Champlitte, were in order until all the animals were cared for. Bean soup was served for the battery mess and the night spent in the chateau.
During the night the rain turned into a sleet storm, attended by a strong wind. The wind and the sleet caused a stampede at the picket line. Morning found the picket lines completely demolished, and horses and mules roamed all over the lot. They were tied in all shapes and forms, the halter shanks being twisted in knots galore.
The battery men were up and doing at 5:15 Monday morning. It was 10 a.
m. before all the animals were captured and tied up properly. The first section got started on the march shortly after 10 o"clock.
Sleet, rain and snow continued to fall during the day. Through large expanses of open road, the convoy journeyed. The sleet drove in the faces of the mules, causing them to gallop at top speed. The riders had their strength severely tried and tested in keeping the situation under control.
Stop was made about 3 kilos from the town of Bourbonne where the animals were watered at a stream. The convoy entered Bourbonne at 3:30 p. m. and found to its great joy that the town housed an American army veterinarian section and had stable accommodations. The stable facilities lightened the work of the convoy and it was 5 o"clock when the men went to the town to seek quarters for the night. The large auditorium of the American Y. M. C. A. had been scheduled as the place of abode for the night. When the outfit applied for admission a conflict of dates was brought to light. It took great persuasive force, bordering close unto mob rule, before the officious officer in charge of the Y. M. C. A. was induced to allow the tired and muddy party to break in upon the quietude of the few sections of troops occupying part of the Y. M. C. A. for the night.
Before the convoy resumed the journey on Tuesday morning, December 24th, army veterinarians examined all animals in the convoy party.
Many loose shoes had to be fixed by the blacksmiths, while twenty-two of the horses showed symptoms of lameness else had developed sores that barred them from continuing the journey. The veterinarian section also took over a number of the sound horses and mules.
The first sections got started from Bourbonne at 9 a. m. Twenty-six of the men, under Capt. Smith, were detailed to take the lame horses to a nearby remount and exchange them for sound animals. It was 11:30 when the detail of twenty-six left Bourbonne with the thought of overtaking the remainder of the convoy.
The main convoy rode hard all day. It was the day before Christmas and it was raining. Stop was made for the night at Clefmont, where stable accommodations were secured for the horses, while the mules had to be picketed.
The detail of twenty-six that was following had difficulty in finding the road the convoy had taken. It was dark when Clefmont was reached.
The main detail had sent out a guard with a lantern to locate Capt.
Smith and his detail, but the guard got on the wrong road; leaving the detail with Capt. Smith pa.s.sing out Clefmont in the blackness of the night. By a stroke of luck, however, inquiries from French peasants finally steered the lost detail on the road where the advance guard with the lantern was located.
After caring for the horses the convoy spent Christmas eve in an old, dirty, combination barn and dwelling. Reclining on bunches of live straw that was found in the building, the soldiers dreamt of Christmas eve back home, wishing they were there, instead of where they were.
Christmas morning, Wednesday, December 25th, dawned clear and cold.
Clefmont was left behind at 9 a. m., when the soldiers determined to drive hard so that the trip could be terminated by noon. The route lay through Longchamp. As the morning wore on a snow storm developed.
Through the snow the riders pressed on, until 1 p. m., when Cirey-les-Mareilles was reached. Orders were to leave the majority of the animals at Cirey. A detail of Battery E men were on hand to meet the convoy and a.s.sist in caring for the animals at that point.
Relieved of their charges, the members of Battery D secured auto trucks to take them to Blancheville. It was a relief to get washed and cleaned up, as there was very little washing and shaving done during the five days on the road. It was a pleasure, also, to be back at the old stamping ground. And, to think it was Christmas. A few peaceful hours during the afternoon and evening were enjoyed by the convoy detail. A large amount of mail had acc.u.mulated while the men were on the road. It was Christmas mail, in which cheering words were received from the home folks. Christmas boxes despatched through the Red Cross came into their own. It was a rejuvenated bunch that partook of Christmas dinner in the battery"s old mess hall at Blancheville at 5 o"clock that night.
[Ill.u.s.tration: BATTERY D ON THE ROAD Pa.s.sing Through a French Village.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ABOARD THE EDW. LUCKENBACH Battery D Homeward Bound.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: AT BUSH TERMINAL, BROOKLYN Home. At Last.]
CHAPTER XX.
ON THE ROAD TO BENOITE VAUX.
During the month of January it was reported in official circles that the 154th Artillery Brigade was to accompany the 79th Division into Germany as a unit of the Army of Occupation. The artillerymen were enthused with the prospects of joining their division and getting in the midst of the big scenery. The movement, however, never materialized. The outfit was forced to bear a disappointment like unto the shattering of expectations of getting in on the finale of the fighting.
As has been recorded, as early as October, 1918, the instructors had decided that the 311th artillery was in a position to take up active front-line duties. Several weeks previous the infantry and machine-gun regiments of the 79th Division had entered the fight and made their famous attack on Montfaucon, one of the most difficult positions to take in the Argonne sector. Twenty-seventh Division artillery had furnished the support at Montfaucon. The 79th Division artillerymen were eager to replace them and aid in the fighting of the division along the Meuse river.
After the holiday season Battery D spent its time in Blancheville with mounted hikes forming the mainstay of the schedule. Each day the outfit looked for orders to join the division and proceed to German territory.
The horses and mules brought to the regiment by the convoy, were distributed to the various batteries. Driver squads were immediately reorganized and great preparation attended all the hikes.
The latter part of January an official order was issued citing the individual members of Battery D as ent.i.tled to wear a gold service chevron, an indication of six months service on foreign soil. With the award of the gold stripe came the selection of the Lorraine Cross as the divisional insignia and the granting of leaves of absence to visit the beauty spots of France, with Paris included in the schedule as a possible three-day leave center. The first men left the battery on a fourteen day leave, at Blancheville. A waiting list was established and pa.s.ses were issued in order of application. During the remainder of the battery"s stay in France names were on the leave list.
The famous Mediterranean Riviera was the favorite leave center, although St. Malo and Gren.o.ble were cited in official division orders. Many of the members of Battery D got the opportunity to spend a vacation in the Southern part of France, where the land is sheltered by the mountains from the North winds, and lit and warmed by a resplendent sun in a sky, the azure of which is seldom dulled by clouds. Nice, Monaco with its Monte Carlo and a trip across the Italian border near Menton, were included in the majority of the leave itineraries. While en route to the Southern clime it was customary for the soldier on leave to mistake trains; get on the wrong train and find himself landed in the City of Paris. This, in most cases, was the only opportunity the majority had of seeing the French metropolis, although a number of three-day leaves to the capital city were granted battery men.
Leave privileges in the A. E. F. kept the French railroads busy. The demand for furloughs became so popular that troop specials to the leave centers came into being and opportunity of individual travel was curtailed. Scores, however, took advantage of the troop specials to the land of vacation ease.
While Battery D was in Blancheville Lieut. Hugh M. Clarke was transferred to the Supply Company of the regiment and Lieutenant Leo C. Julian, of Lakeland, Fla., was attached to the battery.
The horses were the main care of the battery. Forage was scarce, which caused the animals to become mean-tempered as they gnawed at the hay-racks and discovered that about one pound of hay had to do each horse a day while the forage scarcity lasted.
Many of the battery members received severe kicks while attending to stable duties. The most serious injury through a kick was inflicted upon Private Frederick M. Bowen, of E. Rutherford, N. J., who was sent to the Base Hospital at Rimaucourt with injuries that separated him from the outfit and sent him home as a casualty.
When the hikes became a daily occurrence at Blancheville stable duties were set for the entire battery to share in. Watering and feeding was done immediately after reveille was dismissed each morning.
On January 3rd the battery was ordered to pack everything to take to the road. The rolling kitchen accompanied the battery caravan that left Blancheville to return again to the village after a 7 kilometer hike. A similar hike was held the day following, when it was announced the regiment was to move forward and join the division for the trip into occupation territory. The same day a detail of five men were were dispatched to the new billeting area to make ready the new battery location.
It was decided that the battery would proceed to the new area by taking to the road in march-order. The battery was ordered to be ready to move by January 9th.