Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 270, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1917 — Letter From Camp Shelby Camp Shelby, Miss. [ARTICLE]

Letter From Camp Shelby Camp Shelby, Miss.

Nov. 13, 1917. Friend Dock:— I thought I would drop you a line after so long a time. This is a very large camp,it covers several hundred acres, and is located in what was once a large pine forest. But a cyclone went through here a few years ago and almost completly demolished this timber. The have been hundreds of men working here for months, clearing away the down timber and blasting the stumps. But this is getting to be a very pretty place now. Their principal crops here is cotton, they also raise rice, sugar cane and a little corn, but not much corn. You can see some very interesting things here, when you get a little ways from camp, such as yokes of oxen and the old fashion two wheel ox cart. They have lots of wild turkey, and a few wild goats here yet, and I understood they have a number of alligators in the small rivers, and marches here. When we first landed here our company was partly bursted up, forty three of our men going to the Field Artillery, and the rest of us were transfered to a training Battalion. < We were suposed to train drafted men for the 151st Infantry. The 151st Infantry is under Colonel Healey. • But about the time the drafted men came, we were again transferred this time, we were scattered all over the camp, a few in a place. We lost all of our officers in this shuffle. They being assigned to different companies and regiments.’ I had the blues pretty bad when o I firrt landed, but I am getting along fine now.

I am what they call a caisson corpral and if I hold my rank, which I think I can I will get to onanage one of the guns. Then all I will have to do is to sit on a seat and set the sites and shoot Dutchman, won’t that be nive? These are three inch guns, and haVe a recoil of in other words a 44 ton ciek, and I have to sit on a seat and shoot the thing, poor me! Our battery has been quarantined and we have been moved off in the back woods to our selves. They will not let us leave the battery street, and will not let anyone come in. I have not sown any signs of the measles. That is what we have been quarantined for. I have had them twice and do not think I will have them again. Our captain got an order the other day to figure on rations per day for men, and horses. That we were going to make a qjove on or about the 15th of December, to parts unknown. This may mean across the pond, and it may not. But I hope it does. I enlisted to see the country, and if I do not get to see it now I will miss a good chance. There is a rumor that we will be sent to the Philippine Islands to relieve the regulars there. But I do not know whether there is any thing to this or not, but there might be. It would be a nice trip but I would like to go to France. Well Dock I do not think of any thing more this time so I will ring off hoping to hear from you soon. I will close for this time. I remain as ever a friend. W. H. GRAYSON, Battery C, 137th, F. A. Camp Shelby, Miss.