riding were rushed to the ration car at opportune stops to get the next meal. This process of
drawing rations was often rudely stopped by the shrill ‘toot-toot’ of the brakeman’s whistle The
train starting up, apparently without rhyme, reason, or schedule. This often was quite
exasperating, especially since in America we were use to getting off troop trains and being given
plenty of time to get back in orderly fashion. Despite all pleas to the contrary the railroad
officials insisted on starting, the train two minutes after stopping, after they had promised a ten-
minute stop, or stopping for many minutes, even hours, when they said there would be no stop at
all. Nevertheless being American soldiers, adjustment to the situation came quickly. For four
days we bore south through Le Mans, Tours, Orleans, winding up forty kilometers south of
Bordeaux at Camp La Courneaux,
SANDS AND PINES.
On the 24th day of July, after four days, anything to get off of a French troop train looked
good to us. However, the place looked familiar, very much like east Texas, with pine trees and
sand. We found the camp to be an old camp which the French had deserted, erected by Russians,
later occupied by Chinese and Indian troops and what not, at any rate there were barracks. The
few Americans who were at the camp welcomed the regiment with open arms – the first
American troops to come into the camp and the first American troops they had seen in many
weeks. A few days after our arrival the other two regiments of the brigade, together with the
Ammunition Trains, arrived. We set about at once making ourselves comfortable and started
schedule. For some days it was doubtful whether the brigade would remain in this camp or move
to another artillery center; finally it was announced that this camp was to be made the artillery
replacement camp of the A. E. F., and the truth of this was soon evidenced by the arrival of
numerous replacement companies from Camp Jackson, Georgia.
A TARGET RANGE IS BUILT.
It fell our share to assist the other regiments of the brigade in clearing and constructing an
artillery range. For some three weeks most of the men and many of the officers of the regiment
were occupied with cutting trees and hauling them off the range, also as the terrain of the country
was very flat, artificial observation towers were built; twelve of these were erected under the
supervision of Captain Schneider of this regiment.
SPANISH FLU.
Meanwhile Spanish influenza invaded the camp, and in order to keep the epidemic from
spreading, all troops of the camp were moved from the congested barracks and into ‘pup’ tents.
That this was a wise move was proved by the fact that within a week or so, we stemmed the tide
of the epidemic despite the fact that many of the men had been very sick. Only four deaths
occurred. Private John A. Butter, Battery “C”, who died of the ‘flu’ was our first casualty in the
A. E. F. On July 29th twenty officers who had sailed on a separate convoy rejoined us, also the
two hundred odd casuals, and the regiment was altogether once more.
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