By John Hale Chipman, Class of 1918

"November 6, Tuesday, Fair.

This A. M. we got up at 7:30 and after breakfast, got together all our belongings for we were ordered to change camps. So at 10:30 every boy in our camp had his things together and at this hour, this section broke up. We came down to the other side of the village here (20 of us, Pete luckily included) and moved into the barracks where Erney was first and which Archie has just left. I am now in Groupement 526 Section C, Barracks 6 and the boys are fine. But as soon as you receive this you had better not try and write me any more for I shall probably be home before they would reach me.

Well we had dinner (the food is much better than at our old camp) and got settled. Pete and the bunch and I went up the Y. M. C. A. for awhile but came back in time for supper. After supper we sat around the fire (we have a stove in the barracks and believe me, it is comfortable) till time for movies at the Y. M. C. A. but as we were going up, we saw a red glare in the sky so we went over to the next town L. and saw a barn on fire caused by some careless soldiers in the straw from pipe or cigarette lighting. After a good movie show we came home and turned in. Georgey Pratt was put in another section but as he had no bed he slept under me after we made a sort of mattress of my heavy coat, sweaters, bags, etc. Anyway he says the boards were hard just the same. Bed 11:00."

Previous entry | Next entry | Go to first entry

To see the actual diary, come to Rauner Special Collections Library in Webster Hall and ask to see MS-1229 during normal hours of operation.