My Grandfather’s Words: Tuesday July 23, 1918


It is windy and dusty and rather cool. It looks like rain.

For breakfast we had butter biscuits and cornmeal mush with fried spuds and coffee. At dinner (lunch) there was roast beef and spuds, pudding, peaches, bread and water. At supper I ate butter beans, beef stew, bread and water, and cake.

I was up at 6:15 bathed and in my fatigues by 6:23, just in time for reveille.  I pushed the water cart again this A.M.

I wrote to Mary and Mother. Heard from them both. Last week Mother was in Waterloo over Sunday. She was going to Abbeville, but changed her mind and decided to go to Clayton. Mary went with her to help her decide on a location for herself and the boys (my stepbrothers). I wish I had been there, too.

I went to the hospital this evening, but the glasses were still not there. They said they would call for me when they arrived.

There is a British colonel here today looking over the horses in the corrals with a view to purchasing a number for his government. They say he is to take away 2,700. I was pushing the water cart this afternoon at the hospital. Tomorrow I will be trotting horses out for the British inspection. Supper wasn’t until 6:30 this evening. The “top” announced there would be no retreat or reveille until after the 2,700 are out.

It will be some job. Each animal has to be led in front of the British officers. They will examine the horse all over. Then each horse will be trotted to show the horse’s paces & whether the horse is stiff or not. There will be two officers, each inspecting a horse at a time. It will be pretty slow. It should take a week or more. I may get to go along to some sea port with some of them.

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