Calhoun County AlArchives Military Records.....A Retrospect Of Camp McClellan August 1, 1917 WWI - Letters Camp McClellan ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shirley Mellon Dewberry dewberry@cableone.net August 29, 2012, 8:21 pm A Retrospect Of Camp McClellan A RETROSPECT OF CAMP McCLELLAN By S. F. ZIMBALL Those of us who have in some way been connected with the activities of Camp McClellan from the very beginning of its life or from the day when it witnessed the arrival of the initial Guardsmen who were to form the 29th Division, and who are yet here to witness the gradual demobilization of the present troops, are very fortunate in having the opportunity to look back and comment on the wonderful growth and development of a long barren stretch of unpopulated land into a delightfully picturesque camp which comfortably housed over fifty thousand men and trained them in rudiments of modern warfare. On the first day of August 1917, the writer with several others alighted from a train which bore him from the capital of the country with orders to report for duty to the Depot Quartermaster at Camp McClellan. We were soon accosted by shouting taxi-cab drivers, deposited ourselves and our belongings in one of the inevitable Fords and went scurrying through a road which bore every semblance of an ordinary country thorough-fare suddenly aroused by an unusual activity of wagon and motor conveyances. Not very long thereafter we stepped out of our uncomfortable seats and found ourselves before a shack labeled “Constructing Quartermaster”. On both sides of the road were carpenters busy with hammers and saws. Here evidently was the very foundation of Camp McClellan. Stretching in the distance as far as the human eye could observe were thick woodlands surrounded by high mountain cliffs upon which shone the shimmering rays of an August sun. On making inquiry for the whereabouts of the Depot Quartermaster to whom we were to report, we learned that his offices were located at some other point in the camp; but we were soon made happy by the appearance of an automobile which contained the Depot Quartermaster himself, and we reported accordingly. This gentleman, Captain R. T. Hare, somewhat corpulent in appearance, suggesting that army life seemed to have been advantageous to his abdominal functions, welcomed us handsomely, invited us into his car and drove us to his temporary office, -- a place later occupied by a Machine Gun Company- and introduced us to our quarters. He talked very pleasantly indeed – his disposition always was cheerful – gave us an idea of the tremendous task that lay before him and all concerned in the organization and building of the camp, and soon hurried off to attend to his rapidly accumulating duties, leaving us to arrange and install ourselves, at the same time giving us an opportunity to look about us. As my mind drifts back over the whole period from that first glimpse of the camp, when I stood on a highly elevated portion near our quarters and gazed at those silent hills which were soon to witness a strange metamorphosis of a deserted valley into practically a city and soon to re-echo the sounds of fallen timber and later the replication of bursting shells, I cannot but marvel at it all. The capacity of man knows no limit. The war has undoubtedly proven this. With the beginning of the arrival of troops there at once resulted a surprisingly marked activity. Trees were felled, their stumps uprooted; ground was cleared everywhere and tents set up. Roads started; company streets begun. The place was alive. Each day welcomed new carloads of cheering khaki-clad youths. The passing days brought carloads of miscellaneous supplies. Behind all that could be noticed the wonderful determination and patriotic spirit that imbued every actor in this work. It was splendid and gratifying to watch the zeal and cheerfulness of the men. They knew what the task was that they had been put to and preceded to their work with astonishing alertness. They had been taken away from their homes, from their beloved ones, and sent to create a new home where they were to fit themselves to conquer a threatening foe; and it is with unaffected pride that we state they proved themselves worthy of the undertaking. Within a short time they were not only well-houses, but they were well-clothed and well-fed; and the routine work of training was being accomplished with the greatest enthusiasm imaginable. By Christmas of 1917 the organization and building of the camp was well under way. The greater portion of the men who were to constitute the 29th Division has arrived and was in training. What an inspiring spectacle it must have been to a person who, well acquainted with the topography of this desolate valley stretching along for thousands of acres of apparently useless and uninhabited land on say – June, 1917 – was suddenly to make his appearance on Christmas night, after not having visited this section during that interval and ventured to the top of one of the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains overlooking the encampment of the artillery regimented! Gazing into this valley below he would behold even lines of illuminated pyramidal tents stretching far across, interspersed here and there by numerous mess-hall buildings from which could be heard the merry laughter of the “boys” at their Christmas dinner. Now and then strains of music would reach his ear. To his extreme left his eyes would meet large warehouses containing food, clothing and miscellaneous military impediments, build along rail tracks to facilitate unloading and storing. There it was. A city spring up from the ground as if by magic, by day soothing and throbbing with indefatigable activity, and by night reposing in undisturbed content. It must have been so throughout the training camps of the whole country. Victory lay in the unity of purpose which pervaded everywhere. The success of Camp McClellan was assured by the spirit of Whole-hearted co-operation among the officers and enlisted men. To the citizens of Anniston was left the assurance of their comfort and contentment during moments of leisure and recreation. And they, too, responded with unaffected grace and genuine hospitality and generosity. It was all this willingness of personal sacrifice for a great cause which enabled this country to send two millions of well-trained troops to the battle-front in France and caused the undisputed downfall of autocracy. When the 29th Division departed from this camp for overseas during the month of June last, it was an exceptionally well-trained force, commanded by disciplinarian worthy of his command. The name of General Morton will forever be stamped in our memories as a great leader of men. Today Camp McClellan may be regarded as possessing every advantage of an ideal camping ground. It is approached by one of the best roads in the south, is well situated, has a watering and sewerage system unsurpassed by any camp in the country, thus insuring best hygienic conditions, and has a Base hospital equipped and fitted up with the most modern of surgical and medical apparatus and appliances. Credit and praise must be given for these accomplishments to individuals’ efforts and to the efforts of groups of individuals. It is their due. There are a few left who saw the birth of the camp, and who will probably see its close. These deserve particular mention. Captain Richard F. Hare is the true pioneer. Having been sent down here as Acting Depot Quartermaster on about July 15, 1917, he very ably organized the Quartermaster’s Department, which until now has been the very mainstay of the camp, handled all contracts and purchases, attended to the incoming shipments of supplies, until he was relieved of those duties by the arrival of Captain William A. Carleton, later Lieut. Col. Carleton, a very competent and able Quartermaster and soldier, who assigned Captain Hare to the duties of Accountable Officer in charge of the Property and Supplies of the camp; an assignment which he and his able assistance and chief clerk, A. R. Moore, now Q. M. Sergeant, Senior Grade, can vouch for the numerous intricate problems that continually unfolded themselves for them to solve. Sergeant Moore is a very conscientious young man who has rendered very valuable service during his long stay at the Camp, which fact will surely be corroborated by many Supply Officers troubled with the difficulties of maintaining a Property Account. To this day, Captain Hare has been connected with every branch of the Quartermaster’s Department and has won for himself the distinction of being the best liked man in the Detachment. He may have lost some superfluous weight by his arduous labor, but he has been well recompensed by gaining the affections of the men about him. Camp McClellan’s efficiency is due to many men whom we have welcomed here and whose departure we deeply regretted. Major Dulin, later Colonel, was an early arrival upon who rested the burden of the whole construction machinery of the camp. He deserves much praise for his brilliant career here and for his accomplishments, as does his worthy successor Major Robert E. Scott, the present Construction Quartermaster. The Quartermasters surely are to be complimented on their work. We have seen and heard Lieut. Col., A. K. Baskette, Division Quartermaster for the 29th Division using his thundering voice and throwing it in the direction of some officer or enlisted man who had shown some slight delinquency in his work; and that same officer or enlisted man would stand in object fear and tremble at every word that passed from the lips of that pondrous man. All for one purpose. We have recently been deeply affected by the transfer of Major R. M. Angus, a man we have all learned to love and respect by virtue of his gentleness of manner and his kindness. We are thankful, however, for the presence of Captain J. T. Phillips, under whose splendid leadership the Quartermaster Detachment has worked nobly for many months. His personality and temperament have gained for him an excellent reputation extending throughout the camp and permeating to the neighboring towns of Piedmont and Oxford. A more loveable and accommodating soldier cannot be found; and the men under him are the most satisfied and comfortably situated group in the camp. Commendable mention is also in store for Mr. E. A. Sherman, the American Railway Representative, whose splendid service dated back from the beginning of the camp and whose hearty co-operation with the Camp Quartermasters and the railroad officials and agents, of whom Mr. Fred M. Lang, agent for the Southern Railway at this camp, deserves particular praise, resulted in remarkably efficient service under very unpropitious facilities. The problems of bringing men to the camp and sending them from the camp has always presented considerable trouble, but this has been minimized by ceaseless labor and sound judgment of the railroad representatives. Mr. Sherman has always stood high in the estimation of the commanding officers of the camp. He is always, as he says, “on the job”, and to this day one can see his towering figure actively engaged in hustling the unloading of some car of supplies. It would be a tedious task for the readers but an extremely pleasant one for the writer to enumerate all the individuals and organizations that contributed to the success and welfare of the camp. The various entertainment units, recreation halls, Red Cross committees, athletic commissions and other have all shown their merit by their zeal and willingness. Our deepest gratitude must, however, be extended to the tireless work of the men and women on duty at the Base Hospital. The writer fully appreciates the overwhelming task presented to them during the recent epidemic of Influenza and knows that continually during that fateful time they labored night and day in overcrowded wards, jeopardizing their own health, but continued on without a murmur, bringing cheer and relief to thousands of patients on reducing the death rate to a minimum. They surely have done their “bit”. The war is over. The peace of the world is assured and is about to be consummated in France. Christmas is approaching and we have much to be thankful for. We have shared alike the work that was required of us and are ready to return to our homes. We can look upon the history and development of Camp McClellan as an accomplishment that bears something personal in it. To me the splendor of its achievements will forever be retained in my mind as the most pleasant experiences. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/calhoun/photos/military/ww1/letters/ucampmccl651gmt.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/calhoun/military/ww1/letters/ucampmccl651gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 13.2 Kb