WWI - Excerpts from The Times Picayune - May 23 & May 30, 1917 -- Orleans Parish Submitted by: Rosemary Ermis Source: Times Picayune - May 23 & May 30, 1917 Date: August 2003 ************************************************* Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http:/www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Excerpts from The Times Picayune May 23, 1917 EIGHT MORE MEN FROM NEW ORLEANS REACH FORT ROOTS Little Rock, Ark., May 22.--The Louisiana contingent in the Twelfth divisional regiment at the Fort Logan H. Roots training camp today was increased by the arrival of Sergeants Mogubgab and Van der Veer, Corporals P. Alocott, R. E. White, J. Tuttle and McG. Brown and Private Rudolph Weinman of New Orleans and Private Lamar Polk of Alexandria, members of the Washington Artillery, the First field artillery, L. M. G., of New Orleans. Each of the eight new arrivals has seen service on the border, and Captain John Pl. Bubb, adjutant of the post, said yesterday that no more well-set-up or generally desirable men have been received than the eight artillerymen. Reports received at the post today indicate that a transfer of men will be made some time in June to other training camps. Provisional organizations of artillery and cavalry have been made, but all drill for the next two weeks at least will be in infantry tactics only, after which selections for other branches of the service will be made. ***************************************************************** Excerpts from The Times Picayune May 30, 1917 LOUISIANA MAN TELLS EXPERIENCE AT CAMP ROOTS Among the first young men from Louisiana to go to the officers' training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots was Robert C. Gamble of Mansfield, brother of Harry Gamble, assistant attorney general. He has gone through the routine of the camp from the beginning, and has written to his brother an interesting letter in respect to the work there, which seems to enter more into the spirit of the camp than anything yet printed. As hundreds of Louisianians are interested in this camp, the letter of Mr. Gamble is here given: "This is Saturday evening and we are allowed to come to town for the evening. "We are sure working hard now, down to it good and proper. Everything is business, and there is no time to fool around. A fellow expressed himself the other day by saying 'the colonet found out that we had thirty minutes we had no use for and had wired the War Department to find out if they couldnot put us to work during that time.' It is go from 5:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night, with very little sleep. However, I am getting used to it and am eager for the work. It comes hard to me, of course, but am gradually acquiring a little knowledge of something about company drill in close and extended order. We have several textbooks to study: Court-Martial, Interior Guard Duty, Drill Regulations, Signals, and several others, and I understand that they are going to give us more later on. "We now have a program of the entire work for infantry, and I see that it gets harder as it goes; but suppose as it comes I will be able to absorb enough to understand something about it. There are three study periods each day, one in morning, evening and at night, and really more study than actual drill. We have about four hours' drill every day, except Sunday, when there is nothing to do. I use most of that time in reviewing what we have gone over for the week. It takes nothing but hard study and keeping your brain working all the time. There is a good deal of work to be memorized. As one of the officers expressed it, they are trying to cram into us in three months what they put into West Point men in four years, but I think that is exaggerating it some. "I do not understand the general plan as yet; but so far I understand that 640 men from this fort will be commissioned at the end of three months and sent into immediate service. The disposition of the rest I do not know. Suppose they will make non-coms out of them in the new army of 500,000. That will average about 33 per cent out of each company. A great many were turned down on physical examination, an average of about 35 per cent, and they had to fill up the vacancies by getting men from Louisian, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas Guards, and a good many have been transferred from the North down here as they had too many up there. About the allowances: I saw a telegram from Aswell yesterday evening saying that $100 per month, board and uniforms would be paid and transportation. Whether that is authentic I do not know. I do not think they have a definite plan along any particular line and they many change it most any time. "After thirty days there will be another weeding out by examinations physically. Am sticking pretty swell now and hope I am able to stick the three months out. I would not take anything in the workd for this training as it cannot be estimated the good it will do physically and mentally. There are losts of Louisiana boys here and in my company. Young J. Y. Sanders is in my comapny, James K. Vardaman, Jr., Stanley Behrman and lots of men I know in other companies. "Our cousin, Pollard Harrison, is here too. Most of the best known names of public, professional and business life in three states are represented here. The balance are in the Guard, I reckon. Taking them as a whole, I find all I know to be gentlemen and fine fellows. There are some good military men in my company from S.L.U., Mississippi A. and M., Arkansas A and M., and also Oklahoma and the National Guards. I understand from the circular they have issued that one with no military experience can hope for no better than a second lieutenancy. "They are feeding us well, better than I expected and I am eating my head off. The exercise made me sore for a while, but I am getting into shape and hardening up right along. We took a two-hour hike this morning with gun and light kit and it did not bother me the least bit. Have had three shots of typhoid serum and the last one made me sick, but am over it now. I understand there are several more preventives to be given later on."