BACCARAT
May, 1918
The Knights of Columbus have secured a splendid place in Baccarat. The Curé had a large hall with extra rooms and a nice yard outside, for the young men of the Parish; and this he was glad to hand over to the K. of C. for the use of American soldiers. Early in the game Mr. Walter Kernan had tried to get in touch with me but had failed as we were moving around too much. However, he had sent me a check for 5,000 francs with instructions to use it for the men. I had no need of money, as our Board of Trustees were willing to supply whatever I should ask, and there were very few things that could be purchased on the scale demanded by a regiment of 3,600 men. We have now received the services of Messrs. Bundschuh, May and Mr. Kernan’s brother, Joseph, with a French-American priest whom I assigned to look after the Catholics in two of the artillery regiments.
We opened the building with solemn pomp and ceremony in the presence of representatives of Division Headquarters, M. Michaud, the Mayor of the City, Colonel McCoy and many of the Chaplains and a large throng of officers and men. With this commodious building in addition to the quarters of the “Y” the matter of recreation for men in town will be well looked after.
CHASSEURS
June 10th, 1918
Our Division has taken over a new sector from the French just to the right of our line bordering on the sector occupied by the Iowas and it is at present occupied by Major Donovan with Companies A and B of his battalion. It has a picturesque name, “The Hunter’s Meeting Place—Rendezvouz des Chasseurs,” and is even more picturesque than its name. There is a high hog-back of land jutting out towards the German line between deep thickly-wooded valleys. When this was a quiet sector the French soldiers in their idle time put a great deal of labor on it to make it comfortable and attractive, and when I came out here a few days ago I could easily have believed it if told there was no such a thing as war, and that this whole place had been designed as a rustic semi-military playground for the younger elements on some gentleman’s country estate. The officers’ dugouts are against the side of the steeply sloping hill so that only the inner portion is really under ground, windows and doors on one side opening on terraces which have flower beds, strawberry plots, and devices made of whitewashed stones.
We dine al fresco under the trees. An electric light plant is installed and I spent last night on the Major’s bunk indulging an old habit of reading late. Donovan, like McCoy, always has some books with him no matter where he goes; and I got hold of a French translation of “Cæsar’s Commentaries,” with notes by Napoleon Bonaparte.
I enjoy being with Donovan. He is so many-sided in his interests, and so alert-minded in every direction, and such a gracious attractive fellow besides, that there is never a dull moment with him. His two lieutenants, Ames and Weller, are of similar type; and as both are utterly devoted to him, it is a happy family. Ames takes me aside periodically to tell me in his boyish, earnest way that I am the only man who can boss the Major into taking care of himself, and that I must tell him that he is doing entirely too much work and taking too great risks, and must mend his evil ways. I always deliver the message, though it never does any good. Just now I am not anxious for Donovan to spare himself, for I know that he has been sent here because, in spite of its sylvan attractiveness, this place is a post of danger, so situated that the enemy could cut it off from reinforcements, and bag our two companies unless the strictest precautions are kept up.
Major Allen Potts, a genial and gallant Virginian, who is now in charge of the military police, has obtained permission to bring up one company of his M. P.’s to help our fellows hold the line. It is a good idea. The M. P. have a mean job as they have to arrest other soldiers for breach of regulations; and they are exposed to resentful retorts of the kind, “Where’s your coat?” “Where you’ll never go to look for it—out in No Man’s Land.” Nobody can talk that way to Major Potts’s outfit.