The Delta of the Triple Elevens

by William Elmer Bachman

The battery men were up and doing at 5:15 Monday morning. It was 10 a. m. before all the animals were captured and tied up properly. The first section got started on the march shortly after 10 o'clock. Sleet, rain and snow continued to fall during the day. Through large expanses of open road, the convoy journeyed. The sleet drove in the faces of the mules, causing them to gallop at top speed. The riders had their strength severely tried and tested in keeping the situation under control.

Stop was made about 3 kilos from the town of Bourbonne where the animals were watered at a stream. The convoy entered Bourbonne at 3:30 p. m. and found to its great joy that the town housed an American army veterinarian section and had stable accommodations. The stable facilities lightened the work of the convoy and it was 5 o'clock when the men went to the town to seek quarters for the night. The large auditorium of the American Y. M. C. A. had been scheduled as the place of abode for the night. When the outfit applied for admission a conflict of dates was brought to light. It took great persuasive force, bordering close unto mob rule, before the officious officer in charge of the Y. M. C. A. was induced to allow the tired and muddy party to break in upon the quietude of the few sections of troops occupying part of the Y. M. C. A. for the night.

Before the convoy resumed the journey on Tuesday morning, December 24th, army veterinarians examined all animals in the convoy party. Many loose shoes had to be fixed by the blacksmiths, while twenty-two of the horses showed symptoms of lameness else had developed sores that barred them from continuing the journey. The veterinarian section also took over a number of the sound horses and mules.

The first sections got started from Bourbonne at 9 a. m. Twenty-six of the men, under Capt. Smith, were detailed to take the lame horses to a nearby remount and exchange them for sound animals. It was 11:30 when the detail of twenty-six left Bourbonne with the thought of overtaking the remainder of the convoy.

The main convoy rode hard all day. It was the day before Christmas and it was raining. Stop was made for the night at Clefmont, where stable accommodations were secured for the horses, while the mules had to be picketed.

The detail of twenty-six that was following had difficulty in finding the road the convoy had taken. It was dark when Clefmont was reached. The main detail had sent out a guard with a lantern to locate Capt. Smith and his detail, but the guard got on the wrong road; leaving the detail with Capt. Smith passing out Clefmont in the blackness of the night. By a stroke of luck, however, inquiries from French peasants finally steered the lost detail on the road where the advance guard with the lantern was located.

After caring for the horses the convoy spent Christmas eve in an old, dirty, combination barn and dwelling. Reclining on bunches of live straw that was found in the building, the soldiers dreamt of Christmas eve back home, wishing they were there, instead of where they were.

Christmas morning, Wednesday, December 25th, dawned clear and cold. Clefmont was left behind at 9 a. m., when the soldiers determined to drive hard so that the trip could be terminated by noon. The route lay through Longchamp. As the morning wore on a snow storm developed. Through the snow the riders pressed on, until 1 p. m., when Cirey-les-Mareilles was reached. Orders were to leave the majority of the animals at Cirey. A detail of Battery E men were on hand to meet the convoy and assist in caring for the animals at that point.

Relieved of their charges, the members of Battery D secured auto trucks to take them to Blancheville. It was a relief to get washed and cleaned up, as there was very little washing and shaving done during the five days on the road. It was a pleasure, also, to be back at the old stamping ground. And, to think it was Christmas. A few peaceful hours during the afternoon and evening were enjoyed by the convoy detail. A large amount of mail had accumulated while the men were on the road. It was Christmas mail, in which cheering words were received from the home folks. Christmas boxes despatched through the Red Cross came into their own. It was a rejuvenated bunch that partook of Christmas dinner in the battery's old mess hall at Blancheville at 5 o'clock that night.