Leave privileges in the A. E. F. kept the French railroads busy. The demand for furloughs became so popular that troop specials to the leave centers came into being and opportunity of individual travel was curtailed. Scores, however, took advantage of the troop specials to the land of vacation ease.
While Battery D was in Blancheville Lieut. Hugh M. Clarke was transferred to the Supply Company of the regiment and Lieutenant Leo C. Julian, of Lakeland, Fla., was attached to the battery.
The horses were the main care of the battery. Forage was scarce, which caused the animals to become mean-tempered as they gnawed at the hay-racks and discovered that about one pound of hay had to do each horse a day while the forage scarcity lasted.
Many of the battery members received severe kicks while attending to stable duties. The most serious injury through a kick was inflicted upon Private Frederick M. Bowen, of E. Rutherford, N. J., who was sent to the Base Hospital at Rimaucourt with injuries that separated him from the outfit and sent him home as a casualty.
When the hikes became a daily occurrence at Blancheville stable duties were set for the entire battery to share in. Watering and feeding was done immediately after reveille was dismissed each morning.
On January 3rd the battery was ordered to pack everything to take to the road. The rolling kitchen accompanied the battery caravan that left Blancheville to return again to the village after a 7 kilometer hike. A similar hike was held the day following, when it was announced the regiment was to move forward and join the division for the trip into occupation territory. The same day a detail of five men were dispatched to the new billeting area to make ready the new battery location.
It was decided that the battery would proceed to the new area by taking to the road in march-order. The battery was ordered to be ready to move by January 9th.
On January 8th another hike with everything packed was accomplished, the outfit getting back to Blancheville at 12:30 p. m. All the matériel was left out along the road leading from the village that night, so all that was needed for an early start the following morning was for the horses to be hitched to the guns, caissons and supply-wagons.
The battery left Blancheville at 7:30 a. m., Thursday, January 9th, proceeding to Andelot where the entire regiment assembled on the road for the journey. A detail of men were left at Blancheville to cleanup; overtaking the outfit later on single mount.
After leaving Andelot the route was through Vignes and Busson; halt for noon-mess was made at the latter place. A distance of 22 kilometers was set for the day's journey, terminating at the village of Epizon, which was reached at 3:30 p. m. The regiment parked its matériel and established its picket line in a large grain field, then had to wait for two hours until the supply train brought up the forage. The battery men found sleeping quarters for the night in the barns and sheds of the village.