Diary, May 5-11, 1918

May 5 - Sun. 5AM - at Danville. Met Arthur - Fleda - Mother - Olan and Cecil. Spent over 10 min here. Rode in Engine up to Junction and they stopped so I could speak to father a few minutes. later went thru Ft. Wayne. 3 PM. Montpelier. marched a half hour here. 6 PM. at Detroit. Red + served lunch to us. taken across river on ferry and set our time up 1 hr. Now in Windsor Canada. My first time in Canada. People very sociable and patriotic

May 6 Mon. at 9 am. we pulled into Niagra falls - saw the town and the rapids - and mist from the falls altho we did not get to view the falls. The road is fine and we have been traveling at some speed since leaving Niagra. 12 oc. at Rochester J. scenery beautiful. We entered the Leigh Valley and all after noon it has been the prettiest scenery I ever saw. 4 PM - at Sayre we changed a truck on men car - some times we run 72 miles an hour. 6 PM on the way again, 11 P.M. at Wilkes Barre Pen. Stoped here- Red + served lunch and YMCA gave us a shower bath and swim lots of girls too. Bunch on my car drunk. Cook Cissell got away. left here at 1:30 and with 2 engines started on up in the mts.

May 7. Tue. 6 A.M. at Harrisburg N.J. just crossed Delaware river. scenery beautiful thru here. my drunks getting sobered up. 10 AM- entering Newark. quite a manu. place - went thru ship yards- into Jersey city - saw crossed river to get to Jersey City - Saw statue of Liberty. 11 am. unloading train and transfering baggage to the boat that takes us to L. Island City. See Woolsworth building- passed under Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. 18 sub. chasers just passed us - 3 battle ships are in harbor here. 2:30 adrift in the harbor waiting until ferry ahead of us unloads so we can get to dock to unload too. 6 P.M. all transfered from ferry to train on L.I. that takes us to Camp Upton. 6:45 Some of the most beautiful residences and grounds here on L.I. you ever saw. 9:30 at Camp Upton. we have barraks here. every thing modern. our baggage being mixed time was lost getting all sorted. Steel cots and most all have beds made.

May 8. Wed 1:30 am. just thru eating supper. and good nite. sent razor home today. Seen picture show tonite. rather cool for us.

May 9. Thur. got up late. had 2 inspections to day for physical, one cot insp. - were issued steel helmets, heard gov. Lowden speak; introduced by gen bell. 3:3 barack bags all packed & sent. rolls made, and floors moped 8 PM- rations issued for 24 hrs. 11:30 PM- issued more toilet art. doing more cleaning up. toilet art were military hair brush- tooth brush comb- soap towel & clothes brush

May 10 - Fri - I am leaving for train with full pack. 5 am. just got off train - went on ferry - took us under 3 bridges past Lib. statue - and New Yorks big buildings to docks. We unloaded from ferry to the big steel ship we are to sail on. She is maned with 4, 6 inch guns. It is the largest and best boat in the harbor here. all steel. It was an old german boat worked over to a transport. 12 am - just finished eating mess - all settled now for Europe. 4 PM - mess. 4:30 boat across from us just pulled out 5PM. [ ian] boat opposite side of our pier just pulling out. 6:15 - another of our convoy leaving. This boat is 608 ft. long. name - Covington. Best boat in this convoy. Gen Hill and Col green picked her out this morning. the 65th Brig. Hdg. and 129 Inf are all that is on this boat. 7:25 now leaving. Boat under her own power. Every body inside so no one can be seen. We all left this way. Raining outside.

May 11 - Sat We caught up with some boats that started yesterday. A battle ship ahead of us. There is 14 boats with the cruiser. We are the leading boat. The others are all around us.