Diary, November 17-23, 1918

Nov. 17. Sun. Ate early dinner & played concert for Col. Myeyer & col Meyers - Major Lord & others. canteen opened near here. Letter from Maude Oct. 3, Nol. was some what late.

Nov. 18. Mon. getting such a little to eat lately Im most starved. Breakfast small piece bacon & 1 small slice bread 1/2 cup coffee. had 2 rehearsals today. First snow fell this evening. salvaged a whole case of powder to start fires with. wrote to Maude.

Nov. 19. Tue. was in charge today. 2 rehearsals. thawing quite a bit. Sig pay roll - I as band cpl. They say we are going home soon. hope so.

Nov. 20-Wed. issued auto. pistols today mine is No. 426782. New gun. got cond. can too. 3 magazines. 2 rehearsals - letter from - Maude - Oct. 17&3 - Cecil Oct 22 - Pearl Oct 18. wrote to Cecil.

Nov 21-Thur. Capt gave us instructions as to the line of inspections that are coming. He thinks by the out come of inspections our going home will be governed. 2 rehearsals today. Haneys & Chiefs comm. are not going thru. Odgon, Shugarett, Wallace & others will not get to finish school & get their commiss. chief made recomandations for members of the band as there are to be 4 sgts & 8 cpls. Had 3 good meals today. got cookies. wrote Xmas letter to father.

Nov. 22 Fri. Spent day preparing for big inspection. phy. inspection in morning by Maj Lord. talked with Lieut Kimmell today. he is just back from hospital. One billeting detail left today. was reduced today at my request. Bundy Metzgar Perry Cpls. and pat & Robertson were made sgts. tood my automatic apart & cleaned it. Cleaned my horn. sewed on cheveron for Haney - 1 Fr.

Nov. 23. Sat. got up early & marched west into valey for inspection, inspected by Cpt Burton & had orders read to us - Band paid compliments. Then we ate at upper kitchen & 2nd Bn transports came after us and we went thru nomansland over into Alsac. Lorane territy beyond Vasages mts to the Woevre plains. saw a shell that went half its length into a tree & did not explode. Forest completely blown off the earth where the two lines ran parallel. Ament trenches. millions of tons of barbed wire in mass. Desolation beyond conception. first trees in forest have limbs shot off & bullet marks, farther just the trunks & parts of limbs left then stumps and at last nothing but a mingling of shell holes, mine holes, trenches & barbed wire. While on the mts at one point I looked out over the plain of woevre & counted 21 villages. level as a floor & rather marshy - villages shot up. played concert at Fismes the town our reg. started to take the morn at 11 oc. when armistic was signed. They blew up a large mine today. whole buildings went a couple hundred ft high in pieces. ate mess there & came back. got in at 9 oc P.M.