Letter, September 17, 1917

Camp Logan, Houston Texas, %5th Reg. Band-

Sept- 17 - 1917

Dear Mother

Well we are in Camp Logan. I have just taken a shower bath and am guarding supply tent for an hour or so and will tell you what I can. It is awfully dusty here - our camp is out in a light woods north west of Houston 3 or 4 miles. we got in here this morning at 9. Have been busy as can be all day. nearly all the 5th Reg. is here. I dont know how many other Reg. are here too. Camp looks like a regular city. streets are numbered and some are crushed rock. But the ground is like rock almost. just a regular dried out woods. we are in our tents. we have electric lights in tent. wired today. Kitchen and mess hall is built. each co. has one mess hall. Lots of buildings for different purposes. Railroad comes right out here. I met Gen. Bell this morning. He was riding a swell looking horse. Well things in general look very dry here. in the street where the dirt was graded into a street, the dust is 6 or 8 inches thick.

Well I guess now our real work begins. or at least we are told so. This certainly is not Quincy by any means.. We were spoiled there for we did almost as we pleased compared to what we will do here. And I guess I will also have to go back with the band. Am really sorry too. But I guess it is of no use to complain.

The trip down here sure was enjoyable tho - Everything went fine. and the cars were first class. And having access to the whole car was much better than when we went to Okla. Also had sleepers. And porters to make our beds. Simply could not have been better. We stopped at Ft Worth and took a bath and saw some of the city. I saw very little of Houston as yet. But will make a trip as soon as I can. want to see the gulf too. Texas does not appeal to me very much, but it is very comfortable here this afternoon and night.

They sure are making preporations for some camp here. Pretty dirty, and expecially so after living at camp parker, Quincy. I suppose this will be better when we get located and get down to work and know just what to do. I feel so dissatisfied because I was almost a priveledge character while I was bugling in Quincy. and this is mighty different. The boys in 5th Reg have killed 4 or 5 rattlers in their co. streets already. I have not seen any as yet.

No, if the band is going to have so much work to do, it is going to take my time away from the line of study I was doing and I will not get to make the progress along that line I was so in the hopes that I may. It sure is dissapointing. Some of the Quincy boys are pretty down hearted. Will all get over it tho I guess.

We have a fine place for shower bath. Everything new. The camp sure covers quite a few acres of timber. Will certainly be a rotten place if it ever rains. no grass at all. No sand, just dust.

Well I am not going to promise anything at all about writing. We are going to be so busy from now on that I will do just the best I can. Most of my spare time is going to be spent in seeing what kind of a place we are in. The 6th Ill infantry have been made into heavy field artillery and some talk of doing same to the 5th Reg. but later.

I ought to do quite a bit of writing but don't feel much like it. Dress parade is cut out down here. Our real routine begins Wed morning. That gives us all of tommer to get used to things here. I want to get a desk made for our tent as there is only four in it as yet. will have nights to study anyway.

There is 4 or 5 bands here now. Certainly is some bunch of buglers too. I hate to think of leaving them. There is some certain ones I blame for all of it and they are knocking on me instead of giving me a pull as you would think they would for their home town fellows. Well I will write more later when I really know something. It is all guess work now.

Hoping to hear from you very soon I am as ever your loving son -

Paul B.