Jason Sprague (Produced by Samuel Sprague) - The Life of a Private: Journals of a U.S. Private of World War 1

The Life of a Private

Journals of a U.S. Private of World War 1

Jason Sprague (Produced by Samuel Sprague)

Copyright 2021 Samuel Sprague

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2021

ISBN 978-1-63710-771-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63860-915-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63710-772-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

J ason Sprague (author) thanks the editor, his grandson, Bruce A. Dunnihoo, and his daughter, Lois I. (Sprague) Dunnihoo, who authorized this editing. Thank you to his grandchildren Steven Sprague and Shelley Carter for preserving this journal. And thank you to his great-grandson Samuel Sprague who produced this book to take our familys place in American history.

Introduction

D ear reader, you will find in the foregoing story a true and complete history of the happenings and actual experience of a private in the United States Army written from memorandums that I copied just when the incidents occurred. It therefore not my intention to write only the real facts that occurred in everyday life while in the service, I also hope to give and describe the ways and views of foreign people which I, being among, feel that I should.

War, a word generally hated. And its meaning is known the world over by all nations.

PS. Also, I trust you will excuse the mistakes and errors that I make knowing this is about my first writing upon a typewriter .

August 1918

Well, time passed until the summer of 1918 before I had any experience in the Army. My real army life started on August 8, 1918. I was called by my local board in Doniphan for appearance on the same date. This was my first step in the military ring. So I , along with twenty-eight other Ripley County boys, left Doniphan, our county seat, at 9:30 a.m. on August 8. We entered in a special car for Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. We arrived about five oclock the same day.

We had a big time and enjoyed our first days outing fine as most of us were jolly old boys. Only a few who felt blue were those who had wives, sweethearts, or mothers at the station. I decided at first to make the best of it though. We were all new at the job. We were detailed to do it. We had no thought of the future or the trying times ahead. Soon after arriving at Jefferson Barracks, we were lined up and marched to the receiving building where the roll was called. We were put into groups. After our names were checked off, our group number was 355. Most of us got in the same one. Then we were shown our bunks. Our next move was supper. A corporal in charge of us took us into a large mess hall where something like a thousand or more men could eat at once. This looked big to me, but only a speck to what was coming. Here is where I first gave up my ways of civil life. It was either that or starve as everybody only helped their selves. So you may guess what followed, but I sure got my part.

After supper, they gave us blankets. The corporal gave us a little talk about the camp places to go to and where we shouldnt go before bedtime taps. He then showed us our bunks and then left of course. I looked around over the camp awhile but soon got tired and went to bed. Very tired from my days adventure and journey but feeling fine otherwise. Had a good nights sleep and got up very early. The corporal took us after breakfast to the examination building or mill, as the boys nicknamed it. We entered the building about 8:00 a.m. and came out about 5:00 p.m. with our new uniforms. We were in there all day without dinner. This I thought wasnt doing us right. I never bothered about telling them about it, as I , with the others, was so glad to get out of such a place. We had to sign our name at least eight times and so much other red tape that I didnt see any need of. This was Friday, so our corporal told us of a picnic in St. Louis the next day, Saturday, given by the old civil war veterans and also a dance. Upon learning we could get passes, most of us went on.

Our passes and the ticket entitled us to everything free. But with two other boys of Doniphan, George Douglas and Zeke Smith, we boarded a car for the main district of St. Louis. This was my first trip to St. Louis. We intended on seeing all we could go over the town until we got tired. Had some pictures made and had a good time. We returned to the picnic and dance, but imagine our feeling in our uniform for the first time and those terrible hobnail shoes which weighed us down. It seemed impossible to walk easy on the sidewalk. On our return, we found quite a few interesting things or seemed so to the other boys, but they didnt interest us much. So we soon went back to camp and went to bed thinking what a fine time we had spent so far. I was glad I was in the Army and wrote my folks, telling them I liked it fine so far and hoped to continue. Though my time is coming and very soon. Far after breakfast the next morning, the corporal told us we were to leave that day, but he didnt know where. They had a rumor we were going to New York to do guard duty. Another rumor had us going to a camp in California. But anyway, I have learnt since not to listen to rumors. About noon, they marched us out into a little square where the sun came down at about 140 in the shade, and we had an inspection. This I thought was awful to keep us out like that in the sun without dinner too. At last, after we stood around almost a half day, our train came. We then loaded and started south at three thirty and traveled until four oclock. Tuesday morning had a good time again along the road especially at Poplar Bluff, where so many girls met us going by way of Little Rock and Texarkana, Dallas, and Waco, Texas.

The train stopped right in camp. They told us our destination, and we began unloading. After we got off, they lined us up in double ranks and counted us 250 men in a company. Then they showed us our bunks or tents rather where we were to stay during our stay at that camp. As luck was with us, most of the boys from Doniphan got in the same company. Together we arrived at night. We were allowed to go to bed and not bothered. About first call next morning, there was some scenery I thought to see: the camp and so many soldiers. Our address here was Company B Infantry Replacement Camp, Camp MacArthur, Waco, Texas.

Here our real army life began. It was so hot to add to what we were used to. Next morning, they divided us out into squads of eight men each, and one of us was picked as acting corporal. Then they began giving us instructions of the camp. This and incidents exercise were about all we got done for a week also lectures of the Army, its ways, meaning, etc. They quarantined us for two weeks. That didnt take good with us, but it wasnt our say since we received another vaccination. This made two shots since St. Louis. We started drilling and got our guns. Our work began on a large hot sandy drill field, going out every morning at 7:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. and returning at 11:30 p.m. or midnight. Except Saturday and Sunday, which were mostly our own, after proving your past inspection. Saturday was always a day of inspection in the Army of both rifle and equipment. Well, our first inspection you ought to saw. The boys turned out anyway. It seemed more like an inspection and two to be alike than anything else. Well, my rifle didnt pass, but they let me off it being my first one.