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BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE HIDING-PLACES . . net $1.35
AT PLATTSBURG
BY
ALLEN FRENCH
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1917
Copyright, 1917, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
Published April, 1917
TO
SQUAD EIGHT
IT MAY SURPRISE YOU, BOYS, TO SEE THAT INMY BOOK THE SQUAD ISN’T AS IT REALLY WAS.SOME OF YOU ARE NOT THERE, AND THE RESTARE ALTERED. BUT WHILE, ON ACCOUNT OF THESTORY THAT I NEEDED AND THE FACTS I WANTEDTO DISPLAY, I COULD NOT DRAW YOUR PORTRAITS,I HOPE I HAVE SUCCEEDED IN SHOWING THATTHING IN PLATTSBURG WHICH MEANT MOST TOME PERSONALLY, THE SPIRIT OF OUR SQUAD
PREFACE
To describe military scenes is always to rousethe keenest scrutiny from military men. I writethis foreword not to deprecate criticism, but toremind the professional reader that, while thescenes I have described are all from experience,the aim in writing them was not for technicalexactness, often confusing to the lay reader, butrather for the purpose of giving a general pictureof the fun and work at a training camp.
Nowadays we are making history so fast thatreaders may have to be reminded that last summeroccurred the mobilization on the Mexicanborder of most of the regular army and manyregiments of the National Guard, a fact whichconsiderably affected conditions at Plattsburg.
The “Buzzard Song,” which my company usedwith such satisfaction on the hike, was written bya camp-mate, John A. Straley, who has kindly allowedme to use it, with a few minor changes.
Allen French.
Concord, Massachusetts,
April 3, 1917.
AT PLATTSBURG
Richard Godwin to His Mother
On the train, nearing Plattsburg.
Friday morning, Sep. 8, 1916.
Dear Mother:—
Though you kissed me good-by with affection,you know there was amusement in thelittle smile with which you watched me go. I,a modest citizen, accustomed to shrink frompublicity, was exposed in broad day in a badlyfitting uniform, in color inconspicuous, to besure, but in pattern evidently military and aggressive.What a guy I felt myself, and howevery smile or laugh upon the street seemed tomean Me! The way to the railroad stationhad never seemed so long, nor so thronged withcurious folk. I felt myself very s