Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/187

 THE FIRST OFFICERS' TRAINING CAMP

���THE TRENCH DIGGER IN ACTION

��and leads past the guardhouse to the main brick barracks. Some wore over- coats; some had none. A few w^ere in uniform — relics of the "Border" or old National Guard days. In the hands or on the shoulders of many there was baggage of every description from tel- escope suit cases to blanket rolls, and even some bundles done up in genuine old shelter halves. The yellow^ of brand new^ army shoes occasionally caught the eye. There was little levity as this stream crunched over the path. None knew definitely what was ahead, but the majority realized there would be work, and plenty of it. Then, too, all w^ere not positively sure they w^ere "in." There w^ere those wretched physical exams!

From cinders they echoed along the hard concrete in front of the tall barracks just past the drive w^hich leads under the tower. Beside the door

the first on the left of the tower — was a board sign w^hich read, "Wallace

B. Scales, Adjutant." This was the goal of the postal card. The trainload formed in single file outside of this door, and each man searched for his precious "ticket." A man w^ould knock, step in, present his card as genteelly as possible "non modo belli", receive instructions from the adjutant, aw^k- w^ardly face about and step out. His next goal w^as the drill hall. Here there w^ere men sitting at tables — fellows w^ho already had been commissioned in

the reserve who would enter his name in a book and again on a little card.

On the card also was w^ritten the number of the company to which the man was assigned and the number of the barracks in which he should sleep. It happened that the company a man was assigned to w^as all a matter of chance. The companies were filled up in order, beginning with the number 1 and run- ning through 1 5 in the Illinois regiment; and beginning w^ith A and ending with P in the Michigan-Wisconsin regiment, the letter J, as usual, being omitted.

Upon finding out the number or letter of his company, the candidate next sought out the temporary headquarters of his organization, which headquarters were located somewhere in the permanent barracks. The room located, the

candidate would find there usually two men reserve officers assigned to the

company to assist in its administration w^ho would have them register in a

book and then w^ould proceed to give instructions as to w^here to eat, sleep and secure a uniform and other immediately necessary equipment. The first object then sought by the new^comer w^as his bed. For those w^ho arrived before the I 2th, these w^ere in the main barracks, for the Illinois as w^ell as the Michigan and Wisconsin men, because the Illinois barracks were not fully complete. Up until the 1 5 th all meals were served in the permanent barracks,

�� �