Thurs. Dec. 6, 1917

Dear Marie,

Your letters and the typed letter all came O.K. The latter will be read
by every man in the Company. Last night I typed an extra copy for Sgt.
Baber. This afternoon Sgt. Brown said that he read that in a recent raid
on German trenches the American forces found the heads of the thirteen
U.S. captains stuck up on bayonets in the trench. I don’t believe it but
I’ll bet there are more barbarous things of this sort done than we ever
hear or think about. Believe me I know one American they won’t get
alive.

I was awfully sorry to hear about the bad cold and sure do hope you are
feeling good now. Some time I hope you will be sufficiently considerate
of my feelings to tell me when you are getting cold the way you did
Saturday. We have our troubles with the cold weather, too. Here’s the
day’s program.

Rise at 5:45. Assemble in ranks in front of barracks at 5:55. Reveille
at 6:00. Calisthenics 6:00-6:15. The stars are still out and it’s so
dark that one can hardly see what way the drill master is doing each
exercise. Make up beds and clean up, 6:15-6:30. Mess call at 6:30.
Breakfast of pancakes, buttrine, syrup, grapenuts, canned milk, sugar,
coffee, stewed figs.

After mess we sweep out and fuss up the barracks. Assemble for drill at
7:25. March up to stables (a little over a mile and a half) get there at
8 and groom our horses until 9:00, then saddle up for mounted drill out
in the field. We assemble in regular section formation and ride to the
drill grounds in a column of two’s.

This morning it was so cold that when I walked from the toilet “shack”
to the barracks, about 200 feet, my wet hair was frozen into big curls.
If my hair was only longer, I could have cut one off and sent it to you,
ain’t it so?

When we watered the horses, the ice was frozen an inch and a half thick
in the tank. Big drops froze on Ten’s head just while going to the
picket line. Gee, but it sure was cold. We ride with our overcoats on so
I kept one hand in my pocket most of the time. Some of the fellows in
the other sections had to lead mules and I’ll bet they pretty dear froze
their fingers. We dismounted once to adjust our saddles, and warm our
feet by running around in circles. When I first got on my feet they were
sore and stiff from the cold. At 11:05, we headed for the stables at a
good fast trot and at 11:15 we had our saddles hung up, and worked until
11:30 rubbing our horses dry. We got home at noon and ate dinner at
12:15. From 1:00-2:00 P.M. we had some snappy infantry foot drill. The
hour, 2:00-3:00 was spent practicing with wig-wag and semaphore. We had
buzzer telegraph practice from 3:00 till 4:00. The rest of the afternoon
was spent memorizing guard orders.

Hash was dished out at 5:15. Retreat roll call at 6:00. Then walk to the
City to write to the sweetest little girl. I wonder if she can read this
awful writing – and does the story of our day’s work really interest
her? Will you tell me?

Last Tuesday was a pretty busy day. Walked to stables and back twice
which amounts to about 7 miles. Groom horses an hour in the morning and
ride all the rest of the morning and nearly all of the afternoon. I then
walked to town and started a letter to you but gave it up after writing
nearly a page. I wish I could think of something to write every day if
you like my letters nearly as well as I do yours. Well I guess I will
quit. Stock says he is “all in” and wants to go home.

With love,

Forrest.