n buildings within the enclosure are of two stories and are built
of stone. We were not long in being assigned to the bunks that we were
to occupy during our stay. These were two decked affairs with a
mattress of slats about two inches apart to sleep on. They were about
as uncomfortable as anyone can imagine and most of the boys preferred
to sleep on the floor. These barracks had been occupied by many
American boys who had gone before us. We saw thousands of American
names written on the walls, and occasionally we would run across one
that we knew. And, like the other, we too wrote our names, for the
boys who followed to read and comment upon.

Our meal for the first night at the barracks consisted of the rations
we had been given upon leaving the ship--bully beef, sour bread and
cheese. Our cooks got their fires started and gave us some coffee,
which stimulated us after our long and tiresome march.

After eating, we were permitted to write to our folks at home, and all
of us spent the evening in correspondence. We were not permitted to
write while on board ship, so most of us had several letters to send.
I wrote until 11 o'clock that night. I was surprised to find that it
was not yet dark. The long and appreciated twilight is due to the fact
that Brest is a great distance farther north than Sacramento, and this
was in the middle of summer, when the evenings are longest.

Not all of the buildings within the walls at the barracks are of
ancient construction. Several were recently built, such as a hospital,
a bath house for the accommodation of our men, the Y. M. C. A. hut,
etc. At this particular place the "Y" hut was appreciated by us
because it afforded us amusement, we could buy fruit, cakes, tobacco
and other articles there, and we could attend to our correspondence
there. We were assembled there on one occasion to hear two addresses
on the ways and habits of the French people, which were to benefit us.
We also exchanged our American money at the hut for French money. For
a dollar we received five francs and seventy centimes, and it was
amusing to see the boys studying over the French money system, as it
was difficult to understand at first. Some of the boys, not knowing
the value of the French franc, paid enormous prices for fruits,
candies, etc., to French women and girls, who peddled these articles.

While at the Napoleon Barracks we saw the first American wounded. They
were soldiers who had participated in the