brated Baccarat Glass Works, and the fact that it was a city
drew the men there often. Across the Meurthe River, between the
cathedral and the heights at the western edge of town lay the ruins of a
large section of the city, shelled in those days of August, 1914, that
marked the limits of the Germans' first onrush.

Work had been dropped, after a couple of days, on the position begun by
Battery B some distance in front of the one we occupied. Gun drill and
instruction in various phases of the battery's work was the sole
occupation of the men. Only once did the battery fire. At 1:30 a. m.,
June 5, the gun crews were hurriedly aroused, and fired for about an
hour, in response to a heavy enemy barrage, to which all guns in the
sector replied.

Gas alarms woke the battery many times at night, but by this time the
men had reached that stage where their own judgment told them when they
should sit up with their gas masks, and when they might turn over and go
to sleep. In brief, the alarms, though frequent, bothered them little.

June 9 the first two sections took two Battery D guns up in front of our
forward positions, to demonstrate for the officers of the regiment the
methods of open field warfare. All of the men learned to put up the
"flat-tops" that were always, after we left Lorraine, used as camouflage
over the guns. From four corner poles, held firmly by ropes and stakes,
heavy ropes were stretched as taut as possible. On this framework was
spread a cord netting, about thirty feet square, whose corners slanted
out equidistant from the corner poles. On the netting were fastened
wisps of green burlap thick enough to conceal what lay beneath it, but
not so thick as to cast a heavy shadow which might be distinguished in
an aerial photograph. This form of camouflage could be set up and taken
down quickly, and used repeatedly.

During the latter part of our stay near Merviller, the peculiar sickness
called "trench fever" ran through the regiment, thinning the ranks of
the men fit for active duty and sending many to the hospital for a few
days. After a few days of fever, languidness and weakness, the illness
passed away.

June 19 the first platoon pulled out, and the second platoon followed
on the next night, hiking 37 kilometres to Damas-aux-Bois. After two
days there, the regiment marched to Charmes, where we entrained for a
short train ride to Chalons-sur-Marne. By noon next day the battery was
in comfortable billets i