tablished a twenty bed military hospital and an infirmary at
Solombola.

On Sept. 10th I was ordered to report to Major Rook, R. A. M. C, at
Issakagorka, on railroad front, four miles south of Bakaritza, for
instructions regarding medical arrangements on River and Railroad
fronts.

On Sept. 11th I reported to Col. McDermott, R. A. M. C., A. D. M. S.,
North Russian Expeditionary Force, and there received instructions that
I should leave immediately for Issakagorka.

Accompanied by my interpreter, Private Anton Russel, and Sgt. Paul
Clark, boarded Russian launch for Bakaritza six miles up the Dvina and
on the opposite bank of the river, where we transferred to train and
proceeded to Issakagorka. Upon arrival there and reporting to Major
Rook, R. A. M. C., I was informed that I should go armed night and day
for they were having trouble with local Bolsheviks and expected an
attack any time.

Issakagorka is a village located in a swamp with about 2,000 population,
and every available room occupied. The overcrowded condition due to the
presence of many refugees from Petrograd and Moscow and other Bolshevik
territories. The streets deep. An odor of decaying animal matter,
stagnant water and feces is to be had on the streets and in all the
homes. At the house in which I was billeted, a fair example of
practically all Russian homes, the toilet was inside.

On Sept. 14th I was ordered to railroad front to inspect medical
arrangements. Arrived at Obozerskaya and found that Lieut. Ralph Powers
had taken over the railroad station and had almost completed
arrangements for a Detention Hospital of forty beds. He had just
evacuated thirty sick and wounded. The first aid station being in a log
hut, one-quarter mile west of station, in charge of Capt. Wymand Pyle,
M. C. In this there were ten stretchers which they had used for
temporary beds until cases could be evacuated to the rear.

Pits had been dug for latrines daily because the ground was so swampy
the pit would fill with water by night. The Americans had been
instructed to boil water before drinking, but after investigating I
found it had been almost impossible for they had no way to boil it only
by mess cup, and the officers found it difficult to get the men to
strictly observe this order. The return trip from the front to
Issakagorka was made on the ambulance train. This train consisted of
five coaches, which had been used in the war against Germany, and all
badly in need