ly, the men being happy in the thought that,
according to instructions, they had, the night previous, made
application for Christmas passes. Gloom greeted the end of the day's
horse convoy. Announcement was made that all Christmas pass orders had
been rescinded in the camp.

The gloom was not shattered until December 20th, when announcement was
made at retreat formation that half of the battery would be allowed
Christmas passes and the other half would be given furloughs over New
Year's Day. The loudest yell that ever greeted the "dismissed" command
at the close of retreat, rent the atmosphere at that time.

More disappointments were in store for the boys before their dreams of
a furlough home were realized. Saturday, December 22nd, was decreed a
day of martial review at Camp Meade. Secretary of War Newton D. Baker
visited the cantonment that day and the review was staged in his
honor. Battery D formed with the regiment on the battery street in
front of 019 at 1:20 o'clock on the afternoon of the review. The
ground was muddy and slushy. The regiment stood in formation until
3:15 o'clock when the march to pass the reviewing stand started. At
4:30 o'clock the review formation was dismissed and the boys dashed
back to 019 to get ready to leave on their Christmas furloughs.

It was a happy bunch that left 019 at 5:15 p. m. that day, under the
direction of Lieut. Berkley Courtney, bound for the railroad station
and home. An hour later the same bunch were seen trudging back to 019.
Their happiness had suddenly taken wing. A mix-up in train schedules
left them stranded in camp for the night, while the hours of their
passes slowly ticked on, to be lost to their enjoyment.

The "get-away" was successfully effected the next morning, Sunday,
December 23rd, when the same contingent marched to Disney, reaching
the railroad yard at 7:30 o'clock, where they were doomed to wait
until 9:15 a. m. until the train left for Baltimore.

More favorable train connections fell to the lot of the New Year's
sojourners to the land of "home."

CHAPTER VII.

WELL GROOMED BY DETAIL.

"This is some job."

And the opinion was unanimous when stable detail at Camp Meade was in
question, especially during the winter of 1917-18, which the Baltimore
weather bureau recorded as the coldest in 101 years. Stable detail at
first consisted of five "buck" privates, whose duty it was to take
care of "Kaiser," "Hay-Belly," and all the other batter