It was always a happy moment for the soldiers when "fresh-bread day" came round. It varied the monotony of "hardtack" and formed quite a luxury after the hard campaign through the wilderness and across the James River. Soft bread was obtained only in permanent camp. There was no time for it on the march.
The recruit soon learned that slaughtering cattle, cooking, cleaning and washing accouterments, chopping wood and laundry all come within the province of the soldier.
In spite of the motor-truck, automobile and motorcycle, the horse and mule still hold an important place in the army as is evidenced by this column of three hundred canvas covered mule drawn transport wagons driving at Camp Hancock.
A decidedly realistic turn is given the novices when with their gas masks they practice carrying supposedly overcome companions on stretchers from the trenches. In this view the details of the masks can be seen. The rubber contrivance fits closely over the head with great staring goggle-eyes which gives the wearer a sepulchral appearance. A large tube brings the air from which the gas has been eliminated or neutralized to the nostrils of the encased man. When the danger from gas is passed the mask is removed, folded just so, and put in the flat carrying case worn on his chest where it will be ready for immediate use. All branches of the service are provided with masks, for German gas shells are often thrown far behind the lines even to the sections were the artillery is located. In France, even the peasants who work the fields near the front are being supplied with masks so that they can continue their agricultural work not only amid shot and shell as they often do, but in the enveloping poisonous gas.
Another exercise for part of the infantry is throwing hand grenades, a variety of bombs, some of which look like a baseball. These are thrown after a time fuse has been ignited and so call for quick work. The thrower never balks. The hand grenade is an old device used before the invention of the gun. Its use became a lost art after guns came into general use. In the Russo-Japanese war, however, it appeared again on the field of action and is now in very general use. Naturally, the range is very limited. Although some experts have been able to throw the 1.2 pound size a distance of 200 feet, 120 feet is considered a good average. Special bomb raids are planned to be carried out by a small squad composed of expert bomb throwers, a guard to protect them so all their attention can be devoted to throwing the missiles, and bomb carriers to supply the thrower. The latter must be able to replace the thrower in case of an accident. Sometimes there is also a relief party a little behind the main raiding squad. In real service on the other side a week or more is sometimes spent in rehearsing for such a raid so that it can be carried out with clock-like precision.
The whistle blows, and they are off, our gallant fighting men. God bless them — They are on the way with a shout and a laugh. That is the kind of morale which makes conquering armies.
Let us now go back to the special training of our soldiers. The infantry forms the great bulk of the army but their activities are exceedingly varied. However, all of them must be handy with a gun so the rifle ranges are among the most active sections of the cantonments. Our soldiers are taught to shoot at definite objects and not in zones as the Germans are. Various targets beside the regular bull’s eye surrounded by rigs are used, such as dummy heads just showing above a distant trench, or figures of men in different positions.