In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson sent National Guard units for ninety days to Texas and other parts of the Southwest for surveillance, protection, and preparation against Pancho Villa and Mexican attacks. He sent a unit from Vermont and ordered it to report to Eagle pass, Texas. To endure those ninety days of hardship, many men must have kept journals to record personal thoughts and experiences. The Vermont Diary, written by an unknown soldier, is authentic and worthy of a place in a historical museum. The author seems to hold one of the highest ranks. He always refers to the other soldiers’ daily routines.
For instance, “Company went out for drill in morning before heat of day” (July 18, 1916).
This happens in every entry where the author invariably refers to them and rarely to himself. He appears to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the camp site, from the numerous supplies being delivered to the in depth inspections taking place. “Cots came in afternoon to our regiment and it took little talking to get the men out to go to get them at the supply tent. They are surely a much needed addition to our equipment which is not yet complete” (July 21, 1916).
Another example comes from an entry on September 7 th: “The inspection will be minute, covering all parts of cooking utensils, storage of food supplies, ice boxes, incinerators, and storage tents.” He never indicates that he attends church, but instead refers to the other men worshiping, “Many left camp for church this morning” (July 23, 1916).
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On July 18, he writes about married men who can apply for a discharge. It seems as though the author does not apply for this. Therefore, one may assume either he must be unmarried, or he is so dedicated to the camp that he does not want to leave. One may also assume that his high position in the camp might deter him from leaving. The author is very analytical and some of the entries become tedious to read because he merely lists the events occurring in the camp.
One example of this is his constant reference to meal times. His method of conveying these everyday circumstances communicates how boring, but difficult a soldier’s life must be. He recorded on July 29 th: “Marched out with the rest of the Vermont regiment following the Kansas Regiment for a three mile hike out into the country making a few stops for rest and then back again as a practice march.” The weather conditions described in the journal are appropriate to the camp’s Texas location. The heat is constant in the summer, affecting the soldiers’ lives, and he refers to that in almost every entry. “Very hot all day, the temperature being 115 at one time about 2 o’clock” (July 18, 1916).
At the end of almost every entry, he lets the reader know if it is a nice evening, “Beautiful night like last evening.
Moon very bright” (July 13, 1916); “The moon is not yet up – temperature 86 at 10 P. M.” (July 17, 1916).
This example of the nighttime conditions also shows how hot the circumstances were for the soldiers. The camp seems to be in good condition, as new supplies enter frequently and nutritious meals are regularly served to the soldiers. August 19, 1916, is the one point when the soldiers run into environmental trouble.
“Wind increased… to almost hurricane velocity and rain came in torrents taking tents and mess halls down at random.” They overcame the hazardous conditions of that night and the next day started to rebuild by working as a team. The officers and soldiers in the camp all seem to be very respectful of one another, and the author refers to everybody equally. He never speaks about anyone in a condescending or admiring manner.
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Soldiers of lower rank do not appear to be inferior ly treated. He does not seem to have a close relationship with the other officers or men. He provides no personal references concerning his feelings towards others. Anyone who is referred to by name holds a job, position or office. “Bowen, Currier, McCarty G.
& Cody marked quarters on sick report today” (July 18, 1916).
One could then assume that the men referred to by name hold important camp positions. The officers treat the men well and do not make them do as much work on the extremely brutal days, “No drill today on account of heat after morning drill which lasted until nine o’clock” (July 21, 1916).
The community is referred to frequently.
The men are sometimes allowed to go into town at night to drink beer or attend a social gathering at the YMCA. “Short meeting held by the Chaplin tonight after supper at the YMCA after words many went down town to pictures” (August 20, 1916).
He never refers to himself as attending any of the community functions. The unit gathers in town frequently to hear speeches.
Generals and priests give weekly speeches which provide the only education the men in the camp receive. “Third battalion listened to a talk on personal hygiene by Major Hagan in early part of evening” (July 24, 1916).
Some evenings the men are not allowed to go into the community because of an early curfew. The author never actually informs the reader of the diary’s purpose. He does not provide a first entry introduction, nor does he include a closing in his final recording.
Writing his thoughts down could have helped him pass the time, or if he were a ranked officer, he may have been required to keep a written journal of the camp’s daily activities. He lists the straight facts and nothing else. Most of the information in this diary is probably accurate and could be checked in official war department records. The information concerning supply drop-offs and various inspections, as well as Cook Chafee’s death and the vaccination dates could be verified in these records. The author never seems to be too negative in any situation, “Had heavy but short rain… but unlike other less fortunate companies the rain does not bother us” (July 14, 1916).
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He is also positive about those working for him: “Our cooks are doing excellent work” (July 14, 1916).
If he were an officer of a higher rank, it would be imperative that he stay positive, otherwise unit morale might crumble. Another example of his optimism is shown when he says, “Everyone is very contented with the life to a soldier… .” (July 24, 1916).
The diary’s author is very capable of telling the truth because one would tend to believe a person who writes so factually more than someone who wrote with flowery prose. It could be understood that any stretch of the truth might be to impress those reading it of his superb capabilities as a ranking officer or to convince others that he can run an efficient and harmonious camp.
After executing an extensive analysis of the Vermont Diary, I would highly recommend that this journal be placed in the museum. I believe it to be an authentic piece that would be an interesting and factual addition to your historical library. It shows the unbiased everyday tasks of being a soldier and would be a good supplement to more personal accounts of soldiers’ lives.
