What could be more pleasant or soothing to an adventurous spirit than a trip in the saddle through the scarred and devastated battle sector along the Lorraine border? This is what appealed to the boys of Battery D when announcement was made at Blancheville early in December that one hundred men were wanted to accompany a horse convoy to Longwy on the Belgian border. One hundred volunteers were asked for, and it was not long before the required number was enlisted from the military ranks.

The first convoy was to have left Blancheville on December 13th, but at the eleventh hour the trip was cancelled. Various other dates were set. Finally, on Wednesday night, December 18th, Capt. Smith assembled the battery in the Y.M.C.A. tent that stood near the old church, when announcement was made that the horse trip was to start on the morrow and the names of the one hundred men who were to make the trip, were called off.

In high spirits the volunteers made ready for the trip. Each man packed a set of saddle bags; made ready a driver's roll with shelter half and blankets. All the other individual equipment was gathered together and left in the Y.M.C.A. tent, as rumor had it that the regiment was soon to move to another billeting area and the order to move might come when the horse convoy was on the road. Thus the extra equipment was left with the remainder of the battery, on whose hands evolved the task of remaining in Blancheville and caring for the battery horses and doing the other detail work. The schedule worked hardship both ways. There was more than enough work for those who remained at the battery area, and those who volunteered for the convoy were not long in realizing that they had a tough job on their hands.

The detail of one hundred men left Blancheville at 7:25 a. m., Thursday, December 19th, in five auto trucks. The trucks also conveyed a saddle and equipment, also driver's roll, for each member of the party.

The auto convoy proceeded through Chaumont; then came a pleasant ride along the Marne river, passing through the towns of Luzy, Vesaignes, Rolampont and Langres. Stop was made at the latter fortified town, where the soldiers visited the town and procured refreshments. The trip was continued and at 12:30 p. m. the party reached Remount No. 13. at Lux, situated about three kilometers beyond Is-sur-Tille.

In fighting the mud at Blancheville the battery members thought they had struck the muddiest spot in France. Nothing could be muddier, they thought. But this thought was soon shattered when the volunteer convoy reached Lux. Perhaps it was due to the Remount being numbered 13, but the mud that surrounded it is beyond adequate description.

It was raining heavily when the battery arrived at Lux. Slimy mud, three feet thick in places, covered the territory of the remount.

The original order was for the detail from Battery D to remain at the remount over Friday and start with the horses for the Belgian border on Saturday morning. Arriving at the remount the battery detail was housed in a sheet-iron barrack with corrugated sheet-iron bunks. And everything was covered with mud.

Thursday night, while the detail lingered at the remount, official orders came changing the plan for the convoy party. Instead of taking horses to Longwy the detail was ordered to start the following morning to return to the 311th Regiment with several hundred mules.

Friday morning, December 20th, reveille was held in the rain at 5:45 o'clock. Immediately after mess the auto trucks were loaded and made ready for the trip. The detail, in charge of Capt. Smith, and accompanied by Lieutenants Yeager and Bennett, ploughed through the mud to the section of the remount that housed the horses the convoy was to escort.

Each member of the convoy selected a horse to saddle. The animals were of various spirits. Many of the battery detail were recruits who did not have the lessons in equitation at Camp Meade that the older members of the battery experienced. After considerable difficulty the horses were saddled and the convoy assembled in a large field to receive the consignment of mules.

Many of the horses had never been ridden in the saddle before, with the result that a regular wild-west exhibition transpired on the field. Riders were thrown from the saddle into the mud, but all the boys had their nerve with them and stuck to the horses, bringing them under control.

Lieut. Yeager was induced by the remount officers to saddle a large and fiery stallion, but after a brave attempt on the part of Lieut. Yeager to break and ride the stallion, during which the rider was precipitated into a large, muddy pool and covered with mud from head to foot, change had to be made for another animal, the stallion being left behind when the convoy started.

When all was set with the detail mounted, the remount attaches trotted out 237 mules, tied in series of three.

The mules were divided among the mounted men, each man getting three mules to lead, besides having to manage the horse he was riding. All the mules were frisky, having remained unworked for a considerable period. There was great prancing around as the convoy assembled. The mules, in many cases, started to pull one way and the horse pulled the opposite. Many of the mules were tied up in various speed combinations. Ones that were always on the run were coupled with ones that did not know how to step lively, or else the horse of the mounted party was either too fast or too slow for the trio of mules the driver had to lead along.

At 9:30 a. m. the convoy got started on the road. The convoy consisted of 96 mounted men leading 237 mules, the rolling kitchen drawn by four mules, in charge of George Musial, who had the assistance of Cook Burns and two K.P.'s in preparing meals enroute. Five auto trucks, carrying the forage and picket-line equipment, formed the remainder of the train.

Slowly the convoy proceeded over the mud-covered road leading from Lux. At noon stop was made at Fontaine-Francais, where the animals were watered in a stream and given nose-bags. Then the rolling kitchen came along the road and hot slum and coffee was served to the horsemen stretched out along the side of the road. It was against orders to tie the animals anywhere while on the march. Each driver had to hold his charges at rein's length with one hand, and attempt to eat the slum with the other hand.

After a two and one-half hour lay-over the march was resumed, a distance of thirty kilometers having been set for the day. The route was through Montigny in the afternoon and at 5:15 p. m., under a cover of darkness the convoy reached Champlitte. Through the town the road stretched, past a large chateau, then came a long hill, down which the horses and mules galloped, wild with hunger and fatigue. It was a dark night and difficulty was experienced in keeping to the unknown road. In making the descent of the hill leading from Champlitte several riders and mules almost struck the edge of the elevated road and had a narrow escape from going mounted over a precipice.

It was about 6 p. m. when stop was made at the base of the hilly road, where orders to remain for the night were issued. There were no stable accommodations, or nothing ready to receive the animals. A picket line had to be erected in a muddy ravine. The animals had to be led to a nearby stream and watered by bucket as there was no shallow approach to the stream. As the animals were watered and lead to the hastily thrown up picket-lines they began to bite and kick each other. A miniature stampede resulted until the several hundred nose-bags were adjusted and hay shook out along the picket line. Then all horses and mules had to be blanketed for the night. The detail secured the blankets from the auto trucks and started the task, which took considerable time and which was finally accomplished at the risk of life and limb. A limited amount of picket line had been erected and the mules especially were tied in very close proximity. To get between them and blanket the frisky jacks was to dodge bites and hoofs in all directions.

Mud was kicked up in all directions while the animals were receiving attention. It was a tired, muddy and dirty lot of soldiers that finished their tasks at the picket line at 11:30 p. m., and started to march up the dark hill to Champlitte; to the old chateau that was to house the troops for the night. It was midnight when the troops got something to eat from the rolling kitchen. Then they stretched out on the floors of the old chateau to rest for the night.

Next morning was Saturday. It was decided that the convoy would remain over at Champlitte and rest for the day. There was but little rest, however, as everybody was kept busy caring for the horses and mules; watering, feeding and grooming being in order. When it came to grooming the mud was caked thick on all hides.

It rained Saturday night. The guard detail at the picket line had a merry time chasing mules that broke loose and started to roam over adjacent hills.

All hands were up and on the job at the picket line at 5:30 a. m., Sunday morning, December 22nd. It was 8:30 o'clock before all sections were watered and fed, the picket lines packed in the trucks and things made ready to start. With the sections lined up on the road ready to start, count of the mules was taken and it was discovered that five were missing. An hour's wait resulted until all mules were present and accounted for.

The drive continued through the rain, until 11:30 p. m., when the town of Pierrefitte was reached. Detailed work in throwing up a picket line in the yard of an old chateau and duties equally as strenuous and similar to the first night's stop at Champlitte, were in order until all the animals were cared for. Bean soup was served for the battery mess and the night spent in the chateau.

During the night the rain turned into a sleet storm, attended by a strong wind. The wind and the sleet caused a stampede at the picket line. Morning found the picket lines completely demolished, and horses and mules roamed all over the lot. They were tied in all shapes and forms, the halter shanks being twisted in knots galore.

The battery men were up and doing at 5:15 Monday morning. It was 10 a. m. before all the animals were captured and tied up properly. The first section got started on the march shortly after 10 o'clock. Sleet, rain and snow continued to fall during the day. Through large expanses of open road, the convoy journeyed. The sleet drove in the faces of the mules, causing them to gallop at top speed. The riders had their strength severely tried and tested in keeping the situation under control.

Stop was made about 3 kilos from the town of Bourbonne where the animals were watered at a stream. The convoy entered Bourbonne at 3:30 p. m. and found to its great joy that the town housed an American army veterinarian section and had stable accommodations. The stable facilities lightened the work of the convoy and it was 5 o'clock when the men went to the town to seek quarters for the night. The large auditorium of the American Y.M.C.A. had been scheduled as the place of abode for the night. When the outfit applied for admission a conflict of dates was brought to light. It took great persuasive force, bordering close unto mob rule, before the officious officer in charge of the Y.M.C.A. was induced to allow the tired and muddy party to break in upon the quietude of the few sections of troops occupying part of the Y.M.C.A. for the night.

Before the convoy resumed the journey on Tuesday morning, December 24th, army veterinarians examined all animals in the convoy party. Many loose shoes had to be fixed by the blacksmiths, while twenty-two of the horses showed symptoms of lameness else had developed sores that barred them from continuing the journey. The veterinarian section also took over a number of the sound horses and mules.

The first sections got started from Bourbonne at 9 a. m. Twenty-six of the men, under Capt. Smith, were detailed to take the lame horses to a nearby remount and exchange them for sound animals. It was 11:30 when the detail of twenty-six left Bourbonne with the thought of overtaking the remainder of the convoy.

The main convoy rode hard all day. It was the day before Christmas and it was raining. Stop was made for the night at Clefmont, where stable accommodations were secured for the horses, while the mules had to be picketed.

The detail of twenty-six that was following had difficulty in finding the road the convoy had taken. It was dark when Clefmont was reached. The main detail had sent out a guard with a lantern to locate Capt. Smith and his detail, but the guard got on the wrong road; leaving the detail with Capt. Smith passing out Clefmont in the blackness of the night. By a stroke of luck, however, inquiries from French peasants finally steered the lost detail on the road where the advance guard with the lantern was located.

After caring for the horses the convoy spent Christmas eve in an old, dirty, combination barn and dwelling. Reclining on bunches of live straw that was found in the building, the soldiers dreamt of Christmas eve back home, wishing they were there, instead of where they were.

Christmas morning, Wednesday, December 25th, dawned clear and cold. Clefmont was left behind at 9 a. m., when the soldiers determined to drive hard so that the trip could be terminated by noon. The route lay through Longchamp. As the morning wore on a snow storm developed. Through the snow the riders pressed on, until 1 p. m., when Cirey-les-Mareilles was reached. Orders were to leave the majority of the animals at Cirey. A detail of Battery E men were on hand to meet the convoy and assist in caring for the animals at that point.

Relieved of their charges, the members of Battery D secured auto trucks to take them to Blancheville. It was a relief to get washed and cleaned up, as there was very little washing and shaving done during the five days on the road. It was a pleasure, also, to be back at the old stamping ground. And, to think it was Christmas. A few peaceful hours during the afternoon and evening were enjoyed by the convoy detail. A large amount of mail had accumulated while the men were on the road. It was Christmas mail, in which cheering words were received from the home folks. Christmas boxes despatched through the Red Cross came into their own. It was a rejuvenated bunch that partook of Christmas dinner in the battery's old mess hall at Blancheville at 5 o'clock that night.