Feature Letter of January 19th, 2019
Cousins, Frank C.
This morning we had the novel experience of a route march in full marching order. The pack full with haversack, water bottle, overcoat rolled and entrenching tools weighs about 50 lbs but before we got back it felt more like 500. We fell in at 9.30 and marched out at 10.00. We didn't go more than six miles and as the band went with us it made the marching much better. You cannot appreciate how much difference a band and music makes in a march. This week has gone by very good. Most of us managed to get through the gas test yesterday morning. I felt no ill effects. We were in a gas chamber filled with Chlorine gas and Lachrymal or tear gas for about ten minutes. Chlorine gas if inhaled causes bronchitis and consumption. Lachrymal is an irritant causing tears and some times temporary blindness. The gas was so thick one could scarcely see but with the respirator we could breathe quite freely.
