Lift Up Your Hearts!

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Monday Oct. 22^st

Raining. Very stormy & rough.

 

(France)

Friday Feb. 22^nd

Fussed on cars. Nothing much doing.

 

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Sunday Oct 21^st

Raining, rather windy.  Met our convoys this P.M.

 

(France)

Thursday Feb. 21^st

Worked on cars this A.M.

Worked in kitchen grinding coffee this P.M.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Saturday Oct. 20^th

Cold to-day. Have got a cold.  Nothing doing all day.  Rather rough this evening.

 

(France)

Wednesday Feb. 20^th

On K.P. all day.  Mail tonight – 3 letters.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Friday Oct. 19^th

Colder.  Same sort of weather.  Sighted a ship this P.M. which proved to be a freighter.

 

(France)

Tuesday Feb. 19^th

Fussed with Flivers all day.  Nothing much doing for us.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Thursday Oct 18

Cold this A.M.  Hail storm in morning. Cloudy all day.  Nothing doing.

 

(France)

Monday Feb. 18^th

Worked on cars all day. Fooled around.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Wednesday Oct. 17

Foggy this A.M.  Clear this P.M.  Concert by fellows this evening.

 

(France)

Sunday Feb. 17^th

Fine day.  Took an all day walk + went nearly to 3^rd lines.  Saw a German plane brought down this A.M.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Tuesday, Oct. 16^th

Very foggy.  Boats going straight ahead today.  No excitement.

 

(France)

Saturday Feb. 16^th

Cold. Off guard at 4:30 this P.M.  Appointed a driver again.  The Company went to trenches tonight.  Bob Skinner drove my car up.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Monday Oct. 15^th

Fine day.  On guard this A.M.  No excitement.

 

(France)

Friday Feb. 15^th

Gas drill + gun drill this A.M. Went on guard at 4:30 P.M. Cold tonight

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(At sea)

Sunday Oct. 14^th

Fine day.  Set sail this P.M. at 3:30.  Nine ships with us.  All going together.

 

(France)

Wednesday Feb. 14^th

Gas drill + short hike this A.M. Drill with guns

this P.M.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(Canada, at sea)

Saturday Oct 13^th

Felt fine this A.M.  Pulled into Halifax about 9:30 A.M.  Other transports besides ours loaded with American troops.  Took on some Canadians.  Loaded on provisions this P.M.  Nothing doing this evening.

 

(France)

Wednesday Feb. 13^th

Drill for gas this A.M. + with guns. Drill + short hike this P.M.

 

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(Canada, at sea)

Friday Oct 12^th

Rough & rocking.

Everybody sea sick.  Stayed up on deck nearly all day & tried to sleep when not sick.  Didn’t eat all day.

 

(France)

Tuesday Feb. 12^th

Fine day. Drill this A.M. Moved into different barracks this P.M.  Saw a Boch airplane bring down an observation balloon.

 

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(In Canada, on the St. Lawrence River)

Oct. 11^th Thursday

Still going up river.

No excitement.  Have to wear life belts at all times now.  Felt as though had wash board around neck.  Lots of snow on hills.  Cold, getting rough to-night.

 

(In France)

Monday Feb. 11^th

Fine Day.  Went around town exploring trenches + dugouts.

 

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription continued

The following is the next installment of the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918. Again there is one from the beginning of the book and one from 100 years ago today.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

 

(Left Connecticut for Canada)

Oct. 10^th Wednesday

Arrived at Montreal about 6 A.M. at docks.  Boarded boat by 7:00 A.M.  got 3^rd class quarters – Rotten -.  Set sail about 10 o’clock.  Up St. Lawrence R.  Pretty scenery.  Poor grub.  Arrived in Quebec about 8 P.M.  Took on some Servians. (Servian is an archaic word for Serbian.)  Saw rats around bunks when went to bed.

 

(Still in France)

Sunday Feb. 10^th

Detrained at about 4 A.M. at Braisne. Unloaded our Fords etc.  Had breakfast + started out in Flivers. Ate dinner at a town all shot to pieces. Continued in afternoon thru wrecked towns + landed at CheVregny. Town completely wrecked – not a house left.  I Live in barracks – some in dugouts. Got a better sleep.

 

This is the first of the actual entries from Hezekiah's diary.  As a reminder, I (Porter) am posting two days of transcription each day, one for 100 years ago and one starting from October 9th (the beginning of the diary) and moving forward.

Hezekiah Scovil Porter WW I Diary Transcription

The following is the transcription of Hezekiah Scovil Porter’s diary of his time in the army until his death at Chateau Thierry on July 22, 1918.

Original is in black, annotations in red, horizontal lines indicate page breaks.

(Beginning pages)

H. S. Porter

101^st Machine G. Bat.  (Gun Battalion)

U.S.A.

(Places he went)

Niantic Conn.

Montreal, Canada

Halifax           "

Liverpool, England

Borden          "

Southampton "

Le Havre, France

Mont les Neufchateaux  "

Lifol le Grand  "

Vrigny  "

Pinon   "

Soissons  "

Brienne le Chateau

Bar sur Aube

Fontaine   Fr.  (This seems out of place as it is in southwest France, near Grenoble; could it be Hontaine?)

Colomby  "

Vignory  "

St. Blin  "

Menil la Tour  "

St. Agnan  "

Liouville   "  (It exists on Google, after you scroll down some from the famous person of the same name.)

Jouy  "  (Jouy is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France)

Menil la Tour  "

Bois de Hazelle

near Fleury  (During the Battle of Verdun in 1916 Fleury was captured and recaptured by the Germans and French sixteen times. Since then, it has been unoccupied.  During the war, the town was completely destroyed and the land was made uninhabitable to such an extent that a decision was made not to rebuild it. The area around the municipality was contaminated by corpses, explosives and poisonous gas, so no farmers could take up their work. The site of the commune is maintained as a testimony to war and is officially designated as a "village that died for France." It is managed by a municipal council of three members appointed by the prefect of the Meuse department.)

Foug   "

Void  "

Vitrey le François  "  (Vitry-le-François is a commune in the Marne department.)

Coulommes  "

La Ferte   "  (La Ferté-sous-Jouarre is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne département in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located at a crossing point over the River Marne between Meaux and Château-Thierry.)

Montreul ?  (Could not find in Google)

Bejou ?

Belleau Woods  (Actually spelled Belleau Wood)

(First entry)

(In Connecticut)

Oct. 9^th 1917

Left camp at Niantic at about 8 A.M.  Train late at station.  Started about 10 A.M.  Went north via Saybrook Junction.  Through Hig. (Higganum, Connecticut) Lyndonville Vt. last town went through while awake.  Good reception there.

(Skipping to 100 years ago today)

(In France)

Saturday Feb. 9^th

Up at 3:30 A.M.  Marched to station with junk & loaded it on cars.  Were off after breakfast at 6:30 A.M.  On box cars – 37 in ours.  Some crowd.  Rode all day. Slept but little