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Sgt Mjr. Charles Elva Burris
United States Army 13th Rgt 20th Machine Gun Battalion
from:Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky
Personal notes of Sergeant Major Charles E. Burris: Information comes from his son Charles E. Burris Jr..
My father was a Battalion Sergeant Major during World War 1. He kept very careful personnel notes of his actions and the battalion movements during his time in the Army throughout World War 1. After the war an officer came and borrowed his notes to be used to write a book titled "The History of the 20th Machine Gun Battalion, During World War 1", with the promise that his papers would be returned intact. They were not. All that was returned were two and one half pages that covered his movements during the Punitive Expedition.
Daddy wrote several more pages of where he was stationed during the war for family records but never received his original notes as promised. Those pages are the six pages that have been read over and have become more important to me as the years go by. They pretty well cover his service time as to where he was and when. His notes were evidently used in the book to confirm dates and names. This book was sent to us with the returned two and one half pages of notes and was very well written. I suppose it was felt that the book would replace the original papers.
"We left Columbus, New Mexico, on 7th of July 1917 and started to El Paso, Texas, traveling by motor truck. The first night out we camped at Ias Cruces, New Mexico, and made El Paso, Texas, formerly occupied by the Kentucky National Guard, until about 6th of March 1917 at which time we were ordered to Camp Baker, near Fort Bliss, Texas where we were stationed until 29th of March 1917 when we packed up and made another advance in the direction of Atlanta, Georgia. We arrived at Atlanta, Georgia on 1st of April 1917. Here I had a chance to sleep in a real bed again. (I) am getting ahead of my story, have omitted my promotions. I can not tell you how I got all of these promotions, as you know a politician never gives away his secrets, but anyway I was promoted to Private First Class on 1st of July 1916, to Corporal on 10th of February 1917 and to Sergeant on 27th of May 1917. Now here I am in Atlanta, Georgia, and a great big Sergeant, but come to think of it I have left some more out. I was a Company Clerk from the time we came out of Mexico. Now we have it, I am in Atlanta, Georgia, a Sergeant and still Company Clerk. Just imagine all those official designations. I gold bricked it around Fort McPherson until 19th of June 1917. On June 19th the 17th infantry split up and made two new regiments of infantry and still retained the old one, consequently each company made two new ones and did not disorganize the old one. When this was done, I was appointed acting first Sergeant of all three companies. They were awfully good to me this way. They always gave me all the positions I wanted and frequently a d--- sight more. I did all of this and sported my Sergeant chevrons every evening until 2nd of July 1917.
On 19th of July 1917, I was transferred to Company E, 56th Infantry and on then, transferred to Company E, 55th Infantry. The first transfer was against my will and the second at my own request. I was again transferred on the same day to Headquarters Company, 55th Infantry and appointed Battalion Sergeant Major of the First Battalion, Was relieved as Sergeant Major of the First Battalion and appointed Sergeant Major of the Second Battalion on my own request. This made three transfers and one promotion in one day.
We left Atlanta, Georgia, on the 16th of July 1917 and arrived at Chickamauga Park, Georgia same day. Was stationed in Chickamauga Park until 8th of August 1917. Was furlough from 8th to 17th of August 1917 to Newport, Kentucky. Was on another furlough from 15th to 30th of December 1917 to Newport, Kentucky. Was transferred to the 20th Machine Gun Battalion on 1st of January 1918 and here I have anchored.
The Battalion moved from Chickamauga Park, Georgia to Camp McArthur, Texas, 5th to 7th of February 1918. Recruited up and left Camp McArthur, Texas on the 19th of July 1918 and arrived at Camp Merritt, New Jersey 21st of July 1918. Equipped Battalion for overseas service from 21st of July to 2nd of August 1918 then marched from Camp Merritt, New Jersey to Alpine Landing on the Hudson River, leaving station at 3:00 am. Boarded river steamer Lackawana, and steamed to pier at Hoboken, New Jersey, and embarked on U.S.S. Leviathan at 11:30 am.
The Leviathan, remained in harbor until 3:00 pm. 1918-08-03 and steamed out with 13,000 soldiers aboard. The troops on board were, 20th Machine Gun Battalion, 55th Infantry, 56th Infantry, 7th American Tr. and casuals for 88th Division. From the book, "the giant Leviathan, formerly the German ship Vaterland, was awaiting us. To the great surprise and satisfaction of everyone, our Battalion was marched aboard to be carried to France on the largest ship in the world, one with a price on her head, which the Kaiser had especially charged his submarine commanders to sink. Of such renown was our boat. Troops, crew, and others totalled nearly 15,000 souls, the largest human cargo that any ship had ever carried."
"Arrived at Brest Finistere, France on the 11th of August 1918 and debarked and marched to Camp Pontanezan and pitched pup tents. Remained at Pontanezan until 16th of August 1918. Marched to Brest at midnight 16th August 1918 and entrained on French trains for Ancy-le-Franc, Department of Yonne. Arrived at Ancy-le-Franc, Yonne, France 19th of August 1918 at 2.30 pm. and marched to Sennovoy-le-Bas (Cote d' Or), Yonne, France that afternoon. We were billeted in hay lofts, cow sheds and anything that had a roof. I finally located an old chateau that had been vacant for nearly a century, was falling down little by little, and established a headquarters. My sleeping apartment was one formerly occupied by cows but as the French people considered us just a little better than a cow gave us the preference and the cows were thereby made homeless and had to stay out in the field. In order to make our home a little more luxurious we purchased some straw from a native and made a rather comfortable bed but that lingering barn yard fragrance that greeted us at bedtime was not all together pleasant. We remained in this village going through intensive training for several weeks, subsisting on corned beef and salmon almost exclusively.
We left Sennovoy-le-Bas the night of 26th of September 1918 and marched to Poincon-les-Larrey to entrain for Pont-St. Vincent. There was some misunderstanding about the assignment of rolling stock and we were compelled to remain at this place for two more days in the rain with no shelter what so ever and not a thing to eat until the second day. We entrained the night of the 29th and arrived at Pont-St. Vincent, Meurthe et Moselle the night of the 30th. Our route of travel was due north through Chatillion-sur-Seine, Chaumont, Neufchateau, and Toul to Pont-St. Vincent in the Department of Meurthe et Moselle.
The battalion marched out at 8.30 pm. for Lagney. I remained at Pont-St. Vincent for two days in charge of all battalion property. It rained all this time and I had no shelter but had a good supply of corned beef. I made the property to Lagney the night of 2nd of October 1918. Remained in Lagney until 5th of October 1918. Marched out at 8.30 pm. October 5th and arrived at Bois de L' Eveque at 3:30 pm. received an order at 12.30 to move to front lines. Repacked property and marched out at 8.30 am. October 7th.
Arrived at Rosieres-En-Haye, Rogeville at 7.30 pm. after marching all day in the rain. Remained at this place sleeping in a barn until October 9th. Marched out at 1.30 pm. and met with enemy shell fire at Jezainville, and were compelled to take a road over the mountain. Owing to the heavy loads we had on the wagons we had to push them up the hill one at a time.
We arrived in Montauville, Meurthe et Moselle, at 9.30 pm. that night and unloaded property under heavy shelling. We remained in this place which was constantly being shelled until November 2nd.
Moved to Mamey the A.M. of November 2nd. and stayed there until November 5th. Moved from Mamey to Bois du Four inwoods 5th of November. Was gassed that night. Remained in this position until 14th of November. Moved to St. Jean, Camp du Ravin, 14th of November and remained in that mud hole until 10th of January 1919, when we moved to Avrainville. Stationed in Avrainville until 9th of April and moved to Goussaincourt.."
That is what was left from the memoir.
