collar, artillery type, but we soon got rid of them 

 and procured regular collar, britchen harnesses. For 

 tin- first six months we were very short of such tools 

 as hammers, chisels, handsaws, drill bits, etc. All of 

 our company supplies went with the headquarters 

 company who were located with Company A., and they 

 kept all the equipment they got their hands on. When 

 our men got the same opportunity at the equipment 

 of the 43rd Engineers, they did the same thing, and 

 after that we were fairly well supplied. "Whose tools 

 the 43rd got. or whether they went without we never 

 found out. With the exception of about six weeks in 

 July and August the weather was very rainy and 

 disagreeable, especially at first when we were not 

 supplied with rubber boots or rain coats. 



I M -sides saw logs the principal materials produced 

 by our men were hewn ties, piling, and fuel wood. A 

 very large number of hewn ties were produced by our 

 men, especially in the early part of our work before 

 we got the saw mills to working properly. About 30 

 to 40 ties per day were hewn per man. The piling was 

 sent out round, that is, it was neither sawn nor hewn, 

 We did not produce very much, as our timber was 

 not adapted to such uses. A great deal of fuel wood 

 wns produced from the tops and branches, and besides 

 this thousands of cubic meters were produced direct. 

 However, a great deal more fuel wood was produced 

 !>y Colored troops under the direction of our men than 

 was produced by members of our company, as they 

 were needed for the more technical and mechanical 

 work, for which the colored troops were of little value. 



The mill at Chatinois was a little French mill which 



7 



