Captain/Major Harold Ward Correspondence, item 62

• December 6, 2018 20:34:20 Thomas A. Lingner

  from another battalion were tired before

  they started the night owing to a 

  longish march. You can imagine that

  progress would be slow as the hours

  went by. Poor beggars. I was sorry for

  them but I had to get the work done

  & for several solid hours I swore horribly.

    Working parties are unfortunately
  

  essential in war but for all that they

  are not pleasant. There is not the 

  excitement of a fight & I don't think

  that anyone feels particularly

  comfortable digging & being unable to

  do anything but grin & bear it & work

  on. I slept a little better next day

  & as only fifty of my men went out

  last night I turned in again at 

  midnight & slept until 8 am this

  morning. There is no word of a rest

  yet but we are getting old soldiers

  & don't mind. My men are absolutely

  top hole. They are rough diamonds

  but they are real white men. The 

  fellows who used to grumble in

  England work possibly more

  cheerfully than anyone else

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