Cape Breton's Magazine

''*'*- .'. -"'C%i' ' '-'' :''..' ' ' '"' Reraains of Chapel Point gun battery (the examination battery) and Fort South Bar. Then they began to build the forts. I was approached by one of ray officers on Char? lotte Street: "You'll have to go to Fort South Bar tonight." So we went down and there was a detachraent of raen arrived and there was a Lt. Mclnnis • he was ray O.C. (coraraanding officer). And we had nothing to eat; we had no place to stay • we had a bell tent. We coraraandeered a couple of sum? mer bungalows that were in the vicinity and we used one for a cook shack and the O.C. stayed in the other one. And all we had for weapons were pick-handles • that's what we stood out guard with, pick-handlesI We had, I think, 10 raen on that particular night; we got reinforceraents frora tirae to tirae. There was a little shack • a kind of storage shed behind the guns and we used this, kind of, as a gun watch shelter. And we kept everybody at the guns. Well now, I had an old car and I used to drive into Sydney and I bought groceries and utensils • pots and pans and whatnot with the authority of my O.C. and I brought it all back into this coraraandeered bungalow and we set up a cook? house. We fed thera there. And that night the weather was very • well, it was down? right rotten, you know. It was windy and blowing and we were on that exposed cliff and the raen were cold and wet. We were con? fined there. My O.C. was a veteran of the First War and he knew what it was to be a raiserable soldier in poor conditions. "If you can get some local brew, here's some money. We'll warm the boys up." So I knew a bootlegger and I went and I got the quart of liquor and we put a shot into thera and we fed thera the bacons and beans and eggs, and one thing and another and we toughed the night out. After we got down there for a few weeks, we got tents • bell tents • and we set a row of tents up and then we had built latrines and the infantry had raoved in. I believe it was the Pictou Highlanders. And they used to do beach patrol. And they used to pass through our lines at all hours of the night and morning in order to do their patrols. And, of course, these new miner-soldiers • they were right on the bit, they would challenge every one of these fellows when they'd come across. And they'd wave this big pick han? dle. And I dare say if one of them had given the wrong password, he would have got it in the skull. It was maybe a month be- We Specialize iQ Camping Bquipment and Clothing of All Kinds as well as Hardware, Plumbing snd Blectrical Supplies Reuben McEvoy's General Store Ltd. IMGONISH BBACH Open all year at the entrance to the beautifui .Cape Breton Highlands National Park Cape Breton's Magazine/36 The Moxham Room Din. in th. warm cong.nial atmo- iph.re of our w.U-appointtd dininf room. Pin. food, att.ntiv. ?.rvic. and a comprahaniiv. win. lilt. You'll at'oy dining with ui' Callonutioon. Holiday Inn of Sydney, Nova Scotia 480 King's Road Telephone (902) 539-6750