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| | PVT. GEORGE BEAUPREY
Serial No. 2,983.409
Covington, Mich.
Beauprey was a descendant of the French who settled in Michigan during their early occupation of that state, and could speak the language fluently. The race instinct was strong in Beauprey and he could fraternize well with the natives of France.
On our arrival at Camp Coetquidan he was detached from the Battery for a while to act as orderly to Lieut. DaPrado, and to act as interpreter for that officer. Later he was orderly for Lieut. Hazelwood. He therefore had the opportunity to visit Rennes and other towns near the camp.
When the Battery was moved from the barracks to their quarters at Coetquidan, the men’s equipment and bunks were picked up hurriedly. One of them had a tobacco sack with twenty-five silver francs in it, which was lost at this time. Beauprey found the bag but was unable to find the owner owing to our movements and his assignment. It was four months afterwards, as we were leaving Pont-a-Mousson, that he learned to whom this belonged, when he immediately found the owner and handed all the money over to him.
At Coetquidan the boys thought they would play a trick on Beauprey, who had just about formed the habit for a few nights of coming back from the towns about carrying a considerable package. So, removing the bottom boards of his bunk, which was like the rest on a slant or incline, they laid the blankets back as they were. Of course, when Beauprey laid down he went through and down to the ground. He raves and imprecates evils upon all of us till Top Sergeant Kelley came in to quiet him, but he curses him for his interference. Then it dawns on him who it is talking to him and he says: “Oh! Sergeant, God bless you and then some.” This was a frequent expression with Beauprey whenever he had been conviving with the natives.
He possessed the steadfast traits of his ancestry as well as ingrained principles of honesty. |