Diary of Orrin Brown, on the Plank Road at Rockfish Creek, modern Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
Thursday–Mar. 9th
We broke up camp at 6 AM, we did not have time this morning to dry our clothes much. I was quite unwell and had to have my Knapsack hauled in the ambulance again today. The weather was quite clear and warm AM but it clouded up and began to rain about 2 PM and toward night it poured down again just the same as it did last night and we went to bed again wet cold and hungry. We marched about 18 miles today over a very bad road and went into camp about 6 PM. I hurt one of my ankles this PM and am quite lame tonight.
Fort Bragg, named after North Carolina native, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, covers 251 square miles in Cumberland, Hoke, Harnett and Moore counties west of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The area around Fayetteville was first settled after 1729, mostly by Highland Scots, but by the time Camp Bragg was established in 1918, only 7% of the land was occupied. The camp was originally an artillery training ground during World War I. During World War II, there were as many as 150,000 people on base. Ft. Bragg is currently home to the US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), and several airborne units (including the famed 82nd Airborne Division), among others.
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