Colonel Oliver H.
Dockery Jr., commanding 74th Infantry. . . Synopsis of the Life of
This Splendid Richmond County Soldier-Citizen
Born Oct. 25th, 1872, at Mangum; the son of Oliver
Hart and Francis Settle Dockery, Prepared for College under the well known
Prof. W.G. Quackenbush at Laurinburg. Graduated as A.B. Wake Forest College
1892. Spent a year with father in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when Col. Dockery was
Consul to Brazil. Graduated in Law at the University of North Carolina and took
a course in Business Law at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1895. Secured license to
practice and settled in Rockingham in 1896. Cashier for Internal Revenue Department
for Eastern North Carolina 1898.
Resigned to enter the Spanish War as 2nd
Lieutenant of Co. K. (The Raleigh Company) in the first N.C. Volunteers. Served
in Cuba in 1898 and ’99 and then appointed a Lieutenant in the Regular Army,
and was sent to the Phillippine Islands, where he served for three years,
winning his Captaincy by distinguished services against Aginaldo. Then served
in Alaska, exploring the Yukon and Arctic Circle section beyond the Klondyke.
Returned to United States and was stationed in Washington, Arizona, Minnesota,
Ohio, Kentucky and California. Then transferred in succession to Panama, Hawaii
and China. Was in China when the war broke out in 1914. Returned to U.S. as a
Major, helped to organize the regular Army Camp at Gettysburg, Penn. Then
promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and sent to Camp Custer, Battle Creek, Mich., as
one of the Mustering Officers of that large Camp of 40,000 drafted men in the
85th Division, until that went to France, when he was promoted
Colonel, and Chief of staff of the 12th Division, (General McCoins’
famous Plymouth Division) of New England troops at Camp Devens, Mass.
After the 12th Division was organized, Colonel
Dockery was given command of the 74th U.S. Infantry, composed of
3,900 men from Main, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, which under his
guidance and training became known as “The Champion Regiment of the 12th
Division;” it was trained to the minute and all ready to embark for France within
four days, when the Germans laid down and asked for the Armistice. The 74th
Infantry, under Colonel Dockery, was the first due to go, and stood under
orders to sail, with its Advanced Detachment already in England.
Colonel Dockery is the best known and has attained the
highest rank and military distinction of any soldier produced by this County or
section, in this war or in this generation. He would gave made a name for
himself and his native State had the war lasted longer, because, with 20 years
of active service in the Regular Army, he was well equipped in the highest arts
of leadership in the military profession.
Colonel Dockery, known in his boyhood as “Ollie,” is still
very fond of and loyal to his home section, and has many relatives and good
friends here, who always look forward with much pleasure to his visits home, on
leaves and furloughs.
Richmond County takes a becoming pride in her most worthy
soldier son of the present generation.
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