News of Richmond County Soldiers, 1918

“Richmond County Soldiers” column, from the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Thursday afternoon, June 27, 1918

W.B. Cole of Rockingham, but who was registered in Union County and sent to Camp Jackson with a Union squad last Sept. 1^st, has recently been promoted from a sergeant-major at Camp Sevier to a field clerk of the 81^st division.

One of the first things done to newly drafted men after reaching camp is to line them up and a cathartic pill is given each. And he must take this dry, no water. Next morning the men are given their first inoculation against fever.

Relatives of Ed F. Helms received word Saturday that he had been wounded in action in France. He volunteered about three years ago and served for quite a while on the Mexican border. Last June he was sent to France. He was from Union County and is a brother of T.R. Helms of Rockingham.

Wm. Covington has been promoted to sergeant in the 615^th Aero Squadron, Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas. He writes the Post-Dispatch that he has missed but one copy during the many months he has been in the Lone Star State. The paper invariably reaches him on Mondays and it is more eagerly looked for than Christmas chow would be.

Manly F. Haywood was sent to Camp Jackson March 6^th in a squad of Richmond County men On April 26^th he was transferred from the 19^th company to the 31^st company of the 156^th Depot Brigade. He is mess sergeant of his company and says his is the best company in the entire brigade and he wishes all the Richmond County boys could be in it. Army life is agreeing with and making a man of Man-ly.

Relatives here received a card 10 days ago stating that Ellis Thomas had landed safely in France. He is a stenographer to the chief surgeon, medical detachment of the 30^th division. Ellis was one of the 14 white men sent from Richmond County to Camp Jackson March 31^st. He was in France almost within two months after being sent to camp. His friends hope the war will soon end so that he can return and begin the practice of law, the license for which he secured last February.

The address of Samuel Franklin Key is now “Advance Gas Depot No. 1, A.P.O. No 712, American Expeditionary Force France.” Frank was sent in the draft from Richmond County to camp last Sept. 19^th, and has been in France now over three months. His brother, Edwin Lowder, is also in the service, having volunteered in June of last year. His mother, Mrs. Cornelius H. Key of Ellerbe, Rt., received a card June 17^th stating that he had landed safely in France; he is in the 105^th Engineers. Marvin, who will be 20 Oct. 21^st, is Mrs. Key’s only remaining son at home. Her husband died March 30^th.

Robert Stancill, more lovingly known to some of his school-day friends as “Sweetie,” spent Saturday and Sunday at home here. Robert is attached to Brigade headquarters in the personnel office at Camp Jackson. He was one of the “124” sent from Richmond County May 25^th. He asked to be allowed to remain with the other fellows, as thereby he would see active service in France sooner, but was refused. Office men are hard to get. The men prefer the chance of going “over the top” to the routine life. Robert was an efficient assistant in the Bank of Pee Dee Here, and will be equally efficient in the army clerical work.

Watt Parsons saw an eclipse of the sun all by himself a few days ago at Camp Jackson, also several million extra stars. A boxing contest was in progress and each drafted man was told he must take part Presently a little fellow stepped into the ring. Now Watt and his A & E. College days was somewhat of a boxer and seeing the little fellow and fancying himself superior in skill and size he decided this to be his chance. “Watch me lay him out,” remarked he to William Harry Entwhistle, as he nonchalantly donned the gloves and crawled under the ropes. Zip, Biff, Bang! And here the curtain had best drop. Watt hasn’t yet realized just when, where or how he was hit, but that he was walloped good and plenty, his feelings and a darkened eye bore witness. Watt says that clothes may sometimes make the man but SIZE never does!

Twelve of the 97 men sent to Camp Jackson May 25^th from Union County have been returned home, physically rejected.

Joe Coley came from Camp Jackson Monday night, returning Tuesday night. On the same train going to camp was his brother, Percy, one of the 15 sent by the exemption board Tuesday night.

In the casualty list published June 25^th were the names of Edward L. Sledge of Asheboro and Lt. George A. Ball of Monroe, killed in action June 6^th. Lt. Ball was a son of Rev. W.H. Ball at one time rector of the Rockingham Episcopal Church.

Fred Simons, one of the 72 colored drafted men sent to Camp Grant, Illinois March 30, returned home last Tuesday, having been discharged from camp for physical reasons. The bulk of the Richmond County colored men who went at that time have been sent “across.”

A Richmond County colored man says he knows what war is. He said he had been in two church festival fights broke down acres of undergrowth in flight from a raided still, been a cook in the Spanish American War, and to clap the climax had been married three times. Said he wouldn’t mind, after all this, going into a little thing like this war.

Walter Warburton went to Wilmington Sunday night and Monday was examined for enlistment into the Naval Reserves. He returned here Monday night and expects to be called within the next 30 days. He went to Raleigh last week to enlist in the Navy as a printer, but could not get in in that capacity. Walter will be 21 next October 13^th, and for several years has been foreman in Smith’s Print Shop.

Frank Biggs, who volunteered from Marlboro County last October, has recently been promoted to sergeant-clerk in the Quartermasters Department at Camp Jackson. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. F.T. Biggs of this city. Rather strange, and yet practically every fellow who is assigned to clerical work in camp chaffs at it. They all with one accord prefer the more active military life, with the more immediate prospect of going “over yonder.” And this is the case with Frank; he wants to go to France.

Two deserters were carried to Camp Jackson last Thursday by Mr. Hal Ledbetter, who accompanied them in the capacity of mediator and intercessor. One, Jasper Grant, left camp last fall, and the other, Tom Leviner from Scotland County, more recently left camp. Both patriotically decided they had rather return to service than lay out, and so voluntarily presented themselves to the Richmond County Exemption Board and asked to be sent back to camp. They returned at their own expense last Thursday with Mr. Ledbetter going as a “friend at court.” Arriving there they found that their company had been sent to Camp Sevier, so they were allowed to go there and rejoin it.

Willie Gwynne Head a few weeks ago was examined at Wilmington for enlistment into the Navy and was allowed to return home until he should receive orders. These came last week, and Saturday he left for Charleston, S.C., to report in the hospital corps at the Navy Yard.

Ben Stubbs and Corbett Hinson struck town last Saturday but will return to their naval training tonight. These two Rockingham fellows volunteered and were went last January 7^th to Newport, Rhode Island, and kept there in training for four months. The last of April they were sent to the electrical school at Brooklyn and on May 30^th transferred to the new school six miles from Norfolk, at the Jamestown site. This electrical school fits the men for any kind of electrical work and turns out about 20 graduates each week. There are 12 companies there, 160 to the company. Uncle Sam is training these men for service on submarines, electrically driven battleships, destroyers, etc. The course requires about 10 months’ study. And so thorough is the electrical training that the instruction given there will be most valuable to those so fortunate as to be trained by our government. Both Ben and Corbett like the life and are not only glad to be in training for service for our country but at the same time receiving a real profession. Their address is “Electrical School, Navy Operating base, Hampton Roads, Va.” Ben is in the 5^th company, Corbett in the 2^nd. Their brigade headquarters is the Jamestown Exposition History building with barracks surrounding it. You who journeyed to the Exposition in 1937 can visualize it.

John Lloyd Hill of Hamlet, was placed in class three on account of the poor health of his father. But recently his father had so much improved that his son felt he could enter the service. He voluntarily presented himself to the exemption board of Richmond County and asked to be reclassified into Class one. This was done and young Hill will be sent to Camp Jackson in the squad of 15 on June 25^th.

Dr. F.O. Hellier, pastor of the Laural Hill and Smyra Presbyterian Churches in Scotland County, has volunteered for Y.M.C.A. work overseas, and has been ordered to report in New York July 9^th.

A number of Richmond County boys at Camp Jackson were sent to Camp Sevier at Greenville last Monday morning to help fill up the 81^st division. It seems probable that this division will be sent across shortly, as it is up to the required strength now. Among those the Post-Dispatch knows to have been transferred are: Watt Parsons, Cole Nichols, William Stanback, Jim Little, William Dockery, Wm. Harry Endwistle, Red Shackleford, Jim McKenzie, Jake Pearson, Hill Atkinson, Snell Brown, John Hammonds, Daniel Sneed, Victor Coltraine, W. Mutchison, Marcus Little, Watt Davis, and W.C. Nichols. W.C. Nichols and Watt Parsons’ address is Co. C., 324^th inft. Wm. Dockery’s is Co. L, 322^nd inft. At Camp Jackson the boys were in two large companies, but the transfer has separated them, and at Sevier they were placed in various companies. About 40 of the 124 who went to Jackson May 25^th are still there.

Private David S. Graham, aged 43, of the Marine Corps, was killed in action June 6^th at the fight at Ghateau Thierry. He was a son of Professor and Mrs. Alexander Graham of Charlotte.

Casualties in the American army overseas, including the list made public June 23^rd, totaled 8,634, as compared with 8,085 to the week previous. This does not include the marine casualty list, which numbers about 1,000. The total number who have died of disease is 1,268, a remarkably small number of deaths from disease when it is considered that we have over 1 million in France. The killed in action number 1,312 (including 291 lost as sea.) Prisoners 365; wounded 4,811.

Three government hospital trains have been outfitted by the Pullman Company, and one of them made its first trip with 124 empyema patients from Camp Lee to the new government hospital as Asheville last Sunday. Empyema is a disease resulting from pneumonia or pleurisy, abcess often forming in the lungs. The mountain climate of Asheville is thought to be beneficial. The train of mixed cars includes an equipped operating room, kitchen, dining and sleeping cars, and is a perfect hospital on wheels. This item is mentioned simply to show our country is preparing to comfortably take care of the wounded or diseased soldiers.