News of Richmond County Soldiers, 1918

“Richmond County Soldiers,” from the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Oct. 3, 1918

Lt. Henry Graves of Carthage, in the aviation service, has landed across. Luck to him! May be become an Ace many times over.

Jim Stephenson’s address is “9^th Supply Company, 3^rd Brigade, F.A.R.D., Camp Jackson.” He was one of the 20 sent there Aug. 27^th.

The address of Robert Hampton Dean is “Headquarters Company 46, Camp Sheridan, Alabama.” The camp is near Montgomery. Dean has been in the service since June 1917.

J.W. Butler of Hoffman, Monday subscribed for the paper to go to his son, Willie I. Butler, in France. He was one of the “124” May 25^th, and landed across in the 81^st Division in the middle of August. He is in Co. K, 323^rd regiment, A.P.O. 791.

Lts. H.H. Hardison of Wadesboro and Francis Liles of Lilesville left last Friday for Camp Custer, Michigan. They have been promoted from second to first lieutenants; both returned from France three weeks ago for special detail.

Mrs. Annie McKay, Marston, Rt. 2, Monday subscribed for her son, Hillery H. McKay, who is in France in Co. M, 322^nd regiment, 81^st Division. She has another son, Oscar I. McKay, who was at Camp Jessup, Ga., and who is now on his way across.

A cablegram received at Southern Pines last week stated that Sergeant William G. Hewitt of that town was killed in action Aug. 31^st. He was one of our bothers in the service, and was in the Raeford company of the old National Guard.

Mrs. Nannie Key Friday subscribed for her two boys who are doing their part for our Country. Samuel F. Key volunteered Oct. 15, 1917, and since March has been in England engaged in painting aeroplanes. His address is “Private Samuel F. Key, 711,515, 156^th Aero Squadron, Headquarters American Air Service, Garing Hotel, Grosvenor Gardens, London S.W.I. England.” Some address, isn’t it? Her other son is “William C. Key, Supply Co. 316^th F.A., Amer. E.F., France.” William was in the draft of Sept. 19, 1917. These boys have two first cousins now in France, S.F. Key and Edwin Key.

John H, Phillips’ address is “Bakery Co., 327, A.P.O. 721, Amer. E.F., France.

Joseph E. Rascoe of Osborne Rt. Was the latest Richmond county boy to be killed in France, date Aug. 31^st.

J.A. McAulay Jr.’s address is “No. 12 Elm Place (Berkeley) Norfolk, Va.

George O’Quinn has been transferred from Co. C. 324^th, to Co. L, 167^th.

John W. Hammond has been transferred from Co. H., 324^th, to Co. B, 167^th.

M.B. Nicholson yesterday ordered the paper sent to Berry and Eddie Langley, Supply Company, 118^th infantry, 59^th Brigade, 30^th Division, Amer. E.F., France.

Lt. John Q. Baldwin is now stationed at Camp Meade, Md., 31^st Field Artillery. He was commissioned about a month ago from the officers’ training school at Camp Taylor.

Ellis Tyner, reported on the casualty list last Sunday as missing in action, is from Buies, Hoke county, about 14 miles below Hoffman. He has a number of relatives in and around Hoffman.

William Harry Entwistle wrote back home to a friend that it may be true that the ocean has never been known to rise after a rain, but it gets powerfully excited during a storm.

A card received by the editor Sept. 30^th stated that Lt. Baucom C. Weill had landed safely across He is in Field Remount Squadron No 328. Lt. Weill formerly lived in Rockingham; his mother, Mrs. Carrie Weill, lives in Savannah, Ga., at 217 East Park Avenue.

John Rainwaters of Wolf Pit subscribed Saturday for Thomas Rainwaters, who is in France in Headquarters Detachment, 306^th Field Signal Battalion, A.P.O. 791. Tommy is an orderly. He was one of the Richmond county boys sent to camp in September, 1917 and formerly worked with Diggs Farm Dairy. He landed across in early August.

The wife of W.H. Johnson, colored, subscribed for her son, Leroy Hammonds, who is now a soldier. He is at Camp Lee, Va., in 155^th Depot Brigade, ?? Company, 11^th Training Brigade.

Dr. L.J. Coppedge has been commissioned a first lieutenant in the Reserve Corps, with orders to report for duty at Camp Arthur Waco, Texas. He had his family left here Tuesday for Riverdale, Miss., where his wife and two children will temporarily stay. Dr. Coopedge spent 12 years in the Belgian Congo, Africa, as a medical missionary, returning to his home here a month ago in order to do his part in the war.

The State Food Administration recently disciplined a number of firms in the State for profiteering and acting as wholesalers without license. Among those are R.D. Caldwell & Sons of Lumberton and Z.V. Pate of Gibson and Laurel Hill, each of these firms being fined $200 for the Red Cross. J.W. Carter Co of Maxton is fined $100; E.G. Floyd of Fairmont, $100; Eddie Daw, Laurinburg, $25; New York Café and Olympia Café of Lumberton, $25 each.

Miss Dora Butler of Hoffman subscribed for her brother, Wagoner L.J Butler, Truck Co. 1, 1^st Corps, Artillery Park, A.P.O., Amer. E.F., France.

Mr. Att. Stutts is spending the home news to his brother, J.B. Stutts, who is over yonder in Battery E, 316^th Field Artillery, A.P.O. 704.

Eighty three limited service men were two weeks ago sent from various counties in the State to Camp Greene, but nearly half of them on re-examination were accepted there for general service and held for duty at Camp Greene. Among those so held are William K. McNeill of this county and William Bennett Little of Anson. Both McNeill and Bennett were discharged before for being under weight, but the Camp Greene medical examiners waved that disability. McNeill has been at the Bank of Hamlet for the past 10 days assisting in breaking in a “new hand” to his job, and returned to Camp Wednesday. Paul H. Waddell of the limited service group was assigned to work with the exemption board of Moore county at Carthage.

Lt. Geo. G. Simpson is now at Camp Wadsworth, S.C., 62^nd Pioneer Infantry.

College-mates and other friends of Lt. Frank M. Thompson of Raleigh will grieve to learn of his death in battle in France. Frank was a great football and baseball player at Wake Forest and A. & E. He was a lieutenant in a machine gun company and was killed Sept. 13^th.

J.R. Bennett of Ellerbe, who volunteered for Y.M.C.A. work overseas some months ago, was Wednesday granted certificate or permit from the local exemption board. Mr. Bennett expects to be ordered to report in New York within a month.

The call for 1,374 white men to be sent to Camp Sevier Oct. 7^th (of white Richmond county was to send 13) has been temporarily held up, on account of the prevalence of influenza. The names of the 35 negroes to go to Camp Green from this county Oct. 16^th have not yet been prepared by the exemption board; they will have the same in next week’s paper.

Thomas W. Guthrie and George P. Entwistle Jr. have signed up with the Marines, having on Tuesday and Wednesday passed the examination and completed the required arrangements at Charlotte. They expect to be ordered to report at Richmond for training at Parris Island in a few days.

As we go to press we learn that Tom Guthrie is abed with a case of influenza, the malady hitting him today.

Of the six men sent from this county to Camp Hancock, Ga., July 25^th, four are in the 54^th Company, 5^th Group, M.T.D. they are Corporals H.T. Prosser,  W.F. Holmes, W.C. Mathis, J.T. Loving. The Post-Dispatch is in receipt of a banquet and entertainment program given by the “Snappy 54^th Company” in honor of officers, friends and enlisted personnel. By the way, Tyrus Cobb is a Captain in this company.

George T. Wilson returned to the repair ship “Vestal Tuesday after a 20-days visit to his father, Jas. A. Wilson of Entwistle. George enlisted in the navy June 6, 1914, and since October, 1915, has been chief cook of his section. The Vestal is a repair ship of 12,000 tons, and is the “mother” to the fleet, carrying all forms of repair from a sewing needle to the heaviest anchor. It is likely the Vestal will go across before Christmas to relieve the repair ship that has been over there for the past year.