News of Richmond County Soldiers Includes Deaths of Sears and Ingram, Dec. 5, 1918

 “Richmond County Soldiers” from the Rockingham Post-Dispatch, Dec. 5, 1918

Sears and Ingram

The Casualty List contains the name of Claude Sears as having been killed in action September 29^th. He was 23 years old, volunteered in July 1916, in the National Guard and was a member of Co. B, 120^th Infantry when killed. His father is J.T. Sears of Roberdel No. 2. The Post Dispatch will next week publish a picture of Corporal Sears.

It seems fairly certain that William Franklin Ingram, son of Edward T. Ingram, was killed about August 2^nd. The official report states that he is missing in action, but letters from Raleigh boys of his company state that he was killed while raiding a machine gun nest. We will publish a picture of Corporal Ingram next issue.

--Ben Coble was given his honorable discharge from Camp Sevier two weeks ago, and is at Pee Dee No. 1.

--D.M. Stogner Monday received a Red Cross card stating that his brother, Corporal H.G. Stogner of Fayetteville, had landed safely overseas. He is in Evacuation Hospital Unit 33.

--Guss McCaskill has been visiting his folks at Pee Dee No. 2; was last Thursday given his honorable discharge from Camp Sevier. He registered at Wadesboro and expected to return to Badin to work.

--Major William Sinkler Manning, eldest son of Governor Ricard I. Manning of South Carolina, was killed in action Nov. 6th. He was in the 316^th infantry, 79^th division. Gov. Manning still has five sons in the service.

--Cpl. A.S. Morrison Jr. of Wadesboro was killed in action on Nov. 9^th, just two days before the Armistice was signed. He was in Co. A, 322^nd infantry, 81^st division. There were a large number of Richmond county boys in this division.

--Bertha Baxley last week received a five-mark note from her brother, James L. Baxley, who is in Co. L., 119^th Infantry, 30^th division. A “mark” is a German note equivalent to 24 cents in our money. The 5-mark note is as wide as a dollar bill but a couple of inches shorter.

--Andrew Bloomfield, colored, was last week given an honorable discharge from Camp Grant, Illinois, and arrived at his home in Wolf Pit Thanksgiving Day. Andrew was sent to camp April 27^th in the increment of 51, and during most of his time in camp has acted as a cook.

--In a letter written to Mrs. W.C. McQueen, Pee Dee No. 2, from Alex McQueen, dated Oct. 29^th, was the information that Claud Sears was killed in action Sept. 29^th. Sears was from Roberdel No. 2, and was a volunteer in Co. B, 120^th. Alex also wrote on Nov. 11^th, the day the Armistice went into effect, and said the boys were hilariously happy that the war was over. They are all looking forward to their turn to come home.

--Frank Dobbin returns to Camp Sevier Saturday after spending the week at his home at Roberdel. Frank is an orderly to Gen. French, in command of the camp. He attends to the General’s two horses.
--Mrs. E.B. O’Brien received a letter Wednesday from her son-in-law, Willie P. Shuman of Co. B. 115^th Machine Gun Bn., 30^th division, written Nov. 11^th, and describing to her the joyful feelings of the men that the Armistice had been signed.

--Cpl. Marshall C. Fowler and Miss Celeste Boyd, both of Hamlet, were married at Fayetteville Nov. 23^rd. Fowler was returned to the United States several weeks ago, being invalided home on account of an injured knee sustained when his ambulance was wrecked by bumping into a shell hole.

--Walter E. Warburton returned to the gun-boat Machias off Charleston yesterday after spending a week with his parents here. The Machias carries a complement of 230 men, and is engaged chiefly on coastwise work. Walter is bronzed and his physique shows that his navy training agrees with him.

--In a letter to his father, Walter Parsons states that his wound was of a minor nature; shot in the left arm but the bone was not fractured. His letter was written from a base hospital but Watt said he expected to rejoin his regiment within a few days. His injury was sustained two days before the Armistice, Nov. 9^th.

--Mr. J.W. Butler of Hoffman received a cablegram from Willie J. Butler dated Dec. 3^rd saying “Homeward Bound.” Young Butler is in Co. K, 323^rd, 81^st division. Nothing has been given out through the daily press as to the movements of the 81^st division, and it is not believe that this division is on its way home.

--John Cole returned from Camp Gordon Sunday. He entered there Oct. 15^th the officers’ training school, and had been therefore completed barely half of the prescribed course. The signing of the Armistice enabled those students who had not completed more than half the course, to return to their homes, with an honorable discharge.

--Hervey B. Coppedge, for 11 years Carrier of Route 4, applied last August for service in the Y.M.C.A. overseas. His application was formally accepted in October and he a few days ago received orders to report in New York about Dec. 15^th. He will leave here about the 12^th for the Gotham city, and doubtless by mid-January will be in France.

--In the Casualty List on page 9 can be seen the names of two Richmond county men—Alvie N. Graves, slightly wounded; and John Bostick, wounded. John Bostick is colored. He hails from Poweltown, is 21 years old, and was sent to Fort Wayne, Michigan, May 2^nd in the squad of 40. His order number is 1807, serial number 831.

--Marshall L. Parsons of Norwood was a visitor here Tuesday. His is a nephew of Mr. W.L. Parsons. Marshall has a record of which anyone may well be proud. He enlisted in February, 1917, was sent across in Co. F, 16^th regulars, 1^st division, in the summer of 1917. He has been wounded three different times, and in 13 different spots of his anatomy: Nov. 2, 1917, Feb. 4, 1918, and July 18. He lay in a shell-hole after his last wound for 27 hours without food or water, the 13 punctures were only in his left lung, head, arms, legs and such ‘minor’ spots. He was invalided home in early September.

--The American Army of Occupation entered the German city of Treves December 1^st. Treves is a city of 75,000 population, and for the present general headquarters will be established there. It was just at 1 o’clock, German time, that Colonel Hunt appeared, leading the 6^th infantry of the 5^th division, which is to be the permanent garrison of the city during our occupation. Behind him came a brass band, preceded by the Stars and Stripes, and followed then by the regiment and a machine gun company. And best of all, the band played our beloved “Dixie” as the troops swung through the streets to their barracks.

The Post-Dispatch mentioned the foregoing because, unless we are mistaken, we have a Richmond county boys in this 6^th infantry of regulars—Arthur Capel. And so naturally the doings of the 6^th will have a special significance.