Dan Tompkins Writes of W.E. Dillard's Death in France, Jan. 31, 1919

From the Jackson County Journal, Sylva, N.C., Jan. 31, 1919

William Elsie Dillard

“To those who may not take

The great ship, homeward bound—

To those in Honor’s wake

Who hold the silent mound—

Who, by the cross-marked sward,

Stained hills and valleys red—

Who stay to keep eternal guard—

Gentlemen—Our Dead!”

William Elsie Dillard, the first of our company of volunteers from Sylva to make the journey to the Further Home, has followed an innumerable host of civilization’s fairest and best, a sacrifice upon the blood stained altar of Liberty and Righteousness, and today is holding a silent, cross marked mound, where he will keep eternal guard on the hill top at old Boulgne, where the waters of the western ocean, rushing in from the coast of America, so far away, beat a never-ending taps along the sands of France.

Soon after his country entered the world war to save the Christian civilizations of our fathers, in July 1917, Elsie Dillard volunteered his services to his country, enlisting in the Radio Company that was raised at Sylva. He was soon promoted to the grade of sergeant, but a few months later, being a student of medicine, at his own request, was transferred to the Medical Detachment of the 105^th Field Signal Battalion in which organization he came to France.

He served with the Battalion during the summer campaign in Flanders, around Ypres and Voormezeele, and was a prime favorite with all the men of the Battalion, keeping the attachment of his old friends and winning new ones with his ever-present and always pleasant smile, his unfailing good humor and his ready wit.

When Capt. John E. Ray, his commanding officer, was transferred to the Medical Detachment of the 119^th Infantry, Elsie, who loved and admired his captain, as did every member of the entire command, begged to go with him and, his request being granted, followed that gallant and courteous gentleman to his new command. While with the 119^th Infantry, Elsie was a most excellent soldier, being at the front for many days during the hardest fighting of the war, when the 30^th Division broke through the Hindenburg Line at Bellicourt, and drove the enemy many miles beyond that, the most strongly fortified position on the western front. He was in the fighting from the 8^th to the 18^th of October, when the Division was driving the Germans from Montbehain to beyond Mazingheim, a distance of more than 13 miles, and during which time the towns of Brancourt, Premont, Busingy, Vaus-Audingy, Escufort, St. Benin, St. Souplet, Ribeauville, and Masinghiem, as well as many villages and farms, together with 2,000 prisoners and great stores, were taken.

The last time the writer saw him, at the ruined town of Jauncourt, in the latter days of October, he was recounting some of his many experiences.

At the time the Division retired from the lines the last time, he was stricken with that dreaded disease which has taken so many of our friends back in America—influenza—and succumbed to its effects before the final chapter of the war, of which he had seen so much, was written.

Captain Ray received mortal wounds at Bellicourt and again Elsie has been transferred to follow the noble, gentle spirit of his commander. His sacrifice has not been in vain. He will long be remembered by his comrades who revere his memory and mourn their loss. Pax verbiscum.

Dan Tompkins

St. Mars sous Ballon (Sarthe), France

January 10, 1919