USA > Illinois > Lee County > War history of Lee County, Illinois, 1917-1919 : a history of the part taken by the people of Lee County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1919 > Part 19
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Their work in the sale of Red Cross Christmas seals during Christmas of 1917 sur- passed any township in the county, having sold 4500 seals or approximately seven seals per capita. The committee did splendid work for the Allied Relief, Child Welfare, Red Cross Work, procuring funds for the French wounded and the adoption of French war orphans. They gave valuable assistance in the sale of Liberty Bonds. In all, their work was highly commendable, their patriotism above rather than at par, and their loyalty in every respeet 100 percent. This committee was given splendid assistance by their county chairman, Mrs. John G. Ralston of Dixon.
The citizens of Willow Creek were members of the two Red Cross units 27 of the 36 sections comprising the Scarboro unit, an auxiliary of the Lee County chapter of the Ameri- can Red Cross. The president of this is Miss Ida Durin who tendered the use of her residence which was used for Red Cross purposes throughout the war. This unit held meetings regularly every week and while not large in number of workers did an immense amount of work in 1917 and 1918 and holds an enviable record, while conceded a small unit still in 1919 it reached a membership of about 220 members.
On July 4, 1917 the Lee Cornet band gave a celebration for the benefit of the Red Cross. A large crowd assembled on this day and various games and sports were arranged for the purpose of procuring money. The speakers of the day were Rev. J. J. Hitchens, pastor of the M. E. church at Lee, and Rev. J. O. Tweten, pastor of the S. W. Lutheran church of Lee. These men gave excellent addresses and were splendidly applauded by the large assembly. The proceeds of the day amounted to over $300.00 which amount was turned over to the local Red Cross. At this time there were not many Red Cross members in Willow Creek and in consequence thereof the Red Cross girls and band members launched out upon a membership drive and before the celebration was over the American Red Cross became nearly 300 members stronger. One of the band boys, N. G. Munson, secured 68 members alone upon that day.
Again in 1918 on July 4, the business men of Lee and the Lee Cornet band gave another celebration the proceeds of which were to be turned over to the Red Cross.
The entire moving picture show of F. A. Bach was turned over to the Red Cross, the two shows netted S80, and the dance in the evening netted $50. When the proceeds of the entire day were summed up it wasfound that the American Red Cross had been enriched in the sum of about $450.
In the spring of 1918 the Third Liberty Loan was launched. Up to this time each of the various school districts thought they were carrying a heavier burden than the other in the amount allotted to each district to make up the township's quota.
The quota for Willow Creek in this Loan was $24,750 and at the end of the drive had rolled up a grand total of $56,350 or 230 percent of its quota for which it received a star in its Third Liberty Loan flag, there being but two townships in the county receiving this distinction in this drive, Willow Creek and Wyoming.
The second Red Cross drive was completed in May 1918, the township's quota being $1406.25. It was an easy matter to obtain money for the Red Cross at this time as the people had began to realize fully the value of this great arm of mercy and were very liberal in their donations towards it. While it was the instructions to the committees to see that there was no oversubscription still when the campaign came to a close Willow Creek had subscribed $1478.85 to the American Red Cross.
In the following month the War Saving Stamp drive was on in full force to complete the county's quota for 1918. Willow Creek's share in this campaign was $20,625. The drives had come quite regular and frequent this year, so much so as to absorb the avail-
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able cash and besides as an investment the War Savings stamps did not appeal to the people as much as the Liberty bonds. They brought the drive to a close with a subserip- tion of $23,660 or a $3000 oversubscription.
September of 1918 saw the second registration of the male inhabitants of the township between the ages of 18 and 45 inclusive. This registration disclosed the fact that Willow Creek had 99 persons within these ages eligible to military service. The registrars appointed to carry on this registration were: W. J. Brown, Chief Registrar; J. H. Eide, P. J. Schoen- holz. assistants.
In October of 1918 the Fourth Liberty loan was launched with a quota of $54,900, this being the largest sum that Willow Creek had been asked to raise. The sum was large but the committees felt that the quota could and would be made. The slogan of the county in this drive was "Over the Top in One day." At 11 o'clock that night every school district bad reported its subscription in to Chairman W. J. Brown, the sum which formed a grand total of $61.050, subscribed in four hours, and an oversubscription of $5,150.
On the 11th day of November, 1918, the United War Work campaign was started with an apportionment to Willow Creek of $1,584.60. It was believed that a great many of the people would seleet one or the other of the seven activities to make their entire donations to, thereby causing an extra amount of work to the committees, but when the curtain had rolled down upon the drive it was found that every citizen had contributed to all seven activities and donated a total of SIS87.00.
The Fifth and last loan was floated in April of 1919. There was some pessimism prevailing in the township with reference to this loan, the general concensus of opinion being, that the armistice having been signed and the war practically over, the people would not feel the great necessity of subscribing to any further loans, but this did not prove true as it was the easiest loan or drive of them all. Scarcely a person in the township was solicited in this drive and yet with a quota of $39,000 the people voluntarily subscribed $50,400.
There were two Red Cross membership drives in Willow Creek. The first drive in January 1918, was conducted through a fierce snow storm and at a time when the roads were practically impassible. It took three weeks to complete the drive and then a great many in the township had not been solicited but the membership reached over 40 per cent or nearly 330 members. This drive was made by W. J. Brown, chairman, and J. H. Eide covering the northeast quarter of the township, Lars (. Rissetter the Southeast quarter, Joseph Miller and Lewis Hackman the southwest quarter and P. S. Snyder and P. J. Schoenholz the northwest quarter.
The second drive was made in January of 1919. This drive was put through by the various committees of the Council of Defense. In this drive through the splendid work of G. W. Sanford and Walter Barringer, school district No. 154 lacked but two members of having a 100 percent district. The township itself enrolled a membership of nearly 450.
Numerous War Meetings
Various meetings were held in the township during the war.
For all patriotic meetings the ball at Searboro was furnished free by P. J. Sehoenholz and the Nelson hall at Lee by H. C. Nelson. The Lee Cornet Band furnished musie for all meetings held in the township without any compensation and were indeed a group of loyal and patriotie boys.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
During the entire war there was no violation of the Federal or food regulations. There was, however, considerable grumbling as the proportion of the food became smaller in their allotment, still nearly all the people felt that it was a sacrifice that they must make, and was necessary to feed the hungry and heroie people of our allies as well as to give our soldiers and sailors the best the land could afford and produce. The patriotism was of such splendid calibre that during all the drives never a citizen of the township was haled before the loyalty committee. There was one event, however, which marred and stained the record of the township and that was a few of the young men in the draft who hid behind plows, tractors or some other farm implements, young men who fell over them- selves to get to Dixon and Freeport, who wasted an enormous amount of time going back and forth to the district exemption boards,-time that could have been used to a better advantage upon the farm,-who burned up gasoline and rubber tires carrying friends and relatives to these boards to corroborate their dilatory tacties practiced for the pur- pose of procuring deferred classification. It seemed as though simultaneously with the order of the first registration the entire township became infested with farm managers between the ages of 21 and 31 years of age, an extraordinary condition which had never existed before. Had it not been for the foregoing the patriotism of Willow Creek would have been spotless and its record as clear as the noonday sun. While there were very few who avoided military service, and the performance of their duty to their country, there are 22 young men whose names will be engraved upon the pages of the history of this township, county, state and country, men who, although drafted, willingly went forth to defend the honor of their country.
Many young men of the township made attempts at enlistment, some being rejected on account of physical disabilities and others failed of enlistment because the recruiting officers refused to accept them for the period of the duration of the war only. In every war thusfarthat the township has participated in, all her sokliers have served in the army and no one so far has ever served in the navy which shows that Willow Creek does not take kindly to water.
CHAPTER XLII Wyoming Township
BY CHAS. F. PRESTON
There were very few publie meetings held in the township, as it will readily be seen from the response to the various loans, drives, that the people were thoroughly aroused and awake to the necessity of the war work, and needed no outside incentive to cause them to respond.
On Friday evening, Sept. 6, 1918, the service flag of the township was raised and dedi- cated by a large meeting, held on Main street, Paw Paw, Illinois, addressed by State's Attorney Harry Edwards of Dixon.
On Wednesday evening, Sept. 25, 1918, preliminary to the Fourth Liberty loan, a public meeting was held on Main street which was attended by a large crowd. John H. Byers of Dixon was the principal speaker of the evening and short remarks were made by Messrs. Borst, Vaile, and Henry S. Dixon, of Dixon and C. F. Preston of Paw Paw.
One or two meetings scheduled in the winter of 1918 were called off on account of snow blockade and inability of speakers to get there.
All Regulations Followed
Wyoming township gave a ready, universal and cheerful compliance with all federal regulations regarding food, fuel, and heatless days.
Gasolineless Sundays were strictly observed, with very few exceptions, on the start, and, as people more fully realized the necessity of the regulation, the observance of it became practically universal.
First Liberty Bond Loan.
The government asked this community to take about $38,000.00 based on the banking resources.
The State Bank of Paw Paw subscribed for $58,000.00 and this amount was cut down to $31,000.00 on account of the over-subscription.
Of this amount the patrons of the bank took about $28,000.00 without solicitation.
Second Liberty Bond Loan.
On a community basis the quota was a little less than $70,000.00. The total sub- scriptions amounted to $103,500.00.
Third Liberty Bond Loan.
The quotas after the Second loan were made by townships. Wyoming's share was about $35,000.00; at 5 p. m. April 6, 1918, the subscriptions amounted to over $37,000.00. The committee stopped work at this time and before the end of the drive the quota was more than doubled.
Fourth Liberty Bond Loan.
Wyoming's quota was $74,400.00 and she went over the top at 3:30 p. m. the first day; the total subscription was $78,350.00.
Fifth (Victory) Loan.
The quota for the Fifth loan was $52,900.00, and the amount subscribed was $61,600.00.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
In the Y. M. C. A. drive in November, 1917, the total amount raised was $1261.00. In the United War Work drive in November, 1918, the quota for Wyoming township was 82147.55; the amount raised was $3539.75.
Red Cross subscriptions were $6346.95.
Funds collected for the Women's Committee Council of National Defense were $109.70.
Red Cross Work by Women.
The Paw Paw branch of the Lee County chapter of the American Red Cross was organ- ized June 15, 1917.
The following officers were appointed: Mrs. Polly Bates, chairman; Mrs. Lucy H. McBride, Vice-chairman: Mrs. Rose Hicks, secretary, Mrs. Maud Pogue, treasurer.
On June 6, 1918 the following officers were elected: Mrs. Anna Warren, chairman; Mrs. Rose Hicks, vice-chairman; Mrs. Mary R. Chaffee, secretary; Mrs. Bertha Wheeler, treasurer.
On July 5, 1918 Mrs. Rose Hicks resigned her office and Mrs. Josephine Pratt was elected to fill the vacancy.
The following persons were members of the Board of Directors: Rev. O. T. Canfield, Rev. A. B. Wimmer, Rev. L. S. Evans, Frank Wheeler, Robert Pogue, F. E. Gates, William Adrian, E. F. Guffin, J. A. Warren, W. A. Pratt. J. H. LaPorte, G. W. Thompson.
A. C. MeBride, being the director from Wyoming township in the Lee County chapter was advisory chairman of the Paw Paw Branch.
Meetings were held for the first two months in the Siglin building, the use of which was donated by Miss Barbara Siglin.
The work room was then moved to the Presbyterian church parlors where the meetings were held for one year.
There were 81 meetings held with an average attendance of 31. The ladies and a few of the gentlemen were very faithful in attendance.
Membership for 1917 354
Membership for 1918 651
Membership for 1919 601
Amount received for membership $1,606.00 Amount contributed 4,740.95
Total amount received $6,346.95
In March, 1918 the I. O. O. F. gave an entertainment and solicited funds which amount- ed to $2100.00. A drive was made in June, 1918 for the National Red Cross which netted $1,056.50.
Aside from these two drives all the money was freely contributed by our citizens with- out being solicited. This Branch bought nearly all of its supplies from local dealers who furnished all material at cost.
The officers made a very large Red Cross service flag and donated it to our branch; each star representing a knitted outfit given to one of our soldier boys before leaving home.
Women's Committee Council of National Defense
The presidents of the various women's organizations of Wyoming township were called together on Oct. 12, 1917 for the purpose of organizing a Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense. Officers were elected as follows:
Mrs. J. B. Daugherty, chairman. Mrs. Lillian Nisbet, vice-chairman.
Mrs. J. S. Bennett, recording secretary. Mrs. A. C. McBride, treasurer.
The Council had a membership of 34.
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WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
On Nov. 6 and 7, 1917, the local registration committee seeured a 100 percent registra- tion of the women of the township, 420 women having registered.
Through the Council the various organizations sent more than 1000 garments to the Allied Relief work.
The total number of Red Cross Christmas seals sold was 4449. The Y. W. C. A. war work offering amounted to $97.60. The total amount of money raised by the Council was $109.70.
Two Gold Stars
FULTON REYNOLDS heard the call of his country and enlisted June 3, 1918, asking admission into the Marine corps at Chicago, Ill., He passed all examinations and was called June S. He was sent back until further notice, which for some unknown reason, he never received. He registered at Charles City, la., June 5. 1917 and was called by the draft July 26. 1918, leaving Charles City on that date. He arrived at Camp Gordon, Ga., July 28, 1918 being placed in Co. B Fifth Replacement regiment. On September 2. he received his overseas equipment, but on being re- commended to attend non-com school was taken off the overseas list.
He attended the non-com school and was making good when he was taken ill and on September 25, 1918 was taken to the base hospital. On October 18 he answered the final reveille. His death came as the result of pleural pneumonia. He served his country only a short time, but when he answered the final call it was just as glorious as though he had been on the battlefield. He made the supreme sacrifice. No man could do more. The lieutenant of his company deseribes his life in camp as being that of a model soklier.
The body was returned from Atlanta to Paw Paw, Ill., and, with military honors, was laid to rest in Wyoming cemetery.
LIEUT. W. W. SMITH- son of William Henry and Elizabeth Smith. was born at Paw Paw, Ill., Nov. 11, 1897. He entered aviation service, Sept. 13, 1917, at Chieago. From there he was sent to Champaign for ground work and remained nine weeks. He then went to Memphis, Tenn., where he was instructed to fly. He was commissioned a second lieutenant there. On July 24 he came home on a furlough. He then went to Dallas, Tex. to command and drill a company of cadets at Camp Dix, remaining there four weeks and on the 10th of March was ordered to Belleville, Illinois, as an instructor in aviation. On May 17. 1918. while taking a friend for a flight, his plane fell and he received injuries from which he died. The body was brought home for burial and was placed in the family masoleum at Wyoming Cemetery.
CHAPTER XLIII
Letters Written by Soldiers and Sailors While in Service
Selected by: L. W. Mitchell of Dixon, P. M. James of Amboy, Dr. F. M. Banker of Franklin Grove.
From Roy Y. Long, Co. C, 101st Field Batt. Signal Corps.
Somewhere in France, Sept. 18, 1918.
Dear Mother:
We have been on the move a good deal the last two or three weeks. After we landed here in July, we were at a rest camp, drilling and practice. We received our instruments, and were speeding upon buzzer work, with experienced instructors who had been at the Front.
Later, we travelled thru a very nice part of the country, sometimes in box ears, also was swimming and boating, in the Seine and Marne rivers. We saw several large Cathe- drals, while traveling thru the country and were inside of the Meaux Cathedral. It was the greatest sight I ever saw. The Red Cross always served us on our way. The French people treat us as if we were their own boys.
I have been transferred to a permanent Division now, and we stay at the Headquarters of the 101st Infantry. They are Mass. National Guard and a fine bunch of fellows. When we are at the Front, we go with the infantry, and when we go to the rear, we are with the Field Signal Battalion. We sure learn to right it, when we hike along with the Infantry. A good many of them are from Boston.
Nov. 6. We are living in dugouts, where the rats and cooties are as thick as bees. I have been thru gas and shell fire, but am sound as a dollar. I was in the famous St. Mihiel drive, where we captured a German Band of 60 pieces. It sure looked funny to see a German band coming up the road. Then they made them play the "Star Spangled Banner." I also got my helmet, on the St. Mihiel salient. We slipped over on the Ger- mans so shek they thought they were going to be wiped off the earth. We don't expect much more fighting, as we hear over the wireless, the peace terms with Austria. We have them surrounded on all sides, and there isn't much chance for them to hold out.
With love, Roy G. Long.
Nov. 24, 1918.
Dear Father:
For the last six weeks we have been on the Verdun Front, and one of the hottest places in France. I have been thru everything a human being could possibly go thru, and come ont alive, but it is all over now, and feeling pretty good and mighty lucky too.
The first hitch on the Verdun Front, was in Belleau Wood, up in the Argonne Forrest. We were up there about fifteen days, and they took us out, and gave us a couple days rest, and put us in another front, to the right of that.
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It was supposed to be a quiet sector, in fact it was, until we got in there. We relieved the French, and they no more than got out, than we had the Boche on the war path. It seems funny, the French can go in a Sector, and as long as they don't advance, everything is fine, but the minute our Division gets in it sure gets hot.
When we were in Belleau Woods, we had the hardest time. The Germans fought like demens to hold every inch. They would counter attack three or four times a day, trying to regain what they lost. They sure had some artillery, and raised Cain with our telephone lines. We had to keep sending out men all the time, to shoot trouble. It was no uncom- mon thing, to see line men running around, with a test telephone set on his arm.
One day, I was out with one of the boys, we fixed one break, and tested it, but we could not get the fellow on the other end. So we kept on going, until we could get a test, from the other end, and then, Fritz started to sling over some of bis "diamonds" as we call them. We ducked in some small holes, and dodged behind some trees, until it calmed down, and then we started out again. After we got nearly to the other post, we found another break; fixed it, and tended it, and got the fellow on the other end. It sure felt good to hear him say, "Hello". About that time, Fritz started in again. Talk about working fast, we were up close to the front line, as we had gone over a hill, and were under machine gun fire, and some of Fritz's planes came over too, they were trying to give range to artillery. We managed to get some tape stuck on the splice. We ran back over the bill, and found another break, near our post.
It had been shot after we had gone over it, and we tested it and found everything O. K.
After night is the worst, as we have to run along with the wire in our hand, and it is a pretty slow job, the worst of it is we can't find the other end of the break.
We got in a bunch one night, we had just made the splice, and started to test in, and "Fritz" started to throw over some gas; we were only a little way from our dugout; we had to run up a steep, stony hill, and we were in a trench, too, and somebody had rolled in a big bunch of wire. Well, I went through it, head first. After I got to the top, I was steaming like a race horse, and my clothes looked as if I had gone through a sausage grinder, and my hands and face were all scratched up. We went over the top, four times the last forty-eight hours. I went over every time but one, and I was sent back to shoot trouble over the line. The last time I went over, five of us signal men, and one squad of infantry, that made our objective. Fritz opened up on us, with a heavy machine gun fire; we had to dodge, from one shell hole to another, and had to run a telephone line too. One fellow carried the telephone, I helped unspool the wire, the other carried the wire. The Colonel was pleased we made our objective.
We started over the top, two days before the armistice was signed. We were follow- ing the road, and before we had gone a half mile, it was so full of shell holes, you could hardly tell where it was, and we sunk to our knees in mud. One shell hole we dodged into, was twelve feet deep, and the Boche seemed to know we were in there, as they gave a bombardment of heavy 'SS's around that place for about an hour.
I was released from the Front, the night the armistice was signed, but I was so near all in, I wasn't very much excited. We hadn't had any sleep for four nights, nor very much to eat. It took us a week to realize the war was over.
We have been hiking the last eight days. The army surgeons ordered it, as we had so much gas in our lungs, it was the only thing that would get it out of our lungs. Some of the boys couldn't speak ahove a whisper, but now after our hundred mile hike, they all have their voice Fack. It sure did us a lot of good.
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I have been in Verdun several times, it sure has been shot to pieces. There isn't a whole building that hasn't been hit. Our Division was the first to be stationed inside the Fort. The town is undermined with tunnels, and on top, it is fortified with barb wire and trenches.
Jan. S-I have been pretty busy lately. We have to drill and go to school as usual, and we have been having contests in athletics, also flag drill, and lectures on switch boards, telephones and buzzer phones.
We stood out for about four hours Christmas, waiting for President Wilson to go by. We had our afternoons off for the holidays, but we had to drill in the morning. The Government gave us candy for Xmas, and the Y. M. C. A. gave us chocolate for New Years.
A couple of the boys and I, went out and bought a feed, one night, at one of the French homes. We tried to get a duck, but we didn't make it. We were in one house, and I made a stab at talking. I asked the woman if she could sell us a duck, (in French) but she couldn't get my interpretation of duck, so I said "Quack, quack", and she caught on right away, then we all had a big laugh, and the women, it tickled them to death. Then I asked her for a chicken. She did not have any, but she took us to a neighbors, who had chickens for sale. So we made a bargain with her, and she was to furnish potatoes and milk, and she was to cook the chickens.
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