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 9
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John C. Brady, DePaul Uni., Chicago
William L. Kugler, Iowa Agri. Uni.
Allen J. Wiener, Uni. of Illinois Earl S. Rynearson, Uni. of Illinois Sterling D. Sebroek, Uni. of Illinois Elmer D. English, Uni. of Illinois George L. Schuler, Uni. of Illinois Edward B. Wingert, Uni. of Illinois Charles F. Andrews, Uni. of Illinois James R. Keigwin, Uni. of Illinois Vernon Knapp, Uni. of Illinois
Edward J. Ryan, Uni. of Illinois
William P. Rock, Uni. of Illinois Eugene G. Cahill, Uni. of Wisconsin Benj. E. Roberts, Milliken Uni., Decatur James H. Tosney, Notre Dame Uni.
Frank F. Fitzsimmons, Notre Dame Uni. Royal Gerald Jones, Notre Dame Uni. George A. Graham, Northwestern Uni. Edwin M. Bunnell, Northwestern Uni. Cordell A. Wood, Northwestern Uni.
John D. Kempster, Jr., Carthage College Erie Alvin, Carthage College
Thomas H. Rock, DePaul Uni., Chicago ('lifford MeKinely, Iowa Agri. Uni. Albert B. Whitcombe, Uni. of Illinois Frederick R. Gridley, Uni. of Illinois Mervin C. Lawton, Uni. of Illinois Lloyd T. Bartholomew, Uni. of Illinois Robert E. Edson, Uni. of Illinois Rodney E. Spangler, Uni. of Illinois Forest D. Merriman, Uni. of Illinois Robert P. Powell, Uni. of Illinois Dorman C. Anderson, Uni. of Illinois Raymond E. Worsley, Uni. of Illinois Raymond Dysart, Uni. of Wisconsin Luther L. Durkes, Uni. of Wisconsin Jerome F. Dixon, Notre Dame Uni. Vincent L. Downs, Notre Dame Uni. Edward J. Root, Notre Dame Uni. Leo J. Hurd, Northwestern Uni. Orno J. Kersten, Northwestern Uni. Lyle H. Searls, Northwestern Uni. Stanley F. Thorpe, Bradley Institute Earl B. Carlson, Carthage College A. P. Kent, Cornell Col., Mt. Vernon, Ia. Clyde H. Emmert, Cornell College, Iowa Arthur J. Oester, Dubuque College
Wilbur Lee Hoff, Cornell Col., Mt. Vernon Carroll P. Lahman, Cornell Col., Iowa
Daniel P. Raymond, Knox Col., Galesburg Ralph M. Fliek, Lewis Institute, Chicago Norvald G. Maakestad, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
William N. Rogers, School of Engineering, Milwaukee, Wis.
For a number of months registrants were permitted to enlist in the army but ulti- mately enlistments were stopped except through the agency of Local Boards.
In addition to the induction into military service of the increments listed above there were seores of cases of individual induetions, some of them being enlistments in the de- partment of the army selected by the registrants.
In all, through the ageney of the Local Board, 925 men were indueted into service divided among the several towns of the County as shown in the succeeding table.
It is understood that upwards of 600 more men went from this county to the army and navy, consisting of the unit that was formerly Company G, 6th Infantry Illinois National Guard, which afterwards became Battery C, 123rd F. A. and of about 500 more who enlisted before enlistments were forbidden.
104
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
The registered men inducted into service through the local Board, the percentage from each town, the population of each Town by the latest official figures, being the 1910 eensus and the percentage of population of each Town in the County follow:
Name of
Number of men Percentage of
Town
inducted
Total
Population 1910 Percentage Census of Population
Alto
30
.032
916
.032
Amboy
87
.094
2600
.093
Ashton
45
.048
1069
.038
Bradford
11
.012
689
. 024
Brooklyn
45
.048
1365
.049
China
43
.046
1174
.042
Dixon
382
.413
8591
.309
East Grove
11
.012
598
.02
Hamilton
18
.019
469
.017
Harmon
23
.024
764
.027
Lce Center
14
.015
871
.031
Marion
16
.017
654
.023
May
13
.014
613
.022
Nachusa
11
.012
699
.024
Nelson
17
.018
539
.019
Palymra
20
.021
880
.031
Reynolds
23
.024
643
.023
South Dixon
15
.016
797
.028
Sublette
22
.023
963
.03-4
Viola
18
.019
604
.022
Willow Creek
23
.024
886
.031
Wyoming
38
.041
1366
.049
925
100
27750
100
Clerical Help.
Reference has already been made to the persons helping at the time of the organiza- tion of the board and for several months thereafter.
In November 1917, Tim Sullivan was appointed Chief Clerk and R. C. Bovey assist- ant chief clerk. Many volunteer aids worked from time to time until the close of the work, chief among them being Charles H. Johnson, Abram Ackert, Louis Pitcher, A. E. Simonson and others, all of whom were available when needed and some of whom were present almost daily and rendered most valuable services. Miss Marguerite Burke, stenographer in the office of State's Attorney Edwards, whose office was next door to the rooms occupied by the Board, did a large part of the letter writing and other stenographie work.
Mr. Johnson was on duty daily for many months and his work was of special value.
In September 1918 Private Harold L. Sheller was detailed as office assistant of the Board and sent home from Camp Grant to Dixon. He rendered proficient services from that time until immediately before his discharge from service after the work of the Board was concluded.
Mr. Sullivan was on hand daily from the time he became Chief Clerk and attended to the countless details of his office in a conscientious and able manner.
105
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
In the early summer of 1918 the Board was directed to, if possible, provide for the giving of some preliminary military training to all men then or thereafter placed in Class one.
Accordingly an effort was made to locate in the county men capable of supervising this training. The effort was successful and capable drill masters were obtained. The county was divided into districts and the men directed to attend at stated periods for drill. Those near Rochelle, were trained at Rochelle, those from Hamilton Township at the Village of Walnut in Bureau County and the others at Dixon, Amboy, Franklin Grove and Paw Paw. The men reporting at Dixon drilled twice a week and those at the other towns once a week. This work continued until the signing of the armistice.
The drillmasters, place of training and the names of the Towns from which the men came are as follows:
Dixon-Capt. Samuel W. Cushing, commander. Towns of Palmyra, Nelson, Dixon, Nachusa and South Dixon.
Amboy-Mr. F. B. MeCreary, commander. Towns of Amboy, Marion, Harmon, East Grove, May, Sublette, Lee Center.
PawPaw-Mr. Arthur Chowning, commander. Towns of Wyoming, Willow Creek, Brooklyn and Viola.
Franklin Grove-Mr. H. P. Hilbish, commander. Towns of China, Ashton and Bradford. Rochelle-Capt. Theodore Schade, commander. Towns of Alto and Reynolds.
Walnut- Capt. commander. Town of Hamilton.
The work done by both the commanding officers and men was eminently satisfactory and resulted in great good to the men having the training who were afterwards inducted into service. When they reached the training camp they had acquired some of the rudi- ments of military drill and discipline and did not enter upon their military life with the handicap as to such matters that were borne by the others who had not had the advantages of some military training. The thanks of all concerned are due to the men whose names are ahove given, together with the many unnamed capable assistants whom they called to their aid for the incompensated lahor that they performed in this matter.
Newspaper Aid.
The newspapers of Lee County were of great assistance to the Board. From the begin- ning to the end the columns of all of the County papers were at our disposal for any pub- licity desired.
The Dixon daily papers published complete lists of all registrants together with the order and serial number of each. The weekly papers in the other Towns in the County published such lists as to all of the Towns in which they circulated largely. Almost daily it was necessary for the Board to call upon the papers for necessary publicity and there was a prompt response in every instance.
The papers published in the County during this period were: Dixon Evening Telegraph Dixon Evening Leader Ashton Gazette Amboy News
Franklin Grove Reporter
Lee County Times (of PawPaw)
The point of view of the Board as to the service performed by these papers is perhaps l'est shown by an identical letter to each which was sent by the Board on Deeember 9, 1918, as follows:
"The work of the Local Board for Lee County has been completed and its records closed.
06
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
On behalf of the Board I wish to thank you for the generous aid which you have given us.
We have called upon the newspapers of Lee County very often for necessary publicity during the past 18 months and to every call every paper has promptly, generously and efficiently responded.
An acknowledgement of your good work and friendly aid is due and is gladly given.
Yours very truly, Local Board, Lee County, Illinois. By Henry S. Dixon, Chairman.
A considerable portion, in fact it seems to the writer the principal part, of the difficul- ties of the Local Board was caused by the-erratic conduct, of a majority of the District Board.
Under the rules the Local Board had original jurisdiction over cases of alleged depen- deney and the like, with its findings subject to appeal by the registrant or the Govern- ment to the District Board.
The District Board had original jurisdiction over claims to deferred classification presented on account of business or occupation, such as farming, railroading and the like. The Local Board was required to investigate and make recommendations in such cases, which was done in every instance.
The result of such classification and recommendation of the first registration is shown by Townships on a previous page. The work was done by separating the questionnaires by townships and taking up the investigation of one town at a time. As a result the average number of men placed in class one by the Local Board in the purely agricultural towns of the county was but 18.7, or one man for each 1179 acres in each full size town. In handling matters in this way it was possible for the Board to and it did treat men of the same type in the same way and thus deal in a reasonably fair manner with all regis- trants. The questionnaires of the men taking appeals or making claims for deferred classification because of their occupations were sent to the District Board assembled by Townships and that Board requested to handle them by Townships in order that men in the same town of the same type should receive the same treatment. They were not so handled but on the contrary were disposed of in a very loose jointed manner, with the result that a man on a certain farm was placed in class one and another of the same type with exactly the same character of claim and living in the same neighborhood was placed in class 2 and some other neighbor of the same character and surroundings put in class 4. The result can be imagined. Initially the Local Board was criticized but finally in the majority of cases at least it was learned where the fault was and who was to blame. The District Board gave deferred classification to approximately 250 young men of the first registration whom the Local Board had recommended for class one. In some cases there was room for doubt but in others a great mistake was made and a great wrong done both to the registrant, to others similarly situated who were placed in class one, and to the Government itself.
As a result whole families were excused from military service. We know of one in- stance where a family had eight sons of military age, all claiming to be farming, although one left tending I ar but a short time before and this family had no one in the army. Another family with six sons and all claiming to be farming and none in the army. In each of the cases cited most of the sons were genuine farmers and should have been given deferred clas-
107
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
sifieation but each family should have been represented in the army and would have been had the Local Board findings been followed.
When one compares such conduct of the registrants and their families with the conduct of other families in the county such as the Broderick's, Branagan's, and the Kelehers of Amboy, the Buckley's of Maytown and the Mahans and MeIntyresof Dixon, each with three sons in the service or the four Tompkins brothers and the four Gardner brothers of Dixon in the service it is enough to make one feel that a few removals from office of men in authority who tolerated and permitted such misconduct would have been a good thing for our country.
The conduet of the District Board was so much criticised by the Local Boards in the District, by registrants and citizens generally, that a reorganization of it was made through the office of the Adjutant General. Steps to that end were begun in the summer of 1918 and four additional members of the Board recommended for appointment by the Gover- nor and the names sent to Washington for appointment by the President. The appoint- ment met with unfortunate delay at Washington and was not made and announced until November 8, 1918, too late for the new appointees to take hold, and institute the reforms that it is hoped and believed would have been made effective.
The four additional members so appointed were Judge James S. Baume of Galena, J. C. Seyster of Oregon, L. H. Burrell of Freeport and L. C. Thorne of Sterling, all of them strong men, perhaps the leaders in their respective counties. It would have been most helpful to have had these men on the Board from the beginning, for in conjunction with Judge Carpenter, who had done good work on the District Board, it is manifest that the proper attention would have been given to the gauzy tales and fraudulent representations made by some of the Lee County registrants and from all of the other counties as well.
In General.
The Board had no easy task. Its work was in many ways arduous, yet in some re- speets pleasant. In the beginning it had but little assistance from the general public. Many persons would sign the supporting affidavits of registrants without reading them, apparently as readily as many persons sign letters of recommendation. The language in the affidavit to the effect that the alleged dependent was actually dependent upon the labor of the registrant for support, or, that the registrant was the manager of some farming enterprise meant nothing to some of the signers of the supporting affidavits, at least it so seemed to the Board. This was in the early stages of the work. However, conditions as to such matters improved remarkably as the war progressed. In the early days the situation as to such matters was so bad that it was thought necessary by the Board to call before it several hundred registrants and their witnesses and personally interrogate them. As a result of such inquiry the tendency to present untrue or un- justified elaims diminished. In some instances severe treatment of the claimants and witnesses was necessary. There were some cases, in the early experience of the board, where it is quite likely that criminal prosecution for perjury and for conspiracy would have been warranted, but the board was of opinion that such misconduct arose either through want of proper understanding of the matter, cowardice, selfishness, or lack of sympathy with the prosecution of the war and that it was the policy of the government to raise an army and not to fill the penitentiary. Consequently no prosecutions were instituted, although a number of the offenders were investigated and warned by Federal officials and others dealt with by the Board in such a manner as to make it reasonably certain that there would be no further ground for complaint.
109
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
As time progressed the Board was given more aid from the people of the county by letter and by personal interview as well. In every town in the county we had several loyal intelligent aides whose information given us could be relied upon. Then with the progress of events a different and better spirit on the part of all concerned became evident. The young men wanted to go into the military service and not be excelled in that parti- cular by their neighbors who had gone. Parents became braver and less selfish. Long before the end of the war a most creditable and worthy condition obtained over the whole county and the fraudulent or false attempt to evade military service became the exception.
All the way through the attempts at evasion of duty were minor on the part of the registrant himself as compared with such action on the part of parents and other relatives and of employers. We had but few cowards in Lee County. The Board's troubles were caused more by the cowardice and avarice of third persons than by any other cause. And there was comparatively little of that after the situation became thoroughly understood.
However, it was hard to always keep in good humor. It was difficult at all times to control one's temper. Perhaps the greatest aggravation of all was the insistent telephone. During the busy times the telephone at the Board office was constantly in use-several hundred calls per day. And outside of business hours the Board members had no rest. One of the Board members latest telephone eall was at 1:30 A. M. and his earliest call 3:30 A. M. Another at one meal time was called to the telephone on Board business 18 times during the course of that meal. Very frequently the members were called at home by someone in town or down in the County and asked what the speaker's order number was. Of course with over 6000 numbers it was certain that the answer could not be given without reference to the record.
Hundreds-probably thousands-of requests were made for the doings that could not possibly be done. It seemed in many instances any action that interfered with the personal pleasure or convenience of the registrant should, from his point of view, be avoided or he should be excused.
The correspondenee was very large. 5000 sheets of letter paper were used in less than the first year. Perhaps 10,000 letters in all were written.
The detail was very great, for every registrant had the right to have and did have an individual record and an individual treatment of his ease. The wonder is that the work was done as well as it was and we fully realize that in many particulars it could have been done better.
While there was trouble, and plenty of it, there were many pleasant and amusing instances, many ridiculous occurrences and some that were pathetie. To recite them would in many instances lead to a disclosure of the names of the persons involved and this we feel would not be liked by the parties concerned and therefore a recital of them had lest not be made.
However, perhaps no harm will be done in printing a letter from a colored brother who has gone away. He had been locked up at Dixon, but got out of jail and left town. He wrote as follows:
"i am at 206 Bentor St. Joliet. if you want me to come baek to Dixon i will gite ways i dont no how to rite to white folks no how so please dont get mad and have me put in no jail case i dont want to go to no more jail this is Lawarnee martin if you dont get this letter let me no and i will rite you another one ease i dont want to get in jail-no more i told you how i was how i want on the other side i speet i better tell you again lawarnee martin ease i dont want to get in jail no more.
lawarnce martin"
109
WAR HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Aid from Public Officials.
States Attorney Edwards was government appeal agent and was a valuable aid to the Board in conducting its investigation.
The Sheriff's office and police departments of the City of Dixon and Amboy all did everything in their power to assist us. Particular mention should be made of Sheriff R. R. Phillips, Chief Deputy F. A. Schoenholz and Deputy Stanard, Commissioner A. B. Whitcomb and Chief J. D. Van Bibber, Officers Winters and Wettstein of Dixon and Marshal Kelleher and Officer Holleran of Amboy.
The postmasters of the county and their clerks should have particular commendation. The activities of the Lee County Board and other Boards required that they handle thous- ands of pieces of mail and almost without exception their service was one hundred per cent. The bulk of the labor of the consequent good work was done by and under the direction of the following postmasters, Wm. F. Hogan of Dixon, John P. Harvey of Amboy, and Joseph A. Roesler of Ashton. And the postmasters in the county not named should he commended and have the thanks of the Board for their duty so well done.
The Day's Work.
It is to be doubted if those not closely in touch with Board affairs have any information with respect to the daily pressure of work on the Board members and clerks. In brief they were on duty, subject to public call, and, in fact actually called on occasion, for 24 hours a day. True this did not happen every day but the telephones at the office and at the residences of the Board members were in use nearly every day before day light until midnight. The annoyance in this respect got so bad that the writer finally did not answer his home phone when it would ring before his ordinary rising time in the morning, or at meal times or after going to bed. To have done otherwise would have required spending practically all of his time at home and while awake at the telephone. He felt that the business of the board ought to be done as far as possible in business hours during the 9 and 10 hours a day that the Board office was open.
In Conclusion.
Each Board member was drafted as effectively as the men whom they sent to military service. They were not consulted as to their desire to serve but simply notified that if they had any notion of resigning that resignations would not be accepted, but that in the absence of the most imperative reasons each was expected to serve for the duration of the war. They served practically without pay, the trifling allowance made to them being recognized by the War Department as constituting no proper measure of com- pensation.
The work done by the Board while confining and somewhat arduous was not always unpleasant as there are many pleasant memories and a constant recognition of the fact that before them and in their presence was proved the loyalty and patriotism of the great body of the young men of Lee County. We can testify truly and do so gladly, that the young men of Lee County, taken as a whole, are loyal and good citizens, and that we believe those who went from us into the military service of our country demeaned them- selves as good soldiers and sailors and that in case of need we could have sent as many more.
CHAPTER XVI Medical Advisory Board
BY A. E. SIMONSON
The Medical Advisory Board for the 6th District was organized February 5, 1918 although the members of the board had been appointed by Governor Lowden some weeks before in January and although the members soon took up the active work of examina- tion of registrants, the appointments were not confirmed by the President until nearly a year later. This was true of most of the Medical Advisory Boards of the state and was not due to any objection to the qualifications of the members but to the confusion and rush of work at Washington and also to the many changes in the personal of the various boards due to enlistment in the service and transfer to other boards. The 6th District Board, composed of Physicians from Lee and Whiteside, had at different times on their roster sixteen medies, the best in the profession in the two counties.
Personell of Board.
When the war closed and the armistice had been signed, the Sixth District Medical Advisory Board consisted of the following members.
Medical Advisory Board State of Illinois.
DISTRICT No. 6-Will embrace Whiteside and Lee Counties and serve all local boards therein.
Headquarters- Grand Jury Room, Lee County Court House, Dixon, III.
Personell as given the Department at Springfield.
INTERNISTS -- Dr. Clinton H. Ives, Dixon, Seey .; Dr. Chas. C. Kost, Dixon; Dr. Chas. G. Beard, Sterling; Dr. George Maxwell, Sterling.
SURGEONS-Dr. Edward S. Murphy, Dixon; Dr. William H. Perry, Sterling.
EYE, EAR, NOSE AND THROAT-Dr. T. O. Edgar, Dixon; Dr. K. B. Segner, Dixon; Dr. Franklin W. Esky, Sterling; Dr. E. A. Sickels, Dixon.
NEUROLOGISTS-Dr. H. B. Carriel, Dixon.
DENTISTS-Dr. William MeWethy, Dixon; Dr. Fred E. Morris, Dixon.
They were all, on December 20, 1918, awarded the bronze Service button of the War Department, designed and east for Medical Advisors Boards of the United States.
The board sent from its membership three members into the service, Dr. Z. W. Moss, Dr. W. H. Perry of Sterling and Dr. E. A. Siekels although the Armistice was signed before Dr. Sickels could overcome the red tape of the various departments of the Service. Dr. Perry was stationed at Ft. Riley for a time and came out a captain and Dr. Moss, in the South. Dr. Kost, his only son in the service as was the two sons of the Chief Clerk, so you see the members of the Medical Advisory Board of the 6th District really did their part in helping to make an army. From the day they organized in January 1918 to that in September when the Armistice was signed and they knew their work was done they all came to the front ready and willing to do a little more than was required of them if by doing so they could contribute a little help towards the goal for which all loyal people
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