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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01769 8397
JEFFERSON COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
-
An Historical and Sociological Study of One Indiana County During the War Period 1917-1918
BY
GENEALOGY 977.201 J3500
GEORGE S. COTTMAN
WRITTEN FOR
THE INDIANA HISTORICAL COMMISSION UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COUNCIL OF DEFENSE
PUBLISHED BY
THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ADDRESS JEFFERSON CO, HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MADISON, INDIANA.
79
JEFFERSON COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
An Historical and Sociological Study of One Indiana County During the War Period 1917-1918
BY GEORGE S. COTTMAN
WRITTEN FOR THE INDIANA HISTORICAL COMMISSION UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COUNCIL OF DEFENSE
PUBLISHED BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MADISON, INDIANA 1920
DEDICATION
TO those patriotic people of Jefferson County, Men, Women and Children, who, when the call came, gave themselves freely to their country's cause, on the field, in camp or at home, this book is offered as a modest memorial of their services. All of these "did their bit" in the fight to save Democracy.
CONTENTS
I The First Patriotic Outbreak . . 3
MILITARY ACTIVITIES :
II Organization. Military Beginnings. Company I . 7
III Battery Ę 11
IV Company K. Liberty Guards. Hanover S. A. T. C. 15
V Work of the Draft Board . ·
19
CIVILIAN ACTIVITIES :
VI The Council of Defense: Food Production and Conservation; Woman's Section C. D .; Food and Fuel Administrations 24
VII Raising Money for the War: The Government; Auxiliary Agencies 37
VIII Red Cross War Work 53
IX Red Cross Workers .
58
X Business Effects 62 XI Additional Matter 66 ·
XII
Soldiers' Letters:
Letters From Camp; From
Overseas .
75
·
MILITARY ROLL OF HONOR:
The Gold Star List; Company I; General Roster; Company K; Liberty Guards . 107
PRELIMINARY NOTE-In preparing this history of Jefferson county in the World War the first consideration of the Historical Commission and of the author has been to pre- serve in some permanent form as detailed and intimate a re- cord as possible of this community's part in the great con- flict. If to any reader there may seem to be many inconse- quential particulars in the narrative he should bear in mind that, from their personal character, all those particulars are of interest to one or another, and that a generation hence they will have a value that can scarcely be appreciated now. In gathering the data there have been many handicaps. Records had not been preserved, and but for the accommodations kind- ly extended by the two Madison newspapers, the Courier and Herald, the work could hardly have been done. As it is there will inevitably be mistakes and omissions, but the author has done his best in the attempt at completeness and accuracy.
The Jefferson County Historical Society has co-operated to the extent of publishing the history, thus making available to the general reader what otherwise would lie in the State archives along with the data from other counties. Owing to lack of funds and the high cost of printing, the work could be done but in modest form, and is made possible by first pub- lishing the matter in the columns of The Courier, the type there used to be loaned for making up into hook form
Jefferson County in the World War
INTRODUCTORY
The history of the American community as participating in the World War from the sixth day of April, 1917, to the eleventh of November 1918, is something unique in American experience. Other wars there have been, with their appeals to patriotism, with their stirring of the nation in every fibre, with their talk of a free democracy, jealous for its principles ; but never before were those tests so searching and drastic.
This World War, suddenly fastening on civilization with fang and claw like a tiger leaping, unexpected, from the dark of the jungle, meant things undreamed of in our own great war of half a century ago. The devilish art of destruc- tion had developed and broadened and reached out until from the old idea of armed men contending on the battlefield, all the civilian forces of the nation were involved as well. It was in a new and larger sense nation against nation, soldier against soldier, civilian against civilian; grandsires, women and youth, to the very children, all bending their efforts by manifold methods to "help win the war." The added produc- tion of food stuffs, the knitting of garments for the men at the front, thrift, conservation, self-denial-all were in order and few escaped the demand to render service of some kind.
Moreover there were money demands as never before. To meet the unexampled situation unprecedented sums had to be raised, and the nation began to talk, not in millions, but in billions. As there were no other nations to turn to for loans, the source of these billions was our own people, and so "Liberty loans" and "War Saving Stamp" drives, in addition to the customary war taxes, combed the country for revenue, drawing from all but the poorest.
Again, new ethical forces had been developing apace in
1
Jefferson County in the World War.
recent years and these became factors in the war situation. A concern for the soldiers' morale and moral welfare as well as physical comforts while at the front became a conspicuous sentiment, being fanned and fed by various humanitarian agencies ; and thus the histories of the Red Cross, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Salvation Army, the Knights of Columbus, and the War Camp Community Ser- vice and other organizations became so many chapters in the great war history. These demanding great sums of money for their work, drew upon the people for support, and so, in addition to the government "drives" for funds, there were numerous whirlwind campaigns conducted by these semi- private agencies for the purpose of meliorating the condition of the man who had to fight the battles for the country.
Then there were the universal conscription, the call to do battle in foreign lands contrary to our time-honored tradi- tions, and numerous other factors that made this war, for us, unlike any other, and all in all it marked an epoch in the life ;of each and every American community, for in a sense the community is an epitome of the nation at large. Hence, an intensive study of the community under the stress of these new and complex forces is a contribution to national history ; and with that thought in mind this study of Jefferson county in the World War is undertaken.
..
2
I THE FIRST PATRIOTIC OUTBREAK.
On the evening of April 2, 1917, President Wilson forin- ally asked the Congress of the United States to declare that a state of war existed between this country and Germany. He stigmatized the atrocious submarine policy of Germany as a "warfare against mankind." He recounted the repeated outrages against the property and lives of neutrals including America, and declared that in the presence of Germany's autocratic power there could be no assured security for the democratic governments of the world. "The world," he said, "must be made safe for democracy."
It was announced in The Courier that afternoon that the president would address congress that evening and that an edition of the paper containing this address would be printed as soon as the speech was made.
From seven o'clock until after the address was giv- en to the public, the streets were thronged with people anx- iously awaiting the news and the crowds at the Courier office and in that vicinity were larger than the bulletin boards could accommodate.
As the president's speech was received it was read to those gathered at the office but the desire to read and under- stand it was not satisfied and the demand for papers was greater than the capacity of the printing press.
Soon after the paper was printed the Elks club headed by the Elks band, took the center of Main street and aroused all within hearing. The fire bells sounded the tocsin and the people came, citizens who had gone to bed hustling into their clothes again to join the growing crowd. A motley parade composed of all kinds from small boys to old men marched in double column to and fro from Walnut street to Broadway to the stirring strains of martial music, the procession led by Mayor Crozier and James White, the latter a Civil War vet-
3
Jefferson County in the World War.
second story window almost to the ground. North Madison, Canaan, Dupont and Brooksburg emerged into the local lime light almost simultaneously, with speech making and other demonstrations as accompaniments to the hoisting of the col- ors. At North Madison, on April 7th, a feature of these dem- onstrations was the tooting of steam whistles and rousing cheers. At Canaan an 8x12 flag run up a huge pole that tow- ered a hundred feet in the air, looked over the surrounding country and challenged the eye from points miles away. Han- over, Wirt, Manville, the Big Creek neighborhood, Kent, the Tower Manufacturing Company of Madison, and the "Lower Seminary" of that place, all followed suit, while the Madison schools collectively, mustering twelve hundred pupils, shared in a demonstration at the high school building where Old Glory was hoisted on a newly installed fifty foot pole to the music of "The Star Spangled Banner" sung zestfully by twelve hundred fresh young voices.
The flag sentiment also expressed itself in individual dis- plays, as was evidenced by the quick exhausting of a supply of small emblems put on sale by the Madison Herald. The Current Events Club, composed of women, carried the senti- ment a step further by asking the managers of the moving picture houses to have the "Star Spangled Banner" and "America" played at every performance, the audience to stand.
At the various flag demonstrations those of oratorical talent were drawn upon for patriotic addresses, conspicuous among the speakers being Judge P. E. Bear, Hon. M. R. Sul- zer and Capt. A. D. Vanosdol. The pulpit echoed this patriot- ism, the Rev. J. W. Turner, of Trinity Church, for example, speaking to the text, "He that has no sword, let him sell his diamond and buy one."
The John Paul chapter, D. A. R., sent a resolution to President Wilson pledging its loyalty and willingness to help in the war and in return received from him a card of thanks.
6
II. ORGANIZATION. MILITARY BEGINNINGS. THE LOCAL VOLUNTEER COMPANY.
The formal declaration of war meant the committing of the nation to a tremendous undertaking, and the first step, of course, was the organizing of the country to that end. This organization was partly military and partly civilian; partly under the direction and authority of the government and partly under the direction of volunteer citizens and agencies.
First there was the enormous governmntal task of lay- ing the hand of authority on every man in the nation of pre- scribed age, of selecting the fit from the unfit and of placing, so far as might be, the fit where their various capacities would count for most. The problem was to mobilize and send across seas a vast efficient army at the earliest possible moment to meet the critical situation in Europe which threatened all that democracy held dear. To do this unprecedented sums of money had to be raised with celerity, and this also was the government's task. Again, the part that the civilian popu- lation played in promoting the efficiency that is made neces- sary by the developments of modern warfare called for sepa- rate organizations, other than military, on an extensive scale ; and so the work as a whole was, undoubtedly, the greatest concerted effort that had ever been made in this country. To better comprehend the separate activities in their relation to the whole we will broadly group them as Military and Civilian, and consider them as they developed in Jefferson County.
The first step in the direction of military activity in this county seems to have been that taken by Hanover College, in mid-April of 1917, when it decided upon a course of military training and instruction in nursing. This was a full month before the passage of the conscription law, and by latter April sixty-five men were drilling every afternoon on the col-
7
Jefferson County in the World War.
lege athletic field under the direction of Mr. George L. Rider, the athletic director, assisted by Lieutenant H. H. Cope and Dr. Carl Henning, both of whom had had experience in the National Guard. An incentive offered by the college was a full time credit to any man who enlisted in the army or navy. At this time a number of young women students were learn- ing the essentials of nursing under Miss Esther Wray, of the senior class, who had taken the Red Cross training at Indian- apolis. The object of this group was to qualify for Red Cross service.
Among the first Jefferson County men to seek entrance into the military service through the Fort Harrison officers training camp were Charles Klein, Richard Heck, Charles C. Davidson, Thomas Turner, William Johnson, Cliff Snyder, Chester Vernon, John L. Sample, George H. Simpson, Herman H. Potter, Fred Flynn, Robert Millar, Will Dow and O. A. Turner. These names were published May 10 and there is allusion to "numerous other young Madison men and Hano- ver college students," but we find no specific record of them. As early as April 18, Roy Inskeep, Howard Downton and Lindsay Lyle left Madison to enter the regular army.
Under date of May 9, 1917, Capt. Horace O. Woolford, of Madison, received from Adjutant-General Smith the fol- lowing communication :
"From the Adjutant General, State of Indiana,
"To Capt. Horace O. Woolford, Madison, Ind.
"Subject: Organization of Infantry Company.
"1. You are hereby authorized to proceed with the or- ganization of an infantry company at Madison, Ind.
"2. The minimum strength will be 65 enlisted men and three officers. The company will require the minimum of strength after the elimination of all applicants who fail to pass the physical examination.
"HARRY B. SMITH,
"The Adjutant General."
8
Military Beginnings.
Pursuant to this authorization an appeal was made through the local papers to the young men of the community to at once fill out this company, the special argument being that all would have to face the chances of conscription later. In such case those elected to serve would be widely scattered throughout many units, whereas in this volunteer unit all would remain together under officers known to them. Daily publicity in the newspapers followed; one of the rooms of the Commercial Club was utilized as a recruiting office each even- ing, and, thus stimulated, the enrollment ran up to 62 within a week. This, however, did not suffice as the minimum num- ber for the company was 65 and an uncertain percentage of elimination was to be counted on.
To round out the desired number of enlistments a pub- lic demonstration was held on the evening of May 19, the fea- tures being the Elks band, a parade and speeches by the Hon. Joseph M. Cravens and Judge Perry E. Bear.
The recruiting went on with the aid of a spirited drum corps composed of John C. White, Samuel Medlicott, John Kalb and Edwin Hunger with O. A. Welling as fifer, and by June 6th there was an enrollment of 97, but elimination cut the number down to 43 accepted men. Up to June 23 most of the recruits were Madison men, and, by way of stirring up the rural districts, the military committee of the Commercial Club, consisting of Messrs. Curtis Marshall, W. H. Miller and Charles S. Dibler inaugurated a country campaign, and evi- lently a vigorous one, for soon thereafter the men began to come in from the outlying townships, particularly Madison, Monroe, Milton and Saluda. Finally after four weeks of act- ive campaigning, the goal of 65 acceptable men was reached, and exceeded, for when the company was mustered in, on July 10th, there was an enrollment of 78 names.
This organization, which was Company I of the 4th In- fantry regiment, had, it may be said, an especially warm place in the hearts of Madisonians for the reason that it was the one volunteer home unit that left here. Between the form-
9
Jefferson County in the World War.
lege athletic field under the direction of Mr. George L. Rider, the athletic director, assisted by Lieutenant H. H. Cope and Dr. Carl Henning, both of whom had had experience in the National Guard. An incentive offered by the college was a full time credit to any man who enlisted in the army or navy. At this time a number of young women students were learn- ing the essentials of nursing under Miss Esther Wray, of the senior class, who had taken the Red Cross training at Indian- apolis. The object of this group was to qualify for Red Cross service.
Among the first Jefferson County men to seek entrance into the military service through the Fort Harrison officers training camp were Charles Klein, Richard Heck, Charles C. Davidson, Thomas Turner, William Johnson, Cliff Snyder, Chester Vernon, John L. Sample, George H. Simpson, Herman H. Potter, Fred Flynn, Robert Millar, Will Dow and O. A. Turner. These names were published May 10 and there is allusion to "numerous other young Madison men and Hano- ver college students," but we find no specific record of them. As early as April 18, Roy Inskeep, Howard Downton and Lindsay Lyle left Madison to enter the regular army.
Under date of May 9, 1917, Capt. Horace O. Woolford, of Madison, received from Adjutant-General Smith the fol- lowing communication :
"From the Adjutant General, State of Indiana,
"To Capt. Horace O. Woolford, Madison, Ind.
"Subject: Organization of Infantry Company.
"1. You are hereby authorized to proceed with the or- ganization of an infantry company at Madison, Ind.
"2. The minimum strength will be 65 enlisted men and three officers. The company will require the minimum of strength after the elimination of all applicants who fail to pass the physical examination.
"HARRY B. SMITH,
"The Adjutant General."
8
Military Beginnings.
Pursuant to this authorization an appeal was made through the local papers to the young men of the community to at ;once fill out this company, the special argument being that all would have to face the chances of conscription later. In such case those elected to serve would be widely scattered throughout many units, whereas in this volunteer unit all would remain together under officers known to them. Daily publicity in the newspapers followed; one of the rooms of the Commercial Club was utilized as a recruiting office each even- ing, and, thus stimulated, the enrollment ran up to 62 within a week. This, however, did not suffice as the minimum num- ber for the company was 65 and an uncertain percentage of elimination was to be counted on.
To round out the desired number of enlistments a pub- lic demonstration was held on the evening of May 19, the fea- tures being the Elks band, a parade and speeches by the Hon. Joseph M. Cravens and Judge Perry E. Bear.
The recruiting went on with the aid of a spirited drum corps composed of John C. White, Samuel Medlicott, John Kalb and Edwin Hunger with O. A. Welling as fifer, and by June 6th there was an enrollment of 97, but elimination cut the number down to 43 accepted men. Up to June 23 most of the recruits were Madison men, and, by way of stirring up the rural districts, the military committee of the Commercial Club, consisting of Messrs. Curtis Marshall, W. H. Miller and Charles S. Dibler inaugurated a country campaign, and evi- lently a vigorous one, for soon thereafter the men began to come in from the outlying townships, particularly Madison, Monroe, Milton and Saluda. Finally after four weeks of act- ive campaigning, the goal of 65 acceptable men was reached, and exceeded, for when the company was mustered in, on July 10th, there was an enrollment of 78 names.
This organization, which was Company I of the 4th In- fantry regiment, had, it may be said, an especially warm place in the hearts of Madisonians for the reason that it was the one volunteer home unit that left here. Between the form-
9
Jefferson County in the World War.
ing of the company and its departure from Madison nearly two months intervened and during that interval there was enthusiastic and repeated expression of public affection. A movement was started to raise a company fund which should contribute to the comfort of the men in camp or in the field. To that end the fraternities of Modern Woodmen and Jun- lata Tribe of Red Men gave benefit dances; St. Margaret's Guild held a market for the sale of pies, cakes and other del- icacies ; Stony Point Grange, out on the Graham road, raised a sum, and many individuals contributed. As a result a snug little gift of $694 was handed to Captain Woolford for the company at the final demonstration in their honor. The la- dies of Kent and Manville, representing the Red Cross organ- izations at those places, vied with each other in tendering chicken dinners to the boys, these repasts being further grac- ed by ice cream, cake and "smokes" donated by Fred Glass, Frank Schnaitter, George Gertz, Charles Gertz and R. L. Ire- land. Meanwhile the grounds of the country club, at the west end of Madison, were used as a camping ground, the temporary city of tents going by the name of Camp Madison. On August 13 the town turned out to do special honor to the company before its departure, and made a parade that for size and spectacular effect surpassed anything that Madison had seen for years. Main street from the railroad bridge to the court house seethed with life, as the band of men in khaki, the center of interest in the moving multitude, marched up from Camp Madison. Veterans of the Civil war, Knights of Pythias in their natty uniforms; "Red Men" garbed in their Indian regalia; the Elks lodge, Red Cross nurses bearing their familiar insignia, musicians and school children, all headed by the four Madison fire companies with their outfits, flowed down the street, an animated current between the living walls of spectators, while torches, red lights, Roman candles and sparklers filled the thoroughfare with meteoric brilliance. The Elks band, the Hanover band and two drum corps furn-
10
Military Beginnings.
ished the music to march by and the populace shouted their enthusiastic appreciation of it all. At the Middleton soldiers' monument by the court house, where the speakers' stand was erected, the Hon. Marcus Sulzer and Judge Bear addressed the soldiers and the great crowd as befitted the occasion. All in all it was one of the most imposing events in the history of the city.
A few days later a great crowd of friends gathered at the station to bid the men good bye and God speed as they entrained for Fort Benjamin Harrison, and the fact that war with its horrors lay before them lent solemnity and impress- iveness to the occasion.
The further history of Company I, which later became Battery E of the 139th regiment of field artillery, will be taken up in another chapter.
III. BATTERY E.
Company I left Madison for Fort Benjamin Harrison on the morning of September 13, 1917. Arriving at its destina- tion about noon, the men were met by the band of their reg- iment, the Fourth Infantry, and escorted gaily into camp to the lively strains of "Good bye Broadway, Hello, France!" which of course they were at liberty to construe as Broad- way, Madison. They were comfortably quartered in good large tents, not far from the fort barracks, and a letter five days later reported the boys as becoming rapidly initiated in the larger camp life and enjoying themselves in spite of rain and "acres of mud." Says this letter: "All are doing their utmost to make Company I a credit to the city of Madi- son and Jefferson county."
September 25th the Fourth infantry, including Company I, entrained at Fort Harrison for Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and here the Madison boys remained for a little more than a year, when a part of the unit was sent overseas. Said in-
11
Jefferson County in the World War,
fantry regiment had been a unit of the National Guard, ante- dating the war, but with the change of military organization it was merged into the new system, about October 1st, and Company I became Battery E, of the 139th regiment of field artillery, 38th division. With this change the unit ceased to be solidly of Jefferson County men, others being added to it, though the old Company I roster remained intact. The only available history we have of Battery E during its camp service is in the letters of Will E. Rogers, special correspond- ent to the Madison Courier, supplemented by an occasional private letter. !
From these communications we gather that the monot- ony, routine and hard work of camp life were leavened with all the jollity that the omni-present sense of humor and fel- lowship could devise. On Thanksgiving day everybody was treated to a royal spread of "turkey and fixin's," and those who were artistically inclined extended themselves in decor- ating the mess hall with holly, lilies and branches of pine and oak, along with cane stalks, shrubs and wreaths. On Christ- mas day there was another banquet, with the accompaniment of little gifts from home that added cheeriness to a rainy, gloomy day in a land which, according to Private Otis Nay, had originally belonged to the devil but had been turned over to the army because the devil had no use for it. ; That the "eats" were appreciated to the full by the boys was indicated by the encomiums bestowed upon the kitchen force, Vander- smith, McDaniel, Cox, Smith and Dehl. Indeed these knights of the trenchers were even extolled in verse, the conclusion of which was:
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