New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the world war, 1917-1918, Part 2

Author: Wall, John P. (John Patrick), 1867-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: New Brunswick, N.J. : S. M. Christie Press
Number of Pages: 246


USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > New Brunswick > New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the world war, 1917-1918 > Part 2


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"I urgently request that all our people refrain from public discussion of questions involved in the present crisis and maintain a calm and considerate


attitude toward everyone without regard to their nationality.


"EDWARD F. FARRINGTON, Mayor. "New Brunswick, N. J., April 2, 1917." .


During the entire period of the war there was not the least sign of disloyalty shown by any of the inhabitants. of New Brunswick. At the same time no chance was taken. The Home Defense League was formed. The water plant, the bridges, factories and public buildings were put under guard. The United States Secret Service had a central office located in the Post Office under the direction of the Navy, and what they did not know about the citizens of this vicinity did not amount to much. It must be said for the men that were in charge of the local office that they were of the highest type of citizen- ship and when the time came to close the office it was with regret that our citizens saw them depart.


Spies and rumors of spies, bomb plots and anti- American propaganda had a real meaning for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and one of the points most carefully watched was its great bridge across the Raritan River between New Brunswick and Highland Park.


The first real sign of the threatening war was the placing of guards and the building of guard houses at each end of the bridge, on the tow path and on the bridge proper. The honor of being the real pioneers in the actual protection of the city fell to these guards who went on duty early in March, 1917.


They were relieved April 3, by a detail of thirty- five men from Co. H, 5th Reg. N. G., N. J., from Orange, N. J. They were encamped at Buccleuch Park. They were later replaced by a detachment from the 15th colored regiment of New York. When these men were called into active service the rail- road company took over the guarding of its whole system.


In compiling this record of New Brunswick's part in the war every effort was made to list all the men that entered the service from this city and Highland Park. The names of the drafted men from Local Board No. 1 is complete. The enlisted men who were under or over the draft age or entered the service before the first registration were difficult to find and a few may be missing from the list. If so, it is not the fault of the compiler as every means was taken to notify the missing that their names were needed to complete the list. There is no official list either of the drafted or enlisted men from Highland Park but through the efforts of Mrs. Alfred S. Tin- dell of Highland Park, and the files of the local papers, a very complete roster was made.


The Honor Roll is complete, as extra care was taken to secure the names of those who died in the service. The most remarkable feature of the com- piling of this list was the lack of interest taken by the families of the boys that died in service, only seven of them making any effort to give correct data. The same is to be said of many of the boys Thirty-seven


NEW BRUNSWICK


who returned and did not take the trouble to have their names registered.


Of the hundreds of men who went to war from New Brunswick not one lost an arm or leg. The most seriously injured was Captain William J. Con- don, wounded in action less than three hundred yards from the German trenches while giving surgical aid to the wounded. Captain Charles H. Reed and private William Manley sustained severe wounds in the body and legs. In the Navy, William V. Kibbie lost an eye at target practice in England. A number of others were wounded or gassed but so severely as to cause a permanent disability.


New Brunswick had the distinction of being the only city in the United States in which a Major- General, on active service, led a parade of discharged service men.


Lieutenant Commander Arthur S. Carpender com- maned the Fanning when she captured the Ger- man submarine U-58 off the coast of Queenstown and took four officers and thirty-five men prisoner, the first to be taken by the United States Navy. For this action Carpender was recommended by the British Admiralty for the D. S. O., which was subse- quently conferred upon him by the King at a private audience at Buckingham Palace. Later he was granted the D. S. C. by Congress.


New Brunswick in a little more than two years, contributed $413,240.80 to war relief and war relief campaigns. This only includes contributions for organized campaigns conducted in the city. Of course, the Liberty Loan drives and the War Sav- ings Stamp sales-being investments-are not con- sidered, although to many it was a sacrifice to sub- scribe as heavily as they did for the Government bonds.


The people learned to give during the war and large sums were raised in "quiet" campaigns. For instance, at the beginning of the war $16,400.00, was raised at a meeting held at the residence of Mr. Sidney B. Carpender, ex-President Taft being the speaker of the evening. This was for the National War Work Council of the Y. M. C. A.


In the earlier campaigns it was no small task to collect money. As the war progressed the people gave to all drives without a question. The hardest drive was the first Red Cross, and the one that the people gave up to the easiest was the second Red Cross. This appeal came at a crucial time-in May, 1918-when soldiers were being rushed to France at the rate of hundreds of thousands a month. The Germans appeared stronger than ever. Just as the Red Cross campaign opened the Seventy-eighth Divi- sion left Camp Dix and brought the war home to


New Brunswick. Never before was there a more generous response with contributions.


The largest campaign was the United War Work in which $114,169.29 was subscribed. The city over subscribed its quota in every drive.


The average number of subscribers to all of the campaigns was about 10,000, and as more than $400,000 was collected for the war drives it shows an average of more than $400 given by each sub- scriber, or placing the war population of the city at 40,000, it means that every man, woman and child gave up about $100, a record to be proud of.


Retrospective of war time campaigns a word is not amiss concerning a few New Brunswickers whose personal application to the task was a feature of every drive. First place must be given to the late Mayor Edward F. Farrington, who will always have the distinction of being known as the War Mayor of New Brunswick. To the work coming to him as the city executive in the many different direc- tions caused by the world-wide war he devoted his time and brain unstintedly and gave to the service a patriotism that was pure, self-sacrificing and noble. As President of the Patriotic Force of New Bruns- wick, as President of the Home Defense League, and as Chairman of the Soldiers' Farewell and Welfare Committee, he extended his labors night and day to the breaking point of endurance, but he never stop- ped and could not be stopped because his rich heart was absolutely engrossed in the America that he loved and his sympathies for his own boys who had offered their all for their country had become the passion of his life.


Next comes Henry G. Parker, to whose executive ability was due the success of the First and Second Liberty Loans, of which he was the Chairman. It was he who organized the workers that later put over all the drives. As Chairman of the Third and Fourth Liberty Loans, James W. Johnson gave the best that was in him-and that is saying as much as a whole volume.


Charles A. MacCormack, after serving bis country in Washington, assumed the Chairmanship of the Victory Loan and with his usual energy put it "away over the top." The smooth oratory and fine hand of Peter F. Daly was forever in evidence when needed to make the war a success. The same may be said of Dr. Austin Scott, Commissioner John J. Mor- rison, Robert E. Ross, James K. Rice, Jr., Sidney B. Carpender, Robert C. Nicholes, Robert W. Johnson, Dr. E. I. Cronk, J. Kearney Rice, Sr., and Elmer E. Connelly. There were many others but these were the towering lights who led that others might follow.


Thirty-eight


IN


THE WORLD WAR


National Guard Called Into Service


The War Brought Home as Co. H Departs


Two weeks before the United States broke off diplomatic relations with the Imperial German Gov- ernment there was no class of Americans who ap- peared, to the casual eye, more unconcerned with war and its alarums than a certain proportion of the male population of these parts that was wont to congregate one night a week in the National Guard armories, there to don olive drab and spend an hour or so practicing the intricacles of fall in, right dress, front, squads right, march, etc. They seemed to be in the mood to take things as they came and not fret over what the future held. Half the world was at war and America was fast drifting into it, worthy citizens were crying out for retaliation for Germany's insults, the nation was working itself up into a just rage. But these undisturbed young men went their way in unruffled calm. Time enough to get warmed up when the call came.


These seemingly nonchalant fellows were the men of the National Guard of New Jersey. They were the men who responded eagerly enough when their call was sounded, and who, with recruits and replace- ments swelling their number, and welded into the Twenty-ninth Division, hammered the Hun with all their might and nobly did their part of the task that befell the army of the United States in the forests and ravines of the Northeast of France.


The break with Germany was announced to Con- gress, February 3, 1917, and the evening papers spread the news throughout the country. Disap- peared then the manner that had made the National Guard seem apathetic and indifferent. No flaring patriotism took its place, no frenzy of enthusiasm begot in them an up-and-at-'em bravado. They simply dropped into the armory to see what was do- ing, and hung around awaiting the call they expected.


The night of February 3 there came the forerunner of the actual declaration of war in the shape of a telegram from the War Department notifying the adjutants general of the states to take steps to insure the safety of armories, arsenals and store houses within their military jurisdiction. The notification found the New Jersey National Guard ready, its mobilization plans all prepared and the men await- ing only the order calling them out.


On March 28, 1917, the War Department ordered the mobilizing of the National Guard for police duty. Company H was notified that afternoon at 2 o'clock and were placed under arms. Later the members were


examined and those that passed were, on March 31. mustered into the Federal service.


On Tuesday, April 6, 1917, amid the cheers of a huge crowd that completely filled the station plat- form, Company H of the Second Regiment of New Jersey departed on the 1.14 train over the Pennsyl- vania Railroad for Trenton, and thence to Camden where they were detailed to points to be guarded. The company was made up of 68 men under the command of Captain J. Bayard Kirkpatrick.


Orders to move were received by Captain Kirk- patrick early in the morning and at 9 o'clock the men were informed and instructions issued to make immediate preparations for departure at 1.14 o'clock. The men were permitted to return to their homes to bid their relatives a last farewell and were back at the armory again at 11 o'clock.


At this hour final orders were imparted to the men and at 11.15 o'clock they were sent to the mess hall and reported back at 12 o'clock. With all their equipment the men proceeded to the Pennsylvania Railroad station and were cheered enthusiastically all along the line.


Huge crowds assembled at the railroad plaza and wished the boys the best of luck. When the train was about to pull out, wives were embraced in their husbands' arms. To some anxious hearts there came the fear that sons and husbands were already start- ing off for France.


As the hour approached for leaving, anxious mothers and wives overwhelmed the telephone at the armory seeking information on the movement of Company H. Some anxious mother wanted to say a last good-bye to her son, others wanted to impart a last word of good fortune before the final word which would take the men out of this city was given.


Thus war was brought to the city's doors. It had seemed such a far-off thing-thousands of miles away; something associated with strange foreign names like Bapaume and Przemysl.


But here it was Good Friday, the same day that war was formally declared on Germany, that the bitterness of war was brought right to our own doors. Here it was with young men in khaki and loaded rifles parading our streets to the railroad station to be detailed to active work.


Face to face with the facts, New Brunswickers to whom war had been so far off and apparently so impossible, began seriously to look into the future.


Thirty-nine


NEW BRUNSWICK


ROSTER


The following shows the roster of Company H while the company was at Anniston, Alabama, shortly before sailing for overseas duty :


Captain J. BAYARD KIRKPATRICK, First Lieut., RICHARD A. SMITH Second Lieut., FREDERICK T. HAMER, First Sergeant, WALTER H. SMITH, Supply Sergeant, HARRY KRAMER.


SERGEANTS:


William B. Manley


Arthur L. Gowen


Edwin F. Ellison


Leroy H. Morris


Austin Hagaman Carl A. Hokanson


Rudolph C. Nordhouse


Joseph Russo


Abraham Hortz


John H. Hoagland


Chester C. Seemann


Frederick L. Jernee Joseph LaPlace


Otto F. Wolff


William Stuart


Edward L. Linke


Merrill H. Morris


James J. Staudt


William H. Lorch


CORPORALS:


Benjamin H. Tallman


Lester W. McGinnis


Russell B. Howell


LeRoy E. Tappen


Stephen C. Austin


John H. Tunison


Albert E. Davis, Jr.


Russell B. Walker


John A. Manning


George H. Meirose


George H. Wood


Oscar W. Marks,


Charles A. Wissert


PRIVATES:


Louis Matthies


William Boschong


Charles J. Anderson


John H. Merritt William A. Merritt


Ralph Solomon


Thaddeus A. Anzolut


Charles S. Smith


Walter L. Barr


William C. Hampton


Clarence Bailey


Frederick W. Obrowsky


Theodore Lachenmayer


William J. Bates


John Olesnewicz


COOKS:


Philip H. Breece


William N. Ramponi


Arthur V. Miller


Carl J. Buckelew


Anthony Silzer


George L. Burt Mechanic ---


Martin J. Burke


John J. Selesky


Peter F. Copeland


Robert E. Casey


William V. Smith


BUGLERS:


William W. Cathcart


George H. Stillwell


Adelbert J. Heim


Voorhees Dean


William D. Tallman, Jr.


Roy F. Fellers


William E. Dunham


Harry Tatarsky Harold Van Liew


Edward L. Breen


Bertram E. ordo


Harold P. Ellison


Alonzo F. Warren


Charles S. Dixon


John J. Ferrin


John F. Williams


James J. Hannan


Thomas A. Fullerton


Edward S. Hoe, Jr.


George Gamble


Lester Irons


Edward T. Garrigan


Elias Goydas


COME BACK HERE! WHATS TH' IDEA?


NIX


DOC, NIX


DR. SCHUREMAN


FIRES THE FIRST SHOT IN THE ARM-Y.


Forty


Leo Witkowski Ernest Zogg.


Howard Louyinger


Myles V. Garrigan


John J. Slavin


Albert E. Carlson


Woodburn T. Covert


Stephen J. Stevenson


PRIVATES, First Class:


Frank J. Eckert LeRoy Ervin


Herbert F. R. Van Nuis


James E. Mulvey


Thomas H. G. O'Connor


Joseph Bernard


Joseph V. McGovern John F. Mckeon


Frederick W. Matthies


Charles Morris


John E. Ross


Charles H. Skidmore


William A. Smith, Jr.


SCENE AT THE DEPOT ON THE DEPARTURE OF A QUOTA OF NEW BRUNSWICK BOYS, SEPTEMBER 27, 1917 This is Typical of the Demonstrations that took place time and again as the boys went away


FOR CAMP DIX, FEBRUARY 24, 1918


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5


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-- 7


THE BOYS ARRIVE AT CAMP DIX AND AWAIT THE FIRST "SHOT" IN THE ARM


y .


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THE FIRST OF THE MEN IN UNIFORM OF THE NEW NATIONAL ARMY AT THE HEAD OF THE LINE OF PARADE, FAREWELL RECEPTION TO CO. H. THESE MEN LEFT FOR CAMP DIX SEPTEMBER 5, 6, 7, 8, 1917.


FOR CAMP DIX, APRIL 26, 1918


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6


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.


FOR CAMP MEADE, MD., SEPTEMBER 26, 1918


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x


-


-


-


FOR CAMP GREENLEAF, MARCH 6, 1918


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.


FOR CAMP DIX, APRIL 3, 1ยบ18


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O


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IN THE WORLD WAR


Farewell Reception to Co. H and the Boys of the New National Army


Company H and the new National Army men arrived in town on September 14, 1917, in full fight- ing array. Their springy steps and broad smiles, as they marched through the streets upon their arrival, attested to the joy in their hearts over the chance of getting into service. As the boys of Com- pany H proceeded to the Armory, they were greeted enthusiastically.


Captain J. Bayard Kirkpatrick, First Lieutenant Richard S. Smith and Second Lieutenant Fred Hamer marched at the head of the local unit. The boys were bronzed by the several weeks of camp life, and marched in perfect alignment.


An eleventh hour shift in the plans brought Com- pany H back to this city at 9.42 o'clock over the Pennsylvania Railroad, but even with the sudden change of plans, the citizenry of New Brunswick turned out strong to bid the boys welcome home. When the train pulled into the station, the platform was crowded with relatives and friends of the boys.


Both the Public Service and the Pennsylvania Rail- road officials refused to transport the boys of Com- pany H at no expense to the committee from Tren- ton to New Brunswick, even though the Public Utility Commission had granted them a permit to do so.


It was thought that either of these corporations were patriotic enough to waive the small expense at- tached, but they even refused to consider the request of the local committee. As a result, the committee had to charter a special car on the Pennsylvania Railroad to convey the boys to this city, at an expense of $177.50.


Mayor Edward F. Farrington with a committee, composed of John P. Wall, Francis M. Yorston, Mil- ton Strauss, Andrew Kirkpatrick, Joseph Snyder, W. F. Thomas, Chester Wood, Harry Silverstein, John Payton and George Cathers, met the boys at the railroad station and escorted them to the Armory on Codwise avenue, where the Mayor welcomed the boys.


As the boys swung along the streets on their way to the armory, they were loudly cheered. The pupils of the Livingston school were dismissed to enable them to cheer the boys, as they passed the school. When the boys marched out of the railroad station there was a bedlam of noise, with the cheering of the crowd and the shrieking claxons.


Headed by the Second Regiment band and bugle corps and Mayor's committee the boys paraded down Albany street to George, to Livingston avenue to Handy street and thence to the Armory. Upon their


arrival at the barracks, the soldier boys found their entrance blocked by the huge crowd.


The boys were surely a happy lot. They were glad to get back to their old home town and as soon as they were dismissed, there was a merry scramble for the door. The boys were granted their freedom until 3:30 o'clock when they mobilized at tue armory for the parade.


The boys had nothing but praise for their company and regimental officers. Not a single complaint was heard and on all sides the boys expressed gratifica- tion over the interest manifested in them by New Brunswick citizens.


MAYOR'S WELCOME


Mayor Farrington in welcoming the boys said:


"We are proud of 'Our Boys.' You are going from us to put down a force that has flooded the world with blood. You are coming back to us, but you are not coming back until you have finished your job. Your bravery and valor will speed the end.


"As Mayor of New Brunswick, I welcome you back to this historic old city, whose revolutionary tradi- tions are known far and wide. The citizens of New Brunswick have prepared a celebration in your honor, for they have the sincerest love for you and pray and when this bloody conflict is at an end, you will come back to us.


"To Captain Kirkpatrick and officers of Company H, and above all, to the men in the ranks, in the name of the people of New Brunswick, I bid you Godspeed. You are worthy defenders of the righteous cause to which our nation is committed.


"The love and hopes and prayers of a great people go with you. Thousands of us, men and women, put our trust in you. Every day we shall look for news of you. Every day we shall know you are bearing yourselves as soldiers of the Republic, doing your part to right a great wrong. We cannot fail because we know you and the others of our great army.


"May the holy cause for which you contend pre- vail and may the Almighty in His infinite mercy bring you home to us.


PARADERS MOVE


Early afternoon, the blaring of trumpets could be heard, as the various organizations began to mobilize at the concentration point. Practically every society in the city met at 3 o'clock at their respective club rooms and proceeded to the corner of Handy street and Codwise avenue, where they were assigned their position in the procession.


Forty-one


NEW BRUNSWICK


The big demonstration held in honor of the New Brunswick soldier boys was a spectacle, and will long live in the minds of every person who was fortunate enough to witness it.


The one predominating feature was the crowd that turned out to view the parade and to bid the boys of Company H and the new National Army lads Godspeed. There have been big crowds before-when the city bade farewell to the boys in blue who went forth to engage in the grim Civil War and again when the old Company D marched away in 1898 and later returned, but the city never witnessed such a tremendous outpouring of people. All New Bruns- wick turned out to bid good-bye to its gallent soldier troops, who were due to be projected into the most devastating war this world has ever seen.


As numberless as the sands upon the seashore appeared to be the crowd that surged the parade route and jammed the main arteries of the city. It was a grave and reverent throng and for the first time, the citizens of this city were made to realize of what a serious job the nation had on its hands and the celebration was almost a rite. There was an unexpected solemnity about the affair that can not soon be forgotten.


All along the line of march, faces drawn and anxious, or eagerly expectant, or smiling were all turned in the one direction, scanning other faces, as the boys of Company H followed by the new Na- tional Army boys paraded by. In the windows, the trees, along stoops, on balconies, wherever a foothold offered, there were people and more people, eyes all bent in one direction. There were many flags, a few waving in time to the music, but most of them held rigidly still while men and women gazed silently on the vast spectacle.


To be sure there was cheering as the boys marched through the lanes of thousands of people on George street, but those who had anticipated that the young soldiers of New Brunswick would march through the streets to the accompaniment of tumultuous cheer- ing found themselves treated to a lesson in the phsychology of the crowds. It was apparent that too many in the crowds jamming the sidewalks had personal interest in the soldiers passing by to permit the cheers and good-natured chaffing that generally characterizes a parade was lacking.


The strange silence of the crowds was puzzling until one trailed along with the parade for a time and observed what many of the spectators were doing. Every few feet there was a weeping woman. Fath- ers, too, who were too old to fight, but had sons in the ranks of the new National Army and Company H were seen to pull out their handkerchiefs and mop their faces and eyes as their sons passed by.


"There goes my boy" many women cried forth with brave efforts to voice the exultation they felt, as the gallant boys in khaki, looking straight ahead,


marched along seemingly as unconcerned as though they were but on parade in time of peace. As the boys swung along the line of march, many weeping mothers and sisters waved their tear-wet handker- chiefs at them and in several instances, flags were showered on them.


Although the tumultuous cheering was lacking, the blaze of patriotism touched every heart. There are those in New Brunswick who have been wont to give expression to the opinion that this nation had lost its ancient soul in the mad and selfish chase of the almighty dollar, but as the soldier boys of our city marched by, this sentiment was all changed and replaced by a feeling that the old fires were aflame again even as they flamed in the days of peril long ago.


Officially the day was a holiday. Merchants, bank- ers, manufacturers and professional men made it so. All the big stores were closed in the afternoon and most of the manufactories ceased operation either at noon or the middle of the afternoon. Plenty of time was given everyone to get out on the streets, for the parade didn't start until 4 o'clock.


ONE MISHAP


The only mishap to mar the whole celebration was the late arrival of the boys from Camp Dix, Wrights- town. The boys were brought back from Wrights- town by automobile, and in passing through Mon- mouth Junction one of the machines broke down. The other machines stopped and every effort was made to repair the broken machine, but to no avail. A hurry call had to be sent to this city for another machine to convey the men to town.


The boys arrived safely, however, in time for the parade. They were fully uniformed, but they did not carry weapons. Those who paraded were Eugene Reilly, James S. Walker, Henry M. Stang, George B. Wright, Michael Potnas, George Anton, Leon H. Draper, Francis Eldridge, Louis F. Kuhn, Michael Moundalexis, John D. Reebe, Konstantin Zoricksy, Herman J. Levine, Fred Curtis, Wasil Bolsizek, Victor Samanon and Robert Dempsey.




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