History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 115

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 115

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It would be impossible to write the history of each unit which contained a member from this region; that work will take years of effort to accomplish in an efficient manner. The military record of this county is one toward which its citizens can point with pride. Included in the various division histories and even war histories are recorded the deeds of personal gallantry and valor performed by Chautauqua county service men and women. Included in that roll of honor, The Herole Dead, before whom every American citizen bows head in reverence and respect, are the names of many, many stalwart young Americans who went forth into the fight of their country and gave themselves up to death to preserve the liberties of our Nation. Ex- cept for those who loved them, their names will soon be forgotten, but the spirit of true Americanism is their monument, and it will endure forever. To them Is honor due, and to them the Nation owes its future freedom, justice and democracy.

Under its proper head will be found in this volume a list of American Legion Posts, formed by returning vet- erans of the World War.

Nor to be forgotten are the many patriotic women who served as Army and Red Cross Nurses abroad as well as at home. Many such activities are recorded on other pages of this work, as are also the labors and sacrifices of the noble citizens, men and women, who aided in the Food Conservation system, both as active workers and cheerful submitters to economies and pri- vations which challenge our admiration.

Company E, 74th Regiment, New York National Guard, was a distinctively Chautauqua county body. It had seen service on the Mexican border in 1917, as men- tioned elsewhere in this work, and this experience had well fitted its men for a part in the World War, and in which they acquitted themselves with soldierly pluck and ability. In anticipation of war, on March 28, 1917, the War Department summoned National Guard troops to service, and among them was Company E. On the day following the call, Capt. Charles A. Sandburg, com- manding, received orders to report with his company at

Buffalo for muster into the service of the United States. This order was reseinded, and the company was mus- tered in at Jamestown, and placed on duty for the pro- tection of railroad bridges at important points in the county. In this service, the company experienced its first loss in the opening contest. While engaged in guarding the Niekle Plate railroad bridge at Silver Creek, on the night of May 6, or early in the morning of the next day, Private Frank C. Hallberg was killed by a passing freight train which struck his rifle barrel with such force that it was bent almost double around his neck. He had joined the company in June, 1916, and was highly esteemed by his officers and comrades.

Company E, with its regiment, was in training at Camp Wadsworth, Spartansburg, South Carolina, dur- ing the winter of 1917-18. Mustered as the 108th In- fantry, the regiment became a part of the famous 27th Division, which in May of the latter year sailed for France. Arrived there, it was for some time attached to the 66th British Division, from which it was soon separated and assigned to the second defense line, in the Scharpenberg sector in Belgium, just north of Mt. Kemmel. The division was continually under shell fire, and casualties were of daily occurrence. It was now affiliated with the Australian Corps of the British army, on the immediate Hindenburg line, and took part in the heaviest fighting, the details of which cannot be detailed at length. Suffice it to say, it daily encountered all the dangers of its hazardous position. The 2nd Battalion of the 108th Regiment, of which Company E was a part, bore a splendid part at the Quennemont Farm, where with two officers and less than two hundred men it fought off all counter attacks, and captured 114 prisoners, but suffering many casualties in its encounter with machine guns and poison gas. It had the supreme satis- faction of piercing the famous Hindenburg line. An incident of these operations was a raid made for the purpose of taking prisoners in order to gain informa- tion. In the middle afternoon of October 14, one officer and fifty-four men, including several Chautauquans, ad- vanced under an artillery barrage to the La Selle river, which they forded under a smoke screen, surprised the enemy in their dugouts, and returned with three officers and twenty-seven men as prisoners, losing only one man. This was but an incident of the arduous service of this command, the effective force of the division having been reduced to less than a thousand rifles; its casualties dur- ing its operations, closing with the Armistice, were 237 officers and 7,978 enlisted men.

On February 19, 1919, the division sailed for home. The month of March was spent in camp, and the divi- sion was mustered out of service, and in New York had a splendid homecoming greeting. On April I the veterans of Company E, with others of the same and other com- mands, arrived in Jamestown, and were received by the great populace with ardent affection and proud enthusi- asm.

The 77th, 78th and 8Ist Divisions of the American army had practically similar experiences with those of the 27th Division, and acquitted themselves with similar heroism. Each of these contained a considerable num- ber of Chautauqua county men, but no company unit.

One Chautauqua soldier came to the highest distinc- tion-Maj .- Gen. Charles J. Bailey. He was born at Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, June 21, 1859, son of the late Milton and Fannie O. Bailey. When he was five years old his parents came with their family to Jamestown, and he here grew to young manhood. When approach- ing his eighteenth year he passed a competitive examina- tion for admission to the West Point Military Academy, was nominated, and entered. In 1880 he graduated, then

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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

entering the Artillery School, from which he was gradu- ated in 1888. He was commissioned first lieutenant, Jan- uary 14, 1888; captain, March 2, 1889; major, June II, 1905; lieutenant-colonel, coast artillery corps, Septem- ber 1, 1908; colonel, March II, 1911; brigadier-general, October 10, 1913; with the latter rank he was in com- mand of coast defenses at Manila, Philippine Islands, when the United States entered the World War, and was at once called home, with the rank of major-general, and placed in command of the SIst Division. This he accompanied overseas, commanding it in the final offen- sive and was on the Hindenburg line when the Armis- tice was declared. Gen. Bailey's portrait appears in con- nection with this narrative. Of other portraits on these pages, it is to be said that sketches of their subjects will be found in the biographical volumes of this work.

Private Ira Lou Spring, 45th Company of Marines, was with his command, the first group of the famous Marine Corps to plant the American flag on the firing line in France. He made the supreme sacrifice-the first Chautauqua county soldier killed in action. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Spring, of Jamestown. Gen. Barnett cabled the following of the young hero's death : "He nobly gave his life in the service of his country."

On April 1, 1919, more than one hundred veteran mem- bers of Company E and other units of the 108th Regi- ment, 27th Division, United States Army, returned from overseas, arrived in Jamestown and were warmly re- ceived.

On Tuesday, November 1I, 1919, a great crowd wit- nessed an Armistice Day parade of service men of Chau- tauqua county, who were escorted through the streets with great pomp and pageantry. The first division of the parade, led by Colonel William F. Endress, was en- tirely military, Major Charles A. Sandburg in command of Company E, 74th Regiment, New York National Guard; Major A. Bartholdi Peterson in command of service men; and staff of Ira Lou Spring Post, Ameri- can Legion; service men of Jamestown, Dunkirk, Fre- donia, Westfield, Silver Creek, Ripley, Brocton, May- ville, Sherman, Bemus Point, Falconer, Kennedy, Elling- ton, Frewsburg, and other places, and allied service men, under the lead of Captain George W. Cottis. Next came the service flags, overseas' workers, Red Cross workers under the direction of Mrs. Harry P. Sheldon; Spanish War veterans and veterans of foreign wars; Jamestown Battalion, State Cadets. The second division was his- torical; the third, industrial; the fourth, automobile. The entire city caught he spirit of enthusiasm and the national colors were seen everywhere. On Third street was an imposing arch of flags and banners which was illuminated at night by powerful electric lights. Thou- sands of visitors were in the city, and enthusiasm per- vaded the crowds which lined the route over which the parade passed. About two thousand service men of the county marched in the procession, all parts being well represented. The outstanding feature of the parade, aside from its length and the excellence of the floats, was the enthusiasm with which the service men were received all along the line.

The Jamestown Rotary Club erected a massive honor roll memorial tablet upon which is inscribed the follow- ing names :

Harry W. Aldren Carl J. Anderson Clarence R. Anderson Paul W. Anderson William H. Angove Parker Barraclough Rosario Belutto Harry W. Benson Nels L. Benson John W. Blood Victor H. Bratt

Carl A. Jones Charles A. Josephson Herman Kent Harold W. Lawson

Clarence P. Leuthie

Henry Lundahl Albert A. Lundell

Ludwig Lundy

T. Clyde McGraw Nat McIntyre David Midgley

Howard K. Brickell

Clayton C. Moore

Kenneth H. Burr

Earl A. Morley

Franklin Butterfield

Leonard Napolitano

Philip E. Carling

Elmer A. Nelson

Carl A. G. Carlson Ernest H. Carlson Gunnard Carlson Howard Carpenter Herbert C. Clark

Arthur L. Norman Carl M. Olson Adelbert Peterson

Otto E. Peterson

Rudolph Peterson

Homer E. Collins Lawrence E. Davis

Joseph Prendergast

Edward H. Eckberg

William Sandstrom

C. Laverne Eckstrom

Delbert W. Sayres

Floyd H. English

Carl A. E. Schold

Jonas H. Erickson

William J. Foley

James C. Galivan

Royal A. Smith

Raymond E. Gampf

Stephen Socenski

Oscar L. Green

Saleem G. Hadba

Clarence P. Spetz

Claude S. Hall

Glen W. Spetz

Frank C. Hallberg

Ira Lou Spring

Donald S. Horton

Samuel C. Steinburg

Robert P. Illig

Lynn K. Sturdevant

Anton G. Johnson

Carl F. Swanson

Carl M. Johnson

C. Lawrence Swanson

Christ Johnson

Theodore G. Treff

Ebba M. E. Johnson

John Vishnia

Fred C. Johnson Fritz Warner

Freedolph Johnson

Arthur E. Winroth

George S. Johnson

E. David Wiquist

Oscar E. Johnson

Ralph D. Zeh

The Merchant Marine was a most important adjunct of the allied naval forces. To it was committed the larger part of the transportation overseas of all that entered into the support of troops in the field-food, clothing, war munitions, hospital supplies, etc. Chautauqua county con- tributed liberally of its high-spirited young manhood. The enrollment of volunteers for this service from the region tributary to Jamestown, embracing Chautauqua county and a portion of Pennsylvania adjacent thereto, was in the hands of Frank M. Clark, of Jamestown, one of the patriotic "Dollar Men," as a special enrolling agent ; and upon whom devolved the duty of determining the eligibility of those seeking service in the Merchant Marine Service, and of their physical ability, before for- warding them to the training ships.

Dunkirk sent out over 800 men for army service, and many of these served in the 77th, 78th, 87th, 42nd, 27th, and other divisions overseas. Among the officers were: Capt. (afterward Major) W. H. Vosburg ; Major H. C. Hequembourg; Capt. G. E. Frye; the thrce brothers- Capt. William Shelton, Capt. M. Shelton and Lieut. A. Shelton ; and Lieuts. J. W. Badgley, Fleck, P. T. Nelson, R. W. Foley, C. W. Lunger, L. N. Vandervoort, T. Hequembourg.

The Dunkirk Naval Militia performed a noble part. It was organized June 1, 1912, for the training of men for future and emergency naval service, with headquar- ters at No. 220 Central avenue, in the Naval Militia Armory. The training of the men was on Lake Erie, with summer tours on a government training ship on the high seas. When the United States entered the World War, the Dunkirk contingent numbered 64 men, under Lieuts. Harry B. Lyon and Louis Heyl, and these were immediately called into government service, being dis- patched for service to different United States naval branches-cruisers, battleships, destroyers, etc. The orig- inal members all returned safely.

Every city, town and village in the county gave un- stintingly of its patriotic youth to the Great Cause, and scores of noble women took hospital 'and similar service both in domestic camps and overseas. The quotas for the various Liberty Loans, Red Cross and United War work, with various collateral drives, met with hearty and liberal response. The farmers, overburdened by reason of scarcity of farm helpers, worked unceasingly to sup- ply food needs; and citizens generally submitted with

Mark M. Potter

Gavin W. Scott Alton B. Shearman

Oscar F. Spencer

Carl H. Johnson

Carl L. Swanson

MAJOR-GENERAL CHARLES J. BAILEY In Command of the Sist Division, A E. F

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MILITARY HISTORY

wonderful resignation to the deprivations called for by Food Conservation Boards, in order that our troops abroad and their Allies should be adequately provis oned.

Fredonia sent into service 350 men and a number of women ; seven of her sons and one of her daughters are named on the Honor Roll : Louis Goth, Rosario Liberty, Pleasant T. Christian, Fred Merchant, Kenneth Ran- dolph, John H. Wilder, Jay Zehnder, and Anna Williams, a Red Cross nurse. Among the commissioned officers in service were: Col. T. Moran; Col. J. Atwood, of Gen. Pershing's staff ; Major W. Sackett; Capts. L. B. West, E. J. Sandeson, H. S. Edmonds ; Lieuts. A. F. Hayward, G. Luke, W. Schwan, N. Aldrich, George Moran.

Westfield contributed a noble roll, among her sons being Lieut. Phil Carling and Ralph Pomeroy, who fell on the field of honor ; while others succumbed to disease in camp. Westfield was the home of many of consider- able rank, among them Cols. George E. Brewer and Roger S. Fitch, Lieut .- Cols. F. J. Mack and Albert E. Pierce, Maj. P. Jay Watson, of the army; and in the navy two lieutenant-commanders-W. H. Faust and John Schoenfeld.

It is impossible to give a connected narrative that will adequately portray the conduct of both soldiers and their supporters at home during the strenuous days of the World War. The conditions become most apparent in the facts as narrated from day to day in the following excerpts from the Jamestown "Evening Journal :"*

May I, 1917-James Underwood left this morning for the Officers' Training Camp at Madison Barracks. He passed exceptionally high in the examinations.

Lewis Merrill has enlisted in the Canadian Royal Fly- ing Corps, and is leaving for Toronto in a few days.

Dr. George W. Cottis, who sailed with the Harvard Unit to do service in France, has arrived safely in Eng- land.

May 3-Miss Harriet L. Leete, now of Cleveland, for- merly of Jamestown, has left to do service in Northern France. Miss Leete is a sister of Miss Elsie Leete, Mrs. L zzie LaVier and Fayette and Charles Leete of this city. She is entering the service as a Red Cross nurse. She has been superintendent of Babies' Dispensary and Hos- pital in Cleveland.

May 4-Maurice Sunderland leaves to enter the Ben- jamin Harrison Training Camp for Officers.

May 7-Two Jamestown young men have passed ex- amination for Federal Officers' Training Camp. They are John S. Leonard, a young attorney, and Frank A. Peterson, steward at the Jamestown Club, who has had some training at the State camp at Plattsburg.

Color Sergeant E. B. Briggs was one of 22 soldiers recommended by Colonel Kemp to go to Officers' Camp. He was color sergeant with the 74th Infantry, National Guard of New York. He goes to Madison Barracks, Sacketts Harbor. Jesse S. Ogden has gone to Madison Barracks for the same course. He is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Horace G. Ogden, of Rochester, formerly of Jamestown.

Dr. C. K. Haynes has received word from his son, Glen H. Haynes, who is attending Carnegie Institute of Technology, that he has made application for enlistment in the Engineers Corps at Pittsburgh.

Arthur E. Schobeck, Herve C. Moore, Frank T. Page and D. Paul Ogren have returned from Buffalo, where

*Collated by Miss Annie Dunderdale. During the war, she was an active member of the Business Divi- sion of the Young Men's Christian Association in France, on duty at Chaumont, Gen. Pershing's head- quarters. Later, in the same city, she was attached to the Legal Division of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation in connection with the Peace Conference.

they enlisted in the Officers' Reserve Corps. Are to be ordered to Madison Barracks.

May 9-Clifford C. Schell and Elton Burrows, of Rip- ley, N. Y., joined the Marine Corps at Buffalo, leaving for Philadelphia, where they will undertake a four months' course of training. Aside from George A. New- berry, who enlisted from Cornell, these are the first young men of Ripley to volunteer for service since the war was declared.

May 11-Herve Moore, Emmons G. Swift, John S. Leonard, William M. Bemus, Jr., and Sloane Peterson have been ordered to report for service at the Officers' Training Camp.

Bernard M. Burns, son of Rev. and Mrs. J. P. Burns, leaves in a few days for Madison Barracks to enter the Officers' Training Camp. He is the second son of Rev. and Mrs. Burns to enter the service. The other is Harold F. Burns, who enlisted in the Marine Corps at Philadelphia.

William Black, who was to have been advertising man- ager for the Institution at Chautauqua, writes that he has enlisted as an ambulance driver and is leaving for France.

May 17-Harold Robinson, of Sinclairville, Lee I. Spooner, of Dewittville, Harold M. Perkins, of James- town, enlisted in Company E, 74th Regiment.

May 21-Albert T. Underwood, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Underwood, has enlisted in the Naval Reserves. Has left for Newport, Rhode Island, to enlist in the Naval Reserve, Fourth Class.

May 24-Mr. Clifford, Board of Commerce Secretary, ordered to report at Boston. He has received commis- sion as captain, and is attached to the Quartermaster's Department. He has not been in Jamestown but a few weeks, and came with the understanding that he might be called at any time.

May 28-Capt. Clifford was tendered a farewell din- ner at the Hotel Samuels today.

June 6-First Lieut. Fisher, Jamestown young man, receives commission in Ordnance Section of Officers' Reserve Corps.

June 11-Lieut. Hayes is commissioned assistant sur- geon, 3rd Field Artillery, National Guard, and to be called into service in a few days at Fort Benjamin Har- rison, Indiana.

June 14-Dr. George W. Cottis, Jamestown surgeon, is at hospital in France. He is a lieutenant in the Britishi army.

June 19-Edwin Green and Frank H. Green, of Fre- donia, in the service. Edwin Green is on his way to France, and Frank enlisted at Cleveland, Ohio, and is now at Eagle Pass, Texas, awaiting transportation with the 3rd Infantry. Dennis Reilley, of Seventh street, Fredonia, joined the United States Engineers at Phila- delphia.

June 25-Fred Palmer, former Jamestown man, is now on Pershing's staff, and given rank of major. He will have charge of the army's relations with the American press, and the staff will be ahle to utilize his war acquired knowledge in other respects.

June 30-Word has been received from "somewhere in France" that Miss Harriet L. Leete is chief assistant nurse in one of the base hospitals.

July 2-Local draft board named by the President, consisting of Mayor Samuel A. Carlson, City Clerk Clement B. Jones and Dr. John J. Mahoney. Mr. Jones is not sure of his acceptance.

July 9 -- Malcolm F. Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed- ward F. Jones, has received a commission as lieutenant in the Officers' Reserve Corps with the United States army, and is to be connected with the Ordnance Depart- ment.

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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

July 14-Dr. William M. Sill and Dr. Edward L. Hazeltine have received from the United States War Department their commissions as first lieutenants in the Medical Section of the Officers' Reserve Corps.

July 19-Frank H. Mott was appointed by Governor Whitman as member of the Draft Board. The other members of the board are: Mayor Samuel A. Carlson and Health Superintendent J. J. Mahoney. Mr. Mott takes the vacancy caused by the declination of City Clerk Clement B. Jones.

July 24-A meeting of the Home Defense Council met. The members pledged to cooperate in organizing a new National Guard and will be called upon to perform the usual duties devolving upon the National Guard.

July 24-Norton Partridge, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Partridge, of Lakewood, N. Y., has been accepted for enlistment in the Naval Aviation Corps. He left for Buffalo, Monday evening, for the training camp at Pensa- cola, Florida.

July 25-A letter has been received from Dr. George W. Cottis, who is in a French camp. His letter con- tained many things of interest.

July 27-Lieut. Hayes, who is in the Medical Corps Training Division at Camp Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, has been assigned to the Medical Corps of the 3rd New York Field Artillery of Buffalo, formerly the 65th New York Infantry. Lient. Hayes is a Jamestown boy.

August 1-Alfred G. DeForse, of Jamestown, was on the torpedoed ship, the "Montana," sunk July 31 by Ger- man submarine. He is the son of Mrs. Luella Bassett. He enlisted in the army, going to the Philippines, where he remained for three years. He returned to this coun- try and received an honorable discharge, but reënlisted at the time of the Mexican border trouble.

August 7-Marion Cadwell writes from behind the French lines. He is driving an ambulance. He says he is comfortably situated in a village behind the front.

George F. Hurlburt, is one of a committee of three men representing the New York State Hotel Men's Asso- ciation, which will be charged with the duty of provid- ing 240 army cooks for the northeastern cantonments to be established at Wrightstown, New Jersey.

August 10-Gale L. Cheney, of Jamestown, is com- missioned second lieutenant of cavalry. C. J. Rew, of Bemus Point, second lieutenant; Walter M. Sackett, Fredonia, New York, captain of Field Artillery. These men are in an Indiana training camp.

Angust 11-Francis W. Crandall, of Westfield, is com- missioned as captain in the Field Artillery Section.

August 13-Eighty men left on their way to war with little ceremony. Solemn scene. Members of the 122d United States Infantry. Have been ordered into Buf- falo, from whence they will proceed to a training camp in the South.

Captain Crandall, of Westfield, New York, granted commission at Fort Myer, Virginia. He is son of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Crandall. He is a graduate of Yale.

E. B. Briggs, captain, formerly of the Jamestown "Journal" editorial staff, has been awarded an infantry captain's commission.

August 22-The Jamestown "Journal" will help raise tobacco fund for the boys in France.

August 27-John W. Unsworth, of Jamestown, received from the British Consular service an appointment as the head of a British recruiting committee for Jamestown. September 1-Journal forwarded $77, contributed by Jamestowners for tobacco for the boys at the front.

Alfred DeForce, of North Main street, was torpedoed by Germans and was picked up by British destroyer "P-59." The first news he received on reaching home was that his brother was dead and that he was con- scripted.

September 4-Watts Flatts honors men who will soon leave for battlefield. Two hundred people gathered in Independent Order of Odd Fellows' Hall and tendered farewell to the boys who had been drafted.

Chester E. Morse, son of Charles E. Morse, 150 Chan- dler street, Jamestown, is a private in the 67th Regiment, United States Ambulance Corps at Allentown, Pennsyl- vania. Says all the officers are medical men and he likes the army life very much.

Leonard J. Carlson is now stationed at Camp Devens, at Ayer, Massachusetts.

G. W. Cottis fund for which surgical instruments are to be purchased for Dr. Cottis's work in France re- ceives contributions.

September 7-Included in list of 36 secretaries of Young Men's Christian Association to take charge of the work with the New York National Guard are: S. B. Burchard, of this city (Jamestown), and P. MacG. Allen, formerly secretary of the local association for many years.

Clifford M. Knott, of Cassadaga, was accepted for en- listment in the infantry.

Fredonia Home Defense Unit mustered in by Capt. W. Hyde with 73 officers and men present.

September 8 Ralph Backlund, of Falconer, of the Royal Flying Corps, recalled from furlough by com- manding officer of aviation at University of Toronto.

A testimonial dinner was tendered to the 15 men who leave this afternoon for the training camp at Wrights- town. Dinner was at the Samuels Hotel, and the men received an ovation when they entered the dining room. Music and speeches served to make the occasion a memo- rable and historic one. The men are to be escorted to the station by military and civic organizations. Speeches by Rev. A. E. Randall and Mayor Carlson.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 115

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649