“I guess you remember the Battle of the Appomattox Court House. There are still old forts and trenches there yet that were built when the North and South fought. We found some spurs yesterday that were lost during the Civil War and found a bone of a man’s arm and a canteen too…”
In his thirty-first letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, again refers to the Dutch Gap, a canal dug during the Civil War by freed African American workers pressed into service by Union troops [see episode 36 from March 6, 1918]. Les says four mule teams rode to the firing range there and will be making the twelve-mile trek again tomorrow. He notes that it’s close to the Appomattox Court House Civil War battlefield. Remarkably, the wagoners have found Civil War relics, including a human arm bone. He says Silvess Merriner wants to buy Bill [Les’s horse] back. Les says it’s up to Minnie and Jim. Les says, “Silvess says he had the most sense of any horse they ever had.”
Elsewhere on the same day, food riots began in Amsterdam, German forces attacked near the Somme River, a British destroyer was sunk in a collision, a German U-boat attacked a convoy of US transports and was sunk, and British Prime Minister David Lloyd George returned home from a visit to the front.
Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his thirty-first letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 4, 1918.
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April 4, 1918 Letter – Lester Scott to his sister, Minnie Riggle
Camp Lee, V.a.
April 4, 1918
Dear Sister
will try to write you a few lines to let you know I am well and hope you are the same. I just came back from Dutch gap. there were four of us came in our mules. we are going back tommarrow again. Believe me we are having some time. it is twelve mile from here. it is close to the appomatox River. I guess you remember the Battle of the Appomatox Court house. there are still old forts and trenches there yet that were built when the north and south fought. we found some spurs yesterday that were lost during the Civil War and found a bone of a mans arm and a canteen to. we have a fire range out there. I was down by the river yesturday where the shells burst. there are holes in the ground and trees shot off. some of the boys saw a deer the other day. I hear quite a few fox carcases. Dutch is out there too. he says he likes it fine. we have squad tents. there are eight sleeps in one tent. I sure enjoy it. we have cot that tolds up. it is fine to sleep on. we will be out there until next Tuesday. I think we will go back again after the 315th Regiment goes. I guess we will get to come home on another furlough soon. the 313 boys are going now. I was talking to Silvess Merriner last night. he says his brother would like to buy Bill back. he wants me to write and tell him wether I would like to sell him or not. I told Tib to tell him to go and see you and Jim. But I didn’t think you would want to sell him. but if you do not want him and feel that you are not able to keep him it will be perfectly all right to sell him for what ever Jim thinks he is worth. But for heavens sake don’t think that I am trying to get you to sell him. But if you like him you are absolutely welcome to keep him as long as you want to. Silvess says he had the most sense of any horse they ever had. I supposed J.B. is working to a finish now. I see that farmers plowing down here with one horse. what do you think. there were four of us went to find some stones yesturday and hunted all the afternoon and just found three. we finally found some brick that was used in the old trenches for breast works. I guess the land is to poor to raise them. well I cant think of much to say this time. I am looking for a letter today. our mail is brought out to us every day. well it is about mess time so I will ring off for this time. I think I will be home before long on a furlough.
ans soon as ever
your Brother
Listen to Episode 42 of “From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle”
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From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle” is brought to you by Archiving Wheeling in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (Wheeling, WV) and the Wheeling Academy of Law & Science (WALS) Foundation.
Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler with music courtesy the Library of Congress.
[Music in the April 4, 1918 episode: Music: “Medley of Southern airs,” Fred J. Bacon, banjo, 1920, http://www.loc.gov/item/00694032/]
Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.
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