“I think the Germans is nearly licked now. I want to see it over in time to go to the Jacktown Fair next year…”
In his seventeenth letter home (his second from France after fifteen from Camp Lee) dated August 1, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle he supposes Abe will be getting “the call” [for the draft] soon, since all the other young fellows from the ridge are already in France (even though Tom didn’t pass the exam). Dutch thinks it must be lonely on the ridge. Dutch is on the firing range a lot practicing on the powerful 3 inch French guns that “don’t hurt the ears like the American 3 inch does.” Les is doing fine. Dutch sees him nearly every day. Walter Toland is in England (probably having a good time). Dutch has heard the soldiers might get to vote in the upcoming election, but thinks it will be to much bother. The regiment is “quite a ways from the front yet.” The allies are closing on Berlin and Dutch hopes the war is over in time for him to attend the Jacktown Fair.
Elsewhere on the same day, the Allies attacked and captured Archangel defenses (part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War), British troops entered Vladivostok, and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves played a record 20 scoreless innings before the Pirates won, 2-0 in the 21st inning.
Charles “Dutch” Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle’s brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in Battery F of the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, in France. Riggle was a farm boy with little formal education who grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He spelled many of his words phonetically. His letters have been transcribed exactly as they were written. This is his seventeenth letter home, dated 100 years ago today, August 1, 1918.
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August 1, 1918 Letter Home – Charles Riggle to his brother James Riggle
France
Sunday Aug 1 1918
Hello Dear Brother
Will drop you a few lines to you in ans to your letter i received yestard. I surly was glad to hear that you are all well an geting along all rite. well abe these few lines leaves me as well as ever an still palying the same old game. well abe i supose you are looking to be call most any time now the way they have reg the young fellow up an exam them ha ha. what was wrong with Tom. he dident pass. i was sure he would pass as hearty as he look. well abe I supose you will make a lot of money on that place. if andy is still there when you get this letter tell I said helo to him an would like to be there to have a chase with him. I supose it is pretty lonsome since so many of the young fellows has left the ridge. abe I am a fun squad an we are firing on the range a good bit of the time now. I never drove a team yet. I always been in a gun squad. these 3 inch guns is a powrful good gun. I dont belive they hurt the ears like the american 3 inch does. they jar anough to suit me. I supos if you ever come to the army you will try to get in the artierly. I believe it is best after all but you haft to know your business for there is lot to know in it. tell Boss Less is rite here where I am an he is getting along pretty good. I see him nearly ever day. I think he has been riting to Boss ever since he has been here. he has got some mail from home. I know he got some mail yestard but I dident ask him who it was from. Walter Toland is in england now. I think Tib Meriner got a card from him. I bet he is having a good time where ever he is at. I supose Bill Toland is reg. Bill R. is over here now. less saw him the other day. I never saw Ben Harington yet as heard of him. I supose there will be a big lexion there this fall. I hear a little talk of the solders geting to vote. dont think they will for it would be to much bother to do that. abe we a quite a ways from the front yet. I guess it was in the paper where this reg was in that big drive but they wasent. I guess they are going faster toward Berlin then they are toward Parris. I think the germans is nearly licked now. I want to see it over in time to go to the Jacktown fair next year. will close. I am as ever the same Dutch
Good by to all
C.E. Riggle
Bat F 314 F.A.
American E.F. APO 779
Via New York
Listen to Episode 55 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.
Vince Marshall is the voice of Charles Riggle. 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 August 1, 1918 episode: “Porcupine Rag,” Johnson, Chas. J. (composer), New York Military Band, 1915, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035782/]
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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