Category Archives: Archiving Wheeling

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: December 15, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling December 15, 2017January 2, 2018 Leave a Comment 2240 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 18

“If one deserts in time of war the punishment is death, so I guess I will not try it…”

In his thirteenth 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, writes that he won’t be coming home for Christmas because the Secretary of War won’t allow it. Secretary Newton D. Baker issued a directive December 11 instructing divisional commanders at national army and national guard camps to restrict Christmas furloughs due to the harmful effect a general leave would have on camp discipline and the heavy burden it would throw on the railroads as reasons for the department’s action. “Most of the men in camps are far away from home,” Secretary Baker reported. “It would be a great expense to those able to afford a trip home, and a discrimination against the men who could not afford the trip. Moreover, it would seriously interfere with the training of the men if any large number were permitted to go home for the Christmas holidays.” ^[1]Lester, however, seems to think President Wilson disagrees, offering slim hope of a last-second reprieve. The weather in Virginia is cold and there are six inches of snow on the ground, which is hard for the mules. Meanwhile, Lester has been promoted to Private First Class, which surely beats being a “buck private.” He’s done well taking orders in the army and thinks Minnie could use some army discipline herself. If he does get to come home, he won’t abuse the privilege, lest he be considered a deserter.

Elsewhere on the same day, the big news was that Bolshevik controlled Russia signed an armistice with Germany (and the Central Powers) which would lead to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. This critical development effectively freed Germany to shift 44 divisions to the Western Front in preparation for a massive offensive in the spring of 1918.

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 thirteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 15, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: December 7, 1917 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling December 7, 2017January 2, 2018 Leave a Comment 2432 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 17

“There are about 6000 Negro troops here and you never saw a lively bunch of fellows as they are. There are some dandy singers among them…”

In his fifth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated December 7, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that Charles and his brother-in-law “Less” (our second letter writer, Wagoner Lester Scott), have applied for Christmas furloughs. Charles talks about hunting rabbits, fox, and raccoon and asks about the corn, potato, and apple crops back home. He still thinks he won’t have to go to France because the Germans are “getting the fur knocked out of them,” and “bound to get licked,” especially since the submarines (aka “U-boats”) aren’t doing much now. He says he’s been “hungry” for his snuff and was happy to get some from home. Importantly, he notes the arrival of 6,000 Negro troops raising the company’s number to 40,000. Charles is impressed by the spectacle of thousands of uniformed troops marching past Secretary of War [Newton D.] Baker, who was visiting the camp.

For African Americans like those seen by Charles Riggle, the First World War was a transformative experience. Blacks were dealing with the horrors of full-blown “Jim Crow” segregation in the American South (including Wheeling, West Virginia), and the “Great Migration” was taking place, as thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities seeking opportunity. President Wilson’s pledge to “make the world safe for democracy” gave many African Americans hope that the war would also increase freedom and equality for them at home. Others decried the hypocrisy of asking people who were not treated as equals in their own country to fight for democracy overseas. In reality, the men Riggle saw at Camp Lee were likely part of segregated service battalions (probably the 510th and 511th Engineer Service Battalions) who were expected to do manual labor, such as ditch digging and burial of war dead, or, as Riggle notes, to provide entertainment as musicians or singers. More than 200,000 African American soldiers were eventually sent to France. Those who did see combat were often assigned to French command and were treated with greater respect by the French. Many served with distinction, especially members of the 92nd Division and the 93rd Division’s 369th Infantry Regiment from New York, nicknamed the “Harlem Hellfighters.” Unfortunately, the hoped-for improvement in race relations at home, out of respect for honorable service, did not happen. The achievements of African American soldiers were largely ignored or diminished for decades. But the WWI experiences of African Americans, both military and civilian, had also proved empowering and eyeopening, and many were inspired and emboldened to fight for racial justice.

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 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 fifth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 7, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: December 4, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling December 4, 2017December 5, 2017 Leave a Comment 2089 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 16

“Well I will see you Christmas for sure…I would not of come but I knew you would have a conniption fit if I didn’t…”

In his twelfth 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, writes that he expects to be home for Christmas for three or four days. He wants the visit to be a surprise but he wants to make sure that his best girl, Minnie’s friend Cleo, will be there. He’s glad he’s not one of the boys who won’t get to go home because they were caught playing poker. As usual, Les mentions his mules as well as his brother-in-law Dutch Riggle.

Elsewhere on the same day, British psychiatrist W.H. Rivers presented his report titled, “The Repression of War Experience,” to the Royal School of Medicine. The report focused on the phenomenon dubbed “shell shock,” the disturbing psychological and physical effects on soldiers subjected to the horrors of long-term combat in the trenches during the Great War. We now refer to similar effects as “post-traumatic stress disorder.”

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 twelfth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 4, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 29, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling November 30, 2017 Leave a Comment 2058 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 15

“Believe me we have some bad mules here. We have one we call dynamite nitro glycerin. It takes four or five men to harness him…”

In his eleventh 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, writes wistfully (on Thanksgiving Day, 1917) about hearing the “hounds running and the rabbit hunters shooting,” an activity he himself engaged in the prior Thanksgiving. He writes about having turkey, pumpkin pie, fruit cake, oysters, oranges and even a five-cent cigar. He says he’ll be getting a raise despite talk of “motorizing” the mule companies. He admits he doesn’t know much about the war but if the papers are to be believed, the “Dutch” (Germans) are losing. Yet he thinks he’ll be sent to France soon as activities in camp have settled down. He then names some of the men in the photo of his company that he has sent home and discusses the bad behavior of some of the mules.

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 eleventh letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 29, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 25, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling November 25, 2017December 15, 2017 Leave a Comment 2319 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 14

“You wanted to know what I was going to do Thanksgiving. I am going to get my teeth fixed. I got one pulled. I only have two to fix…”

In his tenth 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, writes that he still isn’t sure if he’ll get furlough a few days later for Thanksgiving on the 29th. Although November 29 seems late to celebrate Thanksgiving, this would have been typical for the age. Lincoln, in 1863, declared that the holiday was to be held on the last Thursday of November. It wasn’t until 1939, when the last Thursday happened to fall on the last day of the month, that the date was changed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, concerned that the shortened Christmas shopping season might dampen the economic recovery during the Great Depression, issued a Presidential Proclamation moving Thanksgiving to the second to last Thursday of November. Congress, however, arguing that some years November has five Thursdays when other years have only four, decided to set a fixed-date for the holiday, and in 1941 established the fourth Thursday in November as the Federal Thanksgiving Day holiday. If Lester doesn’t make it home, he plans to get his teeth fixed for the holiday. He only has two to fix, he notes. He says that he and the men asked for a transfer to France and were told they would be there soon. As his brother-in-law Dutch Riggle mentioned in his letter of the previous day (see Podcast #13), Lester talks about the transfer of the infantrymen, including Wheeling friend Walter Toland (W.T.). Lester doesn’t miss Walter but says Dutch seems happy. Lester also mentions the snow but disagrees with Dutch about how cold it is. Les still only needs a shirt. Lester promises to let Minnie know when he arrives at Elm Grove so she can meet him. Finally, as he so often does in his letters home, he mentions Cleo, a friend of his sister and a person of great importance to Lester. Stay tuned for more about the mysterious Cleo, who will have her own podcast in this series next spring.

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 tenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 25, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 24, 1917 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 Leave a Comment 2077 Views

“Guarding is the only thing I don’t like in the army. I tell you a fellow get lonesome tramping the post…”

In his fourth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 24, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how several infantry men (including a Wheeling friend named Walter Toland) were moved to a new barracks, giving Dutch and brother-in-law Lester Scott (our other letter writing soldier) more room. Dutch notes that it has snowed and is cold for the first time since he’s been in Virginia. He talks about his disdain for guarding a barn full of mules (Lester was a mule driver), a lonely duty. Dutch seems to prefer washing dishes and peeling potatoes on KP (kitchen patrol). He reminisces about fox and raccoon hunting and speculates about whether he’ll be home for the holidays before crossing the “pond” to France.

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 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 fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 24, 1917.
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Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 18, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling November 18, 2017April 9, 2018 Leave a Comment 2172 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 12

“I will wait and see if I have to go to France but I have begin to think I will never get to go over…”

In his ninth 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, writes about his dinner of fresh pork and tomato catsup, how hot it remains in Virginia, his mule driving prowess, the insurance he plans to purchase in case “anything should happen,” how he has quit smoking cigarettes in favor of his pipe, and how easy he has it around camp. Interestingly, he asks Minnie what she thinks of the Germans “surrendering” to France. This could be a reference to the minor French victory at La Malmaison in late October 1917, during which the French forced a six-mile retreat of the German 7th Army, which suffered twice as many casualties as their opponents. The Germans recaptured the position a few months later.

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 ninth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 18, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 16, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling November 16, 2017November 18, 2017 1 Comment 1916 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 11

“Maybe I didn’t have some fun at Petersburg today hallowing at the girls…”

In his eighth 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, writes about how he hopes to be home for Christmas, how he is driving two pairs of mules, a fellow mule driver from West Liberty named Calvin Davis, how fine the weather has been, and a few other odds and ends about everyday life at camp.

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 eighth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 16, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 5, 1917 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling November 5, 2017November 16, 2017 Leave a Comment 2010 Views

“If you could see this training camp you would not think Germany would last long…”

In his seventh 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, writes, rather humorously, about his adventures in guard duty, including encounters with a soldier who refused to wear his uniform and another who was inebriated. Lester is happy to note that the “mule skinners” finally have their mules and will be able to start driving them. He talks about sending pictures home of the Ohio County boys. He requests “mince pie” and refers again to Minnie’s brother-in-law Dutch Riggle, who has “gained 15 lbs.” Lester talks about a soldier with poor hygiene who is disliked by the other men, and he mentions the liberty bonds he has signed over to his sister, in case anything should happen to him.

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 seventh letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 5, 1917.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: November 2, 1917 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling November 2, 2017November 3, 2017 Leave a Comment 2427 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 09

“We was lucky to get in the field artillery. It is the safest place a soldier can get in the army…”

For content, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle’s third letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 2, 1917, is one of the best in this series. In it, he tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how training camp has made him bigger and stronger and how it has changed their brother-in-law Lester into a “brute of a man.” Dutch expresses his concerns about having to go to France now that the “Germans are going after the Italians.” Interestingly, Dutch comments on the 7,000 black soldiers that have recently arrived in camp. Some of them are singers. Dutch has been shoeing mules (brother-in-law Lester is a mule driver) to drive the guns, but Dutch fears the mules will be replaced by motors, which “won’t take much shoeing.” Dutch talks about training (plenty of foot work but not much gun training) and guard duty, and thinks the field artillery to be “the safest place a soldier can get in the army.” Both Dutch and Lester served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division. The infantry and machine guns would be ahead of him on the battlefield, providing some cushion. Dutch says there are three field artillery regiments with six companies in each. He ends by turning to subjects back home, including his hounds, his brother’s potato crop, and coming home for Christmas.

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 third letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 2, 1917.
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