Archiving Wheeling

77 Articles

Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV

Archiving Wheeling is a collaborative community project of the Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: May 19, 1918 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling May 19, 2018May 20, 2018 Leave a Comment 1822 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 50

“We han’t allowed to write any military information anymore, and you see a fellow hasn’t got much to write…”

In his fifteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 19, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s still in Battery F but doesn’t know for how much longer. He’s drilling a great deal but he can’t talk about the military anymore. He had his picture taken and he’ll send one home. That’s about it!

Elsewhere on the same day, German planes raided London and bombed British hospitals outside the war zone, killing or wounding hundreds. Airman Gervais Raoul Victor Lufbery, who served in both the French Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Service, was killed in aerial combat. Meanwhile on the home front, the Washington Senators Walter Johnson pitched a grueling 18 innings to beat the Cleveland Indians (whose pitcher also went the distance) 1-0.

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 fifteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 19, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: May 18, 1918 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment 1769 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 49

“What has become of Cleo?”

In his thirty-fifth 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, says he’s done some excellent firing at rifle practice, hitting four bulls eyes from 100 yards left-handed. Then he got seven out of ten hits right-handed. They have to shoot different distances from different positions. He shoulder was sore the next day. He got 18 out of 60 total shots in the bullseye. Les is unsure if he’ll get that furlough. Les now has a helper who has to do whatever Les tells him. He talks too much. Les says Jim is welcome to wear any clothes he left behind. Les wants to know what has become of his girlfriend Cleo.

Two days earlier on May 16, 1918, the U.S. Congress passed the Sedition Act, which prohibited “any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States … or the flag of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy.” A serious challenge to the First Amendment, the Sedition Act was repealed in 1921. Elsewhere on May 18, 1918, British planes made air raids against German towns and a TNT explosion at the Aetna Chemical Co. in Oakdale, Pennsylvania killed 200 people.

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-fifth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 18, 1918.
Read More

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: May 12, 1918 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling May 12, 2018May 31, 2018 Leave a Comment 1956 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 48

“I am going to send some money home before long. Maybe you can use it now to buy cows with. I only have two more months to pay my liberty bonds out in…”

In his thirty-fourth 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, says he’s been busy packing mule harnesses and drilling. He’s qualified on gas mask school. He refers to Minnie’s “new separator” [probably a cream separator, a common tool on dairy farms]. He says he’ll be sending money how so Minnie can buy cows. He’s paying on his liberty bonds and took out $5000.00 in insurance. He’s ready to go overseas anytime.

In this letter, Les asks Minnie if she knows what their father, Christopher Columbus Scott, meant in his May 10 letter, when he wrote, “I was talking to Cleo Hewett and she says she is afraid she is left on you now.” In response, Les wrote to Minnie, “if you know what he meant about Cleo, he has me guessing.” This happens to be the only instance in which we actually have a letter from home to pair with a soldier’s letter. You can see a couple of photographs of Christopher and an image of his letter as well as the transcription below. His words are also included in the podcast. And he finally reveals the mysterious Cleo’s surname. Look for a future podcast dedicated to Cleo and Les, coming May 23.

The “Liberty Bonds” Les refers to were sold to raise money for the war effort. Marketed as a patriotic duty, the bonds were essentially loans to the government that were to be repaid with interest added after a specified time had passed. Despite these efforts, U.S. debt grew to more than $25 billion by war’s end.

Elsewhere on the same day, Julius Rosenberg, who would be executed along with his wife Ethel 35 years later as Soviet spies, was born in New York City.

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-fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 12, 1918.
Read More

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: May 6, 1918 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling May 6, 2018September 7, 2018 Leave a Comment 1916 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 47

“P.S. Boss don’t you worry while me and Less is gone, for we will be back in about a year from now. Ha Ha!”

In his fourteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 6, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s as well as ever and having a good time eight miles from Camp Lee on military police duty. They are guarding an electrical power plant, a waterworks, and a bridge across the Appomattox River. It’s a dandy place to fish. The plant supplies electricity and water for Camp Lee. It’s “90 degrees in the shade,” but they have a swing to jump in the river. He says Les [Lester Scott] is “driving mules every day.” If Charles Gettings is sent to Camp Lee, Dutch wants him to look him up. He’s still with Tib Meriner, a “dandy good fellow.” Dutch supposes Walter Toland is showing his courage now in France. He thinks we’ve got a good Army of a million men in France and even though they are not fighting much now, the Germans will get licked soon.

Just a few days prior on May 2, 1918, British and French military leaders argued at a meeting in Abbeville over the entry of U.S. troops into the conflict. American soldiers were arriving at the rate of 120,000 per month, but as Charles Riggle noted in his letter, very few were yet involved in fighting despite the ongoing German Spring Offensive. General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), resisted giving the Allies power to command his troops. Pershing reached a compromise, allowing one third of U.S. troops to join the effort by July. The remainder would benefit from more training. These decisions would have important repercussions for Wheeling PFCs Charles Riggle and Lester Scott and their comrades in arms.

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 fourteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, May 6, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: April 26, 1918 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling April 26, 2018April 27, 2018 Leave a Comment 2166 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 46

“I was at the remount station yesterday and helped bring back 26 more mules. There were quite a few hit their meat house against mother earth before we got back…”

In his thirty-third 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, says he’s always glad to get mail from home. It’s been seven months since he left West Virginia. Les is sorry to hear that Jim [Riggle] got hurt riding his horse. The army would teach him to ride. He brought 26 more mules to camp. A few died on the way. More rookies arrived and were assigned as helpers to the “old wagoners” like Les. Ed Fisher wrote Les that Oliver Moss has a “Ford machine” [car] now. Les wants to know what has become of Charles Gettings. He once again promises to come home on a pass. Minnie does not need to record that will. Les might be going back to Dutch Gap. He asks Minnie to excuse his mistakes because he can’t see very well.

A few days before Les sent his letter, on April 21, 1918, Germany’s flying ace Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen) was shot down and killed in a dogfight over France by the British, who bury him with honors. Elsewhere on April 26, the German Spring 1918 Offensive continued and the Second Battle of Kemmel Ridge was underway as the first Italian troops were close to arriving on the French front. Dutch hurdler Fanny Blankers-Koen, was born, and would win an Olympic gold medal 30 years hence.

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-third letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 26, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: April 22, 1918 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling April 23, 2018May 3, 2018 Leave a Comment 1930 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 45

“This surely is going to be the longest war we ever had. It surely has been some bloody fighting but I think the Germans is getting licked every day…”

In his thirteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 22, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s been at Camp Lee for seven months yesterday, and it feels like he might never leave. He thought sure he’d be in France by now. He was at the supply company with Tib Meriner to see Les [Lester Scott] and hear some music. Les had a borrowed fiddle that Tib could play some. He saw Bill Wallace, who is in the infantry. Dutch wants to know if Chas Gellings has been called yet. He saw where Chas Milliken was. The camp is full of rookies. They walk the fifteen miles to Dutch Gap, rain or shine. It rained so hard last time the fellows’ shoes were full of water. Yes, Dutch knew Jesse Bond Hewitt [a Marshall County boy who died of pneumonia at sea on March 19, 1918, after training at Camp Lee]. He was “a pretty good fellow” and Dutch’s good old friend. The people of Marshall County sent down a powerful bunch of tobacco. Dutch got twenty packs. There are about 100 Marshall County boys in the regiment. Dutch wants to know if James has broken the colts and started farming this spring. Dutch sent home a shell so James could see how those guns jar a fellow. Dutch thinks this will be the longest war we ever had, even though the Germans are getting licked.

Elsewhere on the same day, Baron Goto was appointed Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (ethnic Armenians, Georgians, and Azerbaijanis) declared independence and went to war with the Ottoman Empire. Future Major League Baseball star Mickey Vernon was born.

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 thirteenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 22, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: April 16, 1918 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling April 17, 2018 Leave a Comment 2071 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 44

“You don’t need to be afraid of Jim being drafted. He will never haft to come. You will see that. There will not be many farm boys taken until winter…”

In his thirty-second 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, says they had some short-lived April snow in Virginia. He ran into Bill Wallace. Jess Hewitt is dead, killed in France or on his way home. Les never hears from Cleo anymore [his girlfriend back home]. He wonders where she is. Les says the infantry boys do the cooking. He never has to cook for himself these days. He drove his four-line team of mules to Dutch Gap [roughly 13 miles] in three hours with a full load of ammunition. Les is proud of his speed with the mule team. He sent Minnie a shell — the kind they will shoot at practice. He got two more teeth fixed in Petersburg. He says Minnie should keep Bill [his horse] and was surprised he tried to kick Jim [Riggle]. Les doesn’t think Jim will ever be drafted. Minnie needn’t worry. The farm boys might get a furlough anyway.

Elsewhere on the previous day, April 15, the Battle of Hazebrouck (part of the Battle of Lys and the German Spring Offensive) ended, and on April 16, Passchendaele (a rural village in Flanders, a Dutch-speaking region of northern Belgium overlapping France) was reoccupied by German forces. In the British House of Commons, a “Military Services Act” was passed, allowing men up to 55 years of age to be drafted, and extending this law to Ireland, causing outrage and organized resistance, a “Conscription Crisis” led by Irish nationalists and Catholic clergy. This was one of the key factors leading up to the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921).

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-second letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 16, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: April 7, 1918 – Charles Riggle

Archiving Wheeling April 7, 2018April 9, 2018 Leave a Comment 1869 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 43

“I think the Germans is getting about all the fighting they want now. They surely have lost a lot of men since the big battle began…”

In his twelfth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 7, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he is at Dutch Gap near the Appomattox Court House Civil War battlefield [see Lester Scott’s description in episode 42], training at the firing range. This would have been about 53 years to the day since the Civil War battle of April 8-9, 1865. He is having a “dandy time” living in a tent. They’ve brought about 300 horses and mules with them. He says Les is there with him and “looking good.” They are being kept away from newly arriving soldiers to prevent yet another round of contagious diseases [like the mumps and measles that afflicted Les]. Dutch thinks it will be at least six months before he’s sent to France. He describes the trenches left from the Civil War still extant at Dutch Gap, as well as tombstones for Civil War officers.

Dutch refers to the “big battle” during which the Germans have lost a lot of men. This is probably a reference to the 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser’s Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, which began on 21 March 21, 1918. The offensive was launched as a last ditch attempt to break the Allies before the arrival of fresh troops from the United States.

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 twelfth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, April 7, 1918.

Archiving Wheeling Ohio County Public Library Archives WALS Foundation

From Camp Lee to the Great War: April 4, 1918 – Lester Scott

Archiving Wheeling April 5, 2018April 15, 2018 Leave a Comment 1924 Views

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle: Podcast Episode 42

“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.

Heinz History Center Ohio County Public Library Archives

“We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit” Looking for Local Items to Display at the Ohio County Public Library

Archiving Wheeling March 29, 2018 Leave a Comment 1927 Views

The Ohio County Public Library is looking for temporary loans of WWII artifacts to display while the The Heinz History Center's "We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit" will be at library, May 26 to July 24, 2018.

The Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling will soon be hosting a traveling exhibit of World War II artifacts courtesy of the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. “We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit” will visit the library from May 26 through July 24, 2018. The exhibit will include a small, local component.

If you own Wheeling or Upper Ohio Valley related World War II memorabilia, such as a soldier’s or nurse’s uniform, helmet, medals, or an item manufactured in Wheeling for the war effort, and you would be willing to loan the artifact(s) to the library for the exhibit, please contact us at ocplibrary@gmail.com or call 304-232-0244.

The Heinz History Center's "We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit" will be at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling from May 26 to July 24, 2018. — The Heinz History Center’s “We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit” will be at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling from May 26 to July 24, 2018.

Please understand that space is extremely limited. We will not be able to display every item. We must, therefore, reserve the right to make the final determination as to what will be included. But if your item is not chosen for the physical display, you will have the option of allowing your artifact to be featured in an online, virtual photo album connected to the exhibit.

If you would like to submit your item for consideration, please send us a photo of the artifact(s) along with contact information by April 9, 2018. You may also contact us by mail: Ohio County Public Library, Attention: WWII Exhibit, 52-16 Street, Wheeling, WV 26003.

Click here to learn more about the Heinz History Center’s “We Can Do It! WWII: Traveling Exhibit.”