“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.
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April 26, 1918 Letter – Lester Scott to his sister, Minnie Riggle
Apr 26, 1918
Camp Lee, V.a.
Dear Sister,
will endeavor the opportunity to ans. your kind and most ever welcome letter which I rec’d yesturday. It found me well and happy the same as ever. we are having some cool weather here now. I suppose there are having some up there also. I suppose you think I don’t write very often but as I said once before there isn’t much news here that would interest you. but I am always glad to get mail from you so I will haft to write oftener. I am sorrow to hear of Jim getting hurt. he ought to be in the army and he would learn how to ride. I was at the remount station yesturday and help bring back 26 more mules. there were quite a few hit their meat house against mother earth before we got back. we have another bunch of new rookies now. us old wagoners all get helpers so you see it will pretty soft for us. I rec’d a letter from Ed Fisher yesturday. he says Oliver Moss has a ford machine now. what has become of Charles Gettings? havn’t heard from him for some time. It was seven months last Tuesday since I left West Va. it doesn’t seem near so long to me. I guess we will all get another pass soon. you can look for me home this time. we may get ten days. our lieutenant told us the other day that would be in camp lee untill 6 October. if we are we will never go over I feel sure. we are going to have a big review here tomorrow. wish you could be here to see it. I will bet you would think it was the finest thing you ever saw. well I cant think of much more to say this am. will write again soon. you were speaking about having that will recorded. it is not necesary. it is quite different from a deed. well I will close for this time. I think we will go to Dutch Gap soon. will more their. ans Soon and dont work to hard.
Good Bye Good Luck
Excuse mistakes and writing for I cant see very well.
Ans Soon
Good night
Listen to Episode 46 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 April 26, 1918 episode: “True to the Flag March,” United States Marine Band, 1922, https://www.loc.gov/item/00694039/]
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.
▶ To listen to the prior Camp Lee podcasts, visit our SoundCloud page.
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