“I would like to be in one battle before [the war] is over any way. For all I know, I might be in several of them before it is over….”
In his ninth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated February 23, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s just starting to feel like he did before he left [apparently to go home for a visit]. The weather is like spring and he hasn’t drilled a bit since returning. Les [our second letter writer] is out of the hospital and doing well. The two are planning to go to the show in Lakemont. Les thinks going home isn’t worth the trouble for a short visit. He heard the Captain say they wouldn’t go to France before October, and Dutch thinks the war will be over before then. Dutch likes the army but prefers farm work. His first sergeant was paid $62.00 a month — good money. He can’t wait to husk corn. It only took 19 hours to get back to Petersburg [the trip would take about 7 hours by car today].
Elsewhere on the same day, the socialist parties of the allied nations concluded one of several wartime Inter-Allied Socialist Conferences in London. The parties adopted a war aims resolution that included territorial goals; planned actions to prevent famine and refugees and punish war crimes; endorsement of a League of Nations; an International Legislature; and the abolition of secret treaties, diplomacy, and compulsory military service.
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 ninth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, February 23, 1918.
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February 23, 1918 Letter Home – Charles Riggle to his brother James Riggle
Camp Lee Va
Saturday Feb 23 1918
To JD Riggle
Hello abe. i thought i would rite you a few lines this after noon to let you know that i am still living an well as ever. it took me a good while to get my sleep out after i came back. i just now begin to feel like i did before i left. well abe i beat that letter here you sent me 2 or 3 days. we surly are having some dandy weather here now. it dose just look like spring time. i havent drill a bit since i came back. i have been on detail ever day but one an i was on guard that day. abe tell boss less is out of the hospidle an is all rite now. me an him is going to lake mont tonight to the show. he talk like he isnt coming home. i told him boss what you said. i believe he think the trip is to long for the short stay at home an i do to. that stay just seem like one day to me. i dont think i will come again till the war is over unless i could get 10 days at home. abe I herd the captan say the other night that we wouldent be ready for france before october. that will be a good while yet. i think the war will be over before that time. the capt think it wont last much longer. i would like to be in one battel before it is over any way. for all i know I might be in several of them before it is over. i like the army good but you see it wont make me a bit mad when it is over so i can get back an help do the farm work. that all that woreys me there to much work for tomas. If it wasent for that i just as soon stay in the army as long as they would keep me. if a fellow stay with this job long anough there is good money in it. our first sargent get $62.00 a month an he only bin in the army ten years. i sent 45 to Tom last saturday. i dont know wheather he ever got it or not. when you see him to rite me rite away so i will know he got it. it was just express money order an i just put it in a letter an it might get lost. the next i send i am going to request it then i know it will be safe. this is safe to but if it get lost it would be a lot of bother to me to get it straighten up. i am going to send one of those shells home as soon as i get out to hunt some of them. i supose you are having some nice weather to husk corn out there now. it wont be long till plowing time again. tell tom to plow all he can handle for i might be home in time to help husk the corn next fall. well abe them aples come in dandy coming back. i was only 19 hours coming back to camp. well I will close an rite more the next time.
as ever your brother Dutch
good Bye
Bat F 314 FA Camp lee Peters Burg Va
ancer when you feel like it an tell me news
Listen to Episode 33 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 February 23, 1918 episode: “True to the Flag March,” United States Marine Band, 1922, http://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.
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