“That telegram you about the Less must of been correct for he got hurt about the 20 of Oct. He surly is not living or he would write to you & Minnie…”
In his twenty-first letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his sixth letter home from France, dated February 25, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that they are having a good bit of rain in France. He’s read that his division will finally sail for home in May. He’s glad because he hopes the sea will be less rough in a few months. The trip will be smoother with less chance of seasickness. It took 14 days to get to France. Dutch thinks the return trip will be faster. Dutch has finally been informed about the telegram announcing the death of Lester Scott, but he still hasn’t been able to find out anything from the Army.
Elsewhere on the same day, future professional baseball hall of famer Monte Irvin, one of the best players to make the switch from the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues after Jackie Robinson, 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 twenty-first letter home, dated 100 years ago today, February 25, 1919.
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February 25, 1919 Letter Home – Charles Riggle to his brother James Riggle
Btry F 314FA
Feb 25th 1919
James Riggle
Dallas WVA
Dear Brother
received your letter all ok yestard. surly was glad to hear from the old boy again. Jim I am well and harty at this riting but dont know how long I will be that way for we are having pretty good fit of rain in this country. well Jim I saw in the paper where this division would sail for home in the month of May. you see it will be a good little while yet to wait but one thing the see will be nicer to traverel at that time than it would now. I guess the see is pretty rough now. that is a pretty bad trip at it best. I know there was a bunch of the boys got sick coming over but I dident get a bit sick coming over. I never told you when we left the states I guess we left Norfolk Va the 26 of May for over here. I think I will be over here about a year. we was 14 day coming over. I dont thinck we will be that long coming back. Jim I dont supose you know where you will locate yet. it is about time you are knowing where you are going. that telegram you about the less must of been correct for her got hut about the 20 of oct. he surly is not living ore he would riet to you & minnie. I could not find anything out about him. the hospitial was back about 3 or 400 miles an you can see I would not know much about him. well James by news being scarce I will bring this letter to a close hoping these few lines will find you & boss in good health.
from your Bro
Chas Riggle
good by to both
Lt 314 FA
Listen to Episode 62 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 25, 1919 episode: Castle’s half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/]
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. ▶ To learn about the background of this project and watch an introductory video about the podcast, click here.
