“You were wanting to know if I ever play the violin. I sure do. Some of boys come up from the infirmary with a violin and banjo and guitar. We have regular old stag dances…”
In his twenty-sixth 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’s surprised to learn of the death of Bill Riggle. Les has been firing guns at the target range all week. He hasn’t heard from Cleo (his girlfriend), but says he doesn’t care if she doesn’t write anymore. A soldier named Harry Crow has deserted. Les thinks he’ll be caught, court-martialed, and executed or imprisoned for life. Les wishes he’d enlisted in the cavalry or the Marines. He plays stag dances with his violin. Another soldier plays the banjo and another the guitar. He’ll visit home when he finds out when he’ll be sent to France. Those who say it’s unconstitutional to send the boys overseas are badly mistaken, Les believes. Dutch [Charles Riggle] is doing fine. Les is off to a “big entertainment” at the YWCA.
Elsewhere on the same day, a Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed between the Finnish Social Republic of Workmen and the Russian Federal Soviet Republic. This was part of the Finnish quest for independence launched the previous December and the Finnish Civil War between the “Whites” (conservatives) and “Reds” (socialists, inspired by Russian Bolsheviks). The Whites would prevail.
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 twenty-sixth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, March 1, 1918.
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March 1, 1918 Letter – Lester Scott to his sister, Minnie Riggle
March 1st 1918
Camp Lee V.a.
Dear Sister,
Rec’d your ever welcome letter today and was more than glad to hear from you. I am well and enjoying good times. I certainly surprised to hear of Will Riggle’s death. it seems like cant help thinking about it. But such sad things will happen. he was disconted too. I think that helped the cause. I was as well contented in the hospital as I was anywhere. I have been on the service firing all week having the guns and ammunition. Believe me they make some noise. Battery F holds the record so far I guess. it is starting to rain here this evening but is very warm. three more boys and I were at hopewell last night. had some time to. I havnt heard from Cleo any more. did you ever hear what was the matter with her. I dont care if she doesn’t write to me. I think Harry Crow is making the mistake of his life for trying to dersert for it is impossible for him to get away. when ever he is brought back he will be tried by the court martial. he will be probally shot or prisoned for life with out pay. I was talking to one of the officers that belonged to his company. he said he was the laziest man he ever saw. I think Charles Gettings is doing a wise thing by trying to enlist. I wish I had the education he has. I wish I had of enlisted in the cavalry. the marines are also a good branch of service. I think you were wanting to know if I ever play the violin. I sure do. some of boys comes up from the infirmy with a violin and banjo and guitar. we have regular old stag dances. Boss you don’t need to look for me home for awhile but when I find out I am going over I will come home then. I havn’t any desire to come now. of course you know I would be glad to see you all but I expect to see you all sooner or later. anyway it doesn’t seem to me you sent the right address to Brantley. send the right and I will write to him. dont you let people try to tell you that it isn’t constituneal to scend us over because they are badly mistaken. if that was the case there wouldn’t be many go over. the high officers here as you say hasn’t anything to do with scending us over. well I dont know much more to say this time. there is a big entertainment at the Y.W. I want to be their so I will say good Bye.
ans Soon
Scottie
I saw Dutch today. he is well and feeling fine.
Listen to Episode 35 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 for March 1, 1918 episode: “Castle Valse Classique,” [Europe, James Reese] (composer),
[Dabney, Ford] (composer), Metropolitan Military Band (performer), 1916, http://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010721/]
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.
I love this podcast. You have done an fantastic job putting these together and acting them out.
In fact, you’ve done so well that I’m really interested in these two individuals and whenever one or the other of them mentions something about someone else, I always want to know what happened to whoever they mentioned, lol. For example, the March 1st letter mentions that Bill Riggle dies. What happened to him?
Another example from the same letter is about a fellow named Harry Crow deserting and talks of what Lester Scott thinks will happen to him when he’s caught. I looked everywhere and think I might have found the answer. There is a mention in an October 1918 issue of the Chatanooga News of one Harry Crow, from that area of the country, that died of disease in 1918. I’m guessing that’s him. You can read it here: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038531/1918-10-12/ed-1/seq-2.pdf if you’re any part as curious as I was.
Anyway, keep up the great work.