“I can’t tell you about Less. He got badly hurt and they took him to the hospital. I heard once he died, but I don’t know if that was correct or not. I hope it wasn’t correct for I would like to went back to the states with him…”
In his eighteenth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his third letter home from France, dated November 25, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle he’s sorry he hasn’t written. He didn’t have much time to write while he was on the front, but now that the war is over, he has all kinds of time. He can’t wait to see the “good old states” again. Dutch had some narrow escapes on the front but came out without a scratch. A good many men from the 314th got hurt, but only four were killed. He has no news about Les. He was badly hurt and taken to the hospital. Dutch heard Les might have died. He hopes that isn’t true. He would like to go back to the states together. Les drove the rolling kitchen for Battery A. Dutch would like to be home for Thanksgiving and hunt rabbit. He and Tib Meriner had been hunting hogs. He’d like to get some good apples for winter. He doesn’t think there will be another war any time soon. They drove the “Dutch” 48 miles in 50 days.
Charles Riggle sent this letter a full two weeks after the armistice ending the Great War was signed in Paris. Elsewhere on that same day, Major General Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck of Germany, known affectionately as “The Lion of Africa,” finally surrendered his forces in German East Africa. He had employed a guerrilla, bush-fighting style with his African Askari troops (he spoke fluent Swahili) to harass and confuse British forces, allowing him to exit from the war as the only undefeated military commander on either side. He later led a conservative opposition to Hitler and would have died in poverty but for a small pension organized by his former British and South African enemies.
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 eighteenth letter home, dated 100 years ago today, November 25, 1918.
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November 25, 1918 Letter Home – Charles Riggle to his brother James Riggle
Nov. 25 1918
Bat F 314 FA AEF
Hello Dear Brother
will try to ans your letter I received a couple of weeks ago. I surly been awful slow about ans it. I dident have much time to rite while I was on the front but since the war is over I have all kind of time to rite. well abe these few lines me well as can be an feeling like seeing the good old states again pretty soon. well abe I surly had some narrow escape while I was on the front but I came out with out a scratch. it surly was some good luck for a fellow to come out that way. there was several of our fellow came out with out getting hurt but there was a good many got hurt. we only had 4 men killed in our bat. I cant tell you about less. he got badly hurt and they tuck him to the hospidle. I heard once he died but I dont know if that was corect or not. I hope it wasent corect for I would like to went back to the states with him. probble you an boss has heard about him by this time. I saw less a couple of time since we came on the front. he drove the rooling kitchin for Bat A an that Bat is in the first Batallen an they wasnt very close to our batallien. Well abe I surly would like to be there thanksgiving to take a rabet hunting. me an Tib Meriner an 2 or 3 other fellow was out hunting for wild hogs to day but dident catch any. saw lots of tracks in the woods. the boys shot one yestard an had it cook for dinner today. we are still in the town yet where we quit fighting the dutch. I dont have any idie when we will start for the states. we are libable to start soon an it might be a good bit yet before we start. I would like to be home in time to get some good apples to eat this winter. I dont think it is much danger of a nother war very soon for they surly got a good chasing. we drove them about 48 miles in 50 days. that running them some isent it. I supose you an TR was pretty glad when the war was over wasent you. well abe I will ring of. if I dont I wont have any thing to tell you when I come home so I will tell you all the news when I get home. I remain as ever your Brother
Good by to all
Say hello to Chrisey an Boss for me
Listen to Episode 60 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 November 25, 1918 episode: “Hail Columbia ; Star Spangled Banner,” 1914, https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010368/]
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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