Newspaper Page Text
Page 6— Wednesday, May 24, 2023, The True Citizen
Bell
Continued from front
This camp in El Paso, Texas is where Sardis resident Luther A. Bell died of Spinal Meningitis.
Rainfall levels high
first four months
cided to order a punitive raid
into Mexico with the goal of
capturing Villa. Initially, Wil
son decided the only way to
maintain security on the border
was to activate National Guard
units from Texas, Arizona and
New Mexico. He federalized
them into national service
May 8, 1916. Unfortunately,
together the states could only
raise about 5,000 soldiers,
most of them were infantry
men. Wilson knew many more
soldiers were needed. By mid-
June, he decided to mobilize
an additional 110,000 National
Guard soldiers from every state
except Nevada, which had no
National Guard. However, mo
bilizing the forces was much
easier said than done.
The National Defense Act
of 1916 had been implemented
just two weeks earlier, and
many of the state adjutant
generals had not expected to
have to comply with it so soon.
The provisions of the act es
tablished uniformity in periods
of enlistment and conformity
with federal regulations for
the Army and National Guard.
The legislation also called for a
standard pay scale. Under these
guidelines, generals received
$16.67 a day while second
lieutenants, the lowest rank
ing officers, received $4.72.
Among the enlisted ranks, a
private received 60 cents a
day and the sergeants earned
a dollar.
Unfortunately, although
Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing
led a horse-mounted column
of Army soldiers across the
U.S. border into Mexico, Villa
evaded them.
COMPANY E
Company E, 1st Georgia
Brigade was mobilized for
service on the Mexican border
in June 1916. The unit first
went to Camp Harris in Macon
and then proceeded to Camp
Cotton at El Paso, Texas in
October. In Texas, the Burke
County soldiers assisted with
patrol of the Mexican border
until April 1917.
The Waynesboro community
was supportive of their endeav
or. A thank you note signed
by Capt. E. H. McElmurray
appeared in The True Citizen
July 1, 1916 and stated the
following:
“In behalf of the officers
and men of Co. E., I return
sincerest thanks to the ladies
and citizens of Waynesboro
for the kind intentions and
expressions of loyal sympathy
and good will for us since our
call to the colors. Especially
do we appreciate the generous
fund that you have so kindly
placed to our credit in the bank
to be used for the good of the
company. Such spontaneous
generosity reaches the heart
of every member of my com
mand and in return of your
spirit of loyalty to our country
and Company E, we pledge
ourselves to our full duty as
an American citizen, and to so
conduct ourselves that you will
have no cause to be ashamed of
our record.”
A roster of names showed the
following Waynesboro-native
officers left with Company E
for Macon: First Lieut. Alex T.
Murphy, Second Lieut. O.M.
Gresham, Quarter Master Sgt.
Isreal Simowitz, First Sgt.
Preston B. Lewis, Sgt. W. L.
Sullivan, Sgt. Walter G. Green
Jr., Corporal T. S. Rackley,
Corporal HG. Bargeron, Musi
cian J.E. Ashmore Musician W.
H. Walters. Also included was
Corporal E.G. Steadier from
Midville.
When the United States
entered WWI, the unit was
converted into an artillery
group and redesignated as
the 122nd Infantry Regiment.
They trained for a year before
going overseas. The Burke
County soldiers arrived in
France in November 1918, a
week before the Armistice was
signed.
LUTHER A. BELL
Luther A. Bell joined the
Army National Guard at the
age of 17. He was stationed in
El Paso, Texas with Company
E when he died of meningi
tis. His body was sent back
for burial but the family was
required to conduct a closed-
casket service. For many years,
family members questioned
whether they had received
the correct remains. How
ever, years later, a gentleman
claiming to be the medic who
had placed Bell’s body in the
casket assured the family of
his identity.
A tree was planted in mem
ory of Bell in front of the old
2-story Sardis high school. Bell
is buried in the Davis Cem
etery, a three-acre parcel about
three miles outside of Bartow,
Georgia. He is buried between
his parents.
Sources: "World War 1 in
Georgia, " New Georgia En
cyclopedia.; U.S. Army; U.S.
Department of State; “Images
of Burke County Georgia,"
Angela Lee; Burke County
Folks Vol III 1911-1920," Jo
Goodson Knight; "Do you
know about East County, Geor
gia?" Kathryn Bageron Wil
son; Burke County Archives
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Burke Countians are com
ing out of one of the wettest
seasons the Waynesboro area
has seen in a while.
According to the National
Weather Service’s NOAA
Weather Data chart, January
2023 reached a precipitation
level higher than any January
since 2017’s January pre
cipitation level of 8.46 inches.
While 2018-2022 began with
precipitation levels ranging
from 2.07-5.08, levels reached
7.88 inches in January 2023.
This year’s January-April
season experienced the second
highest averaged precipitation
level in the last seven years.
The first four months of 2023
averaged 5.14 inches of pre
cipitation compared to 2020
which saw 6.68 inches during
the same timeframe. The pre
cipitation levels for 2017-2019
and 2021-2022 ranged from
2.86-4.49 inches during the
first four months of each year.
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H19N31JLV NO 9N
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