Gone To Texas: WW1 Honor Roll Call

This post series has been inspired by the book "German Pioneers of Texas: A Brief History of Hardships, Struggles and Achievements" by D H Biggers*. The source gives the names of Gillespie County, TX men who died before 1925, due to WW1 combat-related conditions/wounds, the name of ailments, and countries/states where they died, but not much more. No birth dates, no other details on who they were or where and when they served. In two cases only, the death dates are given. Researching and looking for more detailed facts about those men, I noticed that the book content contains some errors regarding the soldiers' names and/or ranks. That has made the research even more difficult.

I am aware that many more individuals suffered and died (also after 1925) due to the injuries received in active combat, years and decades after the war ended. If I get any information about those persons, I will update the post whenever possible.

Glory to the fallen heroes!

Here are the results of my research. The Gillespie men who

DIED OF HEALTH CONDITIONS RELATED TO

OVERSEAS COMBAT

were

Private Walter Eckhardt - born 19 January 1896 in Fredericksburg, TX, to parents Louis Eckhardt and Louise Rodenbusch. In 1900, Walter, his parents, and siblings lived in Justice Precinct 1, south part of Fredericksburg, TX. Mr. Louis Eckhardt was a farmer (1). At the time of WW1 registration, Walter lived in Tosca, Blanco County, TX, and he helped his father with farming (2).

Walter Eckhardt was inducted into the Army on 3 July 1918 and was assigned to Machine Gun Company 305th Infantry. Private Eckhardt (serial number 1 135 896) went overseas with his unit on 28 August of the same year. During the service in France, the man contracted otitis (ear inflammation) and then, meningitis of which Walter died in a field hospital on 14 December 1918 (3, 4).

Corporal Emil Gottfried August Beyer - born on 7 July 1887 in Fredericksburg, Gillespie, TX, to Valentin J Beyer and Karolina C Oehler. The man was inducted into the Army in Fredericksburg on 26 June 1918. He was 31 then. At first, Emil served with 75th Company 19th Battalion 165 Department of Brigade (from 26 June to 23 July 1918), next, he was transferred to Company 29 1st Labor Regiment until 15 August of the same year. After that, Private Beyer was 3rd Detachment Labor Foreman (to 31 August). Then, Emil was transferred again and served with the 165th Administrative Labor Company Army Service Corps. They were sent overseas on 8 September 1918. Private E G A Beyer (serial number 3 509 372) was commissioned Corporal on 11 October 1918. At that time, he got sick with pneumonia and died four days later, on 15 October, at the hospital in Beaume, France (5, 6).

Fredericksburg, TX

Private 1st Class Harry William Duecker - born in Fredericksburg, TX on 30 August 1900, to Charles Duecker and Helena Weidenfeller (7). In 1900, during that year's census, Harry, his parents, grandmother, and a sister lived at Cave Creek, Justice Precinct 1, Gillespie, TX. His father Charles was a farmer (8). Harry William was enlisted on 19 May 1917, his serial number was 794 457. Private Duecker served with Army Headquarters Troop and Detachment 7th Division and 11th Cavalry until 3 July 1919 (9,10,11).

After the war, Harry was a student. He also worked on the family farm. Harry W Duecker died of health complications related to gas poisoning and abdominal wounds received when at the war front. The man passed on 27 March 1922 in Fredericksburg. He was buried at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

Corporal David Lewis Farris was born on 24 May 1896 in Harper, Texas, to John Lewis Farris and Minerva Elisabeth Bierschwale. On the day of his WW1 registration (28 May 1917), David worked in Irion County as a well driller and was employed by Mr. Will Hodges (12).

A few months later, on 20 July in Kerrville, Dave was enlisted into the National Guards. First, the man was part of Company D 1st Infantry Texas National Guards (until 15 October 1917), then David was transferred to Company I 141st Infantry. They were deployed overseas on 26 July 1918. Private David L Farris (serial number 1 488 146) was promoted twice:

27 May 1918, he was commissioned Private 1st Class,
9 November 1918, he was commissioned Corporal.

The day of honorable discharge came to Corporal Harris on 4 July 1919 (13, 14).

After the war, Dave lived with his parents and brother Burman at Justice Precinct No. 4 Kerr County, TX. 23-year-old David, a war veteran, worked as a laborer on his father's farm (15). His health was poor and was deteriorating. The war front gas experience had put a lethal mark on his lungs. About two years after the day of Corporal Farris' honorable discharge, the man died on 23 November 1921 (16).

Clipping source: Perry, H. Grady. The Junction Eagle (Junction, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 32, Ed. 1 Friday, December 2, 1921, newspaper, December 2, 1921; Junction, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth801146/: accessed April 19, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .

The book "German Pioneers of Texas..."* mentions also Private Carlos Alexander who died on one of the Hawaiian Islands due to prior war front exposure to mustard gas in France. As in other cases, no other details regarding the man are given. My research shows that Carlos appeared to be James Colis Alexander, however, the records regarding the man's year of birth are confusing.

According to the information included in his death certificate

James Colis Alexander was born in Texas on 20 September 1890, to James Brice Alexander and Ida Florence Smith (17). Other records regarding Colis' year of birth though seem to be confusing.

Census 1910

18/19 April - Colis Alexander was registered in Commissioner's Precinct 3, Justice Precinct #2, Blanco County, TX. He lived with Mr. Joshua A Hanley's family and was a hired hand. According to that record, Colis was then 21 years old, born in 1889. The places of his father's and mother's birth match the details (Mississippi and Texas) given in other records including James B Alexander's death certificate (18,19, 20).

5 May - 18-year-old James C Alexander (born in 1892) was registered in Palestine City Ward 1, Anderson County. The man was an accountant at Rail Road's Office. In this case, the places of birth of James C's parents do not match, though. In the document it is stated that his father was born in Texas, not in Mississippi, the mother was born in Tennessee (21).

The only copy of a military service record which I have found is included below. It gives the data regarding Private James C Alexander who lived in Belton, Bell County, TX. The man enlisted into the National Guards at Fort Sam Houston, TX on 7 August 1917. He was born in Stockdale, TX, however, his date of birth is not given precisely. We can only see that on the day of enlistment James C was 26 years 10 months and 12 days. The man was assigned to Company D 2nd Infantry Texas National Guards. After 15 October 1917, he was transferred to Company G 141st Infantry. Then, on 26 July 1918, Private Alexander (serial number 1 484 105) and his Company were sent overseas. About a month later, on 23 August, another transfer made Jams C part of Company C 168th Infantry. The last day of their overseas service was 25 April 1919. Private Alexander was honorably discharged on 17 May 1919 (22).

After the war, in 1920, Colis lived in Justice Precinct 2, ED 21, Burnet, Texas at the place of Jack M Berry's. Colis was a hired hand again (23).

Possibly, later, Colis Alexander joined the Army again (?). At least, that would explain why he got to be treated at the hospital in Honolulu. Also, his occupation given in the death certificate was a soldier. He passed on 22 October 1921, due to tuberculosis. He was buried in Fredericksburg, TX (24).

Another soldier listed by H D Briggs in his book is Private Henry Green. If the author is correct, regarding the soldier's name and Gillespie County as his place of birth, I did not find any records on Henry Green who died before 1925. There was Private Harry Green, though. However, he was born in Burleson County, not Gillespie.

Private Harry Barnett Green - was born on 4 February 1894 in Caldwell, Burleson County, to parents William Nathaniel Green and Martha N Barham (25, 26). In 1910, young Harry lived with his widowed mother and siblings in Justice Precinct 2, Burleson, TX (27). His father had died quite early, in 1901.

The man's registration took place on 5 June 1917. He was involved in farming and supported his widowed mother then (28).

Not long after the initial registration, on 21 September 1917, Harry was inducted into the Army in Caldwell, TX. He was assigned to Field Artillery Brigade C 344. They were sent overseas on 30 June 1918 and served abroad for almost a year until 15 June 1919 (29, 30).

Two days before his honorable discharge, on 25 July 1919 in Milam County, Private Harry B Green (serial number 2 235 523) married Miss Mamie Sells (31).

Mr. Harry B Green died in the Temple hospital, a few years after his marriage, on 24 February 1924. The cause of the man's death given in the death certificate was intestinal obstruction related to a duodenal ulcer (32). Ms. Kathi Cox Seibold, H B Green's grand-niece, has informed me that Harry's health condition which led to his passing, originated in WW1 combat gas poisoning. The ex-serviceman's health deteriorated after 1918, and very likely, he was a patient of the Kerrville Sanitarium as well.

As for the Gillespie County men by the name of Green,

I have come across the records telling about Private William Emmet Green (serial number 1 144 795), born in Blanco County, on 19 May 1891, to William Green and Malinda A Maddox. In the records, his residence was Reservation Route, Harper, Gillespie County, and Kerrville, Kerr, TX (see the copies of the documents included below).

William Emmet was registered on the same day (5 June 1917) as the above-mentioned Harry B Green (33).

Private Green was inducted into the army on 15 June 1918. The man completed his training/stayed at Camp Joseph N Johnston in Florida until 31 August 1918. Then, he served with the Army Service Corps Labor Bureau with which Pvt W E Green was deployed overseas on 8 September 1918.

About a month later, William was transferred to CMC Cement Mill Company 45th Allied Expeditionary Forces. His overseas service finished on 17 April 1919. Emmett came back to the US and was honorably discharged on 2 May of the same year (34, 35).

William Emmett Green died not long after he finished his WW1 service. His death, however, was a result of an accident, not directly related to the ex-soldier's war service. The man was kicked by a horse and died of a ruptured spleen on 20 March 1920 (36).

W E Green's bother, Henry Montgomery, was also a WW1 veteran. According to his birth record, Henry was born on 6 March 1893 in Gillespie County (37). It is interesting, that in the WW1 registration record, Henry gives Blanco County as his place of birth. He was 24 on the day of his registration, 5 June 1917 (38).

Henry Montgomery Green was inducted on 5 July 1918, a bit later than his brother William Emmett. At first, Henry was assigned to the 57th Department of Brigade with which he served to 18 August 1918. A few days later on 23 August, Private Henry M Green (serial number 1 135 516) and his army unit were sent overseas. Henry served with Company L 153rd Infantry and Company B 60th Infantry. The soldier was honorably discharged on 1 August 1919 (39,40).

Whether Private Henry M Green experienced gas poisoning I do not know, but of course, it is possible. The thing is, that he died decades after 1925 (in 1961 exactly), so it was a long time after the book by D H Biggers* was written and published.

During my research, I found some information on the Kerrville Tubercular Sanitarium. The Sanitarium was built in the early 1920s in response to the need of the time. A great number of WW1 veterans were confined to the hospital in a result of their front time exposure to the lethal mustard gas. Tragically, many were too gravely ill to ever recover. Click on the clippings to enlarge the text.

Clipping source: Brownwood Bulletin (Brownwood, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 255, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 10, 1922, newspaper, August 10, 1922; Brownwood, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth343630/: accessed April 23, 2021), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Howard Payne University Library.

✭

Kudos to Ms. Kathi Cox Seibold, Mr. Mark Schumpelt, and other members of online based genealogy groups for their kind responses to my inquiry regarding Private Henry Green.

✭

35. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPR8-7ZBZ : 23 October 2019), William Emmett Green, ; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.

36. "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3DT-XZ9 : 13 April 2021), W E Green, 27 Mar 1920; citing certificate number 11171, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,073,751.

37. "Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LK6-6X6Z : 14 February 2020), Henry Montgomery Green, 1893.

38. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXV-LY1 : 23 February 2021), Henry Montgomery Green, 1917-1918.

39. "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-6J8X : 9 March 2021), Henry M Green, 05 Jul 1918; citing Military Service, Kerrville, , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.

40. "United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRX-QB1L : 23 October 2019), Henry Montgomery Green, 1 Aug 1919; citing Military Service, NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985), various roll numbers.

Pages

Saturday, April 24, 2021

WW1 Honor Roll Call - Part 2

DIED OF HEALTH CONDITIONS RELATED TO

OVERSEAS COMBAT

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