Another article from the April 11, 1918 Kinsley Graphic caught my attention as it tells about a flag that was carried in the Loyalty Day parade mentioned in my last blog.  This is another case of wondering what ever happened to that flag?”  Hopefully it found its way to a museum.  The article in the Kinsley Graphic begins:

“One of the interesting features of the patriotic demonstration Saturday was the appearance in the parade of the company flag of Co. C, 27^th New York Infantry.  This flag is now in possession of Mr. Floyd Wellman, of this city.  David Lester, an old soldier, resident here for many years, was in Company F of the 27^th New York Infantry and was personally well acquainted with its history.”

Mr. Wellman was a well-respected, long-time citizen of Kinsley. He was born September 8, 1854 in Steuben County, New York.  He moved with his parents to a farm southwest of Kinsley in 1886.   When his father’s died in 1891, he and his mother moved into Kinsley where he was elected township trustee, a position he held for many years.  He worked caring for the roads.

David Lester was active in the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) and was probably riding in one of those automobiles at the front of the parade.  Perhaps the flag was flown or carried by a G.A.R. member or Mr. Wellman.  Lester is best-known as the creator of the Civil War Monument in Hillside Cemetery outside of Kinsley.  He was 74 years old when he made the monument out of cement in 1917.  It is on both the Kansas and National Historic Registries.

But back to the story about the flag in the Graphic.

“The old flag is in fairly good preservation still and is carefully treasured by Mr. Wellman and only brought out on important occasions.  There is no record of the flag prior to its coming into possession of Co. C.  It carries 26 stars.  This would indicate that it was made after the admission of Michigan to statehood in 1837 and prior to the admission of Texas in 1845.”

The flag may have looked like this one below, but there is no way of knowing for sure.

The article goes on to tell the known history of the flag.

“The 27^th assembled at Elmira and as mess halls were scarce, school houses, churches and the larger residences were used.  F. W. Morrow, uncle of Mr. Wellman, had a large house and moved his family to the upper story and Co. C, had the use of the lower floor for a mess hall.  Floyd Wellman was a little chap of seven years and the company took a great liking to him and kept him with them most of the time while in the city.  The regiment was mustered into the service of the United States July 5th, 1861 and dated May 21.  They fought in thirteen major engagements and many small battles, and returned to Elmira and were mustered out June, 1863.  The remnant of Co. C, again visited the Morrow family and renewed their friendship with Floyd.  Most of them re-enlisted and as they were to be scattered, they decided to leave their old company flag with Mrs. Morrow until such time as they could reclaim it.  It remained in her possession for a number of years and was not called for.  Finally she sent it to her nephew, Floyd Wellman, of this city, who cherishes it as one of his most prized possessions.”

Although the following tidbit is quite far afield from WWI or the parade, I can’t help including it on this blog.  An article in the Kinsley Graphic (November 30, 1922) told how Floyd Wellman loaned his mother’s scrapbook of Civil War era articles to the editor who found a picture of Abraham Lincoln in it, and wrote the following:

“Floyd related a story of the greatest fight it was ever his pleasure to witness between two women.  A few days after the assassination of Lincoln a Union soldier who had lost an arm in the war was on the streets of Elmira, New York, selling pictures of Lincoln.  Stepping up to a woman, the soldier requested her to buy a portrait, to which the customer replied, she would not have it in the house, but if he had a picture of Booth, the assassin, she would buy enough of them to cover the walls of her home.  The soldier told another lady concerning the remark made by the first woman.  Accosting the offender, the second lady, hit the one who made the remark, between the eyes with all her might, and a real fight, stripped of the propriety of Marquis of Queensbury rules ensued. Floyd was eleven years old at the time, and remembers the incident as though it were but yesterday.  He bought one of the pictures.”

Again, I ask help wondering whatever happened to that picture and scrapbook?”

On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked for a declaration of war against Germany.  One year later a Loyalty Day Parade to promote the purchase of Liberty Bonds was held on Saturday, April 6, 1918. The Third Liberty Loan Act sold liberty bonds to cover the war expenses of the United States. In effect, the bonds were loans from citizens to the US Government which would be repaid with interest in the future.
 Door Hanger                                  Grand Army of the Republic, May 20, 1914, Kinlsey

The week one hundred years ago had started out on Monday morning with the Boy Scouts decorating the doorknobs of homes with a Liberty Bell paper door hanger.

A parade was quickly organized for Saturday.   The mayor asked the stores to close from 10 – 1 o’clock.  People were encouraged to decorate stores, homes, and floats with flags and other patriotic materials. The parade formed at the high school and went through town and on city streets, ending up at the city park south of town.

“The old soldiers (Grand Army of the Republic Civil War veterans) and their wives in automobiles lead the way, and were followed by the Boy Scouts, Beck’s Boy Band, the Home Guard, the young people from our city schools, and citizens in floats and automobiles.  The band played patriotic airs during the march.  The Boy Scouts marched in open order with a large flag stretched between the men.  The stretcher-bearers carried a small dog on their stretcher and covered him with a Red Cross blanket.  More than 500 school children were in the line of march.  They sang patriotic songs at intervals.  Some were fantastically garbed, but the group that attracted special attention was made up to represent Belgian refugees.  They looked the part.” (Kinsley Mercury, April 11, 1918)

According to the Kinsley Graphic published on the same day, “The procession was taken out of its assigned line of march to pass the home of Mr. Goldschmidt, who had expressed regret that he was unable to view it, and the band stopped in the yard and played for him.  It will be another pleasant memory to all of us as the days pass.”  The poignancy of this gesture to a respected businessman of the community becomes clear when printed a couple columns over in the same paper is Fred Goldschmidt’s obituary announcing his death on April 9.
   Goldschmidts Hardware Store (1901) with detail of Fred 1860-1918) who came to Kinsley 1885.

The parade terminated in the city park south of town.  “Mrs. C. W. Beeler stood on the platform and led the singing.  Rev. W. G. Baker was the first speaker.  He explained that being a new-comer he deemed it advisable to make his stand on the war clear.  He stated very emphatically that he was a loyal citizen and for the vigorous prosecution of the war.  He was followed by Rev. Emmanuel Jones, whose topic was ‘The flag.’  He urged that at all times and in all places every citizens show his respect for the flag and our patriotic airs by standing uncovered when the flag is passing or the national airs are played or sung…. W. T. Williams was the last speaker, and delivered a stinging denunciation of all forms of disloyalty to this government.

Both newspapers rated the day and the drive for Liberty Bonds a success.

 “In mentioning the parade we feel that considerable praise is due the patriotic people of our little city and especially so since the fact is known that the whole show was planned and arranged in a day or so.  It was one of the best parades it has ever been our pleasure to witness and to see the youngsters out of school cheering and waving flags for their Uncle Sam was a sight we shall long remember.  Every department of the big event was successfully carried out and those who were in charge are to be congratulated.” (Kinsley Mercury, April 11, 1918)

“The patriotic demonstration in this city Saturday was most satisfying and satisfactory to those who had it in charge, and to the people as a whole, who saw in it the answer to the pro-Hun who still insists this country has no business in the war.  This demonstration shows we are not arguing the question.  We are in, and we propose to fight it through with all the resources of our country.” (Kinsley Graphic, April 11, 1918)

The local newspapers printed the Easter services’ orders of worship before and after Easter Sunday, March 31, 1918. The one I found most interesting was the Easter sunrise service at the Christian Church in Kinsley (April 4, 1918, Kinsley Graphic).  The war certainly changed the content of this church’s worship service.   

“At six-thirty Sunday morning we gathered in His name, and realized that another resurrection day had dawned.  The old, old story awakened in us the hope of the sorrowing ages, and stirs anew the pulse of life.  All things spoke gladness, as softly the breeze fans gently against our cheek, and the bright sunlight tells us that this was Easter Sunday morning, the day our Lord gave back to mankind life, “listen comes the pealing bells ‘there is not death’ all is love and life.”

The theme for the morning was “service”.  Miss Ollie May McCormick spoke about the individual life to the young people.  A little research revealed that Miss McCormick of Wichita, at age 23, became the youngest state organizer for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.  At age 25, she made a 3-day visit to Kinsley and spoke at a high school assembly, at boys’ and girls’ meetings and to the Mother’s Club.  She is described as “a wonderful speaker and dramatic reader.”

The article goes on to say:

“A double flag service was presided over by the Boy Scouts, wherein Miss Forest Slater gave the Cross story, followed by Miss Blanche Manuel on ‘Our Flag.’” (Miss Slater and Miss Manuel were local teenagers.)

“Dr. P.A. Pearson in well-chosen words gave the history of the Red Cross and presented the flag.

Service, was the key word of Col. F.D. West’s message when the service flag was unfurled.  And the following boys had been given to serve their country:  George A. Goodwin, Harvey Lancaster, Andrew Barbee, Estell Penticuff, Earl Humphres and yesterday morning another of our boys, Ivan Reeder, entered the service.  One by one the stars will be added our flag.”

In my other reading and research I found that the school and other churches also had service flags where a star was sewn on for each man that went in the military.  I wonder what happened to those service flags?  I only found three pictures of these organizational service flags on the internet. The one below was created at the University of Texas which accounts for the large number of stars.

(continued from #60)

Robert Earl Britton’s long letter to the editor of the Kinsley Graphic continues below.   One hundred years ago, Easter Sunday fell on March 31, one day earlier than it does this year.

“Now folks, you have noticed the fact that boys that have gone into the various training camps, have with very few exceptions gained in weight or in case of overweight, reduced to the normal.  Well I noticed it and didn’t understand why it was, but the reason is very plain now as we have witnessed the change in ourselves.  Bitner and Julian have gained twelve pounds each.  Lovett eight and myself fourteen, this change took place in thirty days.

 The fact that the laws governing health are rigidly enforced and strict attention is given to sanitation are the cause of this notable change.

Our ‘chow’ comes at regular hours with a well-balanced menu.  Today it is above the average, due to the Easter celebration.  It was this:  Vegetable soup, celery, head lettuce with salad dressing.  Baked chicken with dressing, roast pork pan gravy.  Mashed potatoes, asparagus tips with drawn butter.  Hot mince pie, coffee and all the bread and butter we wanted to fill in.

The hours for sleep are regular, taps at 9:05 o’clock and reveille at 5:15. 

The time is well occupied from reveille to taps, it being arranged so there is something to do every minute.  We have plenty of exercise in the form of company drill, physical drills with arms and various forms of athletics.  Also we are allowed a certain time to do our washing, each man being compelled to scrub his own clothes.

In regard to the sanitary condition of the camp, I will say nothing except that it is as near perfect as could possibly be.

I think the naval authorities must have heeded the old saying when they made the rules and regulations governing this part of it i.e. ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness.’

The moral standard maintained here is well up with that of any other one of the various camps, that is, judging from what I have read of other places and what I have seen here. 

I want to say a word here in praise of the army and navy YM.C.A. and the service which it renders.  Its value cannot be appreciated to its fullest extent by anyone other than those placed in the environment of camp life.  It is the cause of a higher moral standard being maintained and I can well imagine that to the boys over there in the trenches it is worth many times more than to us here, so keep the good work going.

With best wishes to all friends and acquaintances, I bid you a kind good-bye.    Robert Earl Britton

The next time Robert Earl Britton writes is on March 31, 1918 from the Naval Training Center on Yerba Buena (Goat) Island in the San Francisco Bay.  In the letter he relates the story of its name.

“Goat Island’s real name is Yerba Buena, it was named that by the Spaniards on account of a kind of a plant which grows here noted for its medicinal value.  This was in the early days of San Francisco, when the only means of communication with the outside world was by the sailing vessels which came in through the Golden Gate at intervals several months apart.

A trader by the name of Spear who lived on Montgomery street, dealt with the ships on their arrival here and established a very good friendship with the captain of one of the vessels and the captain, wanting to bring something to him for a present, crated up five goats and on his next arrival here presented them to Mr. Spear.  As he was a merchant and had no place for the goats he loaded them on a skiff and rowed over to Yerba Buena Island and turned them loose, went on with his business and forgot the present which he had received from the captain.       

About the time of the gold rush, there were it is said about 3,000 goats on the island.  This was the growth of the flock.  There was a good demand for meat at good prices at this time so the market men went over to the island and took goats as they needed them and sold them over the block, saying nothing to Mr. Spear and before he was aware of the fact his goats were all gone.           

Thus came the name Goat Island.  Spear Street in San Francisco was named after the same man.  The Island is repopulated with goats, almost as many, but we only have two legs.”

Britton also tells about the first month at the training center.

“Our stay in the detention barracks, being a thing of the past, I will again act as spokesman for the Edwards county boys and give you folks a brief idea of it.

The things which we were taught in the D. T. could only be spoken of under two headings, that of military discipline and hygiene. 

The military discipline we boys knew nothing about and consequently was much different from anything we anticipated.

If we should have acted on the impulse of the moment and let our tempers be master, I am quite sure there would have been a Gold Braid (commissioned officer) or two in the hospital suffering from bruises and black eyes.  However this feeling of resentment and anger gradually went away and in a few days we were all beginning to show more true respect for our superiors and now the majority think we have the best officers on the parade grounds in command of our company.  Naturally there was a cause for us to get angry and it is also true that the commander intended to get us in that temperament.  It was an object lesson, and after we had mastered the lesson he was much more considerate and kind.  The lesson was simply this, obedience, no matter how foolish the order may seem, obey it.  No matter how overbearing a superior is, respect and obey his authority without hesitation or a word except yes sir, no sir, or aye aye sir.

First your undivided attention, then strict obedience and you have the foundation of military discipline.  We boys have the foundation down pat and I am quite sure we will get along good with the balance of our training.  I will not go into detail regarding the various orders, rules, instructions, regulations, etc., as to do so would take considerable time and space.

Hygiene, or the science of health, its preservation, and the laws of sanitation, is a subject we boys were as most people of this country are, well informed on.

Although a great many people are more or less negligent in this, I think it is more neglect than ignorance and I can plainly see that neglect is a habit that will soon be forgotten by us boys in the navy.”

(To be continued in #61)

In March 1917, Robert Earl Britton begins writing letter back to the J. M. Lewis, editor of the Graphic from the Naval Training Camp on Goat Island, California.  Robert Earl was born January 20, 1891 in Key West, Coffey County, Kansas to Robert H. and Mattie E. Britton.  He had 2 older sisters and a younger sister, Julia.  His father moved to Edwards County to farm.

Robert enlisted in the navy in December, 1917 with three other friends from Edwards County.  I want to tell you a little about them as they seem to stay together and will be mentioned in Robert Earl’s letters in the future.

First of all there was Everett L. Bitner who enlisted at the same time with Britton.  Everett was born September 13, 1893 in Colorado to Ira and Ella Bitner who moved to Edwards County to farm.

Then there was Raymond Clarkson Julian of Fellsburg (born February 28, 1894).  He became Robert Britton’s brother-in-law when he married Julia Britton on New Year’s Day, 1916.  One year later, she sadly died in childbirth on January 24, 1917 at age 22.   Their baby, Evan Ray Julian survived and I believe was taken in by Julia’s parents when Raymond enlisted in the navy in December, 1917.  Later when he got back from the war he would remarry and Evan would live with him.

William Howard Lovell enlisted with Julian.  Lovell had been born on May 1, 1893 in Mississippi to William A and Florence S Lovell. I tried to find out a little about him and did see that in the 1910 census his father was in jail.  I don’t know what brought him to Kansas, but I believe he was working as a farm laborer around Trousdale, Kansas when he enlisted.

On March 3, 1918 Robert Earl Britton wrote his first letter back to the Graphic.

“I am taking the privilege of writing to you at this time regarding our trip and welfare since our departing from Kinsley and our friends and loved ones.  (Everett L.) Bitner, (Raymond C.) Julian, (William Howard) Lovett and myself were assigned to the same section in the Pullman, the same table in the diner and on our arrival here to the same company, (B, 7).  We left Kansas City at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, February 23.  It was rather a touching yet a thrilling sight that crowd of cheering boys, and weeping mothers, sisters and sweat hearts that filled one wing of that spacious union depot.”
(Might have looked something like dedication day of the Union Station in Kansas City, 1914.)

“We were routed on the Union Pacific via Denver and Ogden then Southern Pacific to San Francisco.  On the entire trip the boys were in the best of spirits.  There was not a hamlet we passed through that we were not reminded of the fact that there was someone on the road to Berlin via San Francisco and Panama.  Out in Brigham Young’s state at Ogden we were taken by an early morning surprise and marched thru the main streets in double rank formation carrying a lot of flags and giving an assortment of yells, but our ranks were broken up in a hurry when we went by, or rather came to, a shorthand school. Just a few “hello boys” from the students “Fair Sex” and we marched in and took possession for half an hour while the professor and teachers enjoyed the fun with us.  From there to the depot we were a happy looking bunch and at our departure there were perhaps a hundred pretty girls standing by “at attention.” As the train rolled on around the great salt lake.  The next event was that “Wild Cat Country” where the women go to get a divorce known as Nevada.  John Barley Corn is still prospering in that vicinity although he didn’t get rich off us because first the most of us didn’t use it and next because Uncle Sam would not permit it.  The last morning of our trip and dawn of a day long to be remembered by us who entered the raining station on that day, was a very beautiful sunshiny morning.  At daybreak we were descending the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas down into the beautiful Sacramento valley.  Those beautiful little mountain valleys covered with green grass, vineyards, orchards and peach blossoms.  Then as we descended into the wide fertile valley at the Sacramento proper we spied our first big ripe oranges hanging in those big busy trees with the dark green foliage.  Then came the mud flats and then San Francisco Bay.  We passed through San Francisco and to Goat Island then into the detention barracks where we will remain for three weeks.

The last cheer the boys gave was in the ferry building at San Francisco for the atmosphere changed when that gold braid stepped up and ordered a salute and a snap at this fellow and at that, it was really amusing to note the change in the countenance of the bunch.  So far I like it fine and I assure you the Edwards County boys are of the best of spirits and are well satisfied with the part they are taking in the service of their country.  We are making sailors out of ourselves as fast as we can.  We look the part already.  Mr. Lewis you are right.  Speak a word for us to our mothers, sisters and sweet hearts and tell them we like candy, cake and cigars, which we do not get much of here.  The next time I write I am going to give you a sketch of the first three weeks in the U.S.N.T.S. at the D. B. 

Sincerely yours, Robert Earl Britton  U. S. N. T. S., San Francisco, California, D. Company, B,  7.”

This picture of an unknown WWI sailor was taken by the Belpre photographer, W. O. Durstine.  Perhaps it is one of these four men who lived in the area.