Newcomerstown
in the Great War
by Mitchell L. Wise

Other than a brief war with Spain in 1898, America had stayed clear of European matters. Upon the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, Serbia, a Slavic nation, vowed to free all slays from the control of the Austria-Hungary. One month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, who was immediately aided by Russia. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia and France two days later. France had been a long time ally of Russia. On August 12, Great Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. The stage was now set for “the great war.” The only piece missing was the United States.

America sought to remain neutral and President Woodrow Wilson urged citizens to remain impartial to European affairs. But the diverse ethnic backgrounds of many Americans made neutrality difficult.

America became somewhat divided on the war issue. The German Relief Fund was established to financially aid the German-Austria alliance. Others took a more active role by enlisting in foreign armies as did Newcomerstown area native R. M. Quigley, who serve in the French army. Quigley wrote a letter to his parents that from. France in which he said, “We have set about a large and colossal task of whipping the Hun but the brave and true spirit of the American boys will never falter."

On April 17 Newcomerstown Mayor J. Earl Tufford issued a proclamation calling for loyalty and support while warning against lawlessness and treason. Tuscarawas and Coshocton Counties furnished two new companies for the Ohio National Guard that were assigned to the 3rd Brigade. A selective service draft was devised conscripting men from ages 21 to 30. The pay for a private was $25 per month.

On Sunday April 1, 1917 a detachment of soldiers of the Sixth Regiment, Ohio National guard arrived in Newcomerstown to guard the railroad bridge west of the village. The Newcomerstown News dated April 4 1917 stated, “a state of war may exist today” as Congress was ratifying the declaration of war. The following newspaper on April 11 confirmed that America was now at war.

Early estimates stated that Tuscarawas County would raise 500 men for the war with Coshocton County at 300 and Guernsey County at 400. Boyd Rockwell Wallace was noted to have been the first citizen of Newcomerstown to enlist for service in the “great war”, followed by Charles W. Erwin. Others such as Frank Hogue had already enlisted prior to the declaration of war. Being married did not necessarily exclude men from the service, as census figures indicated half of those men eligible for the draft were also married.

During June of 1917 the Newcomerstown chapter of the American Red Cross was organized with Rev. Frank Brown, president, and Mary J. Beers, secretary. In September 1917, the first shipment of Red Cross material was shipped from the local chapter to New Philadelphia and then on to Washington. Items included fifty-eight pillowcases, ninety-three towels, and a hospital bed shirt. The local Red Cross had received large quantities of yarn and began knitting sweaters, helmets, wristlets and socks.

On September 12, 1917 the News reported that “The county’s first contingent of 24 selected young men” was now in Camp Sheridan, Ala. but did not include any Newcomerstown natives. The following week the local draft boards would start the process of selecting the “next contingent” to leave on September 19. “Company I” of the Sixth Regiment commanded by David G. Stitt received orders to prepare to go to Camp Sheridan. Thirty-three men were listed in the local newspaper as those who were to report to Uhrichsville on Thursday, September 20. They would pass through Newcomerstown by rail at 11:15 a.m. on Friday on their way to Camp Sherman in Chillicothe. One of those men was Fred Hannahs.

Hannahs contracted pneumonia at Camp Sherman and died on April 10, 1918. He was the first boy from Newcomerstown to give his life during the war. Leslie Gray also died of pneumonia on board a transport heading to France. Gray was 22 years old and died October 10, 1918, one day short of the first anniversary of his marriage to Pearl Walkenspaw. Gray was also survived by his infant child. His remains were buried in France.

German forces captured Jesse Amore of Plainfield on July 15, 1918 near the Champaine front. Amore spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war and was released shortly after the war ended.

Others involved with the local Red Cross included Maude Scott, W. and Mrs. Manual Yingling, Dr. R A. Goudy, Otto Julien, and J. A. Montgomery. Montgomery’s son, Thomas had just graduated the preceding year with the class of 1917. Nicknamed “Brig” by his classmates, Tom was a member of the high school baseball team and according to his yearbook was a “great athlete.” Tom Montgomery was also a high school musician. At his high school commencement “class day” program he performed a solo called “The French Revolution.” He enlisted in the armed services January 8, 1918. Assigned to the signal corps of the aviation department at Kelly Field, Texas, Montgomery, “fearing that he had few chances of seeing actual service in the aviation service,” applied for a and received a transfer to Battery C of the I 10th Field Artillery. On September 18, 1918, Thomas C. Montgomery died of pneumonia 46 somewhere in France.” He would the first Newcomerstown native to die in the European theatre of war but he would not be the last.

The war ended November 11, 1918 on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, but news continued to arrive home which proved the last days of World War I were the most costly for the Newcomerstown area. It was learned in the following months that John Walter Daugherty, brother of Newcomerstown schoolteacher Miss Carrie Daugherty, had died on October 14 as a result of wounds received in action near Metz. Howard Thomas of Port Washington was killed in action October 9. Frank Miller, also of Port Washington died October 16 of wounds received in action. Ernest Schlarb of the Orange/Bakersfield area was killed in action October 15. Roy Norris died as a result of shell shock on December 7. It was not until February of 1919 that Darrell 0. Beiter’ s death was confined by the war department. Beiter was also newly married to Thelma Lewis of Newcomerstown just prior to his enlistment.

Names of these men and others like them who served in the armed forces during World War I are listed below. Most of those who served during World War I wrote letters home to loved ones and many of those letters were published weekly in the Newcomerstown News.

News of the Armistice was “received with joy,” throughout the village. “Automobiles loaded with men and boys shooting firearms, blowing horns and otherwise creating a big noise, were driven about the streets” (Newcomerstown News, November 13, 1918). Businesses closed their shops and allowed employees to take part in the celebration. A parade was soon organized. It was called “one of the biggest demonstrations ever held in Newcomerstown, and the noisiest.”

4.3 million Americans served our country during World War I, 126,000 died, 234,300 were wounded and 4,526 were listed as missing in action or prisoners of war.