From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott & Charles Riggle

"Well I will see you Christmas for sure...I would not of come but I knew you would have a conniption fit if I didn’t."

In his twelfth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes that he expects to be home for Christmas for three or four days. He wants the visit to be a surprise but he wants to make sure that his best girl, Minnie's friend Cleo, will be there. He's glad he's not one of the boys who won't get to go home because they were caught playing poker. As usual, Les mentions his mules as well as his brother-in-law Dutch Riggle.

Elsewhere on the same day, British psychiatrist W.H. Rivers presented his report titled, "The Repression of War Experience," to the Royal School of Medicine. The report focused on the phenomenon dubbed "shell shock," the disturbing psychological and physical effects on soldiers subjected to the horrors of long term combat in the trenches during the Great War. We now refer to similar effects as "post traumatic stress disorder."

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his twelfth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, December 4, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's December 4, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-december-4-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "Medley of Southern airs," Fred J. Bacon, banjo, 1920, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694032/

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.

"Believe me we have some bad mules here. We have one we call dynamite nitro glycerin. It takes four or five men to harness him..."

In his eleventh letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes wistfully (on Thanksgiving Day, 1917) about hearing the "hounds running and the rabbit hunters shooting," an activity he himself engaged in the prior Thanksgiving. He writes about having turkey, pumpkin pie, fruit cake, oysters, oranges and even a five-cent cigar. He says he'll be getting a raise despite talk of "motorizing" the mule companies. He admits he doesn't know much about the war but if the papers are to be believed, the "Dutch" (Germans) are losing. Yet he thinks he'll be sent to France soon as activities in camp have settled down. He then names some of the men in the photo of his company that he has sent home and discusses the bad behavior of some of the mules.

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his eleventh letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 29, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's November 29, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-29-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "Junk Man Rag," Roberts, [Luckyeth] (composer), Victor Military Band (performer), 1913, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010646/

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.

"You wanted to know what I was going to do Thanksgiving. I am going to get my teeth fixed. I got one pulled. I only have two to fix."

In his tenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes that he still isn't sure if he'll get furlough a few days later for Thanksgiving (November 29 in 1917). If he doesn't make it home, he plans to get his teeth fixed for the holiday. He only has two to fix, he notes. He says that he and the men asked for a transfer to France and were told they would be there soon. As his brother-in-law Dutch Riggle mentioned in his letter of the previous day (see Podcast #13), Lester talks about the transfer of the infantry men, including Wheeling friend Walter Toland (W.T.). Lester doesn't miss Walter, but says Dutch seems happy. Lester also mentions the snow but disagrees with Dutch about how cold it is. Les still only needs a shirt. Lester promises to let Minnie know when he arrives at Elm Grove so she can meet him. Finally, as he so often does in his letters home, he mentions Cleo, a friend of his sister and a person of great importance to Lester. Stay tuned for more about the mysterious Cleo, who will have her own podcast in this series next spring.

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his tenth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 25, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's November 25, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-25-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "Hail Columbia ; Star Spangled Banner," 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: 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.

"Guarding is the only thing i don't like in the army. I tell you a fellow get lonesome tramping the post."

In his fourth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 24, 1917, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how several infantry men (including a Wheeling friend named Walter Toland) were moved to a new barracks, giving Dutch and brother-in-law Lester Scott (our other letter writing soldier) more room. Dutch notes that it has snowed and is cold for the first time since he's been in Virginia. He talks about his disdain for guarding a barn full of mules (Lester was a mule driver), a lonely duty. Dutch seems to prefer washing dishes and peeling potatoes on KP (kitchen patrol). He reminisces about fox and raccoon hunting and speculates about whether he'll be home for the holidays before crossing the "pond" to France.

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 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 fourth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 24, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's November 24, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-24-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com).

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.

Music: "Bugle Call Rag," Metropolitan Military Band, 1915, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035785/

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.

"I will wait and see if I have to go to France but I have begin to think I will never get to go over..."

In his ninth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes about his dinner of fresh pork and tomato catsup, how hot it remains in Virginia, his mule driving prowess, the insurance he plans to purchase in case "anything should happen," how he has quit smoking cigarettes in favor of his pipe, and how easy he has it around camp. Interestingly, he asks Minnie what she thinks of the Germans "surrendering" to France. This could be a reference to the minor French victory at La Malmaison in late October 1917, during which the French forced a six mile retreat of the German 7th Army, which suffered twice as many casualties as their opponents. The Germans recaptured the position a few months later.

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his eighth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 18, 1917.

A World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers were trained. Scott served as a Wagoner (mule team driver) in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home from Camp Lee, September 30, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's September 24, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-september-24-1917

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "The U.S. Field Artillery March," Sousa, John Philip (arranger), New York Military Band (performer), 1921, courtesy Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/item/00694042/

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.

In his eighth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes about how he hopes to be home for Christmas, how he is driving two pairs of mules, a fellow mule driver from West Liberty named Calvin Davis, how fine the weather has been, and a few other odds and ends about everyday life at camp.

A World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers were trained. Scott served as a Wagoner (mule team driver) in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his letter home from Camp Lee, November 16, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's November 16, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-16-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: Castle's half and half | James Reese(composer), 1916, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010715

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.

"If you could see this training camp you would not think Germany would last long..."

In his seventh letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes, rather humorously, about his adventures in guard duty, including encounters with a soldier who refused to wear his uniform and another who was inebriated. Lester is happy to note that the "mule skinners" finally have their mules and will be able to start driving them. He talks about sending pictures home of the Ohio County boys. He requests "mince pie" and refers again to Minnie's brother-in-law Dutch Riggle, who has "gained 15 lbs." Lester talks about a soldier with poor hygiene who is disliked by the other men, and he mentions the liberty bonds he has signed over to his sister, in case anything should happen to him.

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his seventh letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 5, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's November 5, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-5-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: True to the Flag March | United States Marine Band, 1922, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694039/

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.

For content, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle’s third letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated November 2, 1917, is one of the best in this series. In it, he tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, about how training camp has made him bigger and stronger and how it has changed their brother-in-law Lester into a “brute of a man.” Dutch expresses his concerns about having to go to France now that the "Germans are going after the Italians." Interestingly, Dutch comments on the 7,000 black soldiers that have recently arrived in camp. Some of them are singers. Dutch has been shoeing mules (brother-in-law Lester is a mule driver) to drive the guns, but Dutch fears the mules will be replaced by motors, which “won’t take much shoeing.” Dutch talks about training (plenty of foot work but not much gun training) and guard duty, and thinks the field artillery to be “the safest place a soldier can get in the army.” Both Dutch and Lester served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division. The infantry and machine guns would be ahead of him on the battlefield, providing some cushion. Dutch says there are three field artillery regiments with six companies in each. He ends by turning to subjects back home, including his hounds, his brother’s potato crop, and coming home for Christmas.

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 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 third letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 2, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Charles Riggle's November 2, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-2-1917-charles-riggle-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (walswheeling.com).

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.

Music: "Castle Walk," Meacham, F. W. (composer);

Dabney, [Ford] (composer); Prince's Band, 1914, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010714/

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.

In his sixth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, informs his sister that rumors of his illness and hospitalization are “a bad mistake.” In fact, he feels better that he ever has in his life. He discusses a recreational trip away from camp during which many games were played and how all the mule drivers have been moved to the same barracks. He promises to have a picture taken to send home. He doesn’t think he’ll be in any danger hauling supplies, but believes the American troops will “scatter” the Germans. He mentions Dutch Riggle, the brother of his sister's husband, and our second letter writer, who is also at Camp Lee.

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his fifth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, November 2, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's November 2, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-november-2-1917-lester-scott-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "Porcupine Rag," Johnson, Chas. J. (composer), New York Military Band, 1915, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035782/

In his fifth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, discusses his first five weeks at Camp Lee. Topics include how much he enjoys driving mules (he's been given a steady job hauling supplies for $3 per month), how taking care of the mules reminds him of caring for his colts back home, an early snowfall in the Valley, Lester’s painful boxing match with Charles Lewis from Elm Grove, the postcards he sent home, and the “moving pictures” he’s looking forward to seeing. The letter is signed "Scotty."

 

Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his fifth letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, October 29, 1917.

Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's October 29, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/camp-lee-great-war-october-29-1917-podcast

Credits:

"From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com).

Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. 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.

Music: "Hot Time in the Old Town," Metz, Theo (composer), Victor Military Band (performer), 1917, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010764/

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.