Pulaski County GaArchives History .....Red Cross, Hawkinsville 1935
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 29, 2004, 3:37 pm

p. 137

THE RED CROSS IN HAWKINSVILLE

   In the spring of 1917 America was preparing for war. Germany had defied and
trampled under the ruthless foot of the warrior all laws protecting neutrals,
had ignored international law, and worse, had disregarded the laws of humanity.
The United States Government had broken off diplomatic relations with Germany
and recalled our minister. Actual declaration of war was imminent when, in
March, 1917, about 40 patriotic citizens of Hawkinsville answered the call to
meet and form a Red Cross Chapter.

   Mrs. W. C. McAllister presided over the meeting, and Miss Elsie Ragan and
Col. Lucian Whipple spoke on the great work of the American Red Cross, that
splendid humane society which aids suffering humanity everywhere in peace times,
but still more actively in war.

   With these facts forcefully called to their attention the citizens of
Hawkinsville were not slow in forming an active local chapter of the American
Red Cross. The following officers were elected to serve for the first year:
Chairman, Miss Elsie Ragan; Vice Chair-man, Mrs. R. G. Stone; Secretary, Mrs. H.
F. Lawson; Treasurer, E. W. Coney. Dr. R. G. Stone, H. F. Lawson, and W. V.
Bell, Executive Committee. A membership committee canvassed the town securing a
large enrollment as active members.

   And so, when on April 8, 1917, the patience of our nation was exhausted and
war was formally declared against Germany, and finally the call was issued for
troops, and cantonments, training camps and hospitals were being located rapidly
in every part of the country-when America became a nation in arms, the
Hawkinsville Chapter of the American Red Cross was ready for service. A charter
was granted on June 8, 1917.

   Work rooms were established at the 0cmulgee clubrooms and a large corps of
women gathered daily to prepare bandages and other supplies needed by the Red
Cross. Mrs. William Yates and Mrs. George Riley of the Macon Chapter were our
first instructors in bandage making; later, Mrs. Lockett, wife of Major Lockett,
surgeon at Camp Wheeler, spent ten days in teaching the regular Red Cross in
surgical dressings.

   A class of 30 received certificates in the course and hundreds of boxes of
dressings were prepared and shipped, all of them commended as up to the standard
requirements in every way. The religious, patriotic and civic organizations
cooperated most loyally with the Chapter.

   The Home Service Department did heroic work in caring for the families of
soldiers and in rendering aid to the poor and destitute of the community. The
Negroes were organized into a colored

p. 138

auxiliary and were encouraged to work to aid the soldiers of their own race.
Active auxiliaries were also established in Finleyson and in several of the
country districts; for patriotic endeavor was not limited to towns, but was
practically universal. Aid was rendered in all the Liberty Loan campaigns
through the Red Cross organization.

   The work of the Chapter continued with unflagging zeal through-out the period
of the war. The armistice of November 11, 1918, put a joyous end to the most
pressing needs, but the Red Cross still exists, an active force for relief work
in all communities. Cases of need in Pulaski County have been helped and the
annual anti-tuberculosis campaigns have been supported.

   The present officers are as follows: Mrs. A. T. Fountain, chair-man; W. N.
Pate, co-chairman; Mrs. Nina Pate, secretary; D. P. McGriff, treasurer.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from 
"HISTORY OF PULASKI COUNTY GEORGIA"

OFFICIAL HISTORY

COMPILED BY THE HAWKINSVILLE CHAPTER
DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
PRESS OF WALTER W. BROWN PUBLISHING COMPANY
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

(1935)

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