Tipton County IN Archives Military Records.....History Of Co. I WWI Co. I, 1st IN National Guard ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 18, 2007, 11:05 pm History Of Co. I COMPANY I On April 12, 1917, Cleon Wade Mount received the following message from Harry B. Smith, Adjutant General of Indiana: "I am sending you blank forms for organization of a company of infantry at Tipton, and you are authorized to proceed with the enrollment at once. As soon as a sufficient number of names have been secured a medical officer and a recruiting officer will be sent to your city to complete the work of organization and muster of the company." Previous to this date Mr. Mount had talked with several young men concerning a company of Indiana National Guard, and the effect of this message was to arouse them to immediate action, so that on April 24 the company was mustered in 64 strong by Major Pearl Davis. By authority of Governor James P. Goodrich commissions were issued to Cleon Wade Mount as Captain, Charles L. Hughes, 1st Lieutenant, and Curtis A. Bassfofd, 2nd Lieutenant, and they were assigned to Company I and placed in the 1st Indiana Infantry. By proclamation of the President of the United States the various National Guard organizations were drafted into federal service and the companies mobilized at their home rendezvous on August 5, 1917, Co. I having for its armory the old West Street Christian church. Training of the men and acceptance of recruits was carried on at the home rendezvous until September 7, 1917, when the companies and regiments of the Indiana National Guard mobilized at Fort Harrison. Company I, although it came from the smallest town and county of any in the National Guard, reported at Fort Harrison with 148 accepted men, having next to the largest company of any in the state service. On September 27 the 1st Indiana Infantry entrained for Camp Shelby, Misssissippi, arriving there the 30th. On the following day, October 1, it lost its designation as a National Guard company and became the 151st U. S. Infantry, a part of the 38th Division. Training of the men was carried on at Camp Shelby until June 5, 1918 when a large part of the enlisted men of the company, except the non-commissioned officers, were transferred to what was termed the Camp Shelby replacement and sent overseas and scattered throughout the A. E. F. Many of the men transferred at that time were privileged to see active service on the firing line, two of the Tipton county men that left with the company, Cecil Pickard and Oral Wiseheart, of near Kempton, being killed in action. For rest Martz received two citations for bravery in action, one from General Pershing and one from the Italian government. These were wounded or gassed, Claude Phifer Edward Youngman, Leroy Smith, Ebert Lawson, Harry Whitcomb, Chesley McGill and Virgil Crafton. After the June replacement men had left the company was again filled by draft from the southern states. Lieutenant Bassford was transferred to the Aerial Observation Corps with his grade of 2nd Lieutenant. Four of the Tipton county men attended candidates school and were promoted to grade of 2nd Lieutenant as follows: Ova H. Johnson to 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry, John D. Smith, Jr., to 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery, Milton G. Reitenour to 2nd Lieutenant Quartermasters Corps and Kelsie Warne to 2nd Lieutenant, in Machine Gun department. These men were assigned to other organizations and none of them had the opportunity to go overseas. On September 15, 1918 Company I left Camp Shelby, going to Camp Mill, N. Y., and were equipped for overseas duty. On October 4 they left Camp Mills for Quebec for the purpose of embarking for Europe. Just as the ship that was to transport Company I was docking a fire was discovered in her hold that had been caused by the explosion of an incendiary bomb. Three unexploded bombs were found indicating that they had been placed in the ship by German agents apparently for the purpose of firing the ship when it was well out at sea—a disaster which was prevented by the premature explosion. The fire made the ship unseaworthy and consequently the troops that were to sail on that ship were detained at Quebec for ten days waiting for another ship and convoy. On October 15 they embarked on the Nagoya and sailed down the St Lawrence and across the Atlantic, arriving at Tillbury, England, October 26th. After a stay of three days at Camp Willowdown, Winchester, they moved to Southampton, across the English Channel and landed at La Havre, France, November 1, 1918 Five days later they were received at Le Mans, the forwarding camp for the American forces. Company I was "busted up" as the boys expressed it, and the men and officers sent forward as replacements. The entire personnel, enlisted and commissioned, was scattered all over the A. E. F., some going to the forces on the fighting line, some to the service of supplies. Captain Mount was assigned to Co. I, 23d (regular army) Infantry, which was a part of the famous second division. Lieutenant Hughes became the billeting officer for the 89th Infantry. Those of the Tipton men who were privileged to go to the front line troops were assigned to the fourth division: They were in reserve at Metz on November 11 and were later sent with the Army of Occupation for several months service. Three of the company, Hugh Holloway, Dewey Porter and George Capsas were detailed as Prisoners of War Escorts and were the last to leave France. Prior to the first call for replacement men in June 1918, the original 151st Infantry was ranked as being by far the best regiment in the 38th Division, was graded by the War Deparment as being one of the very best in the service, and Company I was considered by the regimental commander as second to none in his regiment. This company during its entire existence as a company never had a death of a single man, while belonging to the company, a record equalled by few companies in the service the same length of time. The following roster of Company I includes only the Tipton county men: Captain—Cleon Wade Mount. 1st Lieutenant—Charles L. Hughes. 2nd Lieutenant—Curtis A. Bassford. 1st Sergeant—Milton G. Reitenour. Supply Sergeant-—Joseph Tragesser. Mess Sergeant—Dallas Warne. Sergeants—Jesse Coleman, Paul Curry, Hugh Epperson, Ova Johnson, Benjamin Katon, Theodore Spaulding, Harry Thompson, Robert Williams, Guy Weaver. Corporals—Warren Baker, Merle Bower, Glen Burton, George Capsas, Charles Ehman, Lester Hoffman, Glen Holliday, Hugh Holloway, Garrett Jackson, Forrest Martz, Dewey Porter, Fred D. Saissline, John D. Smith, Kelsie Warne, Glen Whisler. Mechanics—Walter Reed, Frank Cullen, John C. Pickett. Cooks—Harvey Sparks, Logan Harding. Musicians—Fred Falconberry, Claud James. First Class Privates—Leroy Burton, Loyd Emehiser, Carl Florea, Clem Kigin, Alonzo Lakey, Ebert Lawson, Merl Malicoat, Lee Mason, Will McAvoy, Loren Myerly, Roy Osborn, Albert Plake, Leroy Plake, Thomas R. Small, (2) Leroy Smith, Earl Snyder Stanley Springer, Edward Spurgeon, Rufus Utterback, Henry Versmesse. Privates—Robert Alspaugh, Luther Brown, Glen Coy, Noah Goodnight, Vernie Hoffman, Paul Hutto, John S. Jung, Thomas Kinder, Emmett Malicoat, Chesley McGill, David McNew, Marshall Miller, Claude Nelson, Burl Parish, James Perry. Claude Phifer, Cecil Pickard, Ralph Ray, Frank Recobs, Orval Redmon, Loyd Richey, Jay Robbins, Walter Roush, Sam Ryan, John Samuels, Carl Shuck, Thomas R. Small, (1) Fred A. Smith, Charles Sparks, Harry Whitcomb, Raymond Whitehead, Cecil Woods, William York, Edward Youngman. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF TIPTON COUNTY, INDIANA IN THE WORLD WAR Compiled and Edited by EBERT ALLISON THE DAILY TRIBUNE TIPTON, INDIANA Undated, but circa 1920 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/tipton/military/ww1/other/ucoi1stin18gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb