New Kent's Woman Yeoman

Personal and Brief Items Gathered Prom Mountains to Seashore.

Mrs. J.R. Taylor and her daughter, Miss Lucy Taylor, passed through town on last Saturday afternoon for their home at "Eltham." New Kent. It will be remembered that Miss Taylor, after a spell of influenza in Norfolk, where she was enrolled as a yeoman*, in making an effort to reach her home on the Norfolk and Western train about two weeks ago fainted. When she reached Petersburg she was placed in the care of the Red Cross, and was taken to a hospital, where she was attended by physicians, who sought in vain to find out something about the curious malady that robbed this young lady of her memory for two weeks. There was nothing about her belongs  that could enlighten her attendants. In the meantime her parents, having heard that she had left Norfolk for home, started out to search for her. Suddenly her memory returned, and her parents were notified, and she was restored to them. The papers said she was from West Point. West Point is her post-office station, but her home is at historic "Eltham," New Kent, Va.

- Richmond Times-Dispatch, 10 November 1918


*Find here the link to an interesting piece about the women yeomen of the First World War.

Reuben Burrell and the Champagne, Sep- Oct 1918 - II

More on Reuben Burrell

In addition to the 369th Infantry Regiment (old New York Fifteenth) and the 370th (old Eighth Illinois), the 371st and 372nd Regiments, also composed of colored troops, were brigaded with the French during their active service overseas. It had been first decided by the United States War Department that these four colored regiments should form the nucleus of the 93rd Division (Provisional), but it was finally decided not to organize the 93rd Division, but to brigade these four regiments with French troops.

The 371st Infantry was organized August 31, 1917, at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, in compliance with War Department General Order No. 109, of August 16, 1917, as the First Provisional Infantry Regiment (colored). Col. Perry L. Miles assumed' command of the regiment September 1, 1917. All the officers of the 371st regiment were white. On September 5, 1917, fourteen colored men from Pensacola, Florida, were received as the first recruits for the regiment. The time of arrival of recruits for the regiment was delayed by the War Department for about a month, because of the shortage of labor in moving the 1917 cotton crop. It was not until early in October that the first considerable body of recruits was received. By November 20, 1917, however, 3,380 men had been received by the regiment. These men were not all received at once, but in varying sized draft increments at different times. Of this number, 1,680 men were transferred to labor organizations and 500 to a combat organization at Camp Upton.

Under a staff of French officer instructors and interpreters the 371st Infantry was reorganized on the French plan, soon after its arrival in France (April 23, 1918), with 194 men to the company and three machine gun companies to the regiment instead of one as on the American plan. All the American equipment was turned in, and the men were given the French rifles, bayonets, helmets, packs, and other equipment of the French soldier. Only the American khaki uniform remained. After a few weeks' instruction in this new equipment and in French tactics, the regiment went into the trenches as part of the 157th French Division under General Goybet. It remained in line for over three months, holding first the Avocourt and later the Verrières. subsectors (northwest of Verdun). The regiment, with its division, was then taken out of line and thrown into the great September offensive in the Champagne. It took Cote 188, Bussy Ferme, Ardeuil, Montfauxelles, and Trieres Ferme near Monthois, and captured a number of prisoners, 47 machine guns, 8 trench engines, 3 field pieces (77s), a munition depot, a number of railroad cars, and enormous quantities of lumber, hay, and other supplies. It shot down three German airplanes by rifle and machine-gun fire during the advance. 

Flag of the 157

During the fighting between September 28 and October 6, 1918, its losses---which were mostly in the first three days---were 1,065 out of 2,384 actually engaged. The regiment was the apex of the attacking salient in this great battle. The percentage of both dead and wounded among the officers was rather greater than among the enlisted men. Realizing their great responsibilities, the wounded officers continued to lead their men until they dropped from exhaustion and lack of blood. The men were devoted to their, leaders and as a result stood up against-a most gruelling fire, bringing the regiment its well deserved fame.

-Scott's Official History of the American Negro in the World War- Emmett J. Scott, A.M., LL.D.
Secretary of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. (Eighteen years Private Secretary to the Late Booker T. Washington )

For its extraordinary service in the Champagne offensive, the entire regiment was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm.  In addition, three of the officers of the 371st were awarded the French Legion of Honor, 123 men won the Croix de Guerre and 26 earned the Distinguished Service Cross.  Corporal Freddie Stowers won the Medal of Honor.

- http://371regiment.homestead.com

"I grappled the Boche at the throat and made him yell for mercy. Our glorious comrades who died are well avenged. ”- General Goybet, commander of the 157th Division

General Mariano Francisco Julio Goybet

Reuben Burrell and the Champagne, Sep- Oct 1918 - I

Citation 

BURRELL, REUBEN
Private, U.S. Army
Machine-Gun Company, 371st Infantry Regiment, 93d Division, A.E.F. 

Date of Action: September 30, 1918 

Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Reuben Burrell, Private, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Champagne Sector, France, September 30, 1918. Private Burrell, although painfully wounded in the knee, refused to be evacuated, stating that if he went to the rear there would not be enough left for his group to function.
General Orders No. 46, W.D., 1919
Home Town: Conshohocken, PA

 His birthplace is listed as New Kent, Virginia.

This would be the same Reuben Burrell listed in the Census of 1910 as part of the household of Nathan Burrell in Cumberland District

Head Nathan W Burrell M 65  

Son         Rebedee Burrell M 23  

Daughter Ada Burrell F 21 

Daughter Josephine Burrell F 26  

Son         Ruben Burrell M 16  

Son         James H Burrell M 14  

Son         Clarence Burrell M 12

Some of the Burrells went to the Philadelphia area (Conshohocken is between Philadelphia and King of Prussia) around the time of first World War. 

Next-  more on Burrell and the 371st Regiment

"High-Priced Labor and Low-Priced Potatoes"

A WAIL FROM NEW KENT

High-Priced Labor and Low-Priced Potatoes Bring Trouble- Government Asked to Regulate.

There comes a cry from New Kent County. Some of the farmers down that way who sell all of their produce on the Richmond market seem to be in hard lines. Charles E. Palmatier, a truck, and general farmer, living in that county sixteen miles from Richmond was in the city the other day, and. speaking for himself and neighbors to a Times-Dispatch man:

"We New Kent farmers have been trying to answer the call to duty by making bigger crops than ever before. We did make good crops of potatoes and truck, such as salad, etc., and to do so we had to pay higher prices for labor than ever before. Because of the scarcity and high price of labor we cannot raise potatoes for less than $1 per bushel, and this week I could not get over 60 cents per bushel for them on Cary Street. It was at similar sacrifice figures I had to sell salads and other truck. At such ruinous figures we will just have to quit farming in New Kent this year- will, anyhow"

"If the government demands of us to stay on the farm and make bigger crops it should come to our relief, and not let do business at such a loss. The government has fixed prices on wheat and corn and some other products as well as upon many articles of commerce. Why not go the whole thing and fix prices on all of the extra stuff it demands that the farmers shall grow in abundance? Why should it leave off so important an item as potatoes? Seems to me it might guarantee us as much as $1.25 per bushel. That would give us a little profit, and we would be satisfied."

Mr. Palmatier also expressed the opinion that such back-lot gardening in the city has much hurt the truckers very much.

-Richmond Times-Dispatch, 08 April 1918

Armistice Day

Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps
Washington


16 September, 1937


To whom it may concern:

The records of this office show that James Whitfield Timberlake, born August 28, 1889, at Barhamsville, Virginia, enlisted in the Marine Corps December 15, 1917, at Parris Island, S.C. After completion of recruit training at that place, he was transferred to Qunatico, Virginia, joining the 138th Company, 2nd Replacement Battalion. With that organization, he embarked in the U.S.S. Henderson March 13, 1918, and went ashore in France March 27, 1918. He was assigned to the 76th Company, 6th Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps, April 26 1918, and participated in active engagements against the enemy in the Toulon Sector, April 26 to May 13; Aisne Operation, June 1 to 5; Chateau-Thierry Sector (Belleau Wood), June 6 to July 16; and in the Aisne-Marne Offensive, July 18 and 19, 1918, on which date he was severely wounded in action and died. He had been assigned Army serial #304,710.

His remains are now permanently buried in Grave #10, Block "C", Row #11, Oise-Aisne Cemetery #608, situated near Seringes et Nesles, Department of Aisne, France.

At the time of his enlistment, Private Timberlake stated that his next of Kin was Mrs. Hallie M. Timberlake, mother, Barhamsville, Virginia.

R.H. Jeschke
Major, Asst. Adjutant and Inspector
U.S. Marine Corps.


Furnished to:
S.W. Lacy, Clerk
County of New Kent
New Kent, Virginia.

-from a letter in the New Kent County World War One Memorial Book in the mircroform records of the Library of Virginia.

"Regimental increments arrived in France during late 1917 and early 1918. Upon arrival, the 6th Marine Regiment joined the 5th Marine Regiment and the 6th Machine Gun Battalion to form the 4th Brigade, U.S. 2nd Division (Regular), American Expeditionary Force. The early spring was devoted to training under French tutelage." 

"The U.S. 2nd Division was attached to the French XX Corps to conduct a counterattack near Soissons in mid-July. The 6th Regiment was held in reserve when the initial assault waves went over the top on 18 July. The next day, the 6th Marine Regiment stepped off, advancing alone from Vierzy toward Tigny, but was stopped short of the objective by intense artillery and machine gun fire. Casualties were extremely heavy, estimated at 50 to 70% in most units. First Lieutenant Clifton B. Cates (a future commandant of the Marine Corps) reported only about two dozen of more than 400 men survived and added '... There is no one on my left, and only a few on my right. I will hold."[7] Regimental losses during the Aisne-Marne Offensive numbered 1,431; 19 July 1918 is the single costliest day of fighting in the history of the 6th Marine Regiment."

 From the Wikipedia entry on the 6th Marine.