William A. Smith

Private, Inf., Co. I, 30th Div., 120th Regt.; of Davidson County; son of J. W. and Mrs. M. E. Smith. Entered service Jan. 15, 1915, at Lexington, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, S. C. Sailed for France May 17, 1918. Fought at Hindenburg Line, Bellicourt and Nauroy from Sept. 9, 1918, to Oct. 1, 1918; Premont, Brancourt, Oct. 8, 1918; Busigny, Oct. 9, 1918; Becquigny Bohain, L. Hale, Mendress, Oct. 10, 1918, to Oct. 11, 1918; St. Martin River, Mazinghein Heights of Catillon, Oct. 17, 1918, to Oct. 19, 1918. Returned to USA April 13, 1919. Mustered out at Camp … Read more

William Fred Saintsing

Private. Born in Davidson County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Saintsing. Husband of Mrs. Annie Saintsing. Entered the service Aug. 26, 1918, at Lexington, N.C. Was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., and sailed for France Oct. 28, 1918. Landed in the USA May 26, 1919, and was mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., May 30, 1919.

James G. Ayers

Private, Supply Co., F. A., 81st Div., 317th F. A. Born in Davidson County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Ayers. Entered the service at Statesville, N.C., April 1, 1918. Was sent to Camp Jackson, and sailed for France June, 1918. Returned to USA Oct. 1, 1918, and died at Lakewood, N. J., May 9, 1919. Buried at Lexington at Ebenezer Cemetery.

Riley Edison Beck

Private, Bureau of Aircraft Production of 80th Squadron, 4th Provisional Regt.; of Davidson County; son of Harvey L. and Mrs. Gertrude Beck. Entered service July 29, 1918, at Lexington, N.C. Sent to Vancouver Barracks, July, 1918. Transferred to Camp Gordon. Jan. 23, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Gordon, Feb. 1, 1919.

Watson Lee Saintsing

Private, 318th F. A., 81st Div., Btry. D. Born in Davidson County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Saintsing. Entered the service at Lexington, N.C., May 29, 1917. Was sent to Camp Jackson, S. C., and from there to Camp Mills. Sailed for France Aug. 7, 1918. Returned to USA Feb. 4, 1919, and was mustered out Feb. 29, 1919.

John D. Needham

Private 1st Class, Co. H, 108th Inf., 27th Div. Son of J. D. and Mary Needham, of Davidson County. Entered service July 21, 1917, at Buffalo, N. Y. Sent to Camp Wadsworth, S. C. Transferred to Camp Stuart, Va. Sailed for France May 30, 1918. Fought at Hindenburg Line, Versailles, E. Poperingue and Dickerbusch Sector. Was gassed at Hindenburg Line Sept. 29, 1918; then went to 73rd General Trouville Hospital, France. Returned to USA March 6, 1919, and was mustered out of service at Camp Upton, N. Y., March 31, 1919.

Sam J. Tesh

Fireman, U. S. S. Utah (Naval). Born in Davidson County; the son of E. Tesh and Mrs. Lula Tesh. Entered service Dec. 8, 1917, at Winston-Salem, N.C. Sent to Berkley, Va., and sailed for France Aug. 28, 1918, convoying troop ships in and out of Base Bantry Bay, Ireland. Mustered out at New York City Jan. 20, 1919.

Charles E. Tomlinson

Private, Hdqrs. Co., 30th Div., 120th Inf. Born January 21, 1899; son of E. I. and Jennie Tomlinson, of Davidson County. Enlisted for service Oct. 22, 1917, at Greensboro, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, S. C. Overseas to Calais, France, June 5, 1918. Fought at Ypres, Belgium, Bellicourt and other engagements with 30th. Landed in the USA April 10, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 14, 1919.

David Hamit Harris

1st Class Private, 120th Inf., Co. L, Div. 30th, 3rd Reg. Born May 13, 1889; son of T. F. and M. L. Harris, of Davidson County. Entered service June 5, 1917, at Thomasville, N.C. Was sent to Camp Sevier, S. C., September, 1917. Transferred to Camp Merritt, N. J. Sent to France May, 1918. Fought at Ypres, Belgium. Killed at Ypres, Belgium, August 4, 1918. Buried at Poperinghe. Hamit D. Harris was the first Thomasville boy to make the supreme sacrifice in the cause of freedom and righteousness, and he was one among the bravest and best. He lived a … Read more

Lawrence O. Warser

Sergt., Inf., Co. A, 30th Div., 120th Regt.; of Davidson County; son of D. L. and Mrs. Noella Warser. Entered service April 14, 1916, at Lexington. Served on border. Entered Federal service Oct. 2, 1917, at Lexington. Transferred to Camp Sevier, to Camp Merritt, N. J. Sailed for France May 28, 1918. Fought at Hindenburg Drive, Ypres, Belgium, two months. Wounded by shrapnel at the Hindenburg Line Sept. 29, 1918. Sent to 1st Southern Gen. Hospital, Birmingham, Eng., U. S. Hospital Gen. No. 20, Ft. McHenry, Md., nine months. Landed in USA Dec. 16, 1918. Mustered out at Ft. McHenry … Read more

Spurgeon T. Ayers

Sergt., C. A. C., Battery E, 61st Reg. Born in Davidson County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Ayers. Entered the service at Statesville, N.C., July 26, 1911. Was sent to camp in Columbus, Ohio, and from there to Ft. Varrancas, Fla. Transferred to Camp Eustis, Va. Sailed for France September, 1918. Returned to USA March 8, 1919. Served on the Mexican border, 1916, at Del Rio, Texas. Mustered into the Reserves.

R. B. Talbert

Sup. Sergt., Co. L, 30th Div., 120th Regt. Son of R. L. and Mrs. M. D. Talbert, of Davidson County. Entered service June 16, 1916, at Thomasville, N.C. Sent to Camp Glenn, N.C., later to Mexican border from Oct. 2, 1916, to March 15, 1917. Transferred to Camp Sevier, then to Camp Merritt, N. J. Sailed from Boston harbor May 17, 1918, for Calais, France; landed June 5th. Was in all engagements with 120th Inf., 30th Div. Landed in the USA April 13, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 17, 1919.

Herbert O. Johnson

Private, 321st Inf., Co. G, 81st Div. Born in Davidson County; the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Johnson. Entered the service May 29, 1918, at High Point, N.C. Was sent to Camp Jackson., from there to Camp Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Camp Upton, N. Y. Sailed for France July 30, 1918. Fought at Meuse-Argonne. Returned to USA June 21st. Landed at Newport News, Va., and was mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., June 27, 1919.

Will C. Carlton

Corpl., Co. A, 30th Div., 120th Inf. Born May 20, 1895; son of W. L. and A. L. Carlton, of Davidson County. Husband of Mrs. Ethel Carlton. Entered service Aug. 12, 1917, at Lexington, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, S. C., Aug. 12, 1917. Transferred to Camp Merritt. Sailed May 12, 1918, for France, landing May 28, 1918. Fought at Ypres-Lys Offensive July 21, 1918, until September of the same year; Somme Offensive September 19th; Bellicourt, Premont, St. Martin’s River, Busigny. Arrived in the USA April 11, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, April 17, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Bill Crump

Interviewer: Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed: Bill Crump Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 82 I reckon dat I wus borned in Davidson County on de plantation of Mr. Whitman Smith, my mammy’s marster. My daddy wus named Tom an’ he ‘longed ter Mr. Ben Murry fust an’ later ter Mr. Jimmy Crump. Daddy wus named atter his young marster. Dey lived in Randolph, de county next ter Davidson whar me mammy an’ de rest of de chilluns, Alt, George, Harriet, Sarah, Mary an’ de baby libed. Both of de marsters wus good ter us, an’ dar wus plenty ter eat … Read more

Biography of Charles L. Heitman

The influence of culture and broad professional and worldly experience upon a new community is visible in Idaho as the result of the work and the example of high-minded men like Charles L. Heitman of Rathdrum, Kootenai county, a lawyer who does honor to the law, to the courts, to himself and to the people among whom he lives and whose interests it devolves upon him to serve from day to day. Charles L. Heitman comes of an old North Carolina family, and is a son of Henry N. and Eve (McCrary) Heitman. His father was for sixty years a … Read more

Ellis H. Davis

Mess Sergt., Inf., Co. L, 30th Div., 120th Regt.; of Davidson County. Born Dec. 20, 1894; son of R. and Mrs. T. E. Davis. Entered service July 25, 1917, at Thomasville, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, S. C. Transferred to Camp Merritt. Sailed for France May 17, 1918. Promoted to rank of Sergt. Jan. 10, 1918. Fought at Ypres Lys Offensive, Somme Offensive. Returned to USA April 13, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 18, 1919.

George O. Short

Mechanic, Inf. Replacement, Co. No. 9. Born Oct. 1, 1896; son of D. M. and Julia A. Short, of Davidson County. Entered service April, 1916, at Greensboro, N.C. Was sent to Camp Eagle Pass, Texas. Transferred to Camp Grant, Ill., Oct. 1, 1918. Served on the Mexican border and died at Camp Grant, Ill., Oct. 11, 1918. Buried at Lexington, N.C., Ebenezer Church.

George H. Coggins

1st Class Private. Born in Davidson County; son of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Coggins. Entered the service at Clemson College July 15, 1918. Was sent to Ft. Moultrie, S. C., and from there to Ft. Sumter, S. C. Transferred to Ft. Caswell, N.C., and sailed for France Nov. 2, 1918. Promoted to 1st Class Private Oct. 27, 1918. Sailed from Brest, France, Dec. 26, 1918; landed at Newport News, Va., Jan. 8, 1919. Mustered out at Ft. Monroe, Va., Jan. 19, 1919.

Charles H. Hicks

Wagoner, Co. Supply, 120th Inf., 30th Div.; son of W. A. and Dora Hicks. Husband of Clyda Hopkins Hicks; of Davidson County. Entered service June 19, 1916, at Thomasville, N.C. Sent to Camp at Morehead City, N.C., later to Mexican border. Transferred to Raleigh, N.C., then to Sevier, S. C. Landed at Dover, May 25, 1918, was engaged in all battles with 30th Div., 120th Regt. Returned to USA April 3, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Jackson, S. C., April 8, 1919.