This is a Richest Field Telescope (RFT). Its large achromatic objective lens (5”) and short focal length (24-3/4”) makes it ideal as a “comet hunter.” It has a wide-field of view (4°), low-power magnification (16.5x) and excellent light-gathering ability (f/5). It was constructed as a father-son project by my father John E. “Jack” Voisin (1925-1994) and me, John M. “Mike” Voisin.

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I taped a quarter in a letter to A. Jaegers Optics company to request the plans for this telescope on 4 February 1975. We ordered the parts 26 March 1975 and after they arrived we began work 17 April 1975. Busy most evenings after my father’s normal job, we finished 23 May 1975. The tripod and equatorial mount with custom enhancements took another month to complete.

The telescope was a pre-designed “kit,” but rather than being self-contained, the various parts had to be ordered individually. It was available from, and marketed for several years by, A. Jaegers Optics company, mainly through their catalog and full-page advertisements in Sky and Telescope and other astronomy magazines. They sold the lens, lens cell, tube, a reprint of the instructions, a super-sized eyepiece mount, and a war-surplus, wide angle “super” Erfle eyepiece. We also bought a couple 1-1/4” eyepieces and an adapter to fit the odd 2-19/32” inside-diameter eyepiece mount.

We purchased other items from Edmund Scientific company to complete the telescope. These included the finder scope, finder scope mounts, heavy-duty wooden tripod, German equatorial mount, and electric clock drive.

My father made a custom saddle to attach the telescope to the equatorial mount. He made it from a section of pipe slightly larger in diameter than the telescope tube.

He had access to a machine shop at the pipeline company where he worked. In those days, it was a two-story tall building. Up towards the rafters was a spinning shaft with several large wheels attached. It ran overhead for the length of the building. To use a particular metal saw, drill or lathe, he would throw a lever to engage the machine’s belt to the corresponding wheel spinning overhead. A single large and loud engine powered the drive shaft and consequently any machines having their belts engaged.

My father fabricated a metal disk or plate to enhance the stability inside the tube, adjacent to the eyepiece mount. The original design had such a plate, but Jaegers thought it unnecessary for the super eyepiece mount. We strengthen it because we planned to attach a camera.

Each Edmund Scientific counterweight had a hole bored in the side, but no provision for a set screw to attach a rod and radial counterweight. So my father customized it by threading the existing hole. He then used a lathe to shorten and turn a large bolt to make a small adapter to accept a steel rod. He turned another small counterweight out of solid brass. Once the adapter/rod was screwed into the original counterweight, the smaller counterweight could slide back and forth along the same axis as the telescope tube. Thus we could change out an eyepiece with a heavier camera by simply adjusting the small radial counterweight.

He also used a lathe to turn magnesium-alloy tubing to make adapters for the super eyepiece mount. One was to accept 0.965” eyepieces that came with our existing 2.4” Sears refractor. Another was to attach a single lens reflex (SLR) camera body directly to the eyepiece mount, using the “direct objective” method. Another was to attach an SLR camera using the “negative projection” method. With it, a regular camera tele-converter lens fit inside the adapter, which was then inserted into the barrel of the eyepiece mount.

Although the objective lens was touted as “unsurpassed” and “exceptional,” a former part-time employee, Stephen L. Nightingale, writes online that testing was not rigorous. Our lens unfortunately suffers from comatic aberration, where stars appear to flare out towards the edges of the field. But still, it is a delight to behold the starry sky with this fine instrument. It survives in nearly pristine condition fifty years later. Only the rubber gaskets near the right ascension and declination dials have rotted away and the light-absorbing foam we sprayed black and used to lined the inside of the tube is deteriorating.

Then as today, mail-order shopping was a challenge. In early May 1975 we received the equatorial mount. Unbeknownst to us the price had increased and Edmund Scientific invoiced us an extra $36.55. We probably ordered from an outdated catalog. Quality control was not the best. Some of the small hardware was missing, the plastic pointer on the declination circle was broken off, and the counter-weight set screw was bent during shipment. The finder scope ring mounts were very roughly cast and required filing and re-tapping the set screws.

We ordered two 1-1/4” Orthoscopic eyepieces from A. Jaegers. When we received them, they had substituted a different focal length for one because it was out of stock. The other had an air bubble in the center of the lens and we had to send it back for replacement.

All told, parts and accessories for this telescope cost $533.80 in 1975, not including incidental hardware and supplies. That’s relatively expensive in 2025 dollars at $3,237. Being a kid I didn’t realize just how expensive it was, until now.

A Fifty Year Legacy

My father trained as a “bombagator” during World War II, which was a combination bombardier and navigator in preparation for B-29 bomber flights over Japan. His interest in astronomy was reinforced by his training as a navigator. He frequently sat in a lounge chair on the back patio with a pair of high-power binoculars scanning the stars. He taught me to “navigate” the sky also, pointing out the constellations, every bright star by name, and the galaxies and nebulae.

He instilled in me a great sense of wonder about the universe and he actively encouraged my own interest in astronomy. In the summer of 1973 he bought a small reflector telescope, probably a 3” from Sears or Edmund Scientific. Although exciting, it was difficult to track an object with its altazimuth mount. It was also frustrating to keep collimated. He soon returned it and bought instead a 2.4” refractor from Sears, which I still use today.

During our family summer vacations, we often stopped at places connected with astronomy, like the National Radio Astronomy Observatory,¹ the Kennedy Space Center,² the National Bureau of Standards,³ and the atomic time-signal radio station WWV.⁴ We frequently visited the Abrams Planetarium⁵ during Sunday day-trips to visit relatives. After long hours at his job, he still found time to drive me to monthly meetings of the Sunset Astronomical Society,⁶ a round trip of sixty miles. He wholeheartedly supported me when I was elected club secretary at age 16.

We both, but mainly my father, worked countless hours constructing this 5” RFT, and designing and fabricating parts and accessories. I cherish the time I spent with him, the knowledge and skills he taught me, and the many philosophical conversations we had.

Our last adventure together was a trip to Hawaii to view the total solar eclipse of 1991 and to tour the Mauna Kea observatories. After considerable planning, and preparing all our cameras, lenses, filters, test exposures and tripods for the trip, the clear sky clouded over at the last possible second and we didn’t see totality.

Today when an astronomical event occurs, like a comet, a conjunction, or a lunar or solar eclipse, I recall my father’s enthusiasm and all our planning and discussions. I still set up our equipment, much of it handcrafted by him, and observe the heavens just as he would, just as we did.

Above is the first page of the instructions I purchased from Jaegers for 25 cents. They were a reprint of an article in Amateur Astronomy Handbook ⁷ magazine published in 1960. It was basically an advertisement for Jaegers’ parts. I serendipitously found a copy at a used-book sale several years ago and I was very surprised to turn the page and see it.

Jaegers revised the design to employ their wide-angle Erfle eyepiece and super eyepiece mount.

The illustrations that follow are from the A. Jaegers catalog.⁸

The following are excerpts from the Edmund Scientific catalog.⁹

This illustration is from the instruction manual for the Edmund Scientific clock drive.

Here are two examples of the copious sketches, notes and calculations my father made to design and machine the adapters used to attach a camera to the telescope.

Here is the “negative projection” adapter that resulted from the sketches above, a little worn from use. A Pentax H3 single lens reflex (SLR) camera with a lens extension tube screws onto the 49mm threads protruding from the front of the adapter. Those threads are actually the camera’s regular tele-extender lens. It simply slips into the adapter from the under side. Everything is held in place by thread tension. The adapter with attached camera is then inserted into the telescope’s 2-19/32” super eyepiece mount.

My father turned the adapter below so we could use 0.965” eyepieces from our Sears 2.4” refractor. Notice the set screw is actually a small bolt with a couple nuts that have been rounded over and then knurled with a file. The face of the adapter is a fan shaft friction disk from a John Deere tractor.¹⁰

The next adapter used the “direct objective” method of astrophotography, but it may have been experimental. I don’t recall using it. It employed a combination of old camera filter threads and/or extension tubes to mount the camera body directly to the telescope.

Alternately we could attach this adapter to the front of a regular camera lens just like attaching a camera filter. This used the “afocal” method, but without the telescope eyepiece. The camera lens could also be used in reverse by using a different combination of extension tubes and step-up adapters.

Note the detail in turning these magnesium-alloy tubes. The openings were just wide enough to allow threads to protrude. The metal was thin, but thick enough to hold the device tightly when threaded together. The adapter is slightly smaller in diameter at the back, allowing it to be inserted into the eyepiece mount without binding. The band at the front is thicker, and just smaller than the eyepiece mount opening. It also has a single groove, into which the set screw protrudes when tightened, insuring it will not slip out of the eyepiece mount.

Here is the custom radial counterweight assembly, showing the small bushing turned from a large bolt. It screws into the original counterweight. A steel rod is held in place by a set screw. The brass weight was turned to be just heavy enough to counterbalance any equipment we might attach to the telescope.

Here is the war-surplus wide-angle Erfle eyepiece sold by Jaegers, along with the bushing they sold to use regular 1-1/4” eyepieces with the “super” eyepiece mount.

The photo below from 1975 shows the newly-made accessories. On the left, the camera is attached with an extension tube to the “negative projection” adapter. On the right, a camera lens is attached to the “direct objective” or “afocal” adapter. Bottom right is the 0.965” eyepiece adapter.

Top center is a partially-completed variable-frequency control my father was building to slow down or speed up the electric clock drive for use during astrophotography. He used plans described in the August 1975 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine.¹¹ He went on to other projects though and never finished it.

Here’s the 5” RFT set up in the backyard, 1977.

Here it’s set up to observe the partial solar eclipse of 1979 during my high school physics class. A number 16 welder’s filter covers the objective for safe viewing.

And fifty years later, the 5” RFT is still a tribute to my father’s craftsmanship.

The childhood of my great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin (1855-1916), remained a stubborn mystery after many years of genealogy research. In other essays I described the known facts and many hypotheses. I explored genetic genealogy and used DNA testing to identify numerous distant cousins. However the lack of traditional genealogical evidence like birth, marriage, and census records did not shed light on Joseph’s birth or who his parents were.

Until now. While analyzing my DNA test results, I noticed several distant matches who did not fit my known family tree. I had to determine their lineages based on scant information. Next I found matches we shared in common and I determined their lineages too. I began to identify more and more distant cousins who descend from one man, Theobald Koebel.¹²

I had found no records that connect Joseph Voisin to the Koebel family. Nonetheless the DNA matches showed there was a connection. Then I found Joseph’s long elusive birth record. ¹³

Notice the phrase filius illegitimus, which is Latin for illegitimate son. This is a baptismal record from Saint Joseph Catholic Church at Snyder, Ontario. He was born 10 January 1855 to Joseph Voisin and Catherina Koebel and he was baptized 9 March 1855.

Joseph’s mother Catherina was Theobald Koebel’s daughter, which explains my connection to the Koebel family. His baptismal sponsors were two neighbors, Magdalena (Trendle) Durliat, left, and Joseph Anton Schihl, shown here with his wife Elizabeth Trendle. ¹⁴

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New Germany

The Saint Joseph Catholic Church was completed in 1849 near Black Creek, but the hamlet soon became known as New Germany due to the German-speaking immigrants who settled nearby. It is on the border of Willoughby and Bertie townships in Welland County, Ontario ¹⁵ about 9 miles from Niagara Falls. A priest in 1864 wrote, “there are 50 families here and they are scattered in the woods.” New Germany officially became Snyder when a post office opened there in 1886. ¹⁶

The immigrant Koebel family arrived at New York City on 13 August 1832 aboard the Ship Marengo from Le Havre. ¹⁷ They eventually settled four miles west of New Germany in Humberstone Township, but I cannot determine when. ¹⁸ Theobald Koebel died in 1848 and his death was recorded in the parish register. The earliest land purchase I found was not recorded by Theobald, but by his sons Michael in October 1852 and by Martin in September 1853.

By 1855 Catherina may have lived with one of her brothers, Michael or Martin, who were 10 and 6 years older than her. Joseph was likely born in Humberstone Township and baptized at New Germany. There was no resident priest then, but one would visit occasionally. That may be why his baptism was a couple months after his birth.

His Likely Father

The baptismal record indicates Joseph’s father was Joseph Voisin. Henry Joseph “Joseph” Voisin (1801-1884) and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin (1804-?) had settled about four miles directly north of New Germany in Willoughby Township in 1832. They had two surviving children, a son Joseph Voisin (1827-1899) and a daughter Marie Anne (Voisin) Brinig (1829-?), who were born in Guewenheim in the Haut-Rhin region of France. All four were members of Saint Joseph’s parish. They are listed in this excerpt of a prayer group membership list from about 1852. ¹⁹

So Many Josephs

Which of the two Joseph Voisins was Joseph’s father? Genetic analysis of several distant cousins suggests the elder Henry Joseph was most likely Joseph’s father, but Henry Joseph’s son Joseph is also a possibility. DNA analysis is a matter of probabilities and both alternatives are possible.

My guess is Henry Joseph’s son Joseph was Joseph’s father. He was 27 and close in age to Catherina Koebel, who was 24 when Joseph was born. Henry Joseph was 53, and since he was older and had standing in the community I doubt it was him. His son Joseph on the other hand was a bachelor and may even have courted Catherina.

Furthermore the younger Joseph Voisin left the area about when Joseph was born, and sometime before 1861. He married another woman, Catherine Argus, on 1 January 1862 in Buffalo. He spent the remainder of his life as a carpenter there just across the Niagara River. He came back to Willoughby Township at least once to sell his father’s farm in 1882.

He had a son with Catherine Argus named Joseph Argus Voisin (1869-1936). It is interesting he would name his legitimate son Joseph when his illegitimate son was also named Joseph. But if Henry Joseph were Joseph’s father, he already had a son Joseph as well. Catherina may have named her baby without regard to the father. It was common to name a child after one of the baptismal sponsors, in this case her neighbor Joseph Anton Schihl.

Catherina Marries

Catherina Koebel went on to marry another man, John Guitar (1818-1894), between 1855 and 1857. That was within two years of Joseph’s birth. ²⁰ Alternate spellings of his name are Gittar and Guitard. They had three children together, John (1857-?), ²¹ Michael (1859-?) ²² and Nicholas (1860-?). ²³ Their baptisms were recorded as legitimate children at St. Joseph Church.

Curiously, I have a DNA match with the surname Guitar. His lineage is unknown, but he may descend from a son of John and Catherina Guitar, making him a distant half-cousin.

The following chart summarizes the names and relationships of those involved.

The Guitar family was listed in the 1861 Canadian census (below), although the ages of John and Catherina are inaccurate. ²⁴ In this excerpt, notice Joseph Guitar was listed along with their three legitimate children. I found no birth record for a Joseph Guitar. He was to be age 7 at his next birthday, meaning he was born in 1855. Therefore Joseph Guitar was actually Joseph Voisin, living with his mother Catherina. It is unclear whether Catherina’s husband John officially adopted Joseph, or Joseph simply assumed the Guitar surname because that’s where he lived.

A Dangerous Situation

The Battle of Ridgeway happened in 1866 near Joseph’s home when he was just 11 years old. As one of the Fenian Raids, about 1,300 Irish-Americans left Buffalo by boat and landed across the Niagara River to attack Fort Erie. They were Irish nationalists fighting against British control of Ireland.

An encampment of British soldiers was at New Germany only four miles from Joseph on 2 June 1866. ²⁵ A chaplain attached to that regiment used St. Joseph church to hear confessions from the soldiers. The battle ensued just four miles south of New Germany that same day.

During the few days it lasted the raiders stole food and horses from farmers throughout the area. Some farmers hid their horses in the wooded areas of their properties. It is likely the Guitar and Koebel families were fearful for their lives and property.

The following map shows Colonel Peacocke’s camp at New Germany. ²⁶ The location of the battle is denoted by crossed swords south of Stevensville and north of Ridgeway in Bertie Township.

Catherina Dies

Sadly Joseph’s mother Catherina died 8 September 1867 at age 37. Joseph was only 12 years old.

I have not determined what became of John Guitar and Joseph’s three half-brothers. John died in 1894 in Humberstone Township. It is unclear if he lived in the township during the intervening years. A Michael Koabel was the informant for his death certificate. He was probably a son of one of the original Koebel brothers.

After his mother died, Joseph probably did not live with his Guitar half-brothers. At least by 1871 he was living with his aunt Barbara (Trendle) Koebel (1828-1902), widow of Martin Koebel (1824-1871). He was listed in the 1871 census in her household as Joseph Guitard, age 15, but he was actually 16. ²⁷ Again he was shown as Guitar and not Voisin.

On 19 June 1871 Joseph received the Sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Joseph’s. In this excerpt, he was listed as Joseph Gittar, along with his younger half-brother John. ²⁸

Joseph’s godfather was Mathias Kaufmann, who was a neighbor. He is shown here with his wife Anna Schihl and children. ²⁹

It seems Joseph was known as Joseph Guitar from infancy, perhaps until age 16. In 1871 he may have written his name in his journal. ³⁰ I had thought he wrote it when he was much younger. The year 1871 seems more refined, and written in ink. The missing letter h, the malformed V and misspelled Voisin seem more childlike. However, he may have simply been doodling his “new” name.

By 13 June 1875 though he apparently had taken the surname of his father. In this excerpt he was listed as joining the Gebetsapostolat at St. Joseph’s. ³¹ This was an apostolate of veneration started by French Jesuits. It was a charitable prayer group.

Joseph was finally listed as Joseph Voisin, Jr. Note junior was generally used to distinguish older from younger individuals. Henry Joseph was probably the senior Joseph Voisin in the parish. Joseph’s father, Joseph, had already moved to Buffalo well before 1875.

“In das Gebetsapostolat, errichtet in New Germany an St. Joseph’s Kirche am 30 Mai 1875, wurden aufgenommen” translates to “These individuals were incorporated into the Apostolate of Prayer established in New Germany at St. Joseph’s Church 30 May 1875.”

Joseph also wrote a whimsical poem in his journal later that same year on 19 November 1875.

He was 20 then, and this poem could be more significant than just a play on rhyming words.

Joseph Voisin is my name and my pen wriets [writes] the same
the grass is green and the rose is red
and that is my name if I am dead Amen
* *
Joseph Voisin
Township of Humberstone
Netherby PO Ont 1875, 19 November

Was he making a declarative point his name was Joseph Voisin, and no longer Joseph Guitar? He writes Joseph Voisin, asserts that’s his name even if he is dead, reemphasizes with an Amen, and adds two stars. He then “signs” Joseph Voisin and adds the location and date as if to “make it official.”

Childhood Home

I next determined where Joseph lived as a child and teenager.

The following map is an excerpt of an 1862 map of Welland County, Ontario, showing portions of Crowland, Willoughby, Humberstone and Bertie townships. ³² Upper right in Willoughby Township is the farm of Henry Joseph Voisin, denoted J. Wesaw. Here Voisin was spelled more like it sounded in French. The spelling was corrected in later land transfer records.

The red star on the right is the hamlet of New Germany, today known as Synder, Ontario. That is the location of Saint Joseph Catholic Church. The red star on the left is the hamlet of Netherby, Ontario, where Joseph indicated in his journal he was on 19 November 1875.

On the left are properties owned by Martin Koebel, denoted M. Kable and Martin Cable. On the bottom is the farm of Michael Koebel, denoted Mich. Kable. Martin and Michael were brothers and were also Joseph’s uncles.

The 1861 Canadian census includes an agricultural schedule that pinpoints the location of family farms. The entry for John Guitar shows his farm was in Concession IV, Lot 6. ³³ The farm marked J. Gidaugh near Martin Koebel must be a misspelling of John Guitar. Thus Joseph lived at this farm from infancy probably until his mother died in 1867. The map inset shows the immediate vicinity of Netherby and the John Guitar and Martin Koebel properties in more detail.

An excerpt (below) from an 1876 map shows the same area. ³⁴ This is a composite of four separate township maps. I adjusted the scale and loosely positioned them relative to one another. Henry Joseph Voisin is again denoted Joseph Wesaw upper right. The red stars are Netherby, left, and New Germany, right. The property denoted John Koabel could by that time be John Joseph Koebel, a son of Michael Koebel.

Michael Koebel then had three parcels, denoted Michael Koabel, including the property shown on the 1862 map as owned by John Guitar. However, property records indicate Michael Koebel purchased that parcel in Concession IV, Lot 6 in 1852. ³⁵ I did not find a record of John Guitar purchasing or selling it. I suspect Michael Koebel had owned it all along, and by some arrangement with his sister Catherina, she and her husband John Guitar lived there. After Catherina’s death in 1867, it was shown as Michael Koebel’s property again. (Note Michael apparently changed the spelling of his name to Koabel with an a. His descendants still use that spelling.)

Kodbel Heirs is the Martin Koebel property. He died in 1871 and his wife Barbara (Trendle) Koebel and their children still lived there in 1876. Barbara was Joseph’s aunt and as indicated in the 1871 census, Joseph also lived there as a teenager. He may have stayed there shortly after his mother died in 1867, until he left the area altogether in 1877.

Aunt Barbara is shown here with one of her daughters, Frances, who was Joseph’s first cousin. ³⁶ On Frances’ grave marker is written, “May her soul rest in peace. She looked after this church for over 40 yrs.” She must have been the caretaker of St. Joseph’s.

On the map below, the inset on the left shows the immediate vicinity of Netherby and the Koebel properties. The inset on the right is a detail of New Germany. Saint Joseph’s is denoted by a church icon below the words New Germany on the Willoughby Township map (upper). The same icon is repeated on the Bertie Township map (lower), although the church is actually across the road in Willoughby Township.

On His Own

Joseph left home about 1877 at age 22. He made his way to Waterloo County, Ontario where two of his uncles lived. Adam Koebel and Philip Koebel were half-brothers, and sons of Theobald Koebel. Philip was the brother of Joseph’s mother Catherina. Adam was her half-brother.

Incidentally Joseph’s granduncle Peter Joseph “Joseph” Voisin (1807-1892) lived near the Koebel brothers. Peter Joseph was Henry Joseph’s brother, and Joseph’s granduncle. Both Voisin brothers went by the name Joseph later in life.

Wellesley Township in Waterloo County is 90 miles from Netherby. In another journal entry, Joseph wrote he began working for H. Otterbein near Hawksville, Ontario on 4 April 1877, for perhaps $12 per month.

There was at least one Otterbein family in the area, but it is unclear where Joseph worked. He may have worked on a nearby farm or in the village of Hawkesville.

Joseph emigrated to America a year or so later in early 1878 and settled in Isabella County, Michigan. He likely accompanied Clements and Elizabeth (Fate) Starr. Clements’ father Ambrose Starr also lived nearby. Joseph would later marry Mary Ann Yuncker (1866-1943) in 1885 and raise a large family.

The following 1861 map excerpt shows friends and relatives, sixteen years before Joseph’s 1877 journal entry. ³⁷ Peter Joseph’s farm is denoted Joseph Voisin, center, between the villages of St. Clements and Heidelburgh. Hawksville is shown upper center. (Village names are slightly offset on the map.)

• Joseph Voisin denotes the farm of Joseph’s granduncle and grandaunt, Peter Joseph Voisin and his wife Catherine (Meyer) Voisin.
• Valentine Otterbein could be related to Joseph’s employer. The H. Otterbein mentioned in his journal sixteen years later could be a son, or even Herr Otterbein, German for mister.
• Adam Koebel was Joseph’s uncle and aunt, Adam Koebel and his wife Barbara (Kolosky) Koebel. Adam was the son of Theobald Koebel and his first wife Catherine (Koehl) Koebel, half-brother of Michael, Martin, and Catherina Koebel of Humberstone Township, and half-brother to his neighbor Philippe Koebel.
• Philip Koebel was Joseph’s uncle and aunt, Philippe Koebel and his wife Rebecca (Zolfer) Koebel. Philippe was a son of Theobald Koebel and his second wife Marie Anne (Philipps) Koebel, brother of Michael, Martin, and Catherina Koebel of Humberstone Township, and half-brother to his neighbor Adam Koebel.
• Ambrose Starr denotes the farm of Ambrose Starr, the father of Clements Starr, who accompanied Joseph when he emigrated to Isabella County, Michigan in early 1878.

More About Joseph’s Mother

Theobald Koebel (1779-1848) and Marie Anne (Philipps) Koebel (1785-1848) had a daughter Catherina, who was born 23 December 1830 in Oberseebach in the Bas-Rhin region of France. ³⁸ There is a discrepancy however. The Marengo ship manifest lists the family’s children Michael, Phillipe, Martin, and Adam. Catherina would have been 2, but she is not listed. I found no death record for her from 1830 until they emigrated in 1832. I suspect she was not included on the manifest by mistake.

Unfortunately the 1842 and 1851 Canadian censuses for Humberstone Township did not survive. I cannot verify Catherina with certainty during this period. However I cannot find another Catherina Koebel with such close connections to this family. Her 1867 death record indicates she was 37, and therefore born in 1830. She and her husband John Guitar lived on land owned by Michael Koebel, and her son Joseph stayed with Martin Koebel after her death. These facts are consistent with her being a sibling of Michael and Martin.

A Catherina Koebel does appear in other parish records, but without mention of her parents. For instance three different baptisms in 1849 list Joseph Voisin, Catherina Kable, and Maria Anna Voisin as sponsors. ³⁹ Joseph Voisin could be Henry Joseph Voisin or his son Joseph. Marie Anne Voisin was a daughter of Henry Joseph Voisin. Catherina was likely Joseph’s future mother.

And, there were at least 57 people who received the Sacrament of Confirmation on 27 October 1853. ⁴⁰ Among them was Catharina Köbel as shown in this excerpt. She would have been 23, which is rather old to receive the sacrament. However the individuals listed range widely in age. It seems it was the first confirmation ceremony held in the four years since the church had been established.

By rules today a baptismal sponsor must have received the Sacrament of Confirmation. It seems Catherina was a sponsor in 1849 before she was confirmed in 1853. This was a pioneer settlement though, with a new parish and infrequent visits by a priest. Such a large group implies it was the first opportunity any parishioners had to be confirmed, younger and older alike.

Joseph In Retrospect

Age in retrospect: Most sources indicate Joseph was born 10 January 1858, but his baptismal record shows it was actually three years earlier on 10 January 1855. Joseph’s wife Mary’s needlework wedding sampler apparently indicates 1858, as does his obituary and grave marker. I had long suspected he was older. He was 24, not 21, when he bought 80 acres of land in Isabella County, Michigan. A 21-year-old likely wouldn’t have the money or acumen to buy land.

The progression of aging in photographs of him makes more sense now.

It is unclear why he used 1858 as his birth year. Perhaps it was the turmoil of his childhood. His father had left him as an infant, he lived in the Guitar household, his mother died when he was 12, and he lived with his aunt. The wrong year may have been perpetuated by different family members. Perhaps he simply downplayed the age difference when he courted his wife. Mary Ann was 18 when they married. Joseph indicated he was 27, but he was actually 30.

Journal in retrospect: I had thought Joseph’s journal entries that indicated where he was in Ontario were associated with his Voisin relatives. That is partly true, but it’s now clear he was more closely associated with his Koebel relatives in both Welland and Waterloo counties. After all, the Koebel family helped raise him.

When he wrote his name and the poem in his journal, I believe it was more significant than we realize. He had lived as Joseph Guitar through most of his childhood. I think he was claiming his true name and identity. Perhaps it was even the first time he learned who his father was.

Ballad in retrospect: By 1877 he wrote two verses in his journal from Take This Letter to My Mother, a popular ballad composed by William Shakespeare Hays (1837-1907) and first published in 1873. ^{41 42} We now know the ballad was probably very poignant to him since his mother died so young.

Take This Letter to My Mother

Take this letter to my mother,
Far across the deep blue sea,
It will fill her heart with pleasure,
She’ll be glad to hear from me.
How she wept when last we parted,
How her heart was filled with pain,
When she said, “goodbye, God bless you,—
We may never meet again.”

CHORUS

Take this letter to my mother,
Far across the deep blue sea,
It will fill her heart with pleasure,
She’ll be glad to hear from me.

Take this letter to my mother,
It will fill her heart with joy,
Tell her that her prayers are answered,
God protects her absent boy/
Tell her to be glad and cheerful,
Pray for me where’er I roam,
And ere long I’ll turn my footsteps
Back towards my dear old home.

(CHORUS)

Take this letter to my mother,
It is filled with words of love,
If on earth I’ll never meet her,
Tell her that we’ll meet above.
Where there is no hour of parting,
All is peace, and love, and joy,
God will bless my dear old mother,
And protect her only boy.

(CHORUS)

Take This Letter to My Mother
Words and Music by Will S. Hays, 1873

Genetic Analysis

Finally, I compared my DNA test results with those of my distant cousins to see how closely they come to their expected average amounts of shared DNA. ⁴³ I divided them into two groups, my distant Koebel cousins and my distant Voisin cousins. The first set is the descendants of Theobald Koebel. He was married twice and I have cousins who descend from each branch. The following table summarizes these DNA matches.

The Generation From Root column is that cousin’s number of generations from Theobald Koebel. The Relationship to me is abbreviated. For example, 4C1R means fourth cousin, once removed. The number in parentheses is the degree of consanguinity. Shared DNA is expressed in centimorgans (cM), a unit of genetic linkage. Some testing companies provide weighted and unweighted amounts. The weighted amount factors out certain variables to make it more meaningful for small amounts. In those cases I include the unweighted amount in parentheses. The unweighted larger amount is more consistent with that given by other DNA testing companies.

I plotted the amount of shared DNA for each numbered match. ⁴⁴ Based on their relationship to me, the expected range of shared DNA is denoted by a vertical line that spans several centimorgans (cM). For example with match #10, the expected range is a low of 0 to a high of 139cM. The average shared DNA is denoted by a left-tick mark on that vertical line. The average is 35cM for match #10. The actual amount of DNA I share is denoted by a right-tick mark, or 50.0cM in this example.

Note in most cases the actual shared DNA is less than the corresponding expected average. The matches are not distributed above and below the averages as I would hope. I attribute this to the randomness of DNA inheritance. But it also allows for other possibilities, like if Henry Joseph Voisin were his father.

I have more confidence in the estimated relationship when multiple matches come closer to the expected averages. I plotted the difference (delta) between the average and actual amounts. The closer the difference is to zero, the better, but all results are still relatively close.

The second set of cousins is the descendants of Vincent Voisin (1766-1818) and Anne Eve (Denier) Voisin (1773-1814). They were the parents of Henry Joseph Voisin. This group includes cousins who descend from both Henry Joseph in Welland County, and his brother Peter Joseph in Waterloo County, Ontario. Some cousins used more than one DNA testing company. They may appear more than once with slightly different values.

On the Voisin side, a few more matches are above their expected averages.

The difference (delta) of average to actual shared DNA is comparable to my Koebel cousins.

Conclusion

After thirty years of research to determine where and when my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin was born, and who his parents were, I finally found him in traditional genealogical records! My finding is bolstered by several recently-identified, but non-obvious distant cousins who are descendants of Theobald Koebel. They are in addition to several distant cousins who descend from Henry Joseph Voisin and his brother Peter Joseph Voisin.

I had long suspected Joseph was an illegitimate child. There is one remaining ambiguity, whether Henry Joseph “Joseph” Voisin or his son Joseph Voisin was Joseph’s father. The younger Joseph Voisin seems the most likely father, both in age, and the fact he left the area soon after Joseph was born. There is no record Joseph ever stayed with Henry Joseph Voisin if he were his father, even after Joseph’s mother died. Instead Joseph lived with his uncle Martin and aunt Barbara Koebel. The low levels of DNA I share with my distant cousins is inconclusive, but consistent with both alternatives.

His childhood was rather chaotic. He lived with his “step-father” John Guitar and three half-brothers. His mother Catherina died young in 1867, when Joseph was only 12. His journal entry with the ballad, Take This Letter to My Mother, shows he missed her very much. After her death he moved in with his uncle Martin Koebel, only for him to die in 1871. He continued to live with his aunt Barbara Koebel probaby until he set off on his own at age 22 in 1877.

Joseph was active in his Catholic faith while growing up, from membership in a prayer group to the Sacrament of Confirmation. That continued all his life. He was a pioneer who helped establish the Catholic parish at Beal City, Michigan. He helped build three churches there. The first two were destroyed by fire. He was the first and long-time organist for his church. He helped install the stations of the cross, which was perhaps an honor because it was only done with permission from the Bishop.

I am glad to finally solve the mystery of my great-grandfather’s childhood. As new evidence comes to light, the story can be further expanded and refined, hopefully with the help of future generations.

Timeline

This is a summary of key dates in the early life of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin.

This scene at Snyder was taken about the turn of the twentieth century. ⁴⁵ Some people here may be descendants of those I mentioned above. The steeple of St. Joseph’s is in the background.

Here is Saint Joseph Catholic Church and cemetery today. ⁴⁶ This is one of the oldest churches in the area. The building was finished in 1849 and the bell tower and steeple were added in 1869. It would be a familiar sight to my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin.

Here is the intersection of Koabel Road with Forkes Road near Netherby, showing where Joseph lived as a teenager with his aunt Barbara (Trendle) Koebel. As a child, he lived with his mother Catharina and John Guitar a short walk to the left, and behind the camera.

Here are two postcards from the early twentieth century showing Sacred Heart Academy in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. ⁴⁷ The first can be dated accurately. I evaluate several clues to estimate the date of the second postcard.

The first photo is from a real-picture postcard. The same image was published in the local newspaper on November 27, 1908 just prior to the newly-constructed school opening to students on November 30, 1908. ⁴⁸ The second photo is a hand-colored postcard, based on an actual photograph.

The first photo is a more front-on view, but the telephone (or electrical) cable (A) that runs in front of the school is at the same height in both. The telephone pole (B) in the second photo must be just off the left edge of the first photo. The tree (C) is the same shape and size in each photo.

Due to the difference in perspective, the shed (D) appears closer to the school in the second photo, but in the first, we know it is actually across Franklin Street from the school. The group of trees (E) has the same shape, size and arrangement in both photos.

Hand-colored “photographic” postcards from that era are usually highly stylized. Although based on actual photographs, there can be significant artistic license applied to make a pleasing postcard. The first photo appears to be taken on a cloudy day. The blue sky and clouds in the second photo are almost certainly stylized. We cannot rely on that to say the two photographs were taken on separate days.

Although the grass is green, it too was likely added by the colorist. There seems to be lush mounds of grass near the basement windows, where in the first photo it is actually snow. The children are wearing heavy coats, which they would not wear in the spring when the grass is so green. The shed (D) also has a woodpile, which looks fully stocked. If it were taken the following spring when the grass was green, the firewood would likely be depleted.

Comparing the sidewalk where the children are standing to the muddy area in the first photo, it seems the second photo could be taken years later. However the entire sidewalk from the left edge of the postcard to the front door of the school looks unrealistic, as if the colorist made it look well manicured. It doesn’t seem to be the same size or angle as the sidewalk on the right side of the photo. It changes abruptly at the tree in the foreground.

Although the perspectives are slightly different, both photos are taken from approximately the same vantage point and therefore likely by the same photographer. In the second photo, the photographer had to change the perspective to emphasize the children off to the side. Or did he?

The children may actually have been added by the colorist. In a view (below) of Main Street in Mount Pleasant, taken about 1910, the actual photo shows a bustling street with many pedestrians. ⁴⁹ In a hand-colored postcard based on that same photo, many pedestrians, horses and even telephone poles were removed. A few people and carriages were kept in their original positions. The school children too may have been stylized for the sake of the postcard.

As for when the second photo was taken, the most compelling clue that both photos were taken at the same time are the trees. Not only are they bare of leaves, but overall, they look to be the same shape, position and size in both photos. If they were taken months or years apart, the trees would be different.

Since the first photo was published in the newspaper November 27, 1908, it must have been taken one or more days beforehand. Thanksgiving that year was November 26 and it is doubtful the photographer worked that day. It was probably taken November 24 or 25, 1908.

If the children are actually there, and if they had the entire Thanksgiving week off school, it could have been taken as early as the Friday before, on November 20, 1908. Although children today usually have the whole holiday week off, it is unclear if kids back then did.

According to weather records, there was heavy snowfall across western Lower Michigan on November 14, 1908, with 16 inches at Muskegon. ⁵⁰ The snow in the first photo appears a few inches deep, but some areas had already melted. It therefore couldn’t have been taken very many days before November 20.

The newspaper indicates students would start classes in the new building on Monday November 30, 1908. It is unlikely the photographer would take the first photo, then come back on opening day, set up again, and take one with the children present. He more likely would have taken both photographs during the same session. Owing to the occasion, the children may have lined up for the photograph prior to opening day, or they may have been added to the view by the colorist. Only the actual, non-colorized photograph can answer that question.

Photographs were not taken often back then. In fact these two photographs served as the only photographs of the school for decades. The same images were published often in yearbooks and on postcards. The second photo is the same image used on many postcards over the years, with slightly different lettering and coloring styles. This particular one was postmarked August 3, 1921, but similar ones were used into the 1940s.

Considering all the clues, I conclude both photographs were taken the same day, sometime between Friday November 20 and Wednesday November 25, 1908. The hand-colored postcard was significantly stylized to give the appearance of a well-manicured lawn, sidewalk, green grass and blue sky. The children shown may even have been drawn in by the colorist.

When my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) was 17 he wrote a whimsical poem in his journal. He signed his name and indicated he was at Netherby, Ontario on November 19, 1875. I’ve yet to discover who his parents were so here I explore the former village of Netherby for clues.

First I wanted to precisely locate Netherby in Humberstone Township, Welland County, Ontario. Its modern location doesn’t show the remnants of any buildings and period maps are approximate. A historical atlas published the year after Joseph was there does hint at its location. ⁴⁹

The following is a composite map showing four townships of interest in Welland County, Ontario published in 1876. Owing to the difference in scale and orientation of the individual maps, I placed them loosely in their relative positions. The inset, top right, shows the four corners where they meet in the center.

According to later maps that location was, and is today, known as Netherby, Ontario. In fact a Post Office (PO) and a hotel are shown on the edge of Crowland Township, just south of its border. Those same buildings are not shown on the Humberstone map, but the property lines are visible. Their absence on the Humberstone side was probably an oversight.

An 1874 gazetteer describes Netherby as a post village of 100 people, with a store and saw mill. ⁵¹ With that many residents, a post office, hotel, store and saw mill, it must have been larger than indicated on this map. It also likely had some connection to the Canada Southern Railway track just a half mile to the south.

The maps show property owners at the time. Unfortunately there are no familiar names in the four townships surrounding Netherby that indicate Joseph’s family lived nearby. The atlas was based on an earlier work published in 1862, which also showed property owners. I found no familiar names on it either, and that was just four years after Joseph was born.

However Netherby was six miles from Henry Joseph Voisin’s farm, shown highlighted, in north central Willoughby Township. Through genetic DNA testing and traditional genealogical research, I know Joseph was related to Henry Joseph Voisin. In fact DNA results among several distant cousins currently suggests Henry Joseph Voisin was actually Joseph’s father.

At age 17, Joseph was old enough to have left home. He was probably working, either at Netherby, or for a nearby farmer. The same page in his journal lists eggs, perhaps 22 dozen eggs, which could mean he was involved in farming. However it’s unclear if he wrote that accounting when the poem was written.

The journal entry shows Joseph Voisin was at Netherby, and Netherby was near Henry Joseph Voisin, a known relative. Although it doesn’t prove they were father and son, the facts are nonetheless consistent. Joseph’s parents and where he lived in the area remain elusive.

The parents of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) remain a mystery. Evidence indicates he was born in Ontario, Canada. He was related to Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892) of Saint Clements, Ontario. That was proven by a Y-chromosome DNA test with a known descendant. And by traditional genealogy, Joseph is related to Peter Joseph’s brother Henry Joseph Voisin (1801-1884) of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Both of the Ontario brothers went by their middle names, Joseph.

No birth, census or land records have yet uncovered Joseph Voisin’s birth or his parents, except for entries in his personal journal that show he was near both Saint Clements and Niagara Falls when he was young.

My father’s brother, my uncle Paul Voisin, was a grandson of Joseph Voisin. He took an autosomal DNA test and he matches several distant cousins who are also descended from the Voisin brothers in Ontario. Nevertheless I don’t know precisely how we are related. Since they are distant, the amount of shared DNA is low, and consequently there are several possibilities for relatedness.

To explore different hypotheses, I used the What Are the Odds tool at DNAPainter.com. ⁵² It provides some clues, but it by no means solves the mystery. I placed Joseph Voisin (red boxes) at several places in a family tree. Paul Voisin (blue boxes) was related to several cousins (tan boxes), who all have known lineages. The DNA shared between Paul and each cousin influences the probability that he, and thus Joseph Voisin, appears at a given hypothetical spot.

Some names are hidden for privacy. A “1/2” denotes a half-sibling relationship. Centimorgans (cM) is a measure of the amount of DNA two people share.

All hypothetical positions (blue boxes) in the tree are possible. Hypothesis 6, that Joseph Voisin was a son of Henry Joseph and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin, is the most likely. A few other hypotheses are also probable and cannot be ruled out.

DNA inheritance is fickle. Although John and Paul do not share a detectable amount of DNA, I am one generation removed from Paul and I share a relatively large amount, 44.4 cM, with John. Likewise Rebecca and Paul do not share DNA, but Rebecca shares DNA with William and Fred, both of whom share DNA with Paul. The inclusion of known cousins without shared DNA improves the probability estimate.

The probability of the relationships for each hypothesis is given by a percentage (see the following table). For hypothesis 6, the odds that Herman and Paul were actually second cousins, once removed (2C1R) is 51%. So it is still equally likely they didn’t have that relationship. Since the amounts of shared DNA are so low, the underlying statistical model cannot provide more accurate results. I used “version 2” probabilities, which improves the estimates for amounts of shared DNA below 40 centimorgans (cM).

The combined odds ratio measures the relative likelihood of each hypothesis compared to the others.

Another Angle

I am one generation further removed from Joseph Voisin than my uncle Paul. I created another probability tree (see below) using my own DNA test results. The shared DNA amounts are lower, but I am able to compare results with more cousins. The probability Joseph was a full son of Henry Joseph and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin is still the strongest conclusion. However the probabilities of his being an illegitimate son of either Henry Joseph or Peter Joseph are nearly equal, and rank a close second behind the strongest conclusion.

Conclusion

At this time, Joseph Voisin was most likely a full son of Henry Joseph and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin (hypothesis 6). However the evidence does not support that conclusion. At age 54 in 1858, it is unlikely Anne Marie gave birth to Joseph. The 1861 Canadian census lists Henry Joseph and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin, but not a three year old Joseph.

Three to four times less likely is that Joseph was an illegitimate son of Henry Joseph Voisin, that is, a half-sibling to his other children (hypothesis 7). Although less likely, it is still more likely than any remaining hypotheses. And, when I consider my chart, the odds dramatically improve that Joseph was an illegitimate son of Peter Joseph Voisin (hypothesis 4).

Perhaps most compelling however is that hypothesis 6 is more than one million times more likely than hypotheses 11 and 12. This effectively rules out that Joseph Voisin descends from a brother of Peter and Henry’s father Vincent Voisin, or from a brother of their grandfather Ludwig Voisiné. That seems to indicate there is not an undiscovered Voisin brother, uncle or cousin who also immigrated to the area.

Therefore I will concentrate my research on finding a child named Joseph in the company of his mother, living near either of the brothers.

In the coming years, as more distant cousins participate in DNA testing, the probabilities will improve. There are currently more cousins proven by DNA matches. I did not include them in the tree because I cannot determine their actual lineage. A small addition can change the odds significantly. And, the underlying statistical model itself may also improve in the future.

As a history buff I’ve seen hundreds of photos of death and destruction and often thought how people at the time could let that happen. This photo is almost as overwhelmingly visceral to me and I fear it will define my era. On the right is a portrait of Charles Sumner, an abolitionist nearly killed on the Senate floor after making an anti-slavery speech. On the left is a portrait of John Calhoun, a staunch advocate of slavery who helped craft the South’s insurrection. In the middle is Kevin Seefried, 51 years old, of Laurel, Delaware. After 156 years, he succeeded in flying this symbol of racist rebellion in the Capitol of the United States of America. More than 430,000 men died to help prevent what Kevin Seefried did in one afternoon, with little effort.

In another 156 years, if there is an America, will they see this photo and say how could I let that happen? To the future I say, I’m sorry. When my fellow citizens made innocuous comments about rigged elections and conspiracy theories, I remained silent, because after all they are entitled to their opinion. But my silence perpetuated the lies, and they snowballed to the point they became their truth. What becomes the truth about an era may not have started as the truth.

But what can one person do to change the course of history as it is happening? Nothing but a thousand little things said and done, here and there. None, or maybe one of these, may ever effect change. I guarantee there were people back then who said, how can this be happening. I cannot hear their voices now, but the truth they thought nobody heard eventually prevailed, at least in some form. And certain of those who will see this photo in a dusty old archive will understand that too. So to the future I also say, thank you. Thank you for not judging me too harshly. If not truth, then the spirit of truth, will survive eventually.

Is there a proverbial horse thief in your family tree? If you’re related to John Stewart (1821-1908), the answer is yes. John’s father was Major James Stewart, a well-respected member of the community, who served in the militia over forty years and was an elder of his church. He was also school director, tax collector, assessor, overseer of the poor, and justice of the peace. ^{53, 54}

John’s grandfather was the Scottish immigrant John Stewart, who settled in the early 1790s in what would become Buffington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. John inherited a portion of his grandfather’s land, 80 acres, which he farmed with his wife Sarah Jane Grow. In an 1871 map of Buffington Township, their home is likely marked J. Stewart north of Dilltown. ⁵⁵ John’s father Maj. James Stewart likely owned the farm marked J. Stewart, Sr. and John’s brother James either managed that farm and/or owned the land immediately to the south.

John and Sarah had fourteen children together, two of whom may have died as youngsters. He had at times the important job of transporting election results for the township.

Even with a large farm, a proud family heritage, and a dozen children, John turned to a life of crime, and at times, violence. In the summer of 1875 he attacked his wife Sarah with an ax. ⁵⁶ She survived, but John eluded capture for several weeks. He was captured in September and charged with assault and battery against Sarah. But, he brought charges of his own against two of his sons, among others, for the same incident. ⁵⁷ John and Sarah’s marriage was rocky. In the spring of 1876, John had the audacity to published a notice stating he was not responsible for his wife’s debts because she left his “bed and board without cause.” ⁵⁸

In August 1877, John was charged with stealing a horse from his neighbor Adam De Armey. ⁵⁹ He was later arrested in Somerset County, extradited, and quickly tried and found guilty. He was sentenced to one year and seven months labor in solitary confinement at the Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh, and ordered to pay $150 in costs. ⁶⁰ He entered the penitentiary on September 17, 1877 and reported he had twelve children. ⁶¹ Apparently he feigned illness upon his arrival in order to gain sympathy. A doctor saw him and after a “vigorous stirring up,” he quickly recovered. ⁶²

Unfortunately for Sarah Stewart and her children, the Sheriff was ordered to sell their farm and home to cover John’s fine and restitution. ⁶³ That portion of the original Stewart homestead was thus sold in December 1877 for just $300. ⁶⁴

In April 1883 John Stewart had spent time in jail at Johnstown for some offense. He later threatened to maim the newspaper editor there for his description of the incident. After leaving Johnstown the “noted tramp” came to Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he again spent two days in jail. ⁶⁵

By the fall of 1883, John was at it again. “Stewart is a notorious character and a bad man,” wrote the newspaper editor. ⁶⁶ Details are incomplete and somewhat confusing, but someone stole a colt from John McClaren in nearby Brush Valley. Mr. McClaren went searching for it and learned someone was seen with the colt and a white pony with a missing tooth. McClaren eventually came upon John Stewart and one of his sons, and they had a white pony. When McClaren tried to take possession of the pony as evidence, John threw stones at him. McClaren was injured and took out his revolver and shot Stewart twice. Stewart then fled and eluded capture for several days. ⁶⁷

A rumor circulated that John Stewart’s body had been found in the woods along with the dead colt. That was untrue. ⁶⁸ McLaren continued to look for his colt and discovered Stewart had sold it to a son of Charles W. Clovin at Shellsburg, Pennsylvania in Bedford County, three counties away. ⁶⁹ After proving he was the rightful owner, McClaren got his colt back. Clovin also received his white pony, which had been kept in escrow at Mechanicsburg.

Later Clovin’s sons heard Stewart was still in the area near Shellsburg and tracked him down. They succeeded in capturing him at nightfall, and recovered the pony’s saddle and bridle. As they led him back to the authorities, Stewart jumped off his horse and disappeared into the woods. ⁷⁰ He was captured some days later. By December, he was indicted for horse theft, but he was not arrested. ⁷¹ It is possible he made restitution and avoided another prison term.

John and Sarah separated at some point, probably before 1877. They are perhaps listed in separate households in the 1880 census, John as a laborer and Sarah as a servant. However it is difficult to confirm their identities with certainty. By 1900 John was listed in the census living with his oldest son James Stewart and their family in Dilltown, Pennsylvania. He subsequently died at Blair, Pennsylvania January 18, 1908.

Sarah had moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, presumably to be near a few of her children and their families. She then moved to Homestead, Pennsylvania, also near a few of her children. She died there May 18, 1905.

At the age of twenty on December 24, 1909, Russell married Grace Allen Davis, a daughter of Albert and Anna May (White) Davis of Fayette City, Pennsylvania. Grace was only fourteen years old when she married. A year later they had a daughter, Violet May Stewart. Sadly, Violet died of pneumonia just two years later. They also had a second daughter, Anna Mae Stewart, born just before Violet died in 1913.

Russell and Grace divorced or separated sometime between 1913 and 1916. Grace remarried in 1916 and took custody of their daughter Anna. When he registered for the draft on June 6, 1917, Russell reported he was single and supporting his mother. He was an unemployed laborer. At one time he was a meter maker, and perhaps employed at Westinghouse Electric.

Russell was drafted and assigned to the Army’s 80^th Infantry Division, known as the “Blue Ridge Division” because most recruits were from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia. He reported to Camp Lee, near Petersburg, Virginia on October 6, 1917, at a time when uniforms and equipment were in short supply. He likely trained in his civilian clothes initially. His army serial number was 1828386. ⁶⁷

Training continued at Camp Lee until mid-May, when the Division was ordered to France. Russell boarded the Zeelandia, a Dutch passenger ship converted for use as a troop transport. ⁷² It sailed May 18, 1918 from Newport News, Virginia on its first voyage as a transport. As the convoy neared it’s destination, Saint-Nazaire, France, it came under attack by up to seven German U-boats. Although windows were blown out by the concussion of the Zeelandia’s own guns, no enemy torpedoes hit the convoy. They safely made port May 31, 1918.

Russell was one of 255 men in Company M, one of four companies in the 3^rd Battalion of the 319^th Infantry. The 319^th had many recruits from Pittsburgh. It was part of the 160^th Brigade in the 80^th Division. He seems to have remained with Company M, and for that reason, we can approximate his movements while in France.

On June 4^th Russell was promoted to Private First Class. The Division also moved inland through Calais and on to Desvres. They crowded into the French “40 hommes/8 chevaux” rail cars. These light “40 and 8” cars could carry 40 men or 8 horses. ⁷³ By July 4^th the Division traveled from Desvres to the area of Bouquemaison in the Somme. Here they were attached to the British VI Corps for a few weeks of training. A constant stream of artillery, trucks and troops flowed through Bouquemaison. The observation balloons at the front lines were visible from here, and at night, he could see the flash of cannons.

July 22^nd they marched from Bouquemaison to La Bazeque Farm, only seven miles from the front. Russell’s regiment was attached to the British 2^nd Division, VI Corps for yet more training. This time he spent short periods of time actually in the front-line trenches in the Ayette Sector.

They left La Bazeque Farm and marched through Frévent, Autheux, and on to Bernaville by August 21^st. Here he boarded another 40 and 8 boxcar, this time bound for Châtillon-sur-Seine. ⁷⁴ Russell may have glimpsed Paris as the train passed there. Some companies in the regiment passed Paris during the night and saw nothing but dimmed street lights camouflaged against air raids. There and then, Russell was an eye witness to the birth of America as a preeminent super-power. Control of our infantry divisions passed from the British and French, to the Americans. We now had a very large army deployed on foreign soil and we were in control of it.

September 2^nd Russell again boarded the 40 and 8 boxcars at Châtillon-sur-Seine, this time bound for the area near Ligny. This was the Saint-Mihiel salient, where an offensive had been planned. Instead, the salient was to be cleared only enough for a major offensive later in the month. Upon reaching their destination, the men “took to the woods,” literally running from the box cars to the surrounding woods to avoid detection by the enemy. Marches now were under cover of darkness, with absolutely no lights allowed, not even luminous watch dials. Russell spent his days confined to the woods and his nights finding his footing in pitch darkness. Verdun loomed in the distance.

September 16^th Russell had his 29th birthday bivouacked in the woods between Ippécourt and Souilly, France. He arrived at 3:30am after marching through the night. On September 23^rd he entered the front line trenches. For two days his battalion was temporarily attached to the 33^rd Division to relieve the 131^st Infantry Regiment. ⁷⁵

September 25^th Russell was lying with his face pressed to a dirt road. Overhead was the continuous deafening roar of high explosive enemy artillery shells, some landing nearby. He was marching to the front-line, but the road was clogged with thousands of men and everyone had to wait. Under orders not to break ranks, there was nowhere to run anyway. Later that night Russell would be in position at Le Mort Homme (Dead Man’s Hill) near Bethincourt. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was about to begin. Several hundred yards to Russell’s left were units of the 77^th Division, about to become famous as the “lost battalion.”

On September 26^th a deafening, continuous artillery barrage pounded the enemy for four hours from 1:00am to 5:00am. A more intense barrage pounded for 30 minutes followed by a rolling barrage, where shells began exploding 100 meters further ahead, every 4 minutes. Russell’s regiment, not having slept, climbed up out of their trenches and followed this rolling barrage forward. Russell went “over the top” later in the morning and his company faced less resistance. ⁷⁶ They achieved their objective, although in the confusion, his company and another exactly reversed their intended destinations.

The fighting continued and on September 27^th Russell was near Dannevoux, pinned down by a heavy enemy artillery bombardment both day and night, with periodic machine gun fire and snipers. The enemy artillery was on higher ground across the river to the east. In places their fire was enfilading, meaning it was lengthwise down our line from the side. The battle was intense, but they slowly advanced the front to the Meuse River.

By September 29^th Russell and his regiment were relieved by another regiment. He made his way in the dark early that morning, in a driving rain and by noon everyone was 10 kilometers rearward, and able to get a hot meal. However they were held in reserve for the 37^th Division and could be called up on a moment’s notice. Luckily most soldiers spent no more than a few days at the actual front-line. The constant machine-gun, sniper, and artillery fire prevented them from sleeping or eating and they soon became exhausted and ineffective. In the last three days, Russell’s regiment alone lost 63 killed, 26 died later of wounds, and 218 were wounded.

October 7^th Russell was about to learn what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object. He was in the front-line again, this time at the Bois des Ogons (Woods of Ogons) north of Nantillois, France. The artillery and machine gun fire was constant day and night all around him. The Germans were under orders to hold this place at all cost. The State of Pennsylvania erected a memorial at Nantillois after the war in honor of what their boys from Pittsburgh did here. ⁷⁷

October 8^th Russell was having a whiz-bang time, but not in the sense we think today. He endured constant high-explosive artillery and machine gun fire, poison gas clouds and whiz-bangs. “Whiz-bangs” are light artillery shells that travel faster than sound. They heard the whizz going by before they heard the bang of the cannon itself. Russell wore his gas mask most of the night. Each day he faced intense enemy resistance as the front line inched northward hour by hour.

October 9^th Russell found himself one mile behind enemy lines. His company and two others had advanced, but their sister companies were stopped by enemy machine gun fire. They were so far behind enemy lines they surprised the German garrison at Cunel and took nearly 200 prisoners. ⁷⁸ They searched the village building by building, then continued to advance until they came under shelling from our own artillery. Sensing their advance had been too easy, they suddenly realized the enemy was about to close in behind them. They pulled back. Five in the battalion were killed, 36 wounded and 40 were missing. However back at headquarters, the runners could not find these companies and all 600 men were presumed dead or captured for a time that night.

October 10^th Russell and his battalion was relieved by a sister battalion. By October 12^th he made his way rearward for several days of rest. Nearly everyone suffered some effect from poison gas. During this “rest” period, they trained daily in new tactical formations and attack methods. They were issued the new Browning Automatic Rifles, one of the first assault rifles. ⁷⁹ Over a half million rounds of ammunition were shot during these few days of training. At the end of the month 2,000 men arrived to replace casualties of the previous two battles.

October 31^st Russell may have said, “Let’s Roll!” After the horrific battle at Nantillois, Russell had “rested” these past three weeks. There were new weapons issued, new tactics learned, and a sense the war would soon be over. He was again marching to the front. His brigade was assigned to lead an attack the next day.

November 1^st Russell followed another rolling artillery barrage and moved forward to attack. A sister regiment made no progress all day due to overwhelming machine-gun fire. Russell was able to reach Imécourt, where his battalion met stiff resistance. Some units continued forward and pushed 2 kilometers further on the road to Sivry-les-Buzancy. Russell’s battalion remained in the area surrounding Imécourt, and defended it from several German counter-attacks all afternoon and into the night with some hand-to-hand combat.

A detachment from the 305^th Engineers was assigned to repair the road between Imécourt and Sivry the afternoon of November 1^st. They were driven off by enemy gun fire. Russell’s battalion, and specifically Russell’s company, was sent to this very area to defend the road and probably also the army engineers trying to repair it. ⁸⁰

November 2, 1918. Russell was killed in action. He and his battalion led an attack to clear the woods northwest of Imécourt, France, which was successfully completed by 4:00am. This decisive battle precipitated the German retreat from the area and removed the resistance that prevented two other American divisions (50,000 men) from advancing. Ironically this, the last battle for the 319^th Regiment, claimed Russell’s life after all the torpedoes, 40 and 8 boxcars, marches, heat, cold, dust, rain, mud, darkness, sleeplessness, hunger, trenches, craters, barbed wire, noise, high explosive artillery shells, snipers, machine guns, rifles, whiz-bangs, poison gas, death, blood and body fragments he had endured. Another few minutes and he probably would have lived to come home. ⁸¹

November 11^th the Great War ended. Back in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania Mary (McKee) Stewart and her children were happily awaiting the return of her son, Russell. It would be another three weeks until on December 5^th Mary received the telegram every mother dreads. Her son Russell had been killed in action a month earlier on November 2^nd.

The 80^th Division is the only American division that took part in all three phases of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In total, it had 5,234 casualties between September 21st and November 11th. It was during these battles it earned the motto: Only Moves Forward.

During the war, bodies were generally buried near where they fell. Russell was buried in a make-shift cemetery on the grounds of the Chateau d’Imécourt, along with 17 other soldiers. ⁸² After the war and into the 1920s, remains were exhumed and identified. The family could choose to have them brought home, or reburied in a national cemetery in France. Russell was exhumed and subsequently reburied April 15, 1919. He was again exhumed and reburied December 24, 1921 in his final resting place at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial near Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France. Ironically, he is only one mile from Cunel, the village he raided October 9^th so far behind enemy lines.

Were it not for a photocopy of his mother’s tattered telegram, I never would have known, investigated or discovered his amazing story and all the horrific days he courageously endured. ⁸³ A truly remarkable man, and I think, no braver man ever walked the Earth.

Mike Voisin
Grandnephew

Further Reading

This post is a summary of my discoveries about Russell Stewart, but my past articles explore them in greater detail. Please see:

• Zeelandia, January 28, 2020, is about the USS Zeelandia, the troop transport on which Russell Stewart sailed to France.
• Intersection at Imécourt, January 21, 2020, highlights a newspaper article about the battle where Russell Stewart was killed in action.
• A Grim Task: Reburial, June 1, 2019, documents the disposition of Russell Stewart’s body.
• Memorial Day Tribute, May 25, 2019, has a homemade video of Russell Stewart’s final moments.
• Adding Perspective to History, November 15, 2018, is a detailed look at Imécourt, France the day after Russell Stewart died there.
• Someone Will Remember For You, November 2, 2018, uncovers the actual details of how Russell Stewart was killed in action.
• There is No Glory and No Flying of Flags, August 21, 2016, highlights the poignant words of someone who was there.
• Corporal Pollock’s Account, August 3, 2016, highlights the diary of a soldier temporarily attached to Russell Stewart’s regiment.
• Violets are Blue, July 23, 2016, explores the mysteries of Russell Stewart’s wife and children and why he indicated he was single on his draft registration.
• Russell Stewart: Only Moves Forward, June 30, 2016, explores Russell Stewart’s military career and the movements of his battalion.

Consolidated Bibliography

This is a comprehensive list of references from my past articles about Russell Stewart. Many of these sources will be useful to those researching the 319^th Infantry and their own relatives.

1. 1900 United States Federal Census, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12861-87011-66?cc=1325221 : 5 August 2014), Pennsylvania > Allegheny > ED 535 Wilkins Township (excl. Wilkinsburg & E. Pittsburg Boroughs) > image 5 of 49; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. William Dyer, Roscoe, Washington, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1660; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 241.
3. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626. Roscoe, Washington, Pennsylvania. William Dyer, Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0097; FHL 2341897.
4. Al G. “Bud” Harris Obituary, Reed Funeral Home, Canton, Ohio, Reed Funeral Home (http://www.reedfuneralhome.com : downloaded 19 July 2016), March 31, 2007.
5. American Battle Monuments Commission, American Armies and Battlefields in Europe: A History, Guide and Reference Book (US Government Printing Office, 1938), American Battle Monuments Commission, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Publications, (https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/meuse-argonne-american-cemetery : downloaded September 7, 2018), pages 170, 186, 276.
6. American Battle Monuments Commission. 80th Division: Summary of the Operations in the World War. United States Government Printing Office, 1944, pages 21, 40-41, 44, 45.
7. “A detachment of the 305th Engineers, at work repairing this road [Imécour-Sivry road], had previously been driven off.” “The 3rd Battalion, having reached Imecourt, sent Companies L and M to the northern edge of the town. They entered the fight to the left of Companies F and H.”
8. Arbitration Between the United States and Sweden Under Special Agreement of December 17, 1930: The “Kronprins Gustaf Adolf” and the “Pacific” Oral Arguments, Washington, May 9 – June 2, 1932, Volume 1, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1932, pages 38-41. Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=QVMSAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA39&lpg=RA1-PA38 : viewed 23 January 2020).
9. Buzancy [France] 1:20,000, Sheet 60, Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Hunter Collection, Map 00857, Item 600996, OCLC 932128955 (http://cdm16630.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16630coll8/id/134 : viewed September 6, 2018).
10. Camp Lee, Va. Back from bayonet drill. Our boys in camp are becoming experts in the use of the bayonet under able Allied instructions, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 – 1920 (http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-bdf2-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99).
11. Card Register of Burials of Deceased American Soldiers, 1917 – 1922, Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 – 1985. Record Group RG 92, NAID 6943087. National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6943087 : downloaded 27 May 2019), Stanysewski – Stockhoff, #1363 and #1364.
12. Carte Postale. Geneanet (https://www.geneanet.org/cartes-postales/view/319707#0 : downloaded 30 May 2019).
13. Carte Postale. Geneanet (https://www.geneanet.org/cartes-postales/view/319708#0 : downloaded 30 May 2019).
14. Census Records, database, MyHeritage, WorldVitalRecords (http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/ : downloaded 19 July 2016), Davis, David F. and Davis, Mamie and Davis, Grace, Roscoe, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Harris, Eugene, Canton, Stark, Ohio.
15. Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Historical Films, ca. 1914 – ca. 1936. Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 – 1985. Historical Film, No. 1341, produced 1936. National Archives Identifier: 24844. Local Identifier: 111-H-1341 (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24844). YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK_1Xe7iTKs : downloaded 23 January 2020).
16. Doyle, Charles J., Field Where Home Boys Lie Photographed, an article in The Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Sunday, February 9, 1919, page 47 (section 6, page 5). Google News Archive (https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mG1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BGgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2431%2C1364060 : viewed 2 January 2020).
17. Embarkation and Debarkation of the 80th Division, 1918-1919, article in The Service Magazine, Volume 8, Number 4, July 1927. 80th Division Veteran’s Association, (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 7, 2018), page 34.
18. Fight on Bridge to Stop Woman from Jumping, an article in The Pittsburgh Sunday Post, October 19, 1913, Page 1, Column 3.
19. Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/ : Downloaded 16 August 2016), John Ashby “Ashby” Williams, Sr (1874-1944), Memorial 64601385.
20. Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/ : downloaded 19 July 2016), Al G. Harris (1935-2007), Memorial 99909057.
21. Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/ : Downloaded 30 May 2016), PVT 1CL Russell T. Stewart, Memorial 55961495.
22. Florida, Marriages 1830-1993, digital images, FamilySearch, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : downloaded 12 July 2019), Image 824 of 1785, Duval County > Marriage applications, 1949 Nov-1950 Jun; citing multiple County Clerks of Court, Florida, 24 February 1950.
23. From the edge of Bois de la Pultiere, looking S. by W. (205º azimuth) (mp. co-ord. 310.1-285.9 Dun-sur-Meuse) showing partly ruined town of Cunel, Meuse, taken by 80th Div. about Oct. 9, 1918, in Argonne-Meuse drive, Dec. 1918, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 – 1920 (http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-bda4-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99).
24. Graves Location of the 80th Division’s Dead, article in The Service Magazine, Volume 8, Number 4, July 1927. 80th Division Veteran’s Association, (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 7, 2018), page 25.
25. Gumbert, Earl Preston, World War I, Company D, 319th Regiment 80th Infantry Division-A.E.F., Opinicus Publishing Company (http://TheTroubleShooters.com : downloaded 28 Jun 2016).
26. Hartzell, Captain Arthur E., Meuse-Argonne Battle (Sept. 26 – Nov. 11, 1918), United States: Central Printing Plant, March 24, 1919, page 31.
27. Herr, Charles Ryman, Company F History, 319th Infantry: Pub. as a Matter of Record by the Officers and Men of the Company. Somerville, NJ: Unionist-Gazzette Association, 1920, pages 16, 54.
28. History of the 319^th Infantry, U. S. A., During 21 Months of Service, an article in The Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] Gazette Times, Sunday May 25, 1919, section 6, page 10.
29. Hooper, Thomas W., The Truth of the Matter, Being the Efforts of Those Who Were in a Position to Know the Exact Accurate Historical Facts Concerning the Movements of the Eightieth in the A. E. F., an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 2, Number 4, February 1921, pages 15, 26. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
30. Hungry Soldiers Attack Red Cross Food at Station, article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 10 Jun 1919, online archives (https://Newspapers.com : downloaded 25 June 2016), page 10.
31. Johnston, Donnie, Mitchells Presbyterian set to celebrate 150 years in Culpeper, Culpeper [Virginia] Star Exponent, October 10, 2017, with portrait, (https://www.starexponent.com/news/mitchells-presbyterian-set-to-celebrate-years-in-culpeper/article_0068899d-b48c-5e4f-bcf6-11ff2a0acb09.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
32. Kephart, Larry R., Diary of William A Livergood. A tale of a soldier who served in the World War in France, (http://www.laroke.com/larryk4674/2001/poppop.htm : downloaded 31 Oct 2018), citing Howard C. Spencer, photographer, 305th Engineers, 80th Division.
33. Leaps Into River with Her ‘Roll’, an article in The Pittsburgh Press, October 19, 1913, Page 1, Column 4.
34. Lists of Incoming Passengers, 1917-1938; Lists of Outgoing Passengers, 1917-1938, microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration), Record Group 92; Fold3 (https://fold3.com : downloaded 21 January 2020), Zeelandia, 18 May 1918, Russell T. Stewart, Company M, 319th Infantry, 80th Division, Sheet 8, Number 160. The complete manifest and related ship’s paperwork can be viewed by paging backward and forward from Russell T. Stewart’s entry in the manifest.
35. Mazzella, Diana, The Soldiers of World War I, (https://magazine.wvu.edu/stories/2018/11/29/flashback-the-soldiers-of-world-war-i : downloaded 3 January 2020), citing West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries.
36. Men on a United States transport watching an encounter with a submarine, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 – 1920 (http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47db-1155-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99).
37. Montague, Maj. James L., Memoirs: Second Battalion, 319th Infantry Regiment, Eightieth Division, A. E. F., an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 9, Number 4, July-August 1928, pages 18, 38. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
38. Moore, William Emmet and James Clayton Russell, U. S. Official Pictures of the World War, Showing America’s Participation, Washington, DC: Pictorial Bureau, 1920, about page 344.
39. Niesen, Dale R., Dale R. Niesen Collection, The 80th Infantry Division (http://www.80thdivision.com/ : downloaded 4 Jul 2016), Photos.
40. Ohio Department of Health, Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, & 1958-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Original Data: Ohio. Division of Vital Statistics. Death Certificates and Index, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953. State Archives Series 3094. Ohio Historical Society, Ohio. Ohio Department of Health. Index to Annual Deaths, 1958-2002. Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus, OH, USA.
41. Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Grace Allen Davis, William Lincoln Dyer, 24 Jul 1916, FHL 000894943.
42. Palmer, Frederick, Our Greatest Battle (The Meuse-Argonne), New York, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919, pages 53, 275.
43. Part of Immense Crowd which Bade Farewell to Draftees Yesterday, an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 6 September 1917, online archives (https://Newspapers.com : downloaded 25 June 2016).
44. Peck, Josiah C., The 319th Infantry A.E.F. Paris: Clarke, 1919, pages 25, 32-33, 34, 37-38, 40.
45. Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Birth Certificates 1906-1911, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : downloaded 9 January 2020), Violet May Stewart, 4 December 1910.
46. Pennsylvania, USGenWeb Archives, Allegheny County, Military, World War I, (http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/allegheny/military/wpa-ww1/chapter-16.htm : 3 August 2016).
47. Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948, database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, Ancestry.com (https://ancestry.com : Downloaded 6 July 2016), Stewart, Russell T; citing World War I Veterans Service and Compensation File, 1934–1948. RG 19, Series 19.91. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg Pennsylvania.
48. Photographs taken by the “Griffin Group,” of areas occupied by American Troops during World War I combat operations, 1918 – 1919, National Archives Catalog, (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/532280). Also AEF GRS Data_WFL1 (http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d16223d89fb242ada81d9c886d607ba5 ), “AM802-80 Immecourt – Sivry Road 317th Inf. P.C. 299.7-289.9 2-26-19,” taken February 26, 1919 and “AM795-80 Ruined Chateau Immecourt 299.7 – 289.4 2-23-19.” François Depaix, e-mail to Mike Voisin, 10 November 2018.
49. Pscycological [i.e. Psychological] test at Camp Lee, Va., 11-1917, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 – 1920 (http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-be92-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99).
50. Raymond L. Thompson Papers, D.172, University of Rochester and the River Campus Libraries (https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/finding-aids/D172), Box 5, Reconnaissance Map and Aerial Photographs No. B1498 B1531, October 23, 1918, US-1AC-SQ1-B1525, François Depaix, e-mail to Mike Voisin, 10 November 2018.
51. Raymond L. Thompson Papers, D.172, University of Rochester and the River Campus Libraries (https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/finding-aids/D172), Box 5, Reconnaissance Map and Aerial Photographs No. B1498 B1531, October 23, 1918, US-1AC-SQ1-B1530, François Depaix, e-mail to Mike Voisin, 13 June 2019.
52. Rossire, Jr., Capt. Charles., The Truth of the Matter, Being the Efforts of Those Who Were in a Position to Know the Exact Accurate Historical Facts Concerning the Movements of the Eightieth in the A. E. F., an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 2, Number 3, December 1920 – January 1921, pages 14-15. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
53. Rossire, Jr., Major Charles, A Brief Diary of the 319th Inf., With a Short Foreword by the Author, an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 4, Number 4, February-March 1923, pages 7-10. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
54. Saint-Nazaire. 14-18. La véritable histoire du Sammy, Ouest-France (https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/saint-nazaire-44600/saint-nazaire-14-18-la-veritable-histoire-du-sammy-6061696 : viewed 27 January 2020).
55. Scene at Camp Lee, Va., clearing ground, 12-1917, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 – 1920 (http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-bdf6-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99).
56. Spencer, Howard C., Howard C. Spencer Scrapbook, Opinicus Publishing Company (http://TheTroubleShooters.com : downloaded 28 Jun 2016), World War I, 80th “Blue Ridge” Infantry Division.
57. Station List Headquarters 160th Infantry Brigade with the A. E. F., an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 8, Number 4, July-August 1927, page 30. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
58. Stewart, Dennis, Robert M. Stewart Family, MyHeritage.com (https://www.myheritage.com/site-148784861/robert-m-stewart-family : Downloaded 23 June 2016), “Thomas Russell Stewart.”
59. Stewart, Joshua Thompson, Indiana County, Pennsylvania: Her People, Past and Present, 2 Volumes (Chicago, Illinois: J. H. Beers, 1913), Volume I, Pages 705-706; digital images, The Internet Archive, Text Archive (http://www.archive.org/details/indianacountypen01stew : downloaded 9 December 2009).
60. Stewart, Robert M., Stewarts 1776-1979 (N.p.: n.p., 8 July 1978), Appendix, Copy of Western Union telegram to Mary Stewart indicating Russell Stewart was killed in action 2 November.
61. Stultz, Russell L., History of the Eightieth Division, A.E.F. in World War I, Lee S. Anthony, Editor, Descendants of the 80th Division Veterans, 2004.
62. Taussig, Joseph K., Diary of Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Little, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/publications/documentary-histories/wwi/may-1918/diary-of-captain-jos-0.html : viewed 25 January 2020), Sunday, May 19, [1918] at sea.
63. Taylor, Rear Admiral David W., Dutch Ships Manned by Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/publications/documentary-histories/wwi/may-1918/rear-admiral-david-w.html : viewed 25 January 2020), May 6, 1918.
64. The Record of the ‘80th’, an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 3, Number 5, February 1922, page 13. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018), a portion of General Order No. 19, Headquarters Eightieth Division, American Expeditionary Forces, France, 11 November, 1918
65. The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas Libraries, Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, (http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ww1/index.html : downloaded 19 November 2019), citing American Battle Monuments Commission, Summary of Operations in the World War, 1944, map 80th Division, Meuse-Argonne Offensive, October 23 – November 8, 1918.
66. Three More Boys Died for Country, an article in The Indiana (Pennsylvania) Progress, 18 December 1918, Russell T. Stewart killed in action, Page 1; online archives (Newspapers.com : downloaded 19 June 2016).
67. Two Soldiers of the 80th Who Still ‘Carry On’, an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 3, Number 5, July-August 1928, page 15. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
68. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011, Canton, Stark, Ohio, various years.
69. U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, database, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : Viewed 9 January 2020), Grace A. Davis, Russell T. Stewart, Anna Mae Harris; citing Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. Grace Joliet Apr 1971, Age 76, born 23 April 1895, No SSN, Social Security Administration, U.S. Social Security Death Index, FamilySearch (Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library).
70. Uniform grouping of Charles Rossire, eBay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWI-UNIFORM-GROUP-OF-DISTINGUISHED-SERVICE-CROSS-RECIPIENT-CAPT-CHARLES-ROSSIRE-/123019650565 : viewed October 1, 2018), sold item, $1,925.00.
71. United States Army Signal Corps, Catalogue of Official A.E.F. Photographs, Taken by the Signal Corps, USA (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1919). Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=DJZDAAAAYAAJ : accessed November 11, 2018).
72. United States Board of Tax Appeals, Reports of the United States Board of Tax Appeals, Volume 34, United States Board of Tax Appeals versus Koninklijke Hollandische Lloyd, (Royal Holland Lloyd), Petitioner, versus Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent. Docket number 78662, July 24, 1936, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1936. Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=ockpG95e-NUC&pg=RA113-PA1 : viewed 23 January 2020).
73. United States National Archives, Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September 26 to November 11, 1918, 80th Division, National Archives Identifier: 24921, Local Identifier: 111-H-1419, YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ6PtbHehcw : viewed November 11, 2018).
74. United States Navy, NH 103675 USS Zeelandia docked at Charleston, South Carolina, 1918-1919, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/people—special-topics/african-americans-in-the-navy/african-americans-and-the-navy–wwi-to-wwii/uss-zeelandia-nh-103675.html : downloaded 25 January 2020).
75. United States Navy, NH 106384 USS Zeelandia in a harbor, 1918-1919, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-106000/NH-106384.html : downloaded 25 January 2020).
76. United States Navy, NH 107311 USS Zeelandia Ship’s officers, 1918-1919, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-107000/NH-107311.html : downloaded 25 January 2020).
77. United States Navy, NH 89784 S.S. Zeelandia, 1918-1919, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-89000/NH-89784.html : downloaded 25 January 2020).
78. United States Navy, Zeelandia, #2507, 1918-1919, Naval History and Heritage Command (https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/z/zeelandia.html : viewed 23 January 2020).
79. United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : Downloaded 29 May 2016), Russell Thomas Stewart, 1917-1918; citing , Allegheny County no 11, Pennsylvania, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,852,387.
80. United States, Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original Data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
81. United States, Veterans Administration master index, 1917-1940, digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : downloaded 20 January 2020), Russell Thomas Stewart, Stevens, Eugene A. – Stockwell, Joseph Maaz, dup roll 222A, pt. 2 of 4, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3M4-S796-X?i=5583&cc=2968245&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AWM27-12MM), Veterans Affairs master index, prior war file 76193916, RG 15, 1917-1940.
82. United States, War Department, 1789-9/18/1947, American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 – 1918, Record Group 165: Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, 1860 – 1952,National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/ : downloaded 16 Janunary 2020). To find an individual image, search for “165-WW-n”, where n is the photograph number. You may need to try different combinations of punctuation and spacing in the number to get a match.
83. United States, War Department, Army War College, Historical Section, World War I Branch. ca. 1918-ca. 1948, Record Group 111, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 – 1985, National Archives Catalog. (https://catalog.archives.gov/ : downloaded November 11, 2018). To find an individual image, search for “111-SC-nnnnn”, where nnnnn is the photograph number.
84. United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509.
85. War Department, Office of the Quartermaster General, Cemeterial Division, Initial Burial Plats for World War I American Soldiers, 1920 – 1920. Record Group 92: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774 – 1985. National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12007376 : downloaded 27 May 2019), 1919-3/15/1922.
86. West Virginia, Vital Research Records Project, Digital images, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/ : Downloaded 12 July 2016); West Virginia State Archives and the Genealogical Society of Utah, Record 10504; Dist. No. 210; Serial No. 241, Grace Stewart, 19 September 1945.
87. West Virginia, Vital Research Records Project, Digital images, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/ : downloaded 19 July 2016); West Virginia State Archives and the Genealogical Society of Utah, Page 356, Eugene Harris, Cambridge, Ohio and Anna Mae Stewart, Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, 28 April 1934.
88. West Virginia, Vital Research Records Project, Digital images, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Archives and History (http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/ : downloaded 29 May 2016); West Virginia State Archives and the Genealogical Society of Utah, Film Number 869969, Image 382, Stewart, Russell and Davis, Grace, 24 December 1909;
89. Williams, Ashby, Experiences of the Great War (Roanoke, Virginia: The Stone Printing and Manufacturing Company, 1919), pages 78-79, 122, 123-124, 129, 137, 154-155.
90. Wise, Jennings C., General Brett and the Fighting ‘80th’, How the Gallant Leader of the 319th and 320th Regiments of Infantry and 315th Machine Gun Battalion Played a Leading Role of the Bitterly Fought Battles of the World War, Facts Presented to Congressional Committee in Effort to Win Merited Rank for General Who Led Pittsburghers Through Decisive Phases of War, an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 3, Number 10, August 1922, pages 7-9, 31. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018).
91. Wise, Lt. Col. Jennings C., The Surest Means of American Defense, an article in The Service Magazine, Volume 6, Number 6, November-December 1925, page 7. 80th Division Veteran’s Association (https://www.80thdivision.com/blueridge_wwi.html : viewed September 6, 2018), photo of Lt. Col. Wise.
92. Woman Leaps from Bridge, an article in The Pittsburgh Gazette Times, October 19, 1913, Page 4, Column 2.

The Zeelandia was a passenger ship converted for use as a troop transport by the United States Navy during World War I. My granduncle Russell T. Stewart sailed on the USS Zeelandia on her first voyage to France in 1918. While researching his experiences, I discovered some interesting facts about this ship.

Shown here at New York harbor on May 10, 1918, the ship had been newly outfitted. She sports a new coat of paint known as dazzle camouflage, also called razzle dazzle. Rather than conceal the ship, it was intended to make it difficult for enemy submarines to determine the ship’s range and speed.

The Zeelandia was a Dutch commercial passenger ship named after Zeeland, the westernmost province of the Netherlands. She was built in 1910 in Scotland, and owned and operated by Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd (Royal Holland Lloyd) based in Amsterdam. How she became a US Navy transport is interesting.

Her Detainment

In September 1917 she sailed from Buenos Aires bound for the Netherlands. But, she carried a US naval officer, and other passengers and mail bound for New York along the way. Although she had enough fuel and provisions to continue her voyage to the Netherlands, the captain was assured he could enter the port of New York, as long as he didn’t take on any additional cargo. During the war, the Espionage Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act required approval of all US goods shipped to Europe, to keep them from falling into enemy hands.

However the captain wanted to take on some stranded Dutch citizens and therefore some additional stores just for their travel on the remaining leg of the voyage. This caused a delay waiting for approval. Frustrated after several days waiting, the captain canceled his request. He wanted to set sail with just his original cargo, which should have required no approval. However US officials refused to grant the ship clearance. And, they continued to do so for several months, all the way until March 21, 1918. ⁸⁰

It was about then the Navy chartered the Zeelandia to commission her as a naval transport. Presumably Royal Holland Lloyd or the Dutch government was compensated for that charter. The Zeelandia had been detained without cause for several months, ostensibly to prevent her from falling into enemy hands, or perhaps with secret intention for her eventual use as a US transport.

Well after the war, in 1932 Royal Holland Lloyd won judgment against the United States for damages from those months being detained at New York harbor. Losses included the market value for use of the ship, and the cost of fuel, wages, repairs, port expenses, water, and insurance, all with interest. The Dutch were awarded over a half million dollars. The litigation continued though. In 1936, the Dutch sued the Internal Revenue Service, which tried to tax the money awarded in the previous case. That case also found for plaintiff, that the money was not taxable. ⁸¹

Here is the Zeelandia at New York, probably during her detainment in early 1918. A large colorful Dutch flag is painted on her bow as a symbol of neutrality while sailing to and from Europe. ⁸²

On May 6, 1918, Rear Admiral David W. Taylor reported that arrangements for conversion of the Zeelandia were already made. ⁸⁴ Clearly, several photographs of the Zeelandia taken May 10, 1918 show she had been, or was nearly, complete. ⁸⁵ The following photos were taken only eight days prior to her first voyage as a US Navy transport. During that time, she must have sailed from Pier 97 at New York to Newport News, Virginia, where my granduncle Russell Stewart boarded at midnight May 17, 1918. ⁸⁶

Her First Voyage

The entire 80^th Division, all 26,851 men, sailed on 12 different ships over 5 different days mainly from May 17 through May 26. As part of the 80^th Division, the 319^th Infantry required three ships, the Madawaska, the Duca d’Abruzzi, and the Zeelandia. ⁸⁷ Russell Stewart, in Company M, was assigned to the Zeelandia. There were altogether 255 men in Company M. He is listed in this excerpt from the ship’s manifest. ⁸⁸

US Navy Commander Robert Henderson commanded the Zeelandia, which sailed May 18, 1918 from Newport News, Virginia on her first voyage as a converted troop transport. There were fifteen ships and one cruiser in the convoy. ⁸⁹

There was also at least one destroyer. Commander Joseph K. Taussig commanded the Navy destroyer USS Little (DD-79/APD-4). He noted in his diary that his ship shoved off May 18, 1918 at 11:00 am. ⁹⁰ Just before reaching the rendezvous point, a thick fog set it, and word was received the President Grant had run aground in the channel. It was expected to come off at high tide, but all ships in the convoy had to wait for her. Because of continued fog, the Little set anchor at 7:00 pm. By 11:00 pm the fog lifted and the convoy got underway. The fog returned, but since they were underway, they continued onward using fog horns.

When the fog lifted after daylight, Commander Taussig found he was with the Madawaska, Duc d’Abruzzi and Bridge on one side and the Pocohontas and Zeelandia on the other. Other ships were not in sight, but they soon caught up with them before dark, except, the Re d’Italia was apparently further ahead.

The convoy maintained 12-1/2 knots since that was the maximum speed of the President Grant. She was the largest ship, with 4,600 troops aboard. They immediately began sailing a zig-zag pattern due to reports of German U-boats in the area. They sailed in a double line of transports behind a Navy cruiser, the USS Huntington (ACR-5).

On some days a destroyer would steam past the transports at about a half mile distance towing a target that looked like a submarine periscope. The sailors on each transport would in turn practice firing the ship’s guns at this target.

Abandon ship drills were conducted daily. On May 22^nd the Zeelandia’s whistle let out several deep blasts signaling “man overboard.” During a drill, one of the sailors fell into the sea because the lifeboat release mechanism broke on one side. A cruiser was able to turn around to rescue him, which took two hours.

Originally a commercial passenger ship, the Zeelandia was outfitted with four 6-inch guns, two 1-pounders, and two machine guns. ⁹¹ Two aft 6-inch guns are shown in this view.

On May 26^th a destroyer fired its guns and dropped depth charges at the sight of a submarine. All ships then went full-steam ahead with guns blazing for several minutes. However it turned out to be an overturned boat, not a submarine. Or, maybe, it was.

The cruiser USS Huntington sailed only part of the way and turned back on May 28^th as they neared France. At the same time ten destroyers joined the convoy to guide it through the enemy U-boat zone.

Two days later on May 30^th as the convoy neared France, three French airplanes flew out to escort the convoy to port. Just then the general quarters alarm sounded. The destroyers steamed back and forth dropping depth-charges. A submarine was spotted from the Zeelandia and the ship’s gunners fired at it as rapidly as they could. After several minutes it was gone and firing ceased. Recall sounded and everyone relaxed and started going back below deck.

Suddenly all four of Zeelandia’s six-inch guns were firing. There were several U-boats this time, and one was trailing the Zeelandia, which immediately began a zig-zag course. The forward guns then had to fire almost parallel down the length of the ship. The troops still on deck were forced to lay flat and hug the deck. The concussion of the passing shells broke windows and upset chairs on deck.

Reports indicated there were up to seven enemy U-boats that attacked. The enemy fired several torpedoes, but no ships in the convoy were hit. ⁹²

After twelve days at sea the Zeelandia arrived safely outside Saint-Nazaire, France on May 30, 1918 at 9:30 pm and set anchor. The next morning she came into port, to berth 15, at 11:00 am and immediately began unloading. It took a few hours for the 1,755 troops to disembark, but two days to unload all their belongings and cargo, until June 2 at 11:30 am. Company M alone had 20,800 pounds of barrack bags and crates. Troops reported to Rest Camp 1 near Saint-Nazaire.

The Zeelandia was delayed seven more days for unspecified repairs to machinery. She sailed June 8, 1918 for her return trip to the United States. She had several sick patients, that included six officers, two nurses, and forty-two soldiers. She also had three civilian passengers and two prisoners. ⁹³

Meanwhile on June 4^th Russell Stewart was promoted from Private to Private First Class. That was also the day the 319^th Infantry started their move inland. They entrained at 6:30 pm aboard cramped “40 hommes/8 chevaux” rail cars. These light “40 and 8” cars could carry 40 men or 8 horses. After more than a month of traveling by different trains and frequently marching, they arrived on July 22, 1918 in the British sector for further training with the British 2^nd Division.

Military Cargo

The Zeelandia continued her voyages carrying troops and cargo. Here she is at the port of Brest, France unloading cargo on October 27, 1918. ⁹⁴ The ship had lost its original luster from months of heavy use. This was at the height of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Russell Stewart was camped near Lachalade that day preparing for the final phase of battle, only six days before he was killed in action.

The above photo was taken simultaneously with a video. ⁹⁵ Here is an excerpt showing just the Zeelandia. The original video shows the labor-intensive process of unloading cargo onto lighters (non-powered barges), then unloading those barges at the wharf, then again loading trains for eventual delivery inland.

Repatriation

The Zeelandia reportedly made five round-trip voyages during the war, and then seven voyages afterwards. She transported 8,349 troops to France and later returned 15,737 troops back home. ⁹⁶ Pictured here are the officers of the USS Zeelandia in 1919. ⁹⁷

Here the Zeelandia returns home with troops standing on deck, sometime in 1919. ⁹⁸ By then the dazzle camouflage had faded almost completely.

Here she is docked at Charleston, filled with troops anxiously waiting to see their families after a year at war. ⁹⁹ One of the six-inch guns is seen here on the port bow. By the way I don’t think they had enough lifeboats for everyone.

The Zeelandia was removed from Navy service by August 1919 and decommissioned by October 1919. She was returned to her previous owner at that time. ¹⁰⁰ She was scrapped seventeen years later, in April 1936. The Zeelandia played a vital part in our war effort even though she was obtained by dubious means. I can appreciate the experience of my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, who sailed to France on her first voyage as a troop transport. Sadly, he did not return home.

Monument

American troops arrived for the first time in France at Saint-Nazaire on June 26, 1917. Thereafter nearly 200,000 troops came through the port. There is a special monument there dedicated to the American Doughboy. It was a gift of the American people to the people of France. The original statue was dedicated in 1926, but the Nazis destroyed it during World War II. A replica replacement was made and dedicated in 1989.

Affectionately known as the Saint-Nazaire “Sammy,” as in Uncle Sam, it’s what the French called American Doughboys during World War I. The Eagle, symbolizing America, gently lands on French soil and spreads her wings for protection. On top is an American Doughboy, knees slightly bent as if landing from a jump across the ocean. He holds a downward pointing sword, a symbol of peace. ¹⁰¹

A Pittsburgh newspaper article published three months after the end of World War I highlights the battle at Imécourt, France. ⁸⁹ It was of particular interest to Pittsburgh readers because most of the men who fought there were from Pittsburgh. It was the final battle for the 319^th Infantry Regiment, part of the 80^th Division. Several men were killed in action there, including my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart. ⁹⁰

The article includes an aerial reconnaissance photograph, but it is barely discernible in this poor quality reproduction. Luckily the original army photo is still available. ⁹⁶ It is reproduced below in its correct orientation, with north upward. The markings mentioned in the article are included here, except the 1, 2, and 3 crosses are replaced instead by circled numbers.

Sent from the 80^th Division headquarters, the article provides clues about the battle at Imécourt. Correspondent Charles J. Doyle was probably still in France and the 80^th Division headquarters was still very much active there.

The photograph was “taken by a daring aviator a short time before thousands of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania lads rushed across the fields.” The actual photo was indeed taken October 23, 1918 just days before the November 1 offensive.

The article goes on, “after passing the upper edge of town the enemy opened up a terrifying machine gun fire, which necessitated quick action on the part of Capt. Hooper, who was in charge of the Third Battalion. ¹⁰⁰ Capt. Hooper ordered the men to drop back into a friendly orchard and as it was getting dark, he commanded his fighters to find places of shelter for the night.”

There does appear to be an orchard just to the left of the barn (1). The author spoke with several people including George E. Nook, who was in the barn hit by artillery. Mr. Nook was a mechanic in Company M and was killed November 1 near the barn mentioned. Since the author arrived at Imécourt November 2, it is doubtful he actually spoke with Mr. Nook.

The area denoted by (3) was “another scene of hard fighting. It was while leading his fighters on this main road to Buzancy that brave little Stephen Hoskins of Warren, Pa., fell.” Lt. Stephen Paul Hoskins ¹⁰² was in Company G. He was killed November 2 and initially buried near the Chateau d’Imécourt. If he were indeed killed in this area, perhaps those buried next to him were in the same area.

Russell Stewart was in Company M. He was also killed November 2 and buried near Lt. Hoskins at the Chateau d’Imécourt. It is already known that Companies L and M were sent to the northern edge of the town. ¹⁰³

This may be the precise area where Russell was killed. However other evidence indicates a westward attack starting from this area took place early in the morning of November 2. So Russell probably died in the area to the left of (3). ¹⁰⁴

A Precarious Line

The tenuous front held the night of November 1, 1918 is shown in this army map. ¹⁰⁵ On the left of the zone, the 320^th Infantry was held up by intense machine gun fire all day. They didn’t make it very far from the initial jump off point. To their right, the 319^th did make it to Imécourt, but the dashed lines indicate areas where no troops were actually stationed. An enemy counterattack there would have been disastrous.

The detail of Imécourt at right shows the Chateau d’Imécourt as a square structure on the south edge of town. The front line to the west corresponds to area (2) in the aerial photo, while the line to the north depicts area (3).

Notice St. Georges at the bottom right on the map above. Howard C. Spencer with the 305^th Engineers took this photograph as he marched from St. Georges to Imécourt later in the morning of November 1, 1918. ¹⁰⁶ His path would intersect with Russell Stewart’s that afternoon at Imécourt.

A photograph taken after the war shows the approach to Imécourt from the south, and the Sivry-Buzancy road off to the north, back, right. ¹⁰⁷

Another photograph shows the Sivry-Buzancy road north of Imécourt, likely near the area where Russell Stewart was stationed. It is marked as the 317^th Infantry’s command post. They continued the battle here the next day, November 3, 1918. ¹⁰⁸

A Remarkable Photograph

Russell Stewart’s battalion remained in the area north of Imécourt, and defended it from several German counter-attacks all afternoon and into the night on November 1, 1918. Major Charles Rossire, Jr. ¹⁰⁹ refers to two companies of the support battalion that defended the Sivry-Buzancy road. We know from another source these were companies L and M. ¹¹⁰

12:10 P. M. Enemy attempted to filter across Imecourt – Sivry Road at E9804 with Machine guns and drove back a detachment of engineers who were repairing the road. The Bn. Commander, leading Bn., happened to be at this point at the time and immediately sent for a platoon of the left support company. Seeing the vitality of the position, 2 companies of the support Bn. were also placed along the road at this point. This position lay off the flank of the reserves of the Division to our right. All that afternoon, repeated attempts were made by the enemy to force an opening at this position. Here again rifle grenades were used with great effect.

Actual battle photographs from this era are rare. The photo above may indeed be a remarkable intersection of family history with world history. It was taken by James C. Spencer, who served in the 305^th Engineers, part of the 80^th Division. ¹¹¹ A detachment of engineers from the 305^th was assigned to repair the road between Imécourt and Sivry the afternoon of November 1. They were driven off by enemy gun fire. ¹¹² Russell’s battalion, and specifically Russell’s company, was sent to this very area to defend the road and probably also the army engineers trying to repair it. It was therefore taken in the area where Russell Stewart was, while he was there. Notice the helmets of soldiers in the photograph.

Destruction of the Chateau

The newspaper article also mentions the Chateau d’Imécourt was blown up by an enemy time-delay fuse. That report was unconfirmed and the author suggests it was a rumor. Other unconfirmed reports indicate it was instead burned by an accidental fire while occupied by US troops.

A photograph taken February 23, 1919 shortly after the newspaper article was published, shows the Chateau was indeed destroyed. ¹¹³ Although the roof is missing in most places, many of the walls are still standing. This damage looks more consistent with a fire than an explosion. However an incendiary device could have caused the fire.

This survey ¹¹⁴ shows the Chateau d’Imécourt and Army Cemetery 717, where Russell Stewart and Lt. Hoskins were initially buried. It was made before April 15, 1919, when Russell had been disinterred and reburied near Romagne. It shows the walls of the Chateau either before or after it was completely destroyed. Note the western side of the structure, which is missing, had already been destroyed by November 1, 1918.

These soldiers were buried in Army Cemetery 717 at the Chateau d’Imécourt:

Another survey shows the barn (1) mentioned in the article and the grave of George Nook, who was also mentioned. He was probably buried near where he fell.

Another aerial view taken along with the published photo shows the northern edge of Imécourt, where Russell Stewart and Stephen Hoskins were stationed. ¹¹⁵ As mentioned in the article, numerous large shell craters dot the landscape.

Transcription

The Gazette Times article provides many clues about what actually happened at Imécourt. That it was published at all shows the importance of the battle at Imécourt to the citizens of Pittsburgh.