Bristol County, Massachusetts - Chapter 5: Fall River in World War, 1924

Chapter 5: Fall River in World War

Fall River, throughout its length and breadth, rose as one great patriotic family to a splendid occasion when, on April 6, 1917, this country entered with the allies upon the war against Germany. 'Taught not only of the unswerving regularity of her many thousands of looms and machines, but better still, of the unison that has always distinguished every patriotic and philanthropic enterprise of her citizens, Fall River at once marshalled and aligned an unconquerable force of system and method in every military plan considered, in all war work undertaken, so that both at home and abroad "Fall River First'"" became a catch-phrase that never had cause to be spoken in jest. At the instance of as thoroughgoing a host of defenders as any community of the time could produce, every current of civic life, whether of industry, of finance, of educational or religious activity, became directed into one resistless tide, flowing through and out of the city to give added power to the gulf stream of all the forces of the war. Fall River's cloud of witnesses went forth; but all who should stay at home stood by the cause they had undertaken, in scores of ways, from those who raised great sums of money to those who made their lawns into thrift gardens, and those who knit socks and sweaters for the soldiers. Only a work of many volumes might recount in full the incessant labors and the endless processions of workers - those who, in the sayings of the day, "did their bit" and helped "carry on" the war's unceasing rounds of labor. In the church, in the home, in the shop, there was a oneness of continuous work, and the record of it all is enduring in the victorious results achieved.

Early in the year 1917, both army and navy boys had been leaving the city in droves, one hundred and fifty having joined the regular army soon after April 1, while the city was aglow with the patriotic colors of the service flags, whether of individual homes, of corporations, churches, or schools. The drum was beginning to beat and the bugle to call for the summoning forth of such an army of military men, of workers and helpers, as no one in the city had dreamed might be gathered for such a purpose. The regiments of soldiers and sailors were there - the money and equipment to back them up would soon be forthcoming. The Fall River committee on preparedness was one of the first in New England to swing into line. The rooms of the Manufacturers' Association were the headquarters of most of their undertakings, and it is conceded by all sub-organizations that their generalship not only led the way for all other local movements, but assured and enthused every financial tribute of aid for the cause. These were the men who formed the committee on preparedness: Chairman, Robert C. Davis; vice-chairman, Nathan Durfee; secretary-treasurer, Charles E. Smith; executive committee: Chairman, Mayor James H. Kay; vice-chair- man, Nathan Durfee; secretary, Charles E. Smith; Thomas B. Bassett, William H. Beattie, Hector L. Belisle, Robert C. Davis, Albert A. Harrison, Fred W. Lawson, Russell H. Leonard. They slacked in nothing from beginning to end, and their committee on recruiting began to stimulate enlistments in the regular army during the last week in June, the general committee on recruiting consisting of Hector L. Belisle, Robert R. Borden, Dr. William H. Blanchette, Dr. John W. Coughlin, Russell H. Leonard, Dr. Antonio H. Lima, Daniel A. Reagan, Clinton V. S. Remington, Godfroi De Tonnancour, and W. D. Wilmot. Shortly thereafter, the city was divided into four districts for the conscripting and examining of drafted men, and they registered under the selective draft act 10,547 persons, of whom 3650 made exemption claims. Of the number registered, 6427 were citizens and 4137 were aliens; there were only ten alien enemies.

Up to the last of July, 1917, one thousand men had gone from the city to share in 'one branch or another of the service; the draft was on; the Twelfth Company had been mobilized, the State Guard armed, and the city was about to send 1066 more men in the draft. There were now Fall River men in the forts of the southern department, in the radio and aero schools, at Plattsburg, Newport and New London, in the regular service, in the naval reserves, the coast guard, the marines, the heavy and field artilleries, cavalry, infantry, engineers.

The distinguishing farewell event of the early summer of 1917 was that attending the departure of the Twelfth Company, Coast Artillery Corps, Massachusetts National Guard. The mobilization of the company took place at the State Armory, July 25, where Major Harry A. Skinner, of the Cape Battalion, had his headquarters. On July 23 the company had been given a fraternal send-off at the Y. M. C. A., when Major F. W. Harrison presided, and the speakers were Hon. Andrew J. Jennings, Mayor James H. Kay,- Former Lieutenant John T. Swift, Lieutenant E. W. Hearne, Major Harry A. Skinner, Captain Thomas J. Clifford. On the evening of July 27, a remarkable military service took place at St. Mary's Cathedral, when the Twelfth Company, together with drafted men throughout the city, led by Captain Thomas J. Clifford, filled the body of the church, and a stirring address was given by Right Rev. Monsignor James E. Cassidy, V. G., of St. Patrick's. Their parade through the city July 28 was one that stirred all who shared in it - the military companies and the beholders - the High School Battalion, Camp Doran, U. S. W. V., Battery M, Veteran Association, and city and military officials, being in line. Thousands of people

They were not alone, for detachment after detachment followed, week by week, bound for various camps of their assignment, and again were resumed the city-wide occupations of recruiting, and of bringing all organizations and individuals into the concentrated labors of war-giving and of wartime relief - the teachers, the doctors, the lawyers offering their time in drafting-committee service; the fraternal organizations all working for the one fraternity of democracy. Fall River witnessed and took part in innumerable parades at various times during the World War, farewell parades, welcome-home parades, but none that made a more general or a deeper impression than that which escorted the drafted men in September. That parade, September 8, 1917, in which were aligned 690 drafted men, was in command of Colonel William H. Beattie, and it received a great ovation, the event being crowned at the north end park with addresses by Mayor James H. Kay, Monsignor James E. Cassidy and Colonel Spencer Borden, Sr.

Day after day uttered its war speech, indeed, and though the different detachments of men were constantly on the way, it never became so common an affair that they were allowed to go unattended, for there was always some local band and social organization ready, whatever the weather, to act as an escort. Here and there the new companies, enlisted from school and from shop, hastened on to supply the demand for the Fall River quotas, the second allotment in the second draft leaving for Camp Devens April 27, led by the Boy Scouts' military band. A total of 427 men from

Fall River's four divisions left for Camp Devens, September 20; 23 drafted men left for Fort Adams in December, 1917; 71, the first quota of the second draft, for Devens, March 29, 1918; 44 for Fort Slocum, May 10; 74 for Camp Upton, May 27; 77 registered men started for Fort Slocum, May 31; four local men of the Y. M. C. A. left for overseas June 2; 33 for Camp Dix June 27; 145 more entered the national army at Camp Devens, July 23; 43 limited service men for Syracuse recruiting camp, July 30; the city sent 43 men for special work on guard duty at embarkation ports; 95 men were sent from the four draft divisions December 20, for service in the Coast Artillery Corps. And these are but day-by-day items of a long succession of similar movements that were taking place during the two active years, almost up to the time of the signing of the peace treaty.

In May, 1918, Major William B. Squire, of the Fall River Battalion attached to the Seventeenth Regiment of the Massachusetts State Guard, had: mapped out a course of seasonable instruction in military tactics and company administration for all young men in this city in the draft, the instruction being gratis, and many before leaving were taking the opportunity to become instructed in matters that they were soon actively to participate in. Robert R. Borden, enrollment agent for the United States Public Service Reserves, at this time received a letter from Director William A. Gaston in which Fall River received praise as having done better than any other place in the State in the preparedness enrollment. In September, 1918, it was announced that the entire number of men in this city enrolled as liable for military duty under the new amendment to the selective draft regulation was 14,485, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years.

Local Naval Militia - - The men of the navy were a redoubtable crew, and they mobilized promptly and at call, at the armory. On April 7, 1918, the members of the Eighth Deck Division and the Third Engineers' Division of the Massachusetts Naval Battalion, left for Boston, to be mustered into the United States Navy, under Captain William B. Edgar, and executive officer Commander John T. Nelson, both of this city. The companies boarded the 8:40 train, the march to the depot being attended by delegations from a number of military and social organizations. 'The roster of the Third Engineers' Division:

Financing the War. - Fall River institutions and individuals realized the need of getting behind the government with money in plenty, if victory should be won, and in the great drives, through the Liberty loans and others, the people gave to the utmost, the scores of persuasive calls being answered on the instant. The city is forever proud of that record. As one writer stated: "Ours is not a pretentious city. We do not boast about our great buildings, nor our intellectual lights, nor our moneyed powers. * * * * without any great display of fireworks, we have quietly gone about our duty freely and cheerfully." The manufacturers set golden examples; the merchants performed a noble work; the clerks were never behindhand, whether as enlisted men or as donors to any fund; many hundreds of housewives purchased bonds; mill operatives prided themselves upon their contributions to the loans. And when the first Liberty Loan was launched, in 1917, for the maximum quota of $3,760,000, no one at that hour could have foreseen that the total subscription would amount to 119 per cent., or the sum of $4,470,800. It was Eric Borden who is acknowledged to have managed the first drive. Then, in their turn, and as committees in the drives that followed, came Spencer Borden, Jr., Nathan Durfee, Henry F. Searles, Albert A. Harrison, W. D. Wilmot, assisted by Robert R. Borden, W. L. S. Brayton, Leonard §. Chace, Edmund Coté, Robert C. Davis, George Delano, M. T. Hudner, James H. Mahoney, Joseph E. Nute, Dr. Antonio Rosa, David Silverstein, Esq.

In the second Liberty Loan campaign of November, 1917, Fall River was the only city in Bristol county to exceed the maximum quota - New Bedford, Taunton and Attleboro following in the order named. The maximum allotment apportioned this city was $7,635,000, and the sum raised was $7,703,000. The campaign, like most of them, was launched with a parade, followed by a stirring mass meeting at the South Armory, with addresses by Rev. E. C. Herrick, Right Rev. Mgr. James E. Cassidy and Judge James M. Morton, Jr. The quota for the third drive in the series was $3,648,000, the total amount subscribed being $5,453,500; and Fall River received a National Liberty Loan committee honor flag for exceeding the minimum allotment. In the three loans, thus far, the city had raised money enough to send an army corps to France. Besides the leaders as announced for the former committees, their aides were:

There was no lag in the drive for the "Fighting Fourth" Liberty Loan, though the floating of so large a loan appeared an enormous task at the outset. The city's quota was $7,368,000, and the total of subscriptions was $8,927,000, exceeding the quota by more than one and one-half millions. Joseph E. Nute was chairman of the Liberty Loan committee of societies and unions, and his chairmen were:

Mr. Nute also was chairman of many other campaigns, such as those of the Boy Scouts that in February, 1917, raised $10,600; the Red Triangle, that in November of that year secured $72,839; the local Y. M. C. A., that in February, 1918, brought in $13,714.54; the Second Red Cross war fund, that in May totalled $181,091.63; the United War Work campaign, that in November, 1918, collected $243,000; the local Y. M. C. A. campaign of March and April, 1919, that secured $32,408; the third Red Cross roll call, that totalled $554,886.70.

In the Victory Loan drive of May, 1919, the quota for this city was $5,551,350, yet the city totalled, as a result of splendid effort, $6,365,160, more than $800,000 in excess of the quota. Fall River thus subscribed a total of $32,166,700 worth of bonds to the five loan campaigns, or an average of $6,433,340 for each campaign.

The war savings committee consisted of Edward S. Adams, chairman; James H. Hoar, Hon. John W. Cummings, William B. Hawes, and William F. Winter, and their report for the four years follows: 1918: Number

Special Aid Work. - A call came to the women of Fall River in the spring of 1916 to join with those of other cities in definite enlistment for patriotic service by means of the Special Aid Society for American Preparedness, an otganization that had been launched by Mrs. William Alexander of New York City, her co-laborer in Boston being Mrs. Barrett Wendell. At the request of a representative of the Massachusetts Branch, Miss Anna H. Borden, of Fall River, invited to her home a group of twentyseven women, including representatives of all the women's large organizations, and by them, on April 24, 1916, the Fall River Branch of the society was formed with the following-named officers: President, Miss Anna H. Borden; vice-president, Miss Elizabeth T. Higney; secretary, Mrs. Chester D. Borden; treasurer, Mrs. Frederick O. Dodge; corresponding secretary, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr. At the same time, work of five departments was undertaken thus: Economic Cookery, in charge of Mrs. Harold H. Anthony; Red Cross instruction, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr.; Surgical Dressings, Mrs. F. B. Albert; Hospital Equipments, Mrs. John Heathcote; Girls' Training Camps, Mrs. Hector L. Belisle. These officers and appointees, with Mrs. William A. Gifford, Miss Frances §. Brown, Mrs. Charles D. Burt, Miss Margaret Brennan, Mrs. Edmund Coté and Miss Margaret M. Hurley, were constituted an executive committee, while the following-named were the advisory committee: Mesdames Charles H. Warner, John S. Brayton, Nathan Durfee, J. B. Richards, W. J. Speers, imaemine, G, H.R. Buffiinton, J. C. Mackenzie, J: T. C.,; McGuire, H.C. Herrick; Misses Margaret Shove, Florence Hills, Margaret Brayton, May Hudner. All constituted a general committee for directing the affairs of the society.

The slogan of this society, so well organized, was "Immediate service without red tape,' and women in all walks of life responded enthusiastically and with prompt and unselfish devotion. The maximum membership at any one time was 602. The society had the pleasure of hearing talks by Lieutenant Godfrey L. Cabot and Miss Helen Fraser, and the first active work entered upon was that of education, when classes in economic cookery and first aid to the injured were immediately organized; practical work was undertaken for the men on the Mexican border; contributions were made toward the expenses of three service houses conducted by the Massachusetts Branch, etc. By their special methods in the "Treasures and Trinkets" movement, the society contributed a large sum for aviation, and in a score of other ways their title proved no misnomer. The organization filled its unique place, as a practical herald of many helpers to come. The local Woman's Liberty Loan committee and the Fall River unit of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defence, as to its personnel, was identical with that of the Special Aid Society, and the society's treasury financed both committees. Its work was a pioneer one in meeting all sorts of war needs. It was indefinitely Bieta at its third annual meeting, November 11, 1919.

A strong and effective right arm in every wartime effort in Fall River was the Fall River Chapter of the American Red Cross. In it were concentrated both the energy and the sinews of nearly every successful venture that was planned and carried out for the amelioration of the hard conditions attending the struggle. Here was a work for men, but chiefly here was presented a work for women, and the latter gave very bountifully of their time and their talents, as well as of every means at their command, in order that the institution should prove the success that it did in this city. Throughout the war, between 550 and 650 volunteers gave their time freely, and with no reward, there being but four paid workers, one secretary of the home service department, one stenographer, a janitor and a watchman. All the effort of Fall River Chapter dates from that day, April 4, 1917, when John L. Saltonstall, director of the northeastern division of the Red Cross, came here to preside at a meeting of seventeen citizens in the Massasoit- Pocasset Bank building; and it was at that time that an organization committee was formed, consisting of F. Stafford Mathewson, chairman; Miss Anna H. Borden, secretary; and Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote, Mrs. Charles H. Warner, Harry P. Brown, Dr. Ralph W. French and Frederick Webb. Later, this committee met again and nominated the following-named officers : F. Stafford Mathewson, chairman; Miss Anna H. Borden and Asa Mills, vice-chairmen; Mrs. Harold H. Anthony, secretary; Arthur W. Allen, treasurer. Executive committee: Hector L. Belisle, Mrs. Nathan Durfee, Mayor James H. Kay, Mrs. F. S. Mathewson, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr., Charles P. Ryan, Miss Margaret Shove, Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote, Richard P. Borden, Dr. Ralph W. French, Mrs. Patrick Kieran, Joseph E. Nute, Mrs. Anna FE. Rothrock, Frank M. Silvia, Mrs. Charles H. Warner. Afterward the following-named were added to the executive committee: James H. Mahoney, Thomas J. Pickering, treasurer, to succeed Clifford M. Gardner, who succeeded Arthur W. Allen; Mrs. F. E. Woodruff, assistant secretary; W. D. Wilmot, Harry Smalley, Earle P. Charlton, Charles B. Chase, Simeon B. Chase, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan, John H. Holt, Miss Marion R. Thomas. This list of officers was elected Monday, April 13, at the Woman's Club, Mrs. Mathewson presiding. Charles B. Chase was chosen chairman of a committee for a membership campaign, and as a result, in May, 17,689 members were enrolled in the chapter.

The first summer work on surgical dressings, under the direction of Mrs. Ellen W. Heathcote as chairman, was carried on at the Woman's Club. Mrs. J. Edward Newton was at her continuous post of duty, giving out work on hospital garments; and Mrs. F. S. Mathewson supervised the work of the knitting department. The library at the Truesdale clinic was used for the monthly executive meetings. In the first War Fund drive the

The Junior Auxiliary was formed in October, 1917, with Harry Smalley as the chairman, and one by one the auxiliaries in the nearby towns were formed, such as those at Westport Point, Assonet, Swansea Center, South Swansea, South Somerset, Somerset, Pottersville, and that under the Steiger- Cox direction. The store of Cherry and Webb, North Main and Elm streets, was taken over for headquarters, December 3. Under the leadership of Mrs. Nathan Durfee and James H. Mahoney, the Home Service department was started at about this time, with Miss Hester Gunning as the secretary ; and the educational work was begun under the leadership of Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr. The first Christmas membership drive took place the week of December 17-24, with Charles B. Chase as chairman, the chapter enrolling 30,600 members; and the Service Club was opened on Christmas Eve, 1917, under the direction of Thomas Chew. The next year was filled with scores of duties that the well-organized chapter found itself able to cope with. The canteen committee, Miss Margaret Brayton, captain, was started by the Special Aid Society, and taken over by the Red Cross in May, 1918, Miss Marion R. Thomas then succeeding Miss Brayton as captain. The first drive for clothing for Belgian relief in April, 1918, brought in 3785 pounds; and the second drive, Mrs. M. Hartwell Adams, chairman, brought in as much. The result of the second Red Cross War Fund drive, May 20 to 26, under the chairmanship of Joseph E. Nute, amounted to $181,000.

Splendid as were all its wartime results, those of the Red Cross during the influenza epidemic were heroic. While that epidemic called for the services of the entire community that was already giving liberally to war causes, the chapter again exerted itself to the utmost, the Board of Health turning over its functions to the civilian relief department of the chapter, under the chairmanship of James H. Mahoney. The hospital garment department, Mrs. J. Edward Newton chairman, proved of great value during the prevalence of the disease. That year thousands of Christmas boxes were sent to camp and field through Fall River Chapter. In order to facilitate that and various other kinds of work in which the chapter was engaged, the Fall River Motor Corps was formed in November, 1918, with Miss Marion R. Thomas as captain, and with twenty drivers and eight aids enrolled; and the Home Service department instituted the information and communication departments, and acted as a clearing house for the doctors, nurses, and calls of all sorts. In the early part of this year there was held a great parade in demonstration of the Red Cross campaign. The Red Cross nursing service was one of the most useful organizations within the institution, seventy-one nurses being added to the membership. Miss Anna FE. Rothrock was chairman. Up to December 1, 1918, the Chapter Juniors had organized fifty-five school auxiliaries, enrolled 16,095 school pupils, and deposited in the school Red Cross fund the sum of $4093.24.

From April 21, 1917, to December 1, 1918, the total of receipts from the first and second war funds amounted to $56,514.37; from the first and second membership drives and additional memberships, $25,100.75; the grand total from all sources being $103,744.19. The payments for the knitting and garment department, surgical dressings, civilian relief, etc., amounted to $71,192.02. The report of the work of the chapter from January to June, 1919, follows: In the home service section, 4499 calls were made at the office for assistance, not necessarily financial, and $5481.47 were given to ex-service men and their families; in the garment department, 12,024 gar- ments were made; in the knitting department, 4067 articles were made;. and the canteen service, during this period, worked with the War Camp Service, and gave out 400 bars of chocolates; five canteen workers also assisted in April, 1919, at the Y. D. division parade in Boston. During the month of April, they also served meals to members of firing squads. In June, forty-five members of the Red Cross canteen service were transferred to the Red Cross canteen reserves. The motor corps, composed of twenty-six members, gave 630 hours of service, with a mileage of 638 miles.

The War Camp Community Service, with its hostess house in Fall River, started in January, 1918, and entertained on an average between 2000 and 3000 service men a week. The Red Cross headquarters were turned into the War Camp Community Service Club, with Emily M. Wooley, of Denver, Colorado, as head of the Girls' Club, and Harold P. Whitney, of Washington, as head of the Service Club.

The War Library Committee, acting in codperation with the Public Library officials to collect books for the men in military and naval service, was appointed September 20, 1917, as follows: Miss Anna H. Borden, Richard P. Borden, John S. Brayton, Harry P. Brown, E. P. Charlton, Charles P. Chase, Dr. A. L. Connell, Edmond Coté, E. J. Guiney, Oliver S. Hawes, Charles L. Holmes, Miss Grace Lincoln, Charles B. Luther, F. S. Mathewson, Asa A. Mills, Mrs. James M. Morton, Jr., Joseph E. Nute, B. B. Reed, M. F. Searles, Rev. M. F. A. Silva, David Silverstein, Joseph Turner, W. D. Wilmot, acting in codperation with Librarian George W. ' Rankin, chairman; Oliver S. Hawes, treasurer; W. D. Wilmot, publicist.

Action was taken early in the year 1917 intended to arouse interest among Catholic women of Fall River for the formation of an organization of their own. Thereupon, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan and Mrs. James H. Mahoney asked for and received assistance from Grand Knight Michael J. Collins, of the Knights of Columbus, and his deputy, Grand Knight William D. Keefe, who offered the Knights of Columbus hall for a meeting place. Their first meeting occurred April 9, 1917, three days after war was declared, Mrs. M. F. Sullivan presiding. There was a large attendance, and all desired to share in some kind of service. At a meeting that soon followed, the name of the Catholic Women's Service League was adopted, and the following-named officers were elected: President, Mrs. Michael F. Sullivan; vice-president, Mrs. James E. Sullivan; secretary, Mrs. Michael R. Skelly; treasurer, Mrs. James H. Mahoney; chairman of knitting, Miss Katherine M. Moran; chairman of dressings, Mrs. Emma D. Shay; chairman of sewing department, Mrs. James H. Mahoney. Hundreds of articles were made by this society, the material being paid for by the Knights of Columbus and then donated by them to the Coast Artillery and the Naval Reserves. Liberal gifts of money were received from the Queen's Daughters, Court Lady of Victory, Catholic Order of Foresters, from Right Rev. James E. Cassidy, D. D., and many other individuals. The knitting department was incessantly at work, some of those aiding in the cause being Mesdames of the Holy Union of the Sacred Hearts, Sisters of St. Joseph, Dominican Sisters, Mesdames of Sacred Hearts in Taunton, pupils in the . Davol and N. B. Borden schools, and many women in the Kerr Thread Mill, under the leadership of Miss Rose Maynard.

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the men in the service. Mrs. Francis J. Fennelly had charge of the blanket work; classes were formed in first aid and in the making of surgical dressings. The work of this league was heartily endorsed by Right Rev. Bishop Daniel F. Feehan, and was under the immediate direction of Rey. Charles A. Donovan, supervisor of Catholic charities for the Fall River diocese.

How many scores of individual and corporate efforts in Fall River for the support of our country in the World War may have been omitted from this narrative, it is not easy to estimate, yet it will be acknowledged _ that through the main channels, thus reviewed, every war energy eventually found its outlet to the ocean of allied struggle against the Central European powers. The most thrilling and unanimous event in Fall River's history shall ever be recorded as an event in which all served as one, and every local organization of whatever name was a Republic of patriotism in miniature; and there are close to two hundred names upon Fall River's. honor roll, as a solemn memorial of that service and of the supreme sacrifice of Fall River's sons.