From Camp Lee to the Great War: Episode 28 [January 24, 1918]

From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Letters of Lester Scott & Charles Riggle

"I never saw as many mumps and measles...I will venture to say that there is one fourth of the boys in camp with mumps and measles..." In his twenty-first letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes that he feels fine "with the exception of a big jaw." He's in the convalescent field hospital with the dreaded but predicted mumps now, and signs the letter "from Fat Face." He notes that the mumps are doing what the measles did before: preventing his visit home. He has nothing to do for the next 18 days but listen to the Victrola. Luckily, they have plenty of records. There are six inches of snow on the ground. Les is meeting people from all over the country. Les says it's OK to sell his horse Bill. Elsewhere on the same day aerial battles continued over Flanders, the Brits were conducting air raids into Germany, and British Prime Minister Lloyd George met with Italian leader Vittorio Emanuele Orlando. The two men would have significant roles at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. American evangelist Oral Roberts was born. Lester Scott was drafted in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, where so many Wheeling soldiers were trained. And, like so many of his Ohio Valley comrades, he served in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. This is his twenty-first letter from Camp Lee, dated 100 years ago today, January 24, 1918. Digital scans and a transcript of Lester Scott's September 24, 1917 letter can be viewed at: http://www.archivingwheeling.org/blog/from-camp-lee-to-the-great-war-january-24-1918-podcast Credits: "From Camp Lee to the Great War: The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle" is brought to you by http://archivingwheeling.org in partnership with the Ohio County Public Library (http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org) and the WALS Foundation (http://walswheeling.com). Jeremy Richter is the voice of Lester Scott. The letters of Lester Scott and Charles Riggle were transcribed by Jon-Erik Gilot. This podcast was edited and written by Sean Duffy, audio edited by Erin Rothenbuehler. Music: "Old Pal (Why don't you answer me?)," Soman, Herbert. (performer), Lieberield, Daniel. (performer), 1921, courtesy Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694035/ Many thanks to Marjorie Richey for sharing family letters and the stories of her uncles, Lester Scott and Charles “Dutch” Riggle, WWI soldiers from West Virginia.