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

On January 4, 2023, staff of the Ohio County Public Library sat down with Daryl Clausell, Tressie Fitzhugh, Karla Wood, Ron Johnson, Kathy Fuller, Betty Gordon, and Delores Long to record this oral history for the Wheeling Memory Project.

Charles "Dutch" Riggle was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and trained at Camp Lee, Virginia, where so many Wheeling draftees and volunteers—including his sister-in-law Minnie Riggle's brother, Lester Scott—were trained. Dutch Riggle was a Private First Class in the 314th Field Artillery Supply Company, Battery “A,” 80th (Blue Ridge) Division in France. These are their letters home. Credits: "Fro...

"I think we will start for Camp Lee the 2nd to be mustered out of the Army. I think I will get home some day next week. Gee but I would like to see all of you. It been nearly a year and a half since I saw you..." In his twenty-second and final letter home dated May 31, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, is writing from Camp Stuart in Newpoert News Virginia, having j...

In his twenty-first letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his sixth letter home from France, dated February 25, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that they are having a good bit of rain in France. He’s read that his division will finally sail for home in May. He’s glad because he hopes the sea will be less rough in a few m...

In his twentieth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his fifth letter home from France, dated January 26, 1919, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that, despite being homesick, he is well and hearty and feeling fine. They are stuck in France taking care of 107 horses and mules. Dutch wants to get back to farming by spring. He i...

“I think the war is over for good don’t you? For I think them Germans won’t want another war very soon the way they got beat in this one….” In his nineteenth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his fourth letter home from France, dated December 16, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he’s been worried about his family...

“I can’t tell you about Less. He got badly hurt and they took him to the hospital. I heard once he died, but I don’t know if that was correct or not. I hope it wasn’t correct for I would like to went back to the states with him…” In his eighteenth letter home since leaving for Camp Lee, and his third letter home from France, dated November 25, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from W...

“Just as we were walking down that long line it suddenly crept over me and I realized that I would never again be in the United States…” The “Great War” had raged in Europe for three years before the United States joined the conflict on the side of the Allies in April 1917. Like most young American men of the era, those from Wheeling harbored romantic notions of war, it having been more than 50 ye...

"Minnie I often think to myself that it certainly must be a lonesome old place around their now since all of the boys have left. But I feel that there is a day coming and not far away when we will all be together again..." In his fortieth letter home to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, says it's a rainy d...

"Somewhere in France..." In his thirty-ninth letter home to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, says he sees Charles [Riggle] every day. He received a card from Walter Toland, who is in England. They've had some frost in France. Lester has rubber boots and warm clothes for winter. He hopes Minnie has receive...

"When you answer write a big long letter and tell me all the news...." In his thirty-eight letter home (and his first from France), to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, doesn't have much of substance to say, probably in part because of security restrictions on what he can write. He's in good health. He saw...

"I think the Germans is nearly licked now. I want to see it over in time to go to the Jacktown fair next year..." In his seventeenth letter home (his second from France after fifteen from Camp Lee) dated August 1, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle he supposes Abe will be getting "the call" [for the draft] soon, since all the oth...

"Somewhere in France...It's is a nice country alright. It's no wonder the French is fighting so hard for it." In his sixteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated June 22, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle, in a letter addressed "Somewhere in France," that the weather is dandy and that he likes France just fine, but he's...

"I have arrived safely overseas..." In what is essentially his thirty-seventh letter home, US Army Wagoner (mule team driver) Lester Scott, a World War I soldier from Wheeling, West Virginia, writes, this time courtesy a signed, Red Cross form postcard announcing his safe arrival in France addressed to his brother-in-law (his sister Minnie's husband Jame Riggle), "I have arrived safely overseas."...

"My own darling Less, How can you doubt my love for you?" Who the heck is Cleo?! That was a question from a listener who said he's heard every episode of "From Camp Lee to the Great War," but still can't figure it out. If you've also been listening but not necessarily reading all of the accompanying blog posts on Archiving Wheeling dot org, you might have the same question: Who the heck is Cleo? W...

"Please write and tell Cleo Good Bye for me...Well Boss, all I can say is, Good Bye and Good Luck..." In his thirty-sixth 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, says he weighs 172 pounds. Dutch is in good spirits and nearly as heavy as Les. The boys are in good spirits. H...

"We han't allowed to write any military information anymore, and you see a fellow hasn't got much to write" In his fifteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 19, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's still in Battery F but doesn't know for how much longer. He's drilling a great deal but he can't talk about th...

"What has become of Cleo?" In his thirty-fifth 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, says he's done some excellent firing at rifle practice, hitting four bulls eyes from 100 yards left-handed. Then he got seven out of ten hits right-handed. They have to shoot different d...

"I am going to send some money home before long. Maybe you can use it now to buy cows with. I only have two more months to pay my liberty bonds out in..." In his thirty-fourth 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, says he's been busy packing mule harnesses and drilling....

"P.S. Boss don't you worry while me and Less is gone, for we will be back in about a year from now. Ha Ha!" In his fourteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated May 6, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's as well as ever and having a good time eight miles from Camp Lee on military police duty. They are guarding an...

"I was at the remount station yesterday and helped bring back 26 more mules. There were quite a few hit their meat house against mother earth before we got back..." In his thirty-third 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, says he's always glad to get mail from home. It'...

"This surely is going to be the longest war we ever had. It surely has been some bloody fighting but I think the Germans is getting licked every day..." In his thirteenth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 22, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he's been at Camp Lee for seven months yesterday, and it feels like...

"You don't need to be afraid of Jim being drafted. He will never haft to come. You will see that. There will not be many farm boys taken until winter..." In his thirty-second 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, says they had some short-lived April snow in Virginia. He...

"I think the Germans is getting about all the fighting they want now. They surely have lost a lot of men since the big battle began..." In his twelfth letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, dated April 7, 1918, PFC Charles “Dutch” Riggle, a WWI soldier from Wheeling, WV, tells his brother James “Abe” Riggle that he is at Dutch Gap near the Appomattox Court House Civil War battlefield [see Lester Sco...

"I guess you remember the Battle of the Appomattox Court House. There are still old forts and trenches there yet that were built when the North and South fought. We found some spurs yesterday that were lost during the Civil War and found a bone of a man's arm and a canteen too..." In his thirty-first letter home from Camp Lee, Virginia, to his sister Minnie Riggle, US Army Wagoner (mule team drive...