PVT William Harrison Byrnes

PVT William Harrison Byrnes was born 26 Aug 1888 in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of William Nelson and Rose Elizabeth Byrnes. His father was an electrotyper and owned the family home at 989 Hancock Street in Brooklyn. By the time he was 21 he was doing that same work continued until 1918.

William was drafted and entered service on 3 May 1918 after which he was sent to Camp McClellan near Anniston, Alabama and there assigned to K Company 116th Infantry Regiment. He shipped to France with the unit in June 1918. He trained there with the unit and likely fought with the unit at Molleville Farm before coming down with the Spanish Flu. Evacuated to a hospital at Merignac, France he died there on 7 Nov 1918.

Repatriated in 1921, PVT Byrnes is at eternal rest with his family in Greenwood Cemetery in Greenwood Heights, New York.

PVT Oral Dean Allison

PVT Oral Dean Allison was born 9 Oct 1892 in New Hope, Alabama to Henry R. and Mary A. (Hyatt) Allison.

Oral was working in textiles when he was drafted in March 1918.  He was died of wounds on 30 Oct 1918.

PVT Allison is buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama.

PVT Robert Bevill

PVT Robert "Bob" Bevill was born 7 Dec 1891 in Madison County, Alabama.  He was the son of John G. and Para Zada (Mooneyham) Bevill. Drafted in May 1918 he was soon overseas serving in C Company 116th Infantry with another boy from Madison County, Alabama, PVT Oral Dean Allison who died 30 Oct 1918. PVT Bevill was killed in action on 27 Oct 1918 and is buried in Bevill Cemetery in Skinem, Alabama.

PVT James A. Haynes

PVT James A. Haynes was born 15 Nov 1898 in Hanover County, Virginia. He was a member of C Company 116th Infantry when the unit was training at Camp McClellan.  PVT Haynes was killed in action on 24 Oct 1918.  He is buried in Woodland Cemetery in Ashland, Virginia.

PVT Walter E. Hundley

PVT Walter E. Hundley was born in Danville, Virginia on 23 Sep 1900 to James Israel and Lucinda M (Hopkins) Hundley.  James was a teamster and several of of Walters older brothers and sisters worked in the mills.

Walter went to war assigned to C Company 116th Infantry and was killed in action on 24 Oct 1918.  He is buried in Green Hill Cemetery in Danville, Virginia.

PVT Arthur Seeger

PVT Arthur Seeger was born in Greenleaf, Michigan on 30 Jan 1888 to Andrew and Mary Ann Seeger.  Andrew supported his family of 11 by farming.

Arthur was likely drafted and was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  He died of pneumonia on 24 Oct 1918.

GREENLEAF TWP. YOUNG MAN DIED IN FRANCE 

Arthur Seeger, Son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Seeger, Victim of Pneumonia Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Seeger received word Wednesday evening of the death of their son, Arthur Seeger, in France. The young man had been wounded in action and later developed pneumonia which caused his death on Oct. 24 [1918]. 

He was born in Greenleaf Township on Jan. 21, 1886, and spent his entire life there until he entered the service on March 30. He sailed for France in July. The last letter received from him was dated Sept. 4. He had then been 16 days in the trenches and had had several close calls but was unharmed.

 (Cass City Chronicle, Nov. 22, 1918, p. 1.)

PVT Seeger is buried in Elkland Township Cemetery in Cass City, Michigan. 

PVT William Lester Rodenhizer

PVT William Lester Rodenhizer was born 11 Feb 1899 in Danville, Virginia to William Henry and Rosa Belle (Tanksley) Rodenhizer.  His father was a weaver in a local mill.

William was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry while it was training at Camp McClellan.  He was  killed in action on 24 Oct 1918.

PVT Rodenhizer is buried in Leemont Cemetery in Danville, Virginia. 

CPL Ernest John Lewis

courtesy of Janiera

CPL Ernest John Lewis was born 21 Feb 1886 in Fairfax County, Virginia to George W. and Anne C. Lewis.  His father worked as a watchman.

Although his headstone is marked B Company, CPL Lewis was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry when he died of wounds on 19 Oct 1918.

CPL Lewis is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

SGT John Cleburne Culin III

courtesy of SoilSister

SGT John Cleburne Culin III was born in Charlottesville, Virginia in October 1896 the eldest of 6 children that would be born to John Cleburne and Lillian Emily (Molter) Culin.  His father was a cutter and tailor.  The family lived in Washington, West Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina before returning to Charlottesville where John's father would die on 2 Oct 1918.

John was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry and was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918.  SGT Culin rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 

His grandfather, John Cleburn Culin was a CPT in A Company 19th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. 

PVT Andrew Jackson Collins

PVT Andrew Jackson Collins was born 2 Sep 1893 in Stokes County, North Carolina to William Daniel and Martha Ann (Gregory) Collins.  The family farmed.

Andrew was working at a cotton mill before he entered the army.  He was with C Company 116th Infantry when that unit was training at Camp McClellan.  PVT Collins was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918.

PVT Collins is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.  

PVT Chester David Stone

PVT Chester David Stone was born 26 Jul 1891 in Cushing, Maine to Thomas N. and Olive M. Stone.  His father was a lobster fisherman.

After entering the service, Chester was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  He was fighting with that unit when he was killed in action on 17 Oct 1918.

PVT Stone was repatriated and re-interred in Pleasant View Cemetery in Cushing, Maine.

PFC Frederick M. Green

courtesy of Marijke Taffein

PFC Frederick M. Green was probably born in the later half of 1900 in Manchester, Virginia.  He was the 2nd of 2 sons born to Charles Edward and Virginia Lee (Clayton) Green.  We believe that his father died in 1902.

After entering the service, Frederick was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  He sailed with the unit for France aboard the USS Finland. The ship departed Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918 and arrived at the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 Jun 1918. The entire division went through training in trench warfare and acclimatization in a "quiet" sector on the front lines before participating in a major offensive.  Starting on 8 Oct 1918 in the vicinity of Verdun, the regiment experienced intense fighting. PFC Green was killed in action on 16 Oct 1918.

PFC Green rests forever in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.

Frederick's older brother, William Ernest Green, also served during the war.

PVT Clifford L. Messer

PVT Clifford L. Messer was born 2 Jun 1896 in Lowell, Vermont the first of 5 children of Frederick Horace and Carrie Isabel (Preman) Messer.  The family farmed.

After being drafted, Clifford was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry and was still with that unit when he died of disease (probably the flu) on 16 Oct 1918.

His body was repatriated and he is likely buried somewhere near his home town.

PVT Samuel Ovida Jones

courtesy of DBC

PVT Samuel Ovida Jones was born in 31 Oct 1896 in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first-born and only son of George Henry and Bertie Lee (Hines) Jones. His father was laborer working on others' farms and by 1910 Samuel was doing the same to help support the family.
1
After entering the Army, Samuel was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry. He sailed with the unit to France aboard the USS Finland. The ship departed Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918 and arrived in the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 Jun 1918. The entire division including the 116th went through training in trench warfare training and a period of acclimatization in a "quiet" sector on the front. The unit was then part of a major offensive in the vicinity of Verdun. Sometime in that effort, PVT Jones was wounded.  He died of his wound(s) on 16 Oct 1918.

PVT Jones was repatriated and re-interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

PVT Thomas Hollinger Cole

PVT Thomas Hollinger Cole was born 20 Nov 1892 in Moscow, Mississippi to William Hunter and Anadonia (Bounds) Cole.  The family farmed to support the family of 9.

Thomas was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry when he died of wounds on 15 Oct 1918. 

PVT Cole is buried in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Kemper County, Mississippi.

PFC James F. Odum

PFC James F. Odum was born in July 1892 in Washington County, Virginia to Lafayette and Mary Alice (McGuire).  Both James and his father worked in a cotton mill.  PFC Odum was a member of C Company 116th Infantry and died 11 Oct 1918.  PFC Odum is buried in Schoolfield Cemetery in Danville, Virginia.

PFC Carl William Smith

Cenotaph

PFC Carl William Smith was born 15 Apr 1897 in Rowan County, North Carolina to Joseph Henry and Susan Eugenia (Poteat) Smith.  The family farmed.

Carl was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry soon after mobilization and was with the unit at Camp McClellan.  He was killed in action on 11 Oct 1918.

PFC Smith is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. There is a cenotaph for him in the Saint Enoch Lutheran Church Cemetery in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

PVT Matthew L. Chatten

PVT Matthew L. Chatten was born in March 1897 in Chatham, Virginia to George Lee and Martha Jane (Hodnett) Chattin.  The family farmed.

Matthew was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry when he died of other causes on 11 Oct 1918. 

PVT Chatten is buried in the Saint Mihiel American Cemetery. Brother, Robert Henry Chatten, also served in the Army during the Great War.

PVT Ollie H. Mitchell

PVT Ollie H. Mitchell was born in July 1899 in Danville, Virginia.  He was the first born of 8 children of Augustus Lafayette and Elizabeth Albert (Adkins) Mitchell. His father was a weaver in one of the city's textile mills.

When Ollie entered the Army he was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry. PVT Mitchell sailed to France with his unit aboard the USS Finland which departed Hoboken, New Jersey on 15 Jun 1918. After debarking at the port of Saint Nazaire, France on 28 Jun 1918 the unit underwent training in trench warfare before being assigned to a "quiet" sector in the front lines. A major offensive began on 8 Oct 1918 in the vicinity of Verdun of which the 116th was a part. PVT Mitchell was killed in action on that day.

PVT Mitchell was certainly repatriated and we believe he was re-interred near Danville.

PVT Thomas Howard Taylor

PVT Thomas Howard Taylor was born 14 Jan 1887 to Marcus L. and Missouri S. (Brewer) Taylor of Russellville, Alabama.  The family farmed.

Thomas was assigned to C Company 116th Infantry.  He was killed in action 8 Oct 1918.

PVT Taylor is buried in Spruce Pine Cemetery in Spruce Pine, Alabama.