The United States suffered 118,518 casualties during World War I. Of that number, 33,717 are buried in American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in Europe or listed on the Walls of the Missing from World War I.
The most recent addition, in June, 2009, is a photo and additional information on William Legrand Cason.
Thomas J. Akin
Thomas Jefferson Akin, of Mist, one of fifty men who left Ashley County on September 19, 1917, died in the hospital at Camp Pike on Nov. 1, 1917. His remains were buried in what is now an unmarked grave at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery near his home. He was a member of Company D, 312 Supply Train. He was born September 1, 1892, at Mist, according to his draft card, and he was single.
Edward L. Allen
Sgt. Edward Leland Allen, 25, son of Mr. A. J. Allen of Milo and grandson of Rev. Hogan Allen, was included in the casualty lists on October 15, 1918, as killed in action.
He had been living in Galveston, TX, when he was called and arrived overseas on June 13. In a letter home dated September 1, which arrived October 1, he said that he was on the way to the front. Sgt. Allen was killed in the battle for the great fortress of St. Michiel on September 12 or 16, 1918. Sgt. Allen registered for the draft in Galveston. He was born May 18, 1893, in Milo and worked as a street railway conductor for Galveston Electric before induction. He was single.
Joe A. Anders
Private Joe Abner Anders of Mist left Ashley County on September 19, 1917, to go to Camp Pike for training.
Private Anders died of disease. His draft card indicates that he was born January 29, 1896, in "Parkdale, Ark. America." He was a farmer who worked for J. L. Foote and was single.
John Bawcomb
John Clarence Bawcomb died at Fort Oglethorpe, GA, in April, 1918. He was the son of Mr. D. A. Bawcomb of Boydell. His remains were brought home for burial. He was born September 18, 1897, and lived in Boydell farming for his father. He was apparently single because he listed his father as his nearest relative.
Robert B. Boykin
Private Robert Benjamin Boykin of Mist left Ashley County on September 19, 1917, to go to Camp Pike for training. Private Boykin was killed in action while serving with Co. I, 126 Infantry, 36 Division in the American Expeditionary Forces.
He was born August 8, 1895. When he registered for the draft, he was working for B J. Milam as a carpenter in Mist. He was single. Capt. Fred W. Jankowsku of the 126 Infantry, A. E. F., wrote to the Boykin family in February, 1919, that Boykin was killed by artillery fire on October 4, 1918, near Gesnes, France, during the battle for the Ardennes Forest. "He met his death as a true American soldier," the captain wrote. The American Red Cross said that a witness reported that "Pvt. Boykin was killed in action just a kilometer north of Ivory, France, in the Argonne Forest, either by high explosive shell or shrapnel. He was killed instantly. Action of Oct. 4, 1918, about 6 a.m. He was doubtless buried where he fell." He was the son of Mrs. C. A. Boykin of Mist.
James E. Burks
U. S. Army Private James Elbert Burks served with the 20th Engineer Regiment. He died December 29, 1918, and is buried at Plot D Row 39 Grave 32 at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France. His draft card indicates that he was born March 6, 1887, in Portland. He worked in a railroad steel gang at Crossett Camp #2. He was married with one child.
Willie Burnett
U. S. Army Private Willie Burnett, listed on the county’s memorials, entered the service from Arkansas and died November 14, 1918. He is buried at Plot D Row 11 Grave 02 at the Brookwood American Cemetery in Brookwood, England. He served with Co. E of the 113th Ammunition Trains, 39th Infantry Division. In the late 1920s, the U. S. War Department offered the widows and mothers of American soldiers killed and buried abroad a chance to visit the graves of their loved ones. Mrs. Mae Burnett of Rudy in Crawford County indicated that she wanted to visit her son's grave in 1930. Before induction, he worked as a cook at the Bransfield Café in Chicago, IL, where he registered for the draft. He was born November 28, 1886, in Drew County and was single.
William Legrande Cason
William Legrande Cason was born November 18, 1894, in Ashley County and was killed in action in World War I in France on October 9, 1918, in the Argonne Forest, his tombstone indicates.
His body was returned for burial at the Flat Creek Cemetery. He was going to college at Monticello and in National Guard before he went on active duty. He was the son of Mary Carolyn Berry who married Albert Gallatin Cason. His draft card indicated that he was a farmer and was single. His epitath is "Killed in action in Argonne Forest. He gave his life for the world's liberty."
John Thornton Cessor
Private Thornton Cessor entered the service from Arkansas and died of disease February 14, 1919. He served in the Army Medical Department, Med. Det. 1st Repl Depot, and is buried at Plot C Row 13 Grave 17 at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in Fere-en-Tardenois, France. In the late 1920s, the U. S. War Department offered the widows and mothers of American soldiers killed and buried abroad a chance to visit the graves of their loved ones. Mrs. Nancy Cessor of Route 2, Mist, indicated that she wanted to visit her son's grave in 1930. His draft card indicated he was born May 29, 1890, and was a self employed farmer in Mist.
Lt. Tom Clarkson
Lt. Thomas Cooke Clarkson, son-in-law of Dr. and Mrs. W. S. Norman of Hamburg, was killed in an airplane accident in Scotland on July 2, 1918. He had been married to Edith Norman of Hamburg in 1915. After her death in Hamburg in November, 1916, he enlisted in the Royal Flying Squadron of Canada and was serving as an instructor. His infant son was living with Dr. and Mrs. Norman in Hamburg. He died while flying about 30 feet off the ground, taking machine gun practice, when the gun's breech block blew off and hit him in the head. His draft card indicated that he was born July 1, 1889, in England and was an alien resident of the U. S. He was a machinery dealer.
William Cobb
William Cobb, listed on the county memorials, was from Parkdale. He indicated on his draft card that he was born February 15, 1897. He worked for Jackson and Gregory in Parkdale with his wife, Mary, as his nearest relative. There is no information on his death.
William R. Coleman
William Riley Coleman, listed on the county memorials, was born August 4, 1985, in Parkdale. A farmer in Parkdale, he worked for R. R. Radford. His draft card indicates that he was single in 1917. There is no information on his death.
Robert A. Collins
Robert Alvin Collins, according to his draft card, was born October 14, 1878. He was a farmer and lived in Lincoln County and was married. There is no information on his death, but he is listed on the Ashley County memorials.
Jesse Herman Craig
Jesse Herman Craig died Dec. 20, 1917, at Camp Beauregard, LA. He was 23 years old on November 23 and was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Craig of Rawls. His remains were returned to Ashley County, and they were buried in the Antioch Cemetery on the Saturday before Christmas. His tombstone at Antioch indicates that he died on 19 Dec 1917 and that his mother was named Allina. His draft card indicates a birth date of November 23, 1894, in Rawls and that he was living in Milo. He was working for Jim Nolley as a farmer and was single in 1917.
Uzzie Curington
Private Uzzie Curington was a member of the 814th Pioneer Infantry Regiment. He entered the army from Arkansas and died December 13, 1918. He is buried at Plot B Row 31 Grave 14 at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in Fere-en-Tardenois, France. His draft card indicates that he was born March 3, 1893, in Marion, AL, and lived in Boydell. He worked for his father, C. B. Currngton, as a farmer near Boydell and was single. His first name is incorrectly spelled “Vzzia” on the new veterans' memorial.
George K. Curtis
Private George Killian Curtis of Crossett was killed on the battle front in France in August or September, 1918. His draft card indicates he was born November 28, 1892, in Snyder. He was single and worked in Little Rock.
James Everett
James D. Everett, a former Hamburg boy, was killed in action on the battle line in France. His mother, Mrs. Luane Everett, formerly Miss Luane Watson, was raised in Hamburg and at one time was the principal of Hamburg High School.
The American Battlefield Monuments Commission records indicate that he was a first lieutenant in the 54 Infantry Regiment, 6 Infantry Division. He entered the army from Tennessee. He died in action on November 11, 1918, the day the armistice ending the war went into effect. He is buried at Plot C, Row 15, Grave 2 at the Oise-Ainse American Cemetery in Fere-en-Tardenois, France.
Sam (Lawson?) Ford
Sam Ford was a Negro from Parkdale and the first man killed in the war, according to Judge Y. W. Etheridge. His name is not listed on the Ashley County Veterans Memorial.
Sam Ford was 30 years old when he registered for the draft. He was born May 22, 1887, at Jones Spur, LA. When he registered for the draft, he was in Warren working for a railroad and was married with one child.
The American Battlefield Monuments Commission lists only one person named Ford from Arkansas as buried overseas. That man is Lawson Ford, a U. S. Army private who served in the 334 Quartermaster Labor Battalion. He died September 17, 1918, and is buried at Plot B, Row 1, Grave 9, in the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in Thiaucourt, France.
Frank R. Gardner
Private Frank Roy Gardner was in France with General Pershing's army. The son of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Gardner of Hamburg, he was killed in action on September 12, 1918. He died in an assault on the fortress of St. Michel, which the Germans had held for four years.
About 24 years old, he left Hamburg on September 18, 1917, with about fifty other Ashley County soldiers, including his brother, Clarence Gardner, who was also serving in France. He left Ashley County on September 19, 1917, to go to Camp Pike for training. The Roy Gardner Post of the American Legion was organized in Hamburg in October, 1920, named in his honor. He was born March 10, 1894, and was employed as a farmer with his father at Hamburg. He was single.
Coy T. Girtman
Coy T. Girtman, a private in the U. S. Army, who had been living in Marion, died in France on October 16, 1918, and is buried at Plot G Row 31 Grave 25 at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France. He served in the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3 Infantry Division. His draft card indicates that he was born November 25, 1895, and was single. He had been a farmer before entering the army.
Floyd Hartley
Floyd Hartley, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hartley of Mist, died of pneumonia at Fort Oglethorpe, GA, according to an October 11, 1918, telegram to his parents.
He had left Hamburg on July 29, less than three months before his death. The family had moved to Hamburg from Mississippi about 15 years earlier and had lived west of Hamburg before moving to Mist. After moving to the Milo area, the family bought 160 acres and farmed that area. His draft card indicates that he was born September 6, 1896, in Mississippi. He worked for Ernest Spears in Portland and listed Portland as his home address.
Henry S. Henson
Henry S. Henson was born in Prairie Grove on July 27, 1893, but listed his home address as Hamburg. He was married and had two children when he registered for the draft in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, on June 15, 1917. He was self-employed., possibly as a farmer. His draft card indicated that he was of medium height and build and had brown eyes and light colored hair.
Elton Hidgon
No information was found on this person who is listed on the county memorials.
Peter Higgins
Peter Higgins, according to his draft card, was born in Morrell, Ark., on June 24, 1893. His draft card indicates that he was a freight brakeman on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway. He was married with no children. His last name is incorrectly spelled “Higgens” on the new veterans memorial.
Wesley L. Honeycutt
Wesley Lawrence Honeycutt, son of Mr. L. L. Honeycutt of Crossett, was killed in battle in France after first being reported missing in August or September, 1918.
Roy J. Ingram
Private Roy J. Ingram, one of Ashley County's first solider boys to go overseas, died in France on July 16, 1918, of wounds received in battle. He was the only son of Mr. Joe Ingram of the Promise Land community. He served with the 38 Infantry Regiment, 3 Infantry Division. He is buried at Plot A, Row 06, Grave 20, at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, France.
Clifton M. Jordan
Pfc Clifton M. Jordan, wrote to his aunt, Mrs. Florence Selman, from the trenches in France in May, 1918, "I am just back from the front. Sure was some exciting, but it could be worse. It's not so awful bad. The sector we had was in a strip of woods. The trenches were about three or four feet deep, and the Germans had a trench about a hundred yards from ours, and to cap the climax, ‘old Fritz' had a machine gun directly in front of us, and when he couldn't think of anything else to do he would turn that loose. The bullets pat pat pat around pretty close. It is an awful nuisance to us for ‘Fritz" to have it so near but none of us have gone over to ague about it yet. (We don't want to insult him you see). I had my first taste of the trenches in January, but that was in a quiet sector. I have seen lots of air battles and a few Boche planes brought down."
On September 10, 1918, Capt. Fred M. Logan of the 16th Infantry wrote to Miss Blanche Jordan in regard to her brother. "Our Company executed a raid on the Germans at daybreak July 4, about forty of our fellows went ‘over the top' at about 2:45 a.m. with a light barrage. They found that a Prussian detachment, in force, had occupied the chosen sector. The Boche were intending to give us a trial, but we beat him to it by a few minutes."
"When we encountered this superior force of Germans, a stiff short fight ensued, in the dim light of breaking day."
"We killed about 30 Boche and brought three back to our lines. Several of our men did not return, either killed or wounded and unable to be rescuedn Jordan was among these.. No further word has been heard of his circumstance. It is not known whether he is a prisoner in Germany or dead."
He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Somme American Cemetery, Boney, France. He also won the Distinguished Service Cross while serving with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He was born in Hamburg on November 13, 1892, and was single. When he registered for the draft, he was a self-employed farmer in Phillips County, Montana. He described himself as tall with gray eyes and brown hair.
Robert D. Moore
Corporal Robert D. Moore of the Stanley community was killed in action. His draft card indicates the had been living in Eudora. He was born October 6, 1898, and had worked for Bonny Green as a farmer in Eudora.
Samuel B. Neal
Pvt. Sammie Bolivar Neal, who was from Crossett, died of disease. On a tombstone in the Unity Cemetery, his last name is spelled Neel rather than Neal. The tombstone shows a birth date of April 23, 1893, with a death date of January 16, 1919. The son of W. T. and L. A. Neel, he died in Hospital No. 52 in Lamans, France. He was born April 27, 1893, and his draft card indicates that he was single and farmed with his father.
Robert A. Powell
No information found on this man, who is listed on the county memorials.
James Sanders
Private James Sanders died April 1, 1919, and is buried at Plot A Row 09 Grave 01 at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in Thiaucourt, France. He served in the 343rd Quartermaster Labor Battalion. His draft card indicates he was born December 3, 1894, in Tallulah, LA, and worked as a planer mill hand for the Crossett Lumber Company. He was single.
William Alex Sinclair
William Alex Sinclair of Hamburg was killed in action on September 12, 1918. He was a brother to Mrs. Willie Watt and came to Hamburg from Mississippi several years earlier. He worked for Mr. G. H. Richardson and H. C. Wilcoxon and Son before joining the Army about a year before he was killed. He left Ashley County for training at Camp Pike on September 19, 1917. His draft card indicates that he was born in Koscuisko, Mississippi, on June 14, 1894, and that had been a sawmill worker in Jones, LA. He was single.
Thomas J. Spillers
Thomas J. Spillers, who lived at White in the southern part of Ashley County, died while at Camp Pike. His body was bought home for burial at the Hickory Grove Cemetery. If his grave was marked, the marker has disappeared over the years. His draft card indicates that he was born November 5, 1894, in Marion, GA. He was a farmer and was single. His named is spelled “Spillens” on the new Ashley County veterans memorial.
Roy Summers
Private Roy Summers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Summers of Pine Prairie in the Mist area was killed in action on October 8, 1918. He left home in the spring of 1918 and arrived overseas about the first of June. His draft card indicates that he was born September 6, 1894, in Medford, OK. He and his father farmed at Mist. He was single.
Henry Sweeney
Private Henry Sweeney, a nephew of Mr. Dan Sweeney of Hamburg, died October, 1, 1918, at Camp Merritt, New Jersey. His remains were to be returned home for burial. There is an U. S. Army marker for him at the Dailey/Murphy/Sweeney Cemetery west of Hamburg, but it does not list any dates. His draft card indicates that he was born November 24, 1888, in Hamburg. He was employed as a porter in Hamburg and had two children.
Hunter Thomas
Private Hunter Thomas, a Negro born in Hamburg, was called by the Exemption Board to leave for Camp Pike on October 27, 1917. A private in the Army's 508th Engineer Regiment, he died from disease on December 25, 1918, and is buried at Plot E Row 22 Grave 24 at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France. His draft card indicated that he lived in Crossett and was a sawmill laborer for the Crossett Lumber Company. Born May 14, 1896, he was single.
Leonard J. Thomas
Leonard Thomas, according to his draft card, was born in Monroe, LA, on April 8, 1893. He worked at the Hamburg Lumber Company sawmill. There is no information on his death.
Collin Walker
Collie Walker's draft card indicates that he was born March 31, 1891, in Ashley County. He was a farmer on his own farm in Wilmot and was single.
Joseph Williams
Private Joseph Williams of the Line community in the northeastern part of Ashley County died of disease.
Williams, Robert
Robert Williams listed his home address as Wilmot when he registered for the draft in Hamburg. Born August 1, 1896, in Minden, LA, he worked for Robert McCombs in Wilmot and listed his nearest relative as his wife, Alberta.
There is also a second Robert Williams of Wilmot. The draft card for this man lists is birth date as December 6, 1895, in Wilmot. This man worked as a farmer for W. C. Coats in Wilmot and was single.
Roscoe Womack
Private Roscoe Womack, who was from Hamburg, died of disease. His draft card indicates that he lived in the Pugh area and was born on April 7, 1896. He worked as a farmer on his father's place. There is no information on his death.
