Newburgh in the World War

Newburgh in The World War A Review of the Part Played by Residents of the City of Newburgh and the Towns of Newburgh, New Windsor and Vicinity in the Great Con~ict Produced under the Supervision of JOHN DEYO, M. D. Official Historian for the City of Newburgh Assisted by a Committee of Citizens Active in Various Phases of War Work, including Col. Joseph M. Dickey, Walter H. Whitehill, DeWitt E. McKinstry, Samuel V. Schoon maker, Thomas F. Gunning, LeGrand W. Pellett Text Matter Written and Research Work by EDWARD P. DUNPHY, M. A. City Editor, Newbur~lt1"ai!9 News Published by NEWBURGH WORLD WAR PUBLISHING CO. Robinson Bentley, Harry Cohen, Edward P. Dunphy 1924 ~ COPYRIGHT 1924 NEWBURGH WORLD \VAR PunLISHING Co. NEWBURGH, N. Y. Dedication O the members of Judson P. Galloway T Post, No. I 52, American Legion, to the members of John T. Kenney Post,, No. 973, \?" eterans of Foreign \Vars, to all of those ,vho lived and served through the \Vorld War, and specially to those ,vho served and gave the last full measure of devotion and now sleep in honored graves at home or where poppies blow in Flanders' fields, this little volume is affectionately and reverently dedi cated. 1~he record has been made possible as a patriotic service and a community contribu tion, by those whose names are enrolled herein as the patrons of the work. EDvV ARD P. DUNPHY. I. JOHN DEYO, l\I. D., City Historian. 2. Eo\Va\Im P. DL"::-{PHY, \Vriter of This Volum.e. 3. DR. HEXRY \V1Lsox, \Var Time City ).lanager. -+· Jm-.L\THA~ D. \V1Lsux. \Var Time Mayor. :,. HE:N'RY :.\I. LEoX ARD, Reconstruction Period ::\Iayor. Contents PAGE Dedication 4 Patrons 7 Foreword 9 Before America Entered the vVar 13 Newburgh First in the Field .. 26 The City Prepares for vVar - .., 34 The J off re Visit 44 Farewell To Our Soldiers ( Poem) so N ewburghers \Vith the Colors 52 The Selective Service 66 In the Heart of the Great Adventure 8o The Navy in the \Var g8 I:1 Flanders Fields - IOI N ewburghers in Special Service rog The Liberty Loan - 122 The \Velfare Group 140 Keeping the Home Fires Burning - 164 List of Illustrations OPP. PAGE Frontispiece. First Troops To Answer Call - 26 N ewburghers Holding Commissions 34 Newburghers Holding Commissions 52 The SelectiYe Service 66 \\-'here Death Reaped a Harvest 82 The Fifty-first Pioneers in Germany 88 Grave of Ju<lson P. Galloway 104 The Honor Roll 104 Newburghers in Special Service - 109 Liberty Loan Leaders 122 Employes of John Schoonmaker & Son - 132 The Red Cross in Peace Parade - 132 Leaders in Red Cross Activities - 140 l\1rs. Harriet C. Winne 152 The Canteen Committee - ..., - 157 Leaders in War Effort - 164 Leaders in vVar Effort - 16g Launching of the "Newburgh" 178 Patrons Edition Residents of Newburgh and vicinity, including local organiza tions, whose interest in the history of their community and whose desire to preserve its traditions have moved them to subscribe such sum for this work as would make publication possible: 1fR. OSWALD J. CATHCART HoN. PETER CANTLINE 11R. ]OHN DREW !\JR. s. CARLISLE GOODRICH 11R. HARRY J. HAON l\tlRs. FREDERIC DELANO HITCH HoN. HENRY :M. LEONARD l\L-\JOR W. JOHNSTON 1'.rf cKAY I\fR. DEWITT E. l\,fcK1NSTRY I-loN. BENJAMIN B. ODELL REV. HENRY O'CARROLL LEGRAND w. PELLETT MR. SAMUEL V. SCHOONMAKER 1v1R. JOHN L. SLOAN 1v1R. SAMUEL L. STEWART :MR. JAMES D. TWEED 1'1R. GEORGE s. WELLER l\t1R. WALTER H. WHITEHILL JunsoN P. GALLOWAY PosT, No. 152, AMERICAN LEGION NEWBURGH CHAMBER OF Co:MMERCE THE NEWBURGH DAILY NEWS CITY OF N EWllURGH Foreword ''THE present state of things is the consequence of the past," says John son, "and it is natural to inquire as to the sources of good we enjoy or the evils we suffer. If we act only for ourselves, to neglect the study of history is not prudent; if we are entrusted with the care of others, it is not just." Herein we have at once a reason for this work and an ex planation of the conditions \vhich make it necessary, worth while and possible. During the world war it was quickly brought h0me to even the most casual of visitors and observers thc1t in Newburgh to an extent not <lreamed of in most places was to be found a devo~ion tc, the war aims of America. Here was a condition which at once provoked inquiry. Why was it that this town of ours, which had never boasted of more than 6,000 male voters, sent more than 2,500 men to the colors, more than one-third of its adult male population? How did it happen that the number of those who served, actually exceeded the number who responded to the national summons for registry in the selective service? How did it happen that more than two thirds of those who went were actually volunteers, and of those who went in the selective service, substantially all coulci be similarly classed? What brought such sentiment as resulted in supplying for war purposes, a sum ap proximating one-half the total assessed valuation of all of the real estate of the city? Why was it that substantially one-half of the whole population, n1en, women and children, enrolled with the Red Cross? What agencies worked that one money-raising effort after another resulted in success in larger measure? Through what means, almost over night, was a peace loving, industrial community turned from the arts of peace to devote all of its energies to the successful prosecution of a righteous war? Why was the first line so numerous and the second line so devoted to provide the first with every essential? "The present state of things is the consequence of the past," says the authority quoted at the opening. Newburgh's work in the war was a conse quence of its past. That is the answer. It had always been so. History casts its shadow far, and Newburgh was within the shadow of such a history and such traditions. vVithin its confines is still reverently preserved what was once the home of Washington. Here was written the letter in which the great leader spurned the kingly crown. Just outside is the camp ground where the Continental Army was disbanded after its long and successful fight for liberty. The whole section teems with historic interest. "How a th!ng grows in the human memory, in the human imagination," says Carlyle, "when love and worship and all that lies in the human heart is there to en courage it." The patriotism of the fathers, hallowed through the years, had grown with time. The past was reflected in days of civil strife when men in blue from this city answered the call of Lincoln in nutnbers out of proportion with the 10 FOREWORD population. It ha<l its reflex during the Spanish \Var when Newburgh's rep resentation in our armed forces was commonly regarded as the greatest per capita to be found anywhere. And now in the national emergency it was once more reYi,·ed as in the days of the 11 inute 1fen and the Continentals. Through all the years, de,·oted men have kept alive the memories of that past. ~f embers of the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the High lands have se:uched through the shadowy past and brought forth its glorious figures. Each new generation was taught the story of earlier days, for mindful of what Johnson sai<l. these men were prudent, in that they studied history for themseh-es, and just. that they preserved it for others. So each emerg-cncy found new forces as time went on, and the city was ready when c~me the greatest summons of them all. ''Those who lived in history only, seemed to walk the earth again." H owe,·er giorious the past may have been-an<l it was glorious, it in no ,vise exceeded in gallantr~·. de,·otion or sacrifice, the record of the present. Nothing in the past will show greater accomplishment than was performed in France hy the men of N ewhurgh, an<l by those at home in their support. \\'hile recollection is still clear, and while most of these men are still living, it is desired to collect the material of this record in order that it may be presen·ed in accurate, c01wenient form and be at once a memorial to those who sen·e<l an<l an inspiration to those who will come later-. So it is purposerf to s~t down here in such detail as circumstances permit, the record of what N ewhurgh and N ewburghers did during those awful years of the greatest struggle of all time when Democracy and Autocracy came tn grips, with the preservation of human liberties as the objective of one and world dominion the goal of the other. Proudly hut not vaing:c,riously is this attempted. It is indeed intended a~ a tribute to those who served on the desolate fields of France. It will striYe to show that N ewhurgh's sons of today were worthy of their sires of the Colonial and Ci,·il War periods. But in all truth this is written for the f1~ture, that the generations to come may find here a record to prcve that at this hour the spirit of Liherty flamed as when Washington lived, that the traditions of the past remained unbroken, to the end and in the hope that should danger again threaten, N ewhurghers of the morrow may find in spiration from the men of the present, as those who served in the great war found it in their forbears ;-"that deeply imprinted images sleep, 'till a word, a sound, awake them." \Vritten so closely to the time of action, this story will of certainty lose much that would be gained with a greater perspective.

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