The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-20
St. Mary's Soldiers, Sc
venty One White Men,
OF For Camp Pike
Arkansas

The call to leave was sudden, but
the response was loyal and complete.
Saturday, Sheriff Pecot received or
ders from Baton Rouge to notify all
white men certified for military duty
to be ready to leave on "a hours no
tice. Monday mornings mail brought
to the Sheriff list of names with ad-
ditional orders that all these men
must report for duty Tuesday, Sep
TENDER 18th, and entrain for Camp
Pike, Arkansas, Wednesday morning,
September 10Th. Many of the men
had been given permission to follow
their lines Of employment, which re-
quired them to be away from home, in
the swamps on the road, or at distant
towns.
The executive ability of the Sheriff
came into action, notices were mailed
to home addresses, messages sent by
wire and phone to supposed locations
and boats sent into the swamps. Out
Of the available 70 white men ordered
to report, but two failed to step
aboard the. train Wednesday morn
ing. One man arrived in the middle
OF the night, some in the early morn
ing, but each man whom the notice
reached reported in the quickest time
possible between his location and
Franklin.
Two men came without the neces-
sary clothing for the trip, but their
wants were at once provided for by
the Sheriff and Clerk, who would not
permit any St. Mary man to leave
without the necessary equipment.
At. $3.50 P. NJ, Tuesday, Septem-
Der Is, 1917, following Government
orders, the men present were brought
into company formation, the roll was
call, the muster completed and they
were formally notified that they were
soldiers of the United States, for the
term of the present emergency. There
were present the citizens Of Frank
lin relatives and friends, and
many from the distant towns of the
Parish. The ceremony of the roll
call was simple but impressive. Rev.
II. N. Harrison invoked the divine
blessing. Loyal words Of encourage
ment were spoken to the soldiers and
citizens by Judge Baker and District
Attorney Saint. The roll was called
by the Sheriff, instructions given by
the Clerk and final benediction by
Rev. Rowland Hale. The Franklin
Band and the Boy Scouts Of both
companies were present. The feel
ings of all present were too deep for
any entertainment. The families
were giving their boys Loyalty and
uncomplainingly but wished to have
them with them as long as possible.
For this reason each man was pa
rolled by the sheriff and encouraged
to return to his home, to report in
the morning. The few out Of town
men that remained were registered
at the Commercial hotel and their
wants provided for.
Wednesday morning, seventy-one
white men reported to the Sheriff
at A. NJ, and after xoll call and
being given final instructions, they
to the depot In charge of
the Sheriff. Postal cards for writ
ing home was presented to each of :
the men by DR.. T. F. Frere. Miss
Cora Alpha sold stamps to those
needing them.
A the depot the Boy Scouts, the
children of the High School, and rela-
ives and frienh 4of the. men we11--
assembled to bid them God speed. I
The soldiers were placed in charge
# two of their number, Joseph B.
2oane, Jr., of Clarendon and Frank
:. Prohaska, of Morgan City. A
pecial with contingents from New ;
orleans and the parishes en- route
anne along only too quickly and the
zen aboard and gone. They reach
d Camp Pike, Arkansas, Thursday ,
forming about o'clock.