 |
Remember...Lester Scott
|
Lester Scott, son of Christopher Scott, was born in 1895 in Rogersville, Greene County, Pennsylvania. About 1905 the family moved to Marshall County, West Virginia, and lived on a farm near Dallas.
| Lester registered for the draft on July 5, 1917 and went into service on September 22, 1917. He was sent to Camp Lee, Virginia, for training, and was assigned to Supply Company, 314th Field Artillery. Since Lester grew up on a farm and had experience handling horses, he was selected to be a wagoner for the company. On March 31, 1918, Supply Company was transferred to Camp McLaughlin in Dutch Gap, Virginia, for further drilling and training. The company then went to Norfolk, Virginia, for transport to overseas duty. After two weeks of quarantine, they left for Europe on May 26, 1918, on the steamship America. | 
|
 |
The 314th Field Artillery arrived in Brest, France, on June 8, 1918, and they marched to Redon, France, for further exercises, training, and manual of arms review. The company was then sent to Camp de Meucon near Vannes, France, for artillery training. They left for the front on September 12, 1918, and arrived at Longville, France, near Bar-de-Luc, by marching at night and camping in the woods during the day to avoid detection by the Germans. |
| On September 23, 1918, the wagoners of Supply Company were ordered to begin loading their wagons and hauling ammunition to the front lines in preparation for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was to begin on September 25. The 314th Field Artillery was attached to the 79th Division for this operation, and assisted in the capture of Montfaucon, France, a heavily defended German outpost. The 79th Division was relieved on September 30th and transferred to Troyon, France. | 
|
 |
Near the end of October 1918, the 79th Division was moved into place to participate in the third phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was the final operation of the war. They endured enemy raids, mustard gas, and heavy artillery bombardments. During this time, Lester Scott was delivering a wagonload of supplies to the front lines, when he was hit in the chest by a large piece of shrapnel from a German artillery shell. Another soldier in the company, James Dalton of Wheeling, West Virginia, was wounded. Lester Scott died from his severe chest wound before he could be transported to a field hospital. |
Lester was buried in the Mount View Cemetery near Dallas, West Virginia, in Marshall County. At the time of his death, Lester was survived by his father Christopher, sisters Mrs. Minnie Riggle and Mrs. Sam Simms, and brother Burley Scott.
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
