Admiral David W. Bagley, USN (Commander of the USS Jacob Jones)-- Part 1: From a Naval Family

He was the commander of the USS Jacob Jones  (DD-61) which was sunk by a German U-boat in World War I.  I have been writing about this ship in the last several blogs.  The wreck of this ship has just recently been found.

From Wikipedia.

DAVID WORTH BAGLEY

(January 8, 1883 to May 24, 1960)

Was an admiral in the U.S. Navy during World War II.  (I will be writing about him in this blog and not my World War II one because of his command of the Jacob Jones.)

He was the brother of Ensign Worth Bagley, the only  United States Navy officer killed in action during the Spanish-American War and the father of admirals  David H. Bagley and Worth H. Bagley.  So this is another one of those big-time Navy families.

His father, William Henry Bagley, was a Confederate officer from North Carolina.

Looks like I'll have to do some more RoadTrippin' Through History with this family.

--Cooter

Other Facts About the Battle of Princeton

From the Mt. Vernon Organization.

**  WEATHER:  21 degrees at 8 am  "Fair & Frosty."    Some reported "shin deep snow" on the Clarke Farm battlefield.

**  STRENGTHS:    American - 4,500 est. with 35 artillery pieces.  British - 1,200 est. with  6 to 9 artillery pieces.

**  CASUALTIES:  Exact numbers are not known and estimates vary.  Fischer reports 232 killed and wounded for the British with maybe another  200 to 300 captured.  American losses were likely 31-37 killed, upwards of  37 wounded and 1 captured.

**  At the time of the battle, Princeton University was known as the College of New Jersey.  The name was changed to Princeton in 1896.

**  The Continental Congress convened in Nassau Hall from June 30, 1783, to November 4, 1783.  Congress moved here from Philadelphia to avoid risk from mutinous Continental  Army officers in and near Philadelphia.

--Cooter

These Are the Wars the U.S. Has Fought-- Part 2: The World Wars, Korea and Vietnam

**  WORLD WAR I (1917-1918)

The U.S. declared war on Germany April 6, 1917.

A total of 4,734,991 Americans served.     There were 116,516 killed and 204,002 wounded.

**  WORLD WAR II   (1941-1945)

16,112,566 Americans were called into service.  

405,339 were killed and 670,846 wounded.

******************************

**  KOREAN WAR   (1950-1953)

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) versus the Democratic  People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).  The United States and United Nations countries supported South Korea and China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea.

The war ended with an armistice that persists to this day.

5,720,000 Americans fought.

54,246 died and 103,284 were wounded.

**  VIETNAM WAR  (1955-1975)

There is some discussion as to when the war began for the United States.

It was North Vietnam (Communists) versus South Vietnam supported by the United States.

It really picked up for the U.S. after what was called the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

In this war, 8,744,000 served and 90,220 died and 153,303 were wounded.

--Cooter

These Are the Wars the U.S. Has Fought-- Part 1 (With Casualties)

From the November 12, 2021, CVBJ.biz.

**   WAR OF INDEPENDENCE  (1775-1783) 

Estimated 184,000 to 250,000 Americans    4,435 killed, 6,188 wounded

**   ANGLO-AMERICAN WAR  (War of 1812)  (1812-1815)

286,730 Americans served   2,260 deaths, 4,505 wounded

**   MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR   (1846-1848)

78,718 Americans served   13,283 died, 4,152 wounded

**   CIVIL WAR  (1861-1865)

2,213,363 Americans served in Union forces   364,511 dead    Between 600,000 and 1,500,000 Americans fought for the Confederacy    133,821 died

**   SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR   (1898)

306,760 Americans served   2,446 killed, 1,662 wounded

--Cooter

He Fired When Ready-- Part 6: The Losses at the Battle of Manila Bay

The Asiatic Squadron had suffered few casualties.  Only six wounded.  However, on the Spanish side, nearly 400 sailors died and ten warships either destroyed or captured according to The History Channel site.

This source says that after two hours of the fight, the Spanish fleet was so decimated that Dewey met with his captains and ordered his crews to have a second breakfast.

Wikipedia says that American losses were 

1 dead of illness

9 wounded

1 protected cruiser damaged

*******************************

Spanish losses were

77 killed

271 wounded

2 protected cruisers scuttled

5 unprotected cruisers sunk

1 transport ship sunk

Anyway you want to look at it, this was one big disaster of a battle for Spain.

Like I Said, It Was Very One-Sided.  --Cooter

Corporal Edward J. Aumack, Killed in the Korean War-- Part 2

From HonorStates.com.

CORPORAL EDWARD J. AUMACK

From Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Death:  October 20, 1951  Fighting near Yongon-ni, North Korea.

Corporal U.S. Army, Korean War 

Light Weapons Infantryman

Company C, 1st Battalion,  5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

Service Number:  51026861

Killed in Action.  Received Purple Heart.

I was unable to find out where he was buried.

Illinois Bicentennial: Artie Bennett From DeWitt County

From Crang-Bennett American Legion Post 103, Clinton, Illinois.

Crang-Bennett American Legion Post 103 is named after    Crang and Artie Bennett, two Americans from Clinton, Illinois who died in World War I.

Artie Bennett entered the Marine Corps on May 21, 1917.    He was with the 82nd Company 6th Regiment U.S. Marines and landed at Brest, France,  November 19, 1917.  On June 8, 1918, while forcing the enemy from their positions, the company encountered  much enemy gunfire.    Private Bennett was severely wounded while attacking enemy machine gun nests.  He died one hour later.

This was the first death from Dewitt County, Illinois, caused by enemy fire.  Private Bennett was later buried at American Cemetery Belleau, Aisne, France.

Last Casualties of World War I-- Part 2: France, British, Commonwealth, American and German

**  Augustin Trebuchon was the last Frenchman to die when he was shot on his way to tell  fellow soldiers that hot soup would be available  after the ceasefire.

**  The last British soldier to die was George Edwin Ellison of the 5th Royal Lancers who was killed at 9:30 a.m. while on a scouting mission.

**  The final Canadian and Commonwealth soldier to die was Private George Lawrence Price who was killed in his trench just two minutes before 11 a.m..

**  The last American was Henry Gunther, who is generally recognized as the very last soldier killed in the war.  He was killed 60 seconds before the Armistice went into effect.  He was killed by German troops, who knew about the Armistice, but Gunther was charging them.

**  The last reported German death was Leutnant Tomas who was killed after the Armistice.  he approached advancing American soldiers saying he and his men would be evacuating houses they occupied, but the Americans did not know about the Armistice.

--Cooter

WW I's Last American Death

NOVEMBER 11, 1918

Last American KIA in WW I.

Army Private Henry Gunther, of A Company, 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Division, was Killed In Action while charging a German machine gun nest at one minute after 11 a.m..

He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

End of War, Nov. 1, 1918: Casualties

ARMISTICE ENDS WORLD WAR I

2,171,560 Americans serve on Europe (1.39 million see active service on the front).

Casualties:

53,513 combat deaths

63,195 other deaths (mostly due to pneumonia and influenza)

204,002 wounded in action

58,000 gas casualties (2,000 fatal).

WW I, August 1918: Offensives Leading To the End of the War

AUGUST 18, 1918 to NOVEMBER 11, 1918

OISE-AISNE OFFENSIVE

28th, 32nd, 77th, 88th (artillery) and 93rd  (370th Infantry) Infantry Divisions participate.

U.S. casualties:  1,919 Killed in Action, 8,248 Wounded in Action.


AUGUST 19, 1918 to NOVEMBER 11, 1918

BELGIUM: YPRES-LYS OFFENSIVE

27th, 28th (artillery) 30th, 37th and 91st Infantry Divisions drive to the Scheldt River.

U.S. casualties:  894 Killed in Action, 3,002 Wounded in Action

These two operations brought about the Armistice ending the war.

--Cooter

World War I and MLB-- Part 2: Deaths

The following Major League players died as a result of their military service in World War I:

EDDIE GRANT-- killed in action in France.

TOM BUR--  Died in a plane crash in France during training.

BUN TROY--  Killed in action in France.

RALPH SHARMAN--Drowned during training in Alabama

LARRY CHAPPEL--  Spanish flu

HARRY GLENN--  Spanish flu

NEWT HALLIDAY--Tuberculosis/pneumonia

HARRY CHAPMAN--  Died from wounds in Missouri

These two men from the Negro League also died:

NORMAN TRIPLETT--  disease

PEARL WEBSTER--  influenza

Baseball At War.  --DaCoot

WW I, August 8-Nov. 11 1918: The Somme Offensive

AUGUST 8 TO NOVEMBER 11, 1918  Belgium

The 27th and 30th Infantry Divisions hold the East Poperingh Line and fight the Battle of Vierstraat Ridge.

The 33rd and 80th Infantry Divisions also serve in the offensive.

U.S. casualties:

3,221 Killed in Action
12,428 Wounded in Action

--Cooter

World War I Chronology, May 1918: Battle of Cantigny

From the April 2017 VFW magazine.

MAY 3-4--  18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division loses 200 KIA and 600 WIA gassed in one night of shelling in the Picardy Sector

MAY 27-JUNE 5--  AISNE DEFENSIVE   U.S. 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions participate.  Stop German advance on Paris.

MAY 28--    BATTLE OF CANTIGNY   First U.S. offensive action of the war.  3,150 men of the 28th Infantry, 1st Division, sustain 187 KIA, 636 WIA in capturing Cantigny and 200 German POWs.

--Cooter

The Purple Cross Association in World War I

From the December 13, 2017, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"In the window of Wiswall & Wirtz will be found a poster calling for attention to a petition which should be of interest to DeKalb people and which all should sign gladly.

"The petition is in connection with the work of the organization known as the Purple Cross Association and in a word, its organization is for the purpose of taking steps to have the remains of American heroes killed on French soil brought back to their native land for interment."

I was unable to find out any more information on this association.

--DaCoot

First Americans Killed in WW I Action-- Part 4: Thomas Enright

From Wikipedia

Thomas F. Enright, private.  First Pennsylvanian serviceman killed in action WW I and perhaps the first American to die.  (It is not known in what order the  three men were killed.)

Born May 8, 1887.  His parents were Irish immigrants.  Enlisted in the Army in 1909 and served in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and the Philippines Insurrection.  In 1914 he was in Vera Cruz, Mexico, with Pershing looking for Pancho Villa.

In 1916, he left the Army and went home to Pittsburgh.  He reenlisted in the 16th Infantry at Fort Bliss, Texas.  On June 26, 1917 he and his regiment disembarked in France.

--Cooter

First Americans Killed in Action World War I-- Part 3: "He Stayed At His Post of Duty and Fought to the Last"

Upon arrival in England, they sailed to Artois in northern France and immediately engaged in trench warfare.

Early in the morning of November 3, 240 German soldiers attacked the American trenches.  The Americans were vastly outnumbered and hand-to-hand fighting took place.

Besides these three men who were killed in this action, there were 5 Americans wounded and twelve captured, but the Germans retreated back to their trenches.  Hay, Enright and Greshan were buried at the scene.

Hay's commander wrote to his father:  "He was a faithful soldier, one we could trust.  At all times his work was of high quality but especially at the time of his death did he prove real worth.  He stayed at his post of duty and fought to the last.

"We are proud of the true American spirit shown by him and his comrades."

The remains of all three were returned to their home towns for proper internment and memorial.

The First of Many Americans to Fall.  --Cooter

First Americans Killed in Action in WW I-- Part 2

Continued from November 6.

The three men killed:

**  THomas F. Enright, private:  Sister Mrs. Mary Irwin, No. 6641 Premo St., Pittsburgh.

**  James P. Gresham, private:  Mother, Mrs. Alice Dodd, No. 1001 West Ohio street, Evansville, Indiana.

**  Merle D. Hay, private:  father, Harvey D. Hay, Glidden, Iowa.

All three enlisted, not drafted.  Enright joined in 1909, Gresham 1913 and Hay in May 1917.  Enright was 30, Greshan and Hay in their early to mid-20s.

All were members of the First Division, Co. F, Second Battalion, 16th Infantry.

--Cooter

The First Americans Killed in Action During World War I-- Part 1

From the October 27, 2017, Orlando (Florida) Sentinel "Commentary:  Honoring the first to fall in World War I:  A Story of U.S. sacrifice"  Thomas V. DiBacco.

I wrote about this Sunday in the WW I chronology.

One hundred years ago this week, three American soldiers became the first to lose their lives in front line combat during the war on November 3, 1917.

News of it broke in early November 1917 without much emotion.  The Washington Herald had a story about it on the front page with the headline "U.S. Soldiers Were Trapped: Caught In Dugouts by Germans, Officers' Belief Here."

The story continued on page two with their names and facts about each one.

Sadly, the First of Many.  --DaCoot

World War I Chronology, November 1917 (100 Years Ago)-- Part 1: First American Battle Casualties

NOVEMBER 3--  First U.S. Lethal Firefight.

U.S. troops engage in trench skirmishing for the first time near Bathelemont in the Luneville Dector near Nancy, France.

Three members of F Company, 2nd battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Division are the first American Killed In Action:  James B. Gresham, Thomas F Enright and Merle D. Hay.

NOVEMBER 5--  The American armed yacht Alcedo (SP-166) is torpedoed and sunk by UC-71 off France:  22 lives are lost.

The War Heats Up for the U.S..  --DaCoot