Conscripted Service and Camp Jackson
A newspaper article snippet from the Herald and News in Newberry, South Carolina, mentions the conscription of 8,416 African-American service members in September of 1917 and their assignment to Camp Jackson (Fort Jackson) in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Herald and News of Newberry, South Carolina, released this article on September 18, 1917, which discusses the conscription of troops who were then sent to Camp Jackson, the location of the present-day Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. The article continues with a telegram sent by Provost Marshal General Enoch H. Crowder ordering the mobilization of African-American troops to receive basic training while trying to meet a distinct quota. The counties where African-American men were conscripted in South Carolina are listed, including Greenville County. The Herald and News article provides just one of many instances of African-American involvement in U.S. conflicts long before the issuance of Executive Order 9981 by President Harry S. Truman in 1948, in which segregation of the armed forces based on race would no longer be legally acceptable. This article further demonstrates the Selective Service Act of 1917 being implemented through the conscription of African-American troops sent to Camp Jackson to receive basic training during World War I. Margaret Coleman's mentioning of Camp Jackson raises questions as to what her "soldier friend's" job is as an enlisted or drafted service member at the camp and how much interaction there was between him and African-American service members, as the camp was still segregated. The complete article and General Crowder's telegram can be found here. Further information on Executive Order 9981 can be found using this link.
Citations:
Humanities, National Endowment for the. “The Herald and News. [Volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, September 28, 1917, Page Two, Image 2.” News about Chronicling America RSS. Accessed November 15, 2023. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063758/1917-09-28/ed-1/seq-2/.
“Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948).” National Archives: Milestone Documents. Accessed November 16, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9981.
It can be inferred that Margaret Coleman's letter to Blanche Peden Payne was written between 1915 and 1917, and it can be further inferred that based on the subject matter of the letter, in which the war and the draft are mentioned, the letter had to have been written in 1917.
When Margaret mentions her "soldier friend" coming to visit her at specific times, is she referring to an upcoming furlough?
When Margaret mentions "Mr. Jim" being enlisted or drafted into the military during World War I, it can be inferred that she is referring to the direct effects of the Selective Service Act of 1917.
During World War I, how high were expectations that men should enlist in the military? And were men judged or shamed for not enlisting or fleeing the draft at that time?
Where was the "Reedy River School" located? And what type of school was it?
Which "Rehoboth School" is Margaret referring to?
Though Margaret mentions Marietta, South Carolina, to Blanche so that she will return her letter, is the "Marietta School" located in Slater-Marietta, South Carolina, or was Margaret referring to Marietta High School in Marietta, Georgia?
Citations:
Jacobs & Company Advertising. First Recruits to Enter Camp Jackson - Columbia, S.C. Photograph. Richland County, 1917. University of South Carolina. https://digital.tcl.sc.edu/digital/collection/sclvispc/id/7702/rec/30.
Myers, Andrew H. “Fort Jackson: 1917 - .” South Carolina Encyclopedia, July 26, 2022. https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/fort-jackson/.
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
World War I and the Selective Service Act of 1917
This photograph depicts one of several draft parades held during 1917, the first year of the United States' involvement in World War I. These events were designed to boost the morale of draftees soon to be stationed and deployed.
During the First World War, the United States joined the conflict on April 2, 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to authorize U.S. involvement following the sinking of passenger ships caused by unchecked German submarine warfare. On May 18 of the same year, the United States witnessed the passage of the Selective Service Act. Provost Marshal General Enoch H. Crowder was authorized to power the Selective Service System and began choosing men to be conscripted into the armed forces via the draft system. Every state was subjected to the Selective Service Act, and for the first time since the Civil War, the nation was exposed to the conscripted service of everyday citizens. In Margaret Coleman's letter to Blanche Peden Payne, she talks about "Mr. Jim" while wondering if he voluntarily joined the armed forces or was drafted into service. This aspect of Margaret's letter highlights the direct effects of the Selective Service Act on ordinary people, including those from small towns in the Upstate of South Carolina. The following link contains more information on the history of the Selective Service Act of 1917. This link has more information on the United States' involvement in the First World War.
Opposition to the Selective Service Act of 1917: Emma Goldman
This photograph depicts activist and anarchist Emma Goldman engaged in a civil protest opposing the Selective Service Act of 1917. Seated on a trolley, Goldman and three other men face the camera.
Emma Goldman was born in Kovno, Russia, on June 27, 1869. She was an anarchist and public speaker who often fought for the rights of women. During the First World War, Goldman was continuously arrested for her participation in draft protests, like the one shown in the image above, and spent two years incarcerated for obstruction of the Selective Service Act. Following her time in prison, Goldman was deported to Russia in 1919. Goldman bounced around Europe until she was permitted to return to the United States for a public speaking tour. Goldman's final country of residence was in Toronto, Canada, where she died on May 14, 1940. Emma Goldman's activism demonstrated a strong opposition to the Selective Service Act of 1917. Not only was Goldman a trailblazer for women's rights, but she also served the same role for American service members. For a general background on the life of Emma Goldman, visit this link.
Officer Training Camps During World War I: Fort Des Moines
Established in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1901, Fort Des Moines would serve as an officer training camp for African-American soldiers during the first year of the U.S.'s participation in World War I. Over two months after the U.S. entered the war, 1,250 African-American college graduates enlisted in a three-month officer training program. Following their training, recruits became officers who were then stationed across the country and as far as France. Despite prejudices and acts of discrimination against black officers at Fort Des Moines and in the surrounding town, these men never relinquished their right to be patriotic and serve their country to the best of their abilities, thus proving even the most doubtful of attitudes wrong. After serving as a cavalry post for a quarter of a century, Fort Des Moines would go on to serve as the first training post for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during the Second World War in 1942. These women were a part of something that was bigger than themselves and where they could establish themselves beyond traditionally accepted roles in the private sphere of the home. Within the public sphere, as skilled workers or service members, women were making their mark on their nation's history. In Margaret Coleman's letter to Blanche Peden Payne, she talks about someone with the initials J. H. and how he will return from an officer training camp around the first of December. Though not stationed at Fort Des Moines, and whomever he may be, J. H. was one of countless service members uprooted from their daily lives to serve an invaluable purpose: Protecting their homeland and its people no matter the conflict. With seemingly no greater responsibility, these men and women received specialized training and relentlessly fought for the inviolability of their country. For more information on the background of Fort Des Moines and its legacy, follow this link.
Citations:
DRAFT PARADE. Washington D.C. Washington D.C. District of Columbia United States, 1917. Photograph. Accessed November 17, 2023. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016868349/.
“World War I Draft Registration Cards.” National Archives: Military Records. Accessed November 15, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww1/draft-registration.
“U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917.” Office of the Historian. Accessed November 16, 2023. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi.
“Emma Goldman.” Archives of Women’s Political Communication. Accessed November 25, 2023. https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/directory/emma-goldman/.
Bain News Service, Publisher. Emma Goldman. 1917. [May or June] Photograph. Accessed November 17, 2023. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014704621/.
“Fort Des Moines: A Series of Firsts in Wartime Service (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service. Accessed December 23, 2023. https://tinyurl.com/3ws8arz4.