Virginia in The Great War

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

http://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/4/4a/Photos-686.png http://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/2/2c/Photos-715.png http://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/9/94/Photos-808.png

This page is part of The Great War 1914-1918 Project.

---

Virginia in The Great War

Image:Photos-294.gif

Jan. 31, 1917 Germany, in its final effort to win the war against the Allied Powers, announced publicly it was resuming unrestricted warfare. (the U-boats. United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany. However soon a German U-boat sank the American liner," Housatonic". A British steamer was able to rescue the 25 Americans on board!

This led states on the coast of the United States to start worrying a U boat might attack their ships or even fishing boats. Shortly 4 more Merchant marine vessels were sunk.

U-995.

Feb. 24, 1917, the release of a disturbing the “Zimmermann Note,” a coded telegram from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to Count Johann von Bernstorff, German ambassador to Mexico. This was deciphered which stated Mexico should be requested to enter the war as one of Germany's allies. In return, Germany planned to return Mexico's lost territories of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona to Mexico. When this was published, America was ready for war against Germany.

Fort Lee

Fort Lee was first established in 1917 as Camp Lee. Named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The first commander of the camp was Major General Adelbert Cronkhite (Cullum 2941), who formed the 80th U.S. Infantry Division on 27 Aug 1917 and initiated troop training. The 80th arrived at Camp Lee in September 1917 and departed for France in June 1918. The 80th distinguished itself in combat suffering 1,141 killed and 5,622 wounded. The 80th returned to the U.S. via the Newport News Port of Embarkation in May 1919 and was demobilized on 26 Jun 1919.

At the end of the war the camp became a demobilization center until it was abandoned.The temporary buildings were removed with portions of the reservation made into a wildlife preserve and part given to the Petersburg National Battlefield. Some portion of the reservation remained as a military post.

---

Camp Stuart

Camp Stuart was a U.S. Army World War I Embarkation Camp established in 1917 at Newport News, Newport News City, Virginia. Named Camp Stuart after Major General J.E.B. Stuart (Cullum 1643), a Confederate general during the U.S. Civil War who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, 11 May 1864.

The embarkation process usually began at one of the 32 divisional training camps (16 for the National Army (draftees) and 16 for the National Guard) with troops riding to the embarkation camps by train and spending a variable amount of time at the embarkation camp. From the Camp Merritt embarkation camp troops usually marched to the nearby Alpine ferry slip on the Hudson River and traveled by ferry directly to the Hoboken Port of Embarkation docks and onto troop ships. At the Newport News Port of Embarkation all four of the embarkation camps were close enough to the port for the troops to march directly to the ships.

Infantry Divisions were too large to move intact on single ships so it could take a division a month or two to reassemble on the European side. The typical U.S. infantry division contained about 1,000 officers and 27,000 enlisted men. The largest available troop ship, the Leviathan, could deliver 12,000 men a month. Troops were sent directly to France or via England. Some 2,084,000 U.S. troops reached France and 1,390,000 saw active service on the front lines.

When the armistice took effect on 11 Nov 1918 many of the embarkation camps became disembarkation camps. The returning National Army and the National Guard troops were, for the most part, sent back to one of the training camps for demobilization. The process of returning the troops home from overseas took place at even a faster pace than sending them over. Most troops were returned to the states and demobilized by mid 1919. The training camps and the embarkment camps closed as they completed the the demobilizing process for their returning division(s).

Many of the training camps had established large hospital complexes to treat wounded returning soldiers and these remained open even after the camps had closed. The realization that many of the wounded would require lifetime care gave rise to the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system.

At the end of the war Camp Stuart became a disembarkment and demobilization center, reversing the process until it was abandoned in 29 Nov 1919.

---

Camp Alexander

Camp Alexander was a U.S. Army World War I Embarkation Camp first established by G.O. 107, 1917, on 7 Sep 1917 as a part of Camp Hill (1) near Newport News, Virginia. Named Camp Alexander on 15 Aug 1918 after Lieutenant John H. Alexander (Cullum 3205), 9th U.S. Cavalry, the second black graduate of United States Military Academy in 1887.

At the end of the war Camp Alexander was ordered abandoned on 11 Nov 1918.

---

Camp Hill

Camp Hill was a U.S. Army World War I embarkation Camp first established in 1917 in Newport News, Newport News City, Virginia. Named Camp Hill after General Ambrose P. Hill, Confederate U.S. Civil War General who was killed at Petersburg 2 Apr 1865.

One of five U.S. Army Embarkation Camps established in 1917 to house and train troops awaiting shipment overseas. Camp Hill was established in August 1917 on a site alongside the James River docks at the Newport News Port of Embarkation. In 1918 the northern part of the camp became Camp Alexander (1) and was dedicated to processing some 50,000 black stevedores and workers on ships to ports in Europe.

At the end of the war Camp Hill became a debarkation center until it was abandoned in 7 Oct 1919.

---

Camp Morrison

Camp Morrison was a U.S. Army World War I Embarkation Camp first established in 1917 near Morrison, Newport News City, Virginia. Named Camp Morrison for the nearby town.

One of five U.S. Army Embarkation Camps established in 1917 to process U.S. military units for sea transport to the war front in Europe through the Newport News Port of Embarkation. Camp Morrison was established in September 1917 as an embarkation center for Army Air Corps and Balloon Corps personnel and equipment.

At the end of the war Camp Morrison became a disembarkment center, reversing the process until abandoned in 1919.

---