World War I Series - Dallas D. Hamilton

 

DALLAS D. HAMILTON

John Franklin Hamilton, Sr. and wife, Aerobyne (Keezer) Hamilton welcomed their eighth child, Dallas Delore Hamilton on 17 August 1890 in Defiance, Ohio. Dallas was the fourth son to be born to the large Hamilton clan of nine children. The family lived in the 4th Ward of the city of Defiance from the 1870s until both parents died in the 1920s.

Dallas took a job in 1913 with the B&O Railroad and moved to Garrett, Indiana. By June, 1917, he and older brother, Edward, were living in Flint, Michigan. Dallas was an acetylene welder with the Buick Motor Company.

Dallas registered for the draft as required. He was called to serve and placed in Company F of the 338th, assigned to the 169th Infantry Brigade of the 85th Infantry Division, also known as the "Custer Division, named after the cavalry commander, George Armstrong Custer.

The regiment was formed 5 August 1917 at Camp Custer, Michigan. In this regiment, there were 3,755 officers and enlisted men. On 22 July 1918, Corporal Dallas D. Hamilton left New York City on the "Carmania," heading for France. The Doughboys of the regiment deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces and were billeted in the cities of Nevers and Cosne. The regiment didn't participate in any named campaigns during the war. Its infantrymen were used as individual replacements to the fighting divisions.

In a letter home to his sister, dated 12 November 1918 (one day after the Armistice was signed in Europe), Dallas expressed his relief at being spared. He wrote of his hopes to be home by Spring, 1919, and longed for news of the family. Ten days after Dallas penned this letter, he was was listed as missing in action. His letter arrived in Defiance and was published in the Crescent-News on 2 December 1918.

"Dallas Hamilton of East Defiance, who is in the service in France, and who was reported 'missing' has written the following letter to his sister. The letter is dated November 12th which is since the day he was among the missing.

'France, November 12th, 1918

Dear Sister and All,

Things have made quite a change in this country lately. From war to peace certainly cheered people up. I'll bet they celebrated in the States  Would like to have been there to help.

It came in time to make a very pleasant Thanksgiving for some and of course the loss for others will make it very much different. I consider myself lucky to getting thru alive and if God permits will be home by spring.

Did you notice the peace came on the eleventh hour, the eleventh day, eleventh month? I think that by the time I write again, I will be able to tell a little more and tell you almost where I am located.  Mail service should be better now since the boats can make the trip across in six days instead of twelve or thirteen. There is one thing that I am anxious to know and that is to hear about you people for it seems as tho my mail fails me. Am transferred around so much, it makes it impossible to get it, but from now on, I think I will be pretty much settled.

Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner.

Love to All,

Your Brother'"

In the 11 January 1919 issue, the Sandusky Register listed Dallas as being wounded, previously reported MIA. Then on 17 January 1919, Dallas was listed as dying from his wounds. Actually, Dallas had succumbed to his wounds on 8 December 1918 near Bourgoyne, France.

Communication was sometimes slow to get back to the U.S.

The Hamilton family had suffered another tragic loss. John and Aerobyne had already lost four children before they received news of Dallas' death in 1918. To make matters even more difficult, they had to wait over two years to finally lay their son to rest in Defiance.  His remains arrived at Hoboken, NJ aboard the "Wheaton" on 15 December 1920. His body was interred at Riverside Cemetery in Defiance on 13 January 1921.

In Memoriam

 Dallas Delore Hamilton

 

Guest Blogger - Rhonda Casler

 

 

 

W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Riverside Cemetery, PART 4 (Final)

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written on the original W.P.A. reports, with a few punctuation and/or spelling changes for readability.  The surveys were probably done around 1936.

For more up to date information on the cemeteries, check out this chart on our website:
 http://defiancecountygenealogy.org/cemeteries.html)

Riverside Cemetery

6.  Names of important persons buried there (continued):

- Captain John B. Ury, Defiance physician and surgeon, born in 1877, died while on duty during the World War during the "flu" epidemic in 1918 in Georgia at Atlanta.  A large granite stone marks his last resting place.

- Hon. Charles J. Thompson, Congressman from the Fifth District of Ohio, former newspaper man and postmaster of the city of Defiance, born in 1862 and died in 1932, after being beat in the primaries for his fifth consecutive term.  Buried in new graveyard in the Thom(p)son family plot. 

- Fred Thien, sailor on the U.S.S. North Carolina, died in service in 1910, a large monument erected to his memory by the crew of the North Carolina. 

Fred Thien on www.findagrave.com

- Dr. Wm. S. Powell, beloved physician and surgeon of Defiance and vicinity for over sixty years.  Born in 1850, died in 1935, after breaking his leg at the age of eighty-five years.  Buried in the Powell plot in the new cemetery.  Large tombstone erected to his memory. 

- Captain E. P. Rhodes, 1833 - 1914, noted Civil War officer and writer of stories, buried in Soldiers' Field in the G.A.R. Bishop Post plot of the new cemetery.  Died somewhere in the east and was not known in Defiance until his death, leaving here soon after the Civil War.

- Dallas Hamilton, 1890 - 1918, killed in action in France during the World War.  Monument to his memory in new cemetery.

- Lieutenant Herbert Anderson, 1896 - 1918, killed in action on the front in the World War. American Legion Herbert Anderson Post of Defiance, Ohio is named in memory to him.   

Herbert E. Anderson at www.findagrave.com

- Wm. Kirtley, 1858 - 1914, hotel owner and politician, ran for Secretary of State of Ohio on Progressive ticket in 1912.  W. Guy H. Kirtley, owner of the Crosby House in Defiance, is his son.  Buried in new cemetery where a large boulder marker is erected to him. 

Dr. J. J. Burns at www.findagrave.com

- Dr. J. J. Burns, scholar, historian, and first superintendent of Defiance City Schools, born in 1838 and died in 1911.  Buried in new part of cemetery where a large square marker is erected to his memory.

  
- Dr. Chas. W. Butler, 1853 - 1921, also superintendent of Defiance City Schools for ten years.  Buried next grave to Dr. Burns on the Butler plot.

- Peter Kettenring, 1836 - 1919, founder and owner of the Defiance Machine Works at Perry Street and Third, Defiance, Ohio.  First foundry in northern Ohio erected by him.  Peter Kettenring was Defiance's only millionaire.  The Kettenring family owns four lots in the new part of the cemetery in the first section back of the chapel and have three large, red, granite markers.

Peter Kettenring at www.findagrave.com

7. Markers of unusual appearance:

- The beautiful, modern, unique and costly Italian marble markers and benches and flower urns, setting in evergreen landscaped grounds, on the burial plot of Dr. Chas. M. Zeller.  The most costly and finest plot in Riverside Cemetery.  (Authority: John Sherry, cemetery superintendent)

- The stately and oddly inscribed statue like monument of Dr. Chas. E. Slocum with its front side portraying the likeness of the doctor, the back telling his genealogy, one side a dove of peace, on the other a sheaf of wheat and on its top a tall obelisk shaft raising to the heavens.  This marker is directly back of the Riverside Chapel.

- The large, unnatural boulder that marks the grave of Dr. J. J. Burns, weighing over a ton.

- The Latty, Holgate and Houghton vaults in the old part of the old cemetery.

Latty at www.findagrave.com

- The chapel, itself, as described earlier

- The Mausoleum, also described earlier. 

8. Unusual epitaphs:

That of Dr. Chas. E. Slocum giving the genealogy of his whole ancestry is the only strange epitaph found.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

Riverside Cemetery is used today, kept up by the City of Defiance, Lodges of Defiance, The St. John's and St. Mary's Catholic Churches and by selling lots to private individuals.

C. Caldwell (Cadwallader) and Chas. Gish, Reporters 

Consultants: 

John Sherry, superintendent of grounds, Wilhelm St., Defiance, Ohio

John Scheurman, Defiance City Clerk, Defiance, Ohio

Bibliography:

Defiance Crescent News

Beers History of Defiance County, published in 1883

A History of the Maumee River Basin by Dr. C. E. Slocum, 1905

(The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.)