 |
| Oliver Vie, 1915 |
Vie’s collection consists primarily of correspondence between Oliver Vie and his sister, Grace Ashton of St. Louis, Missouri. It highlights his service in the army along the Mexican border and later in France during World War I. It also includes correspondence between his sister and officials regarding Vie's MIA status and death and a biography of Vie’s life and military service written by his great nephew Oliver Brasher Sr. Vie’s collection has been selected for digitization this year by Over There project staff.
Mexican Border
After enlisting at Jefferson Barracks, in St. Louis, Vie was sent to Texas City, Texas, to complete his basic training. He then joined an unit that was responsible for keeping the towns and settlements along the Rio Grande safe. These settlements were adjacent to the St. Louis and Brownsville railroad which ran from San Antonio to Brownsville, Texas. Below are excerpts from three letters that Vie wrote about his experiences on the border.
The Lynching of prisoners
Harlington Texas [August] 21th 1914 Dear sister your letter
received and was pleased to hear from you know i am not at Texas city any more
we left there Sunday just 24 hours before the flood there was two of my pals
killed there they was men of K. com. 13th infantry. The place i am at now is 425 miles from
Galveston 21 miles from Brownsville Texas this is were the out laws or raiding
there is four soldiers here that have been shot and B troop 12th
Cav. is here say a guy. can’t sleep here
there is shooting every night our company is
[page 2] the only company that is here and 20 men of M.
company we gout out post out along the river and at the ranch house everybody
packs a pistol or rifle in this country last night the out post brought in
three Mexicans and put them in the jail but they were taken out and lynched and
the Texas rangers head quarters is in this burg you people up there don’t get
all the facks why i have seen dead Mexicans laying right along side of the road
in this town shot full of holes and left there days at a time we hear near
every night that the Mexicans is going
to take the town men of our company
[page 3] but i feel sorry the way they do these fellows the
Military police take them out to work and that is my job were 13 of them
pinched in one day and brought to this camp and they were all caught in Kingsville.
You know I told you they would be glad when they got back and they will they dont like Texas they all say the
hell with the border they swear from morning till night gee but they or sore
and then comes a storm and blows away all the tents and everything that got
we got three up here last week from the 3rd Texas infantry that
deserted they were married it is hell down there they say they don’t even know
how to load one of the rifles the most of them.
Well Grace i will close and hoping this finds you all well I remain you
loving brother Ollie.
The Galveston Hurricane - August 1915
 |
| After the hurricane, 4th Artillery officers line, Photograph, August 16, 1915; digital image, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth11532/ : accessed June 05, 2014), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Moore Memorial Public Library, Texas City, Texas. |
....
We left Texas city just in time to beat the storm they say it was worse
than in 1900 i have been in all then places that was struck by the storm the
army was a big loser i got all my stuff out so i never lost any thing the pay
roll books was lost so we ant got paid yet we never finished do the range
yet. Well i suppose you all read in the
paper about it and the great Causeway that i crossed many a time is gone you
would be surprised if you had ever seen it to think that it was gone and the
great sea wall saved Galveston i would like to see then places to day.
[page 5] This is some town three saloons full of Texas
rangers and ranchers every body packs a gun if i had my say i would give the
place to the Mexicans we or in camp on the side of the Sun set rail road by
and old cotton gin why the people would
not come out of their house till the soldiers came here most of the people or Mexicans
if they go to the store they carry a rifle why i would not write in this letter
of all the things that goes on here so you people up there don’t get all the
facks
[page 6] The people and the Texas rangers tell us that if
the Mexicans catch us one at a time it means that we cash in but we carry our
rifles when we go around we give them lots of chance i think if some of the
people would leave these Mexicans alone
things would be all right i guess it ant all the Mexicans. we were in the saloons
last night and i hear some rancher tell a Mexican passing that he knowed he had
a rifle and he gave him two hours to go and get it and the Mexican came back
with it and soad up in a sack it was rusty it was a mousar the night before
last a Mexican rancher that lives about 300 yards
[page 7] from our camp got up at three o'clock in the morning
and began shooting we went over there to see what was wrong and found he had
fired three shots at his cow thinking the out laws was raiding again he was so
scared he could not get his breath. We
just got word this morning that the Mexicans were trying to pass the out post
early this morning at the pumping station from the other side of the river but
the out post ant allowed to shoot across the river unless they fire at them and
the Mexicans or wise to that if they give the soldiers
[page 8] a chance this trouble down here would stop in a
hurry there is lots of mexicans killed that some people don’t know nothing
about except the rangers and the soldiers.
Say that seems pretty lucky about that storm just beat it out by 24
hours the others two inf. outfits was to leave the next week and we was to stay
there we were at Bosenburg Texas on a train nearing Brownsville when the storm
hit Galveston we got reports by wireless
that Texas city was swep off the map many a soldiers i hear say time a time
agan that they wished a tidal wave would sweep Texas city off the map i have
said it myself it will never amount to mutch any more....
The Bandits
Santa Texas [October] 23rd 1915 Dear sister i
take pleasure in writing you these few lines to let you know that i am well and
hope this finds you the same. Well i
think i told you i was not at the ranch any more well i am at a nother ranch now
and a big one that is it an’t very far
from here i am at a little town call Santa i leave here every other night for
Brownsville escorting trains too and from Brownsville since the bandits wrecked
that train 7 miles this side of Brownsville i go down on the night train and
comeback in the morning train i saw that train that was
[page 2] wrecked is sure in piled up too they burned the bridge all so there is four
of us go at a time the trouble is geting worse again i guess you read in the
papers about the trouble and the fight near Mission Texas the bandits was
sighted near here the other night that is some where 15 miles down the line
from here they stoled the dead soldiers shoe as after they killed them on the
train is left on the train that they
made up to get the dead and wounded it
left Kingsville but they had them out when we got there it happened just 7
miles this side o Brownsville Say i have not been with the company more than a
week since left Texas city out on detachments ....
France
In June of 1917, Vie’s unit received orders to prepare for overseas duty. In his letters, Vie detailed his trip to the east coast and his voyage to France. Once his unit arrived in France, they were trained and dispatched to the frontlines within 90 days. The last letter Vie wrote was dated May 5, 1918. Vie was reported missing in action shortly thereafter.
There are several documents in Vie’s collection that pertain to his MIA status. They include correspondence between his sister Grace and the Red Cross, his unit, and several of his comrades. Below is a sampling of these letters and the accompanying transcripts. The most interesting letter was sent to Grace from the Red Cross. It provides the details of Vie's last known whereabouts and includes first hand accounts of what happened to him. According to witnesses, Vie was wounded in the neck during the Battle of Soissons on July 18,1918.
[The American Red Cross letterhead] March 13 1919 Mrs Grace
Ashton 810 La Beaume St., St. Louis Mo. Dear Mrs. Ashton: We understand your deep anxiety and worry
during these days that you must wait for definite news of your brother, Private
Oliver Vie, Company K, 26th Infantry. The only record that we have, as yet, in our
office is the one which you have received, “Missing in action.” However, each
day brings long cabled lists containing names of men who have been released
from the various German prison camps. We
are earnestly hoping that through these lists, we will receive news of your
brother. We will forward any word that
we receive immediately and hope that we will soon be able to put an end to your
days of anxious suspense. Very sincerely, W.R. Castle Jr. III LM/MG
Company “K” 26th Infantry, American Expeditionary
Forces Germany, 27 December, 1918. Mrs.
Grace Ashton, 810 La Beaume St., St. Louis, Mo., USA Dear Madam:- Replying to
your communication of the 25th ulto. inquiring and seeking
information concerning Private Oliver Vie, formerly of this organization, you
are advised that he was reported “Missing” on 18th July, [1918] and
no further information has been obtained concerning him. Considering that this company has had no
notification of him being in a hospital, he is thought to be among the dead,
although no official report can be made to this effect. Private Vie was a good soldier with an
excellent character and had many friends in the company, although none of them
that are present now were with him when he was missing. The entire company extends to you our deepest
sympathy in your bereavement.
Respectfully, Dayton Sackett 1st Lieut. 26th
Infantry. Commanding DS/aea
[The American Red Cross letterhead] March 13 1919 Mrs Grace
Ashton 810 La Beaume Street St. Louis Mo Pvt. Oliver Vie Company K. 26th
Infantry My dear Miss Ashton: It is with
the deepest regret we are sending you some information which has come to us
through our Paris office in regard to your brother Pvt. Oliver Vie, who was
reported missing in action July 18th, and from whom nothing has been
heard since. One of your brother’s comrades, Corpl. Gerald Deakins, gives the
following statement: “I knew Vie. We
called him “General”. He was from Ohio.
I saw him July 19th at Soissons. We were advancing at the time. Vie was at an observation post looking for a
man by the name of Grant whom he found dead.
He, Vie, was wounded in the neck.
He was a heavy man, I have not
heard him since.” This soldier’s home
address is South Pittsburgh, [Tennessee] Another report comes from Pvt. Daniel
L. Woods, whose home address is P.O. Box 338, Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, as follows: “Pvt.
Vie was wounded by shell fire at Soissons, was sent to a base hospital where he
died three weeks later. Well, built, dark hair and eyes. I was a Mail Clerk,
and knew him from giving him his mail.” This information of course is not to be
considered as official. It is simply the
reports of Pvt. Vie’s comrades who tell our Searchers what they think happened
at the time. These reports seem to agree
that Pvt. Vie was wounded at Soissons and died from his wounds. We think that it would be advisable for the
family to write to Chief of the Graves Registration Service, A. P. O. 717,
[American Expeditionary Forces] France, asking them if they can give any
information in regard to the location of Pvt. Vie’s grave. This at least would
be something definite, although, it is possible that our report may be verified
by the official report of the War Department later on (Over) ....
Sources
Vie, Oliver Papers, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Vie, Oliver Papers, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
