Crittenden County Man, Robert F. Phillips, Plays A Part In the End Of World War I

Calamity Jane and the Firing of the Last Shot in World War I

  A Crittenden County young man played a historical part in the ending of the Great War of World War I. Herbert Francis Phillips was the son of Robert F. Phillips and Sarah Farley. They lived in the Repton community in the1900's. R. F. as he was known spent his childhood days here. Later he and most of his siblings moved to other states.

H. F. Phillips joined the Army when he was old enough and was in boot camp at Fort DA Russell in Laramie, Wyoming in 1912. He ended up in the 11^th Field Artillery Brigade. In April of 1918, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma the 11^th Field Artillery began intensive artillery and combat training in preparation for overseas assignment. The battlefields of Europe were proving to be a true artilleryman's war.

On July 14, 1918 the 11^th Field Artillery left for England. They arrived in Liverpool, England on July 26th. While another artillery regiment completed its training, the 11^th, occupied several small towns. Within a few days the regiment began drilling on 155mm Schneider howitzers, (a short cannon that delivers shells at a high trajectory) practicing night firing as well as conducting transportation and gas drills. It was also during this training that the 1918 influenza epidemic hit the unit, killing more men than would be lost in combat. The epidemic eventually claimed 57,000 soldiers of the AEF. It was not until October 22 that the 11^th left their training camp and arrived in the Argonne Forest. 

On the night of Oct. 26, 1918, the howitzers of the 11^th Field Artillery fired their first shots at the town of Remonville. On Nov. 1^st the 11^th Field Artillery participated in the largest artillery barrage of the war to that date. They advanced their guns to the south firing close range at the Germans all day before moving into the town.

Meuse-Argonne proved to be the bloodiest battle for the Americans in World War I. The forty-seven day battle involved 1.2 million American soldiers. About half the total American Expeditionary Forces casualties occurred in the Meuse-Argonne. "The aggressiveness and skill of the 11^th Field Artillery helped make American victory possible." 

 The gun "Calamity Jane" as she is getting ready to fire the last shot of World War I.

First Lieut. Phillips is on the right next to the wheel.

  On November 11, 1918, the 11^th Regimental Headquarters received orders that the war would end that day at 11:00 A.M. The men were too exhausted to cheer, but they were relieved and thankful that they had survived some of the toughest fighting ever seen in American military history. The 11^th Field Artillery Unit, was soon notified they were chosen to fire the last shot of World War 1. First Lieutenant H. F. Phillips was in this group and would be among the few to help with the firing of the great gun they had nick named "Calamity Jane."

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1^st Lieut. Phillips had a sister, Mary, who married Esday Lewis here in Crittenden county. They are buried in the Mexico Cemetery. Esday and Mary had two daughters, whom many may remember, Cleta Lewis was married to Auberdeen Clement of the Chapel Hill neighborhood and Marguerite Lewis Campbell, who also lived in the same area. Marguerite is the reason I knew about this story.

Spelling Bees An Important Part of Our School’s History.

It’s always interesting to read about the old school days and the activities that everyone always looked forward to. One of these events were the Spelling Bees or Spelling Contests that the schools had each year. 

The National Spelling Bee was launched by the Louisville Courier Journal in 1925.  With competitions, cash prizes, and a trip to the nation's capital, the Spelling Bee hoped to stimulate "general interest among pupils in a dull subject."   

The usual procedure was that teams would be picked by two students, if they thought you were a good speller you would be the first one picked, (what a proud feeling to be picked among the first), and then so on down the line. But just like life, what you expect to happen sometimes wouldn’t happen. For one Friday you might do great, not miss a word, and be on top of the world, everybody’s hero. The next week, you would be the first picked for the team, but as luck would have it - you would miss the very first word. Down you would go, downcast with shame and hard looks from your team. But there was always next week for another chance.

From the archives of The Crittenden Press let’s read about some true winners of the old Spelling Bees.

Feb. 22, 1929 - William A. Hoover is Bee Champion.

William A. Hoover of the Forest Grove School was winner of the Crittenden County Spelling contest held Saturday in the graded school auditorium.

William is thirteen years old and is in the seventh grade. AT the close of the Forest Grove school last Friday he was promoted to the eight grade.

Mrs. Fred Gilbert, who is teacher at Forest Grove, has been William’s teacher for the past four years. During that time, Mrs. Gilbert says, William has been an “A: student in every particular.

Parents of the spelling bee winner are Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hoover, who live about two and a half miles from the school near Bells Mines.

Feb. 27, 1931 – C. E. Springs Is County's Best School Speller

Charles Edward Springs, 12 year old student at the Hebron two room school, was winner last Saturday of the Crittenden County spelling contest and will receive as his reward a free trip to Louisville in April to take part with the best spellers of the other counties in the state in the Courier-Journal spelling bee.

Braxton McDonald and Miss Edna Vivian Vaughan are teachers at Hebron and both of them coached the winner in his spelling. 

Jan 22, 1932 – Annie M. Conger Wins Spelling Bee.

Annie Mae Conger, a sister of Wilma Conger, last year's Crittenden County Spelling contest, was the winner of this year spelling contest.

The correct spelling of "mislaid," missed by Estelle Rankin, after four and one-half hours of spelling, won for Annie Mae the title of the best speller in the Crittenden County Schools for 1932. Geneva Wright of Marion took third place.

Annie Mae attends school at Brown, where she receives her spelling instruction from Miss Blondell Boucher. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Conger, who feel rightfully proud of being the parents of two spelling champions.

Estelle Rankin, who took second place, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wathen Rankin. She is a student of Mrs. Stella Simpkins at Frances. The third winner attend the eighth grade in Marion and is taught by Miss Mabel Minner. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Wright.

Twenty-six students were competitors in the spelling bee despite the bad weather Saturday. Superintendent Hadden estimates that with favorable weather between thirty-five and forty would have taken part. There are only fifty schools in the county. Some of the school represented were on the outermost edges of the county.

Spelling contestants by schools are as follows: Geneva Wright, Marion; Helen Stallions, Pleasant Grove; Annie Mae Conger, Brown; Geneva Tabor, Mexico; Beulah Mae Stubblefield, Owen; Mary Sullenger, Irma; Ruth Johnson, Oak Hall; Della Brahser, Caldwell Springs; Hilda Beard, Crayne; Reba Bealmear, White Hall; Belda M. Hughes, Oak Grove; Leatha Boyd, Odessa; Blance Watson, Hebron; Estelle Rankin, Frances; Wilb ur Beard, Chapel Hill; Eugene Watson, Blooming Rose; Ebbie Worley, Belmont; Elba Walker, Sisco's Chapel; Glendal Hunt, Pleasant Hill; James Kemper, Midway; Wilbur Brantley, Mattoon; George Winders, Dam 50 Christine Hodge, Forest Grove; Imogene Clark, Bethel; Vivian Paris, Heath.

Dictionaries were mailed Wednesday to each one who entered the bee as gifts of the Marion Kiwanis Club. Inscribed on the fly leaf are the names of the Kiwanis members.

Annie Mae Conger, as county champion will be given a free trip to Louisville in April to take part in the Courier-Journal spelling bee, where she will compete with students from practically every county in the state. She will be accompanied by her teacher Miss Blondell Boucher.

Pronouncers for the contests were Miss Edna Vivian Vaughan and B. L. Turner. Judges were Dr. James F. Price, Miss Rebecca Moore and Herbert Foster.

 

Richard F. Minner, Civil War Veteran

From an interesting article written for The Crittenden Press in Dec. 1954.  Written and shared by Mrs. Cora Moore Enoch.

My mother, Sarah, was the daughter of Capt. Richard F. Minner, Company E, 48th Kentucky Regiment.

She was born and raised in Crittenden County on January 2, 1854, being seven years of age when the Civil War broke out.  In which her father and oldest brother served.

My  mother, Sarah, could remember many things that took place.  She never tired of telling some of them.

One day about noon a bunch of raider came to their farm, taking their horses, bridles and saddles (which were new) and all the things they found of any value.

Her mother, Catherine Minner Moore, rolled the boys' suits in a sheet and put them in the flour barrel.  The raiders looked everywhere else but there, and that was all the clothes they left.

Mother had two brothers at home at the time, too young for the army.  

Mother had a gold ring her father had sent her from Shepherdsville where he was stationed.  She had put it in the clock for safe keeping but the raiders found it.

Mother saw a man put it in his pocket.  In later years she saw the same man and recognized him long after the war ended.

My father, P. C. Moore, was a Sergeant under my grandfather's Company.  

Another time the raiders came when my grandfather was home on leave.  They were going to take him prisoner.  Grandfather hid on the porch roof, under the eaves of the house until they were gone.

Richard Franklin Minner served the duration of the war.

Here is his tombstone at the Hurricane Cemetery.

Some Early Facts About Crittenden County, By Rev. James F. Price

This interesting article was written and published in The Crittenden Press in Jan. 16t, 1931.

Facts And Reminiscences About Crittenden County

Today most of the information can easily be found on the internet, but in 1931, Rev. Price's history information was priceless, and his knowledge of the early pioneers, came from his own personal research and talking with descendants of these families. Written in 1931 by Rev. James F. Price. 

Crittenden County is in many aspects a remarkable county. It is in the edge of the coal fields of the northern area of the county and in the center of the great fluorspar deposits of southern Crittenden County.

 

Geologically it is on the edge of the continent separated from the Purchase by the Cumberland River. The larger part of the Purchase was once a great lagoon, the northern part of the gulf of Mexico. Into this lagoon were washed century after century great beds of gravel from the high mountains of western Kentucky and Tennessee, brought down by the Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers. These gravel beds were eventually covered with soil and form much of western Kentucky.

Crittenden County is considered a broken or hilly county, and yet it contains much fine farming land. It is surprising how much agricultural products we raise. It contains much pasture land, and has quite an amount of live stock. It is also noted for its dairy farms. 

The above mentioned products together with coal and fluorspar, furnish the sources of income.

The people of this county may well be called “The common people” of which Lincoln said, “They were the best people on earth because God had made so many of them.” This term common people means that they are neither wealthy nor aristocratic. But they are brilliant in mind, noble in heart and cordial in all social relations.

Our schools are good; about the average. Most of our churches are not wealthy, but devotedly religious. In efficient Sunday School works we stand about the third in the state. 

The history of this county is thrilling with romance and adventure. Its natural scenery can scarcely be surpassed.

This county has produced its portion of noted men. Not many counties can boast of two United States Senators, William J. Deboe and Ollie M. James.  Many other noted men have gone from this county to fill important positions.