CPL Henry P. Anglin (WWI)

Of all the names I have researched in regards to Marion County and the World Wars, Henry Anglin has been one of the most perplexing, all due to an article in The West Virginian that states "Henry Anglin Not Known Here."

Here's what we DO know.

CPL Henry P. Anglin was born August 31, 1894 in Mt. Clare, West Virginia (Harrison County) to Octavius and Catherine (Shockey) Anglin. Henry was born fifth in a family of eight children, with his oldest brother, Grover, being 11 years older than him. The 1900 census for Harrison County listed Octavius as a coal miner, Grover (15) as a mule driver, and another brother, William (10), as a day laborer².

In 1910, Catherine, 47 and by now widowed, was living in Monongalia County with Henry's younger brother, Emmett. No Mention is made of Henry, who would have only been 16 at the time. While he could have been living with an older sibling, I have yet to find 1910 census information for any of the others. Three of Henry's brothers- William, Albert, and Emmett, entered the WWI draft. On Emmett's 1917 draft card, Rachel (who remarried a much younger man in 1911) is listed as living in Dellslow, WV, which matches Henry's veteran info card.

On Henry's burial card, it shows that he was serving with the
26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He was wounded in action on May 28, 1918 in Cantigany, France, and succumbed to his wounds on May 31st. He was 23 years old. Based on the time frame and division, we know that Henry participated in the first divisional attack by the American Expeditionary Forces, when they attacked the Germans in Cantigny³. His division was under the command of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr (son of President Roosevelt)⁴.

"G-2 reported that the Germans fired at least 6,000 rounds of HE, all calibers, into Cantigny between 1000-0700 on 28-29 May. Another 1,500 HE rounds fell on 26th Infantry front lines and in the Broyes area during 29 May, and that day the gassing began when 'the Villers-Tournelle sector was bombarded intermittently with 5,000 shells of small, medium and large caliber, including sneezing gas, Phosgene, Yperite and high explosive.' But it was the enemy machine guns east of Cantigny and in Fontaine, said General Bullard, that caused the heaviest casualties during the consolidation, before the men could get under ground. By noon on 28 May, over half of the companies above Cantigny had reported a third of their men killed or wounded and were calling for reenforcements or relief." (Cochrane, p42)

At the time of Henry's death, his emergency contact was listed as his brother Albert, who lived at 200 Bennett Avenue in Fairmont (likely how Henry ended up listed for Fairmont), though by 1921, Albert was living in Rivesville. Henry was initially buried in Vendeuil-Caply (Oise) France on June 1, 1918 before being reburied at the American Cemetery in Bonvillers, France on January 1, 1921. In November of 1921, Henry was yet again disinterred, and this time sent to Hoboken, New Jersey aboard the St. Mihiel⁵. His remains made their journey to Morgantown, WV, arriving January 7, 1922. At that time, Corporal Henry Anglin achieved his final resting place- East Oak Grove Cemetery. Henry's brother, Grover, is buried there as well.

Henry is honored at the World War I Memorial in Morgantown, West Virginia, on High Street near the intersection of High Street and Walnut Street (next to the Courthouse).

So who can claim Henry Anglin? The Veterans Affair Master Index, 1917-1940 has a listing for a Henry Anglin from Dellslow, WV (Monongalia County, near Brookhaven). The service number (54332) matches Henry, but the birth date says August 6, 1893 instead of August 31, 1894. The New York Times insert Our Nation's Roll of Honor shows Henry Anglin as a resident of Fairmont, WV, as does the casualty list from the Associated Press. I remain unsure about where Henry himself lived when he entered the military, but Rachel Shockey (Anglin) Weaver remained in Dellslow, (Monongalia) WV until 1932, when she died at age 70 from influenza and pneumonia.

Transcribed Articles:

Fairmont Man Dies in France of His Wounds: Henry Anglin Not Known Here- King Infantry Lieutnant Wounded in Action Has Relatives in This City (The West Virginian; June 8, 1918)

(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, June 8. - The army casualty list today continued 108 names divided as follows: Killed in action, 30; died of wounds, 19; died of airplane accident, 4; died of accidents and other causes, 6; died of disease, 6; wounded severely, 35; wounded, degree undetermined, 17.

The list included:
Killed in action, Lloyd W. Finnerin, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Guy Emmett Hadox, Youngstown, O.; John J. Hart, Erie, Pa., and Roger Ja Nolfi, Gary Station, Pa.

Died of wounds, Corporal Henry Anglin, Fairmont, W.Va.; Earl C. Bates, Columbus, O.; James M. Shannon, Sewickley, Pa.

Died of disease, David S. Jones, Homestead, Pa., and Richard Wafer, Jr., Bridgeport, Pa.

Died in airplane accident, Cadets Rexford Shilliday, Columbus, O., and Wm. L. Messiger, Watsontown, Pa.

Wounded severely, George C. Jackson, Kingwood, W.Va.; Janson E. Shine, York, Pa, and Herbert K. Lennox, Posttsville, Pa.

----

Henry Anglin is not listed in the Fairmont directory and diligent inquiry has failed to locate him either in the city or on any of the rural routes out of this city.

Sources:

1: West Virginia Births, 1853-1930, database, FamilySearch, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F12R-15H: 11 February 2018, Henry P. Anglin, 31 Aug 1894; citing Mt. Clare, Harrison, West Virginia, United States, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 1,617,903.

2: United States Census, 1900, FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9CK-FYL: Fri Oct 06 14:10:52 UTC 2023, Entry for Octavis Anglen and Catharine Anglen, 1900.

3: The 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Cantigny: American Forces’ First Divisional Attack in World War I | American Battle Monuments Commission. 22 May 2018, https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/100th-anniversary-battle-cantigny-american-forces%E2%80%99-first-divisional-attack-world#:~:text=News-,The%20100th%20Anniversary%20of%20the%20Battle%20of%20Cantigny%3A%20American%20Forces,Attack%20in%20World%20War%20I&text=On%20May%2028%2C%201918%20the,AEF)%20in%20World%20War%20I.

4: Cochrane, Rexmond C. (Rexmond Canning), 1912-, and United States. Army. Chemical Corps. Historical Office. The 1st Division At Cantigny, May 1918. Army Chemical Center, Md.: U.S. Army Chemical Corps Historical Office, 19581959. Can be accessed by clicking here.

5: US, WWI Burial Cards, 1915-1919. Fold3, 20 May 2021, www.fold3.com/publication/1115/us-wwi-burial-cards-1915-1919.

6: The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.), 08 June 1918. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86072054/1918-06-08/ed-1/seq-1/>

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