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Topic: How did he die ? (Read 277 times)
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liverpool annie
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13093
Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I have been looking for this soldier .... such a sad story ... it's believed his service papers were destroyed during the fire in the 70's ..... can anybody help find anything about him at all please ?
Jesse Radcliff Jr. was born October 5, 1898 in Zwolle, Sabine Parish, Louisiana and had seven brothers and sisters. He enlisted on August 28, 1917 in the U. S. Army, 1st Minnesota, which was changed to the 135th U. S. Infantry at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on December 19, 1917.
He was later transferred to Camp Cody at Deming, New Mexico where he died
Birth - unknown
Death - Nov. 8, 1918
For nearly a century, the tale's been told around Castor, La., that Jessie R. Radcliff was executed for desertion during World War I, just three days before the Nov. 11, 1918, armistice was signed.
It is believed the 20-year-old soldier wrote his epitaph on a scrap of paper found on his body after the execution.
"I am a long way from home," it reads. "And this is the darkest day of my life. As if there were never no more stars to shine for me. Let my Father know, for He will call for me."
Members of the Radcliff family say they've always heard he was born in Sabine Parish, enlisted in the Army and died of the Spanish flu while stationed in New Mexico.
Radcliff's father brought his son's body back from wherever he was executed to New Ebenezer Cemetery and buried him. He and his family then left town, never to return.
New Ebenezer Bienville Parish Louisiana, USA
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...GRid=22799260&
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Jacquie in Canada
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1163
Canadian, eh!
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Link to article in the Piney Woods Journal regarding Jessie Radcliff:
http://www.thepineywoods.com/RadliffMay08.htm
From the article:
Shot at Dawn, a book written about military executions in World War One, by Julian Putkowski & Julian Syker says that "of 24 United States deserters sentenced to death between April 1917 and November 1918, none were actually shot."
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Canada: Patterson, Brown, Haidenger/Heidinger, Meyer, Johnston(e), Gorsuch, Kitchin/Kitchen
United States: Patterson, Smith, Brown, Vance, Bower(s), Newberry, Best, Love, Gorsuch
England (Northumberland): Brown, Whitfield, Henderson
Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, East Lothian): Johnston(e), Bell, Galloway, Campbell, Robertson, Williamson, Thomson, Crawford
Germans from Russia: Haidenger/Heidinger, Meyer, Meach, Lorenz
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liverpool annie
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13093
Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thanks Jacquie ... I had seen that .... I got his family info from there - sad though isn't it ? 
I was hoping maybe to find the family on a census ... I don't have access to A* right now ! 
I appreciate you looking !!
Annie 
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Jacquie in Canada
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1163
Canadian, eh!
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On the 1900 census there is a Jesse Ratcliff living in Justice Precinct 8, Newton, Texas.
Jesse Ratcliff, head, 35, born Feb 1865 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana, married for 11 years, farmer
Georgia Ratcliff, wife, 25, born Nov 1874 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana, mother of 4 children, 4 alive, married for 11 years
Adella Ratcliff, daughter, 8, born Jun 1891 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Warren Ratcliff, son, 7, born Jan 1893 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Britton Ratcliff, son, 5, born Mar 1895 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Jesse Ratcliff, son, 1, born Oct 1898 in Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
1910 census - Police Jury Ward 8, Sabine, Louisiana
Jesse Ratcliff, head, 39, married for 21 years, born Louisiana, father born Tennessee, mother born Alabama, teamster - lumber yard
Georgia Ratcliff, wife, 38, married for 21 years, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana, mother of 7 children, 4 alive
Alda Ratcliff, daughter, 18, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Brittain Ratcliff, son, 15, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Jesse Ratcliff, son, 13, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Asa Ratcliff, son, 9, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana
Jesse Alfordt, transient, 22, born Louisiana, parents born Louisiana , rail roading
Jacquie
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Canada: Patterson, Brown, Haidenger/Heidinger, Meyer, Johnston(e), Gorsuch, Kitchin/Kitchen
United States: Patterson, Smith, Brown, Vance, Bower(s), Newberry, Best, Love, Gorsuch
England (Northumberland): Brown, Whitfield, Henderson
Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, East Lothian): Johnston(e), Bell, Galloway, Campbell, Robertson, Williamson, Thomson, Crawford
Germans from Russia: Haidenger/Heidinger, Meyer, Meach, Lorenz
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liverpool annie
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13093
Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thank you Jacquie !
That looks like them doesn't it ? .... Mother had 7 children but only 4 living !! ... looks like something happened to Warren !
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johnnyboy
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 641
Census information Crown Copyright
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Hi Annie: Your guy wasn't in the New Mexico death index as Ratcliff or Radcliff Probably Army deaths at Camp Cody were not reported to the state authorities. Also, no mention of an execution in the New York Times. If he had been executed, I'm sure it would have been in the Times. In fact, I came across New York Times articles from 1918 and 1919 that said there had not been any executions of soldiers at all during the war, and orders for executions were being commuted by the President.
I think you can eliminate the firing squad as the cause of death.
John 
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ENGLAND, YKS: SLATER of Ovenden and Halifax; DRURY of Darton, Mapplewell, Sheffield and Halifax; DOBSON of Thornton (near Bradford); NEVILL(E) of Wigan, Lancs and Darton; MEGSON of Dewsbury; GARSIDE of Woolley and West Bretton. SCOTLAND: HENDRY of Who-knows-where-shire and Massachusetts, USA; HOUSTON of Lesmahagow and Glasgow and Massachusetts, USA; DEMPSTER of Lesmahagow; MEIKLE of Ayrshire, Hamilton, and Glasgow; COCHRAN of Hamilton.
Paradise: EVE and ADAM, also in exile
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liverpool annie
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 13093
Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I think so too John ! ... I looked everywhere but ..... couldn't find a thing !
Still a very sad story though don't you think ??
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johnnyboy
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 641
Census information Crown Copyright
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Well, we established that he didn't get a bullet. I think that's better than getting a bullet! 
John
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ENGLAND, YKS: SLATER of Ovenden and Halifax; DRURY of Darton, Mapplewell, Sheffield and Halifax; DOBSON of Thornton (near Bradford); NEVILL(E) of Wigan, Lancs and Darton; MEGSON of Dewsbury; GARSIDE of Woolley and West Bretton. SCOTLAND: HENDRY of Who-knows-where-shire and Massachusetts, USA; HOUSTON of Lesmahagow and Glasgow and Massachusetts, USA; DEMPSTER of Lesmahagow; MEIKLE of Ayrshire, Hamilton, and Glasgow; COCHRAN of Hamilton.
Paradise: EVE and ADAM, also in exile
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