Judson Dennis 119th Infantry American Expeditionary Force Collection of Letters in WW1

Judson W. Dennis
Sergeant, Company L, 119th Infantry
American Expeditionary Forces
March 18, 1892 ~ October 17, 1918

"They killed a soldier boy here yesterday. I saw him. He was killed because he would not obey orders. Eight soldiers shot him..." Judson Dennis, South Carolina Sept. 1917

Greenville, South Carolina September 1917

Dear Bro. and Family-

How are you all by now? I'm fine and like it here just fine. This is a fine place and we have forty thousand soldiers here now so you can imagine what a place this is. They are carrying on the greatest work here I ever saw. This will be the largest camp in the world when they get it finished. We are no more 2nd Tennessee Infantry, but have been changed to Co. A 1st Training Batallion 55 Depot Brigade. This means we may be called out to go to France now just any day. I don't believe that we will be here until Christmas now. We moved yesterday from where we first went to camp. I like here just fine. We never get lonesome here. Always something to go to. Have fine Y.M.C.A.s all over the camp, moving picture shows, meetings, schools of all kinds. We can take any course we want to take here in any books.

How is Hazel, Helen and Minnie getting along? Tell them hello for me. We have taken our vacination the other day. Made some awfully sick. I am very near well of my vaccination.

They killed a soldier boy here yesterday. I saw him. He was killed because he would not obey orders. Eight soldiers shot him. It seems bad but he would not obey orders and refused to work. We have never got our money yet. The Major said we would get it Monday. Well tell all hello for me.

Yours Sincerely,
Corp. Judson W. Dennis
Co. A 1st Training Batallion
55 Depot Brigade Camp Sevier
Greenville, S. C.

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Judson W. Dennis was a 24 year old farm boy from Model, Tennessee in Stewart County. He was an unmarried farmer and raised tobacco on land he shared with his brother, Tom. From his letters home, we know that he owned a mare, Old Annie, of which he was very fond. We also know he had many friends and was very fond of his brother Tom and wife Minnie's two little girls, Hazel and Helen. Judson corresponded with his mother Minnie Dunlap Murphy of Granite City, IL and his brother, Thomas Milton Dennis of Tip Top, TN from the time of his departure from Tennessee in Sept. 1917 for Camp Sevier in Greenville, S.C. until days before his death in France in 1918.

Following, in chronicological order are those letters, transcribed by his great-niece, Jan Dennis Philpot. Because of the materials with which he sometimes had to write, as well as creases in the paper, it is sometime difficult to make out all he is saying. In these few cases, a ? appears where this is unclear. Following his letters is a transcription of the telegraph informing Tom of his brother's death, as well as a letter from a soldier friend of Jud's who was with him at his death.

Judson W. Dennis Sergeant, Company L, 119th Infantry American Expeditionary Forces March 18, 1892 ~ October 17, 1918

"They killed a soldier boy here yesterday. I saw him. He was killed because he would not obey orders. Eight soldiers shot him..." Judson Dennis, South Carolina Sept. 1917

Judson W. Dennis
Sergeant, Company L, 119th Infantry
American Expeditionary Forces
March 18, 1892 ~ October 17, 1918