Genealogy Blog
A newspaper article brings new details of Imécourt, France, where my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, was killed in action during World War I. Another rare photograph depicts a remarkable intersection of family history with world history.
A Pittsburgh newspaper article published three months after the end of World War I highlights the battle at Imécourt, France. 1 It was of particular interest to Pittsburgh readers because most of the men who fought there were from Pittsburgh. It was the final battle for the 319th Infantry Regiment, part of the 80th Division. Several men were killed in action there, including my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart. 2
Continue reading “Intersection at Imécourt”Exhuming, identifying and reburying our fallen troops in World War I was a grim task. This is what happened to the remains of my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart.
There are new details to report about my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, who was killed in action during World War I. It was common to bury fallen soldiers near where they died. For several years after the war, their remains were subsequently exhumed and their identity confirmed. They were then reburied in France, or returned to their families in the United States for funerals here.
It is somewhat fortunate that Russell was first buried at a relatively nice place, rather than in an open field or dense forest. He died during a battle just northwest of Imécourt, France on November 2, 1918. His body was returned to the town of Imécourt and buried by a regimental burial detail on the grounds of the Chateau d’Imécourt. There were eighteen altogether. In fact he was buried next to Grover D. Selvey and Aaron Carter, and all three were in Company M.
Continue reading “A Grim Task: Reburial”Although a picture captures only a moment in time, several pictures can give perspective.
A motion picture is a series of still photographs displayed in rapid succession. You probably know the line spoken just before the photograph at left was taken. That’s because you already saw Gone With the Wind. If you hadn’t, I could show you more and more still photos until eventually the scene came to life.
A historical photograph is an instant in time. Like a single frame from a movie, it provides limited information. When you can add additional photographs taken about the same time, you get a better perspective and therefore a greater appreciation.
I set out to discover what happened to my granduncle, my mother’s uncle, Russell T. Stewart. He was killed in action during World War I. Divisional and regimental histories tell only part of the story. It was a letter to the editor after the war that set the record straight.
Russell Thomas Stewart was my maternal granduncle. He served in the 80th Infantry Division during World War I and was killed in action November 2, 1918. I wanted to know exactly what happened to him, but I doubt anyone ever knew, or could know, precisely what happened that fateful day. In the confusion of battle, most details are never reported or recorded. 1 (Refer also to my earlier posts: Russell Stewart: Only Moves Forward and Corporal Pollock’s Account.)
I used Divisional, Regimental and Company histories to piece together his story. I can only estimate where Russell was based on the unit to which he was assigned. It is possible he was separated from his unit and temporarily attached to another unit. It is also possible he died the day before and he was not found until the next day.
Russell served in Company M, one of four companies in the 3rd Battalion of the 319th Infantry. 3 The 319th was part of the 160th Brigade in the 80th Infantry Division.