The week of Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 1918, saw the news that the 123rd Field Artillery, including what was Galesburg’s former Company C, was now in France.

It was reported that eighteen American transport ships had reached France. On them were tons upon tons of supplies and thousands of American soldiers.

Forty-seven people, including 16 children, were killed by German air raids upon London Monday night.

“Flashes from the spitting guns were visible in the heavens and the rat-a-tat of the fire was plainly audible,” read the Evening Mail. “Occasionally the machines themselves could be seen against the moon.”

News of the Dec. 30 sinking of the HMT Aragon, a British transport ship by a German U-boat reached Galesburg during the week; 610 were killed in the sinking off the coast of Egypt.

A letter from Clyde Hunter of Berwick appeared in the Evening Mail. Hunter, with an engineering corps in France told of the death he saw.

“A German machine fell near us Sunday and the captain jumped from the aeroplane and every bone in his body was broken. The pilot fell beneath the machine and was burned to a crisp. Nineteen machines were brought down in three days. We haven’t had any raids for some time, but when the nights are clear we may expect them every night. I have been to Verdun and expect to go to Paris soon.”

A letter from Ray T. Maddocks, former Victoria boy, also came from France, written just after his arrival.

“They have some peculiar customs but the people are very nice to us. We have plenty to eat and there seems to be plenty of food for all. There are lots of pretty girls but of course they don’t interest us. Also there is lots of wine which also interests me little.”

A list of 41 men was given to police by the Knox County exemption board, as they still had not shown up. The police were told to find them within two days.

Conversely, the same day, it was reported that six more soldiers had left Galesburg by train for Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Among the six were three Knox College students.

Thomas W. Candor, Cecil R. Smith, Gus E. Nelson, Dellino Minium, Elmer C. Boling and Donald F. Crain were the men listed.

Crain, 20, was a Knox student and a native of Hancock County. After the war he moved west, eventually settling in California. When he died in 2003 at age 104, he was likely the last Great War veteran from Knox County.

It was officially reported that 313 volunteers came from Galesburg in 1917.

“Lying cold and rigid with her head supported by one corner of a chair,” read the Wednesday Evening Mail, “Mrs. Chester Friend was found dead yesterday afternoon.”

Mr. Chester Friend was one of those now in France, reportedly one of the first American troops to arrive.

The death was believed to be caused by a stroke or a seizure. At the time, her sisters refused to talk about the case, refusing the give the first name of the victim.

“She is dead, that’s all we know about it,” they said.

However, the full story came out. Mabel Wheeler Friend had been dead for 36 hours when found. She was epileptic, and it was believed that she had been knocked unconscious by a seizure and then froze to death since she had not yet had a chance to start a fire.

He sister also claimed that Mabel had left her husband.

“He was cruel to her,” she said. “She went to Watertown. Then Chester became involved in difficulties here and finally enlisted. He is with Pershing’s forces.”

Talbot Fisher is weekend reporter for The Register-Mail. His weekly column looks at life in Galesburg 100 years ago and its connections to the Great War. Contact him at talbotefisher16@gmail.com; follow him on twitter at @TalbotFisher16