The Mystery Unravels - 11/7/2017

Camp Sheridan

Montgomery, Ala.

Nov. 7, 1917

My Dear Dad: - 
Rec. Marion's letter this P.M. Have been so blamed busy the last few days that I have not had time to learn anything to talk about.

Those affidavits were sure fixed up dandy, and I feel sure that Bachman will get out very shortly.

Am enclosing a parody on "A Perfect Day". Nearly every regiment down here is trying to our do the others in composing such things as this. There is one in the paper nearly every night.

There seem to be quite a number of cases of measles in camp. I think we took seven cases to the Base Hospital today.

Will write Marion tomorrow.

Love to all
Howard

Here's some additional information about measles and the conditions of Camp Sheridan from the U.S. Army Medical Department Office of Medical History. By looking at the picture above, you can imagine how quickly a disease like measles could spread.

Cases of German measles were reported from the earliest period of the camp and reached the number of 156 for the month of December, 1917.¹⁷⁷ None was reported after March, 1918. Measles cases occurred in October, 1917, but the number of cases occurring in any calendar month did not reach the 100 mark until August, 1918, when there were 115, and 143 occurred in September. The incidence declined steadily during the remainder of the year.

The sanitary conditions in Montgomery and its environs were not good.¹⁸¹ Though local and State health authorities at first seemed to be anxious to cooperate with the Army and the United States Public Health Service,¹⁸¹ opposition from residents of Montgomery and apathy of the local board of health soon developed, making it practically impossible to maintain sanitary standards.¹⁸³

The team to conduct the physical examinations made prior to discharge consisted of 16 officers.¹⁹⁵ It examined 8,265 men prior to March 15, 1919, and found 1,129 of these with disabilities. Of this latter number, 915 were found in the first 1,616 men examined.


Fun fact: I got the photo above from a web post about F. Scott Fitzgerald being stationed at Camp Sheridan. Howard was likely in Europe by the time Fitzgerald was assigned there, but it's still pretty interesting

Now, on to the mystery of Shaffer. If you remember, a month earlier on October 9, Bachman was found with his throat cut after being what Howard described as "despondent". Then, we had the letter about Lt. Shaffer, presumably Bachman's superior, being in danger of losing his command on October 12 and  October 15.

So, I found out the problem with reading these letters one-at-a-time while I blog about each one.  Once Howard mentioned the name "Bachman," I was hoping to find a giant article, spilling all the details. I didn't quite get there, but I had a little more to go on.  After a little research, I found an Alva W. Bachman who was in the 148th Field Hospital, 37th Division at Camp Sheridan. I figured that just HAD to be the Bachman in the letters. I did a ton of research and found that Alva did well after the war. He was mayor of Bowling Green, on the Board of Trustees at Bowling Green State University and was also named Outstanding Citizen of 1974 from Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce.

The only problem? The next letter in the series reveals that "Bachman" is actually Thurlow Bachman. I thought that maybe he and Alva were brothers, but their census records don't match up. Check out the next letter to see more...