Private Laura Budges was born on July 6, 1894 in Sycamore, GA, the son of Morris Jr. (born 1871 in Sumter, SC) and Samantha Clark (born c1874 to Edward & Sarah Clark). His parents were married in 1888 in Worth, Georgia and by 1900, Morris was a laborer in a turpentine camp in Peacock, Coffee County, Alabama. Laura was the second child of six born to the couple but by 1910 Morris was married to Lizzie (born 1887 & married 1903) and working with turpentine in River Falls, Covington, AL. Laura had left home by this time and by 1918 was working in Tensaw, Alabama for the Atmore Naval Stores Company harvesting turpentine like his father. In the meantime, Morris and Livvie had moved to Pace, Florida sometime before 1920.
Then came America's entry into World War I and it was time for Laura to do his duty. He enlisted on August 21, 1918 in Bay Minnette, AL and was loaded onto a train headed for Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky. This camp was the largest of the camps for its day and time, however it was struck by Spanish influenza in September 1918. Since it was a training camp, the soldiers were packed in like sardines, which in turn created an excellent breeding ground for the disease. Although Laura arrived in the middle of the pandemic, he failed to be infected unlike so many others.
When training was over, Laura was assigned to Company "A", an all-African American unit of the 550th Engineer Service Battalion. The battalion would embark on a transport out of Hoboken, New Jersey as it sailed for France. Arriving overseas, the service battalions went to work as stevedores unloading supplies and munitions from ships at several of the ports. But the duties of the labor battalions were not limited to unloading ships and transporting men and material. After battles, they assigned non-combat troops the grisly task of burying the decomposed bodies of soldiers killed in action. They also filled trenches, carefully removed unexploded shells from fields, and cleared equipment and barbed wire. Despite the crucial, back-breaking labor they performed, African American stevedores received the worst treatment of all of the black troops during the war. They were forced to sleep on the ship's lowest decks, with little or no ventilation. The Army also provided them with inadequate food and forced them to sleep in poor housing (frequently barns and stables). Many times, they worked 24-hour shifts under these grueling conditions.
After the armistice of November 11, 1918, the battalion was brought home and demobilized in June 1919 at Camp Gordon, GA. Laura received his discharge from the Army on July 21, 1919 and returned to his work in the turpentine camp of Baldwin County. There, he married Nellie Woods on November 21, 1921. In 1930, he and Nellie were living in McDavid with Laura still working with turpentine in addition to seasonal work as a day laborer on the local farms.
For whatever reason, Nellie was committed to the Florida State Hospital where she passed away in July 1948. For the next several weeks, Laura's depression and despondency grew over her death, making statements that he wished it had been him and not her. When his depression reached the unbearable stage, he took out his good clothes and spread them out on the bed. His sister, Mrs. Equilla Adams lived next door to him in McDavid and kept a watch on him as much as she could. However, on July 19, 1948, she called Century's Constable Clint Rigby to come to her house as soon as possible. Upon arrival, they walked over to Laura's house and found that he had taken his own life. A funeral was held, and he was buried in the Pine Barren Cemetery (a African American cemetery north of the one of the same name on Highway 29). This cemetery was last visited over thirty years ago and found to have seven graves, one of which was Laura's. Directions were "travel one mile from Hwy 29 east on Cotton Lake Road, just past a small branch." But to the best of my knowledge, this cemetery has disappeared due to time and overgrowth. But Private Laura Burges' needs to be remembered for his duty to his country and honor due to him!
Kommentarer