Remember... James William Rinehart 1889-1918 "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them." Laurence Binyon

James William Rinehart was born on May 5, 1889, to Abraham and Barbara Rinehart. He was born on Stemple Ridge near Aurora in Preston County. The 1900 Federal Census taker recorded that the couple was living in the Union District in Preston County with four children, including two daughters and two sons, one of which was James. Mr. Rinehart was a farmer.

In 1910, Abraham Rinehart was recorded in the census that year as "retired." He and Mrs. Rinehart lived with their son, Mack, a farmer. James was not shown as a member of the household, but his sister, Mary, was still living with the family. Family trees for the Rinehart family refer to more members than those listed in the census and list them as half-siblings. Altogether, James had eighteen siblings or half-siblings. Abraham Rinehart had been married previously to Sarah Dumire, who died in 1873.

In 1917, when James Rinehart, registered for military service in June, he was single. His draft registration card indicates that his trade or occupation was farming and he was employed by P. L. Mersing of Crellin, Maryland. The Mersings were a family of three sons and seven daughters. One of the daughters was named Nola. Nola and James wed in 1918.

World War I draft registration card for James William Rinehart. National Archives and Records Administration

James enlisted into the military in June in Kingwood, West Virginia, and served in the 9th Training Battalion until June 19, 1918. He served at Camp Lee and in the 7th Training Battalion while there. The Army transport ship, Duke D Aosta passenger manifest lists Private James W. Rinehart on board when the ship left the port of Newport News, Virginia, at noon on July 26, 1918. He left with the 24th Provisional Company as part of the July replacements. He was married by this time and his wife, whose address was in Crellin, Maryland, was listed as his next of kin.

James Rinehart was placed with the 132nd Infantry, which was a National Guard unit that originated in Illinois. When James Rinehart joined the 132nd, the German army had retreated from the Marne River. Allied forces planned to conduct simultaneous operations, one west of the Meuse and through the Argonne Forest and the other, west of the Argonne Forest. It was the Americans' mission to take the route through the Argonne Forest. The operation started on September 26 and lasted through November 11, 1918. The goal was to deal a final blow to Germans who were still fighting in France. ("History: National Guard Assisted WWI Allies in Ending War," National Guard Bureau, accessed 27 December 2020, https://www.army.mil/article/213469/history_national_guard_assisted_wwi_allies_in_ending_war.)

Another source states:

Hard fighting continued in the Meuse-Argonne sector during October. More than a million Americans participated in the battles, but the American Expeditionary Force's casualties were heavy, and its largely inexperienced formations were becoming increasingly disorganized. On November 10 the Allies reached Sedan and cut the rail line there. The Armistice was declared (November 11) before a final offensive against Germany itself could begin. ("Battles of the Meuse-Argonne: World War I," Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed 27 December 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/battles-of-the-Meuse-Argonne.)

According to an article found in the Military Records pages on the National Archives website,

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the largest operations of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I, with over a million American soldiers participating. It was also the deadliest campaign in American history, resulting in over 26,000 soldiers being killed in action (KIA) and over 120,000 total casualties. Indeed, the number of graves in the American military cemetery at Romagne is far larger than those in the more commonly known site at Omaha Beach in Normandy. ("The Meuse-Argonne Offensive," accessed 26 December 2020, https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww1/meuse-argonne.)

During the Meuse-Argonne offensive, James Rinehart lost his life. He died on November 5, only six days before the Armistice. He is listed as a Maryland soldier in Soldiers of the Great War, since Crellin, Maryland, was his and his wife's last address. His name appears in the Baltimore Sun on December 4, 1918, in the "Died of Wounds" listing in "Casualties of Land Forces." Army casualty records list Private Rinehart among West Virginia casualties, as does his gravestone.

Headstone for James William Rinehart in a church cemetery on Stemple Ridge. Courtesy Cynthia Mullens

Many fallen soldiers were first buried in France and then returned to the United States in 1921 or later. No record could be found that details when or how Private Rinehart's body was returned to the United States. He was born in West Virginia and is buried on Stemple Ridge in a church cemetery where other members of the Rinehart family are interred.

Article prepared by Cynthia Mullens
December 2020

Honor...