27 June 1910
Remember...
Victor Hugo Smith
1891-1918
"Time will not dim the glory of their deeds."
Gen. John J. Pershing
27 June 1910 |
Remember...Victor Hugo Smith
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Victor Hugo Smith was born in Putnam County, West Virginia, on October 30, 1891. The identity of his birth parents and the exact locale of his birth remain unknown. By the time of the 1900 Federal Census, however, we learn that he has joined the family of Charles M. Sovine and Augusta E. Sovine, who are living at Tyler, Kanawha County. Victor is listed among the family members as a nephew. His cousins/siblings include Julia B., Silas B., Luna A., Nora H., and Matilda H. Sovine. Also in the large household is John Q. Harris, a lodger. In 1910, Augusta is listed as the head of the family, and Silas, Matilda, and Victor remain in the household. The census taker lists him as an adopted son. Also listed is nineteen-year-old Mosh H. Sovine, who is not accounted for in the 1900 census, either by name or corresponding age. Another member of the household in 1910 is Robert L. Smith, a boarder.
Victor Hugo Smith's whereabouts are next ascertained in his World War I draft registration of June 5, 1917. By this time, he is living in Dunbar, West Virginia, and working for the Whitemore [Whittemore] Glass Company. The registrar notes that he is short in height and stout of build, with gray eyes and light hair. Victor stated at the time that he is single but has a mother and sister who are dependent on him.
Private Smith was assigned to Company C of the 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division. The 11th Infantry Regiment has a long and distinguished history. According to a Wikipedia article, "On 24 April 1918, the regiment sailed for France. By May 1918 it joined the 5th Division near Chaumont, France. The 11th then took part in the Vosges Mountains, Saint-Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives. In the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the regiment forged a brilliant crossing of the Meuse River." ("11th Infantry Regiment [United States]," last edited 11 August 2023, accessed 22 September 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States).) The caption under his photo in the "Honoring Freedom" section of the Gazette-Mail (27 June 2010) indicates he lost his life in the Battle of Alsace-Lorraine, although the American Battle Monuments Commission continues to list him as Missing in Action.
| Victor Hugo Smith is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. |  |
Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
September 2023
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.