All of Louis (sometimes spelled Lewis) Franklin's early life history is taken from his military draft registration card (Form 1) that he completed on June 5, 1917, in Center, Shelby County, Texas. The United States had entered the World War just two months prior and all men between the ages of 21 and 30 were required to register by the Selective Service Act of 1917. A series of twelve questions were answered as follows (1) Name and age: Louis Franklin, age 24 (2) Home address: Center, Texas (3) Date of birth: July 26, 1892 (4) Citizenship: natural born (5) Where were you born: Center, Texas USA (6) If not a citizen, of what country are you a citizen of: NA (7) Your present trade or occupation: Driver, delivery wagon (8) By whom employed and where: P. H. Smith, Center, Texas (9) Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12 or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support: No (10) Married or single and race: Single, Negro (11) What military service have you had: none (12) Do you claim exemption from the draft: None. Louis then made his mark with an X. The registrar, L. C. Smith then reported Louis was short, of medium built with black eyes, dark hair, and not bald.(1)
A year later, Louis received his draft notice and took the oath of enlistment in Center on June 20, 1918, and became US Army Private Franklin, serial # 3067952. The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas, Wednesday, June 26, 1918, reported. "As was announced by publication and by posting 45 negroes entrained here Friday morning [June 21] for Camp Travis. They were furnished with comfort kits by the Red Cross and a large number of both whites and blacks were at the station when the train left". Lewis Franklin's name was among the 45 listed.
Private Franklin completed basic training with 15 Company, 4 Battalion, of the 165 Depot Brigade and then joined the all-black Company C, 332 Labor Battalion that had been formed at Camp Travis and then moved to Camp Hill, Virginia in preparation for deployment overseas to France. Louis arrived at Camp Hill on Tuesday, July 26, 1918, and died a week later at the Camp Hospital, July 23 of pneumonia. His military record (Form No. 724-8, A.G.O.) records his brother Jim Franklin of San Augustine, Texas as the person notified of his death.(2)
The only record of his burial is found at Find A Grave Memorial # 3082011 which lists his plot as Phoebus, Section D, 6736C. The first name on the stone is "Lewis".(3) Day is done, God is nigh.
SOURCES:
(1): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County
(2): "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MN-Z31T-5?cc=2202707&wc=334L-FMS%3A1561331302%2C1561331301 : 26 March 2015), Army enlisted, dead Abbott, Zem-Gandy, Willie, 1917-1920 image 3067 of 3231; Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
(3): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3082011/lewis-franklin
A year later, Louis received his draft notice and took the oath of enlistment in Center on June 20, 1918, and became US Army Private Franklin, serial # 3067952. The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas, Wednesday, June 26, 1918, reported. "As was announced by publication and by posting 45 negroes entrained here Friday morning [June 21] for Camp Travis. They were furnished with comfort kits by the Red Cross and a large number of both whites and blacks were at the station when the train left". Lewis Franklin's name was among the 45 listed.
Private Franklin completed basic training with 15 Company, 4 Battalion, of the 165 Depot Brigade and then joined the all-black Company C, 332 Labor Battalion that had been formed at Camp Travis and then moved to Camp Hill, Virginia in preparation for deployment overseas to France. Louis arrived at Camp Hill on Tuesday, July 26, 1918, and died a week later at the Camp Hospital, July 23 of pneumonia. His military record (Form No. 724-8, A.G.O.) records his brother Jim Franklin of San Augustine, Texas as the person notified of his death.(2)
The only record of his burial is found at Find A Grave Memorial # 3082011 which lists his plot as Phoebus, Section D, 6736C. The first name on the stone is "Lewis".(3) Day is done, God is nigh.
SOURCES:
(1): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County
(2): "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MN-Z31T-5?cc=2202707&wc=334L-FMS%3A1561331302%2C1561331301 : 26 March 2015), Army enlisted, dead Abbott, Zem-Gandy, Willie, 1917-1920 image 3067 of 3231; Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
(3): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3082011/lewis-franklin
All of Louis (sometimes spelled Lewis) Franklin's early life history is taken from his military draft registration card (Form 1) that he completed on June 5, 1917, in Center, Shelby County, Texas. The United States had entered the World War just two months prior and all men between the ages of 21 and 30 were required to register by the Selective Service Act of 1917. A series of twelve questions were answered as follows (1) Name and age: Louis Franklin, age 24 (2) Home address: Center, Texas (3) Date of birth: July 26, 1892 (4) Citizenship: natural born (5) Where were you born: Center, Texas USA (6) If not a citizen, of what country are you a citizen of: NA (7) Your present trade or occupation: Driver, delivery wagon (8) By whom employed and where: P. H. Smith, Center, Texas (9) Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12 or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support: No (10) Married or single and race: Single, Negro (11) What military service have you had: none (12) Do you claim exemption from the draft: None. Louis then made his mark with an X. The registrar, L. C. Smith then reported Louis was short, of medium built with black eyes, dark hair, and not bald.(1)
A year later, Louis received his draft notice and took the oath of enlistment in Center on June 20, 1918, and became US Army Private Franklin, serial # 3067952. The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas, Wednesday, June 26, 1918, reported. "As was announced by publication and by posting 45 negroes entrained here Friday morning [June 21] for Camp Travis. They were furnished with comfort kits by the Red Cross and a large number of both whites and blacks were at the station when the train left". Lewis Franklin's name was among the 45 listed.
Private Franklin completed basic training with 15 Company, 4 Battalion, of the 165 Depot Brigade and then joined the all-black Company C, 332 Labor Battalion that had been formed at Camp Travis and then moved to Camp Hill, Virginia in preparation for deployment overseas to France. Louis arrived at Camp Hill on Tuesday, July 26, 1918, and died a week later at the Camp Hospital, July 23 of pneumonia. His military record (Form No. 724-8, A.G.O.) records his brother Jim Franklin of San Augustine, Texas as the person notified of his death.(2)
The only record of his burial is found at Find A Grave Memorial # 3082011 which lists his plot as Phoebus, Section D, 6736C. The first name on the stone is "Lewis".(3) Day is done, God is nigh.
SOURCES:
(1): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County
(2): "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MN-Z31T-5?cc=2202707&wc=334L-FMS%3A1561331302%2C1561331301 : 26 March 2015), Army enlisted, dead Abbott, Zem-Gandy, Willie, 1917-1920 image 3067 of 3231; Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
(3): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3082011/lewis-franklin
A year later, Louis received his draft notice and took the oath of enlistment in Center on June 20, 1918, and became US Army Private Franklin, serial # 3067952. The Champion Newspaper, Center, Texas, Wednesday, June 26, 1918, reported. "As was announced by publication and by posting 45 negroes entrained here Friday morning [June 21] for Camp Travis. They were furnished with comfort kits by the Red Cross and a large number of both whites and blacks were at the station when the train left". Lewis Franklin's name was among the 45 listed.
Private Franklin completed basic training with 15 Company, 4 Battalion, of the 165 Depot Brigade and then joined the all-black Company C, 332 Labor Battalion that had been formed at Camp Travis and then moved to Camp Hill, Virginia in preparation for deployment overseas to France. Louis arrived at Camp Hill on Tuesday, July 26, 1918, and died a week later at the Camp Hospital, July 23 of pneumonia. His military record (Form No. 724-8, A.G.O.) records his brother Jim Franklin of San Augustine, Texas as the person notified of his death.(2)
The only record of his burial is found at Find A Grave Memorial # 3082011 which lists his plot as Phoebus, Section D, 6736C. The first name on the stone is "Lewis".(3) Day is done, God is nigh.
SOURCES:
(1): Registration State: Texas; Registration County: Shelby County
(2): "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MN-Z31T-5?cc=2202707&wc=334L-FMS%3A1561331302%2C1561331301 : 26 March 2015), Army enlisted, dead Abbott, Zem-Gandy, Willie, 1917-1920 image 3067 of 3231; Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
(3): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3082011/lewis-franklin
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