The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 74, July 1970 - April, 1971 Page: 360
616 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
A rustic tea room rose along the west side of the central plaza, oppo-
site the St. Regis Hotel and the old Mills Building, where Mrs. Joe
Williams and a devoted band of gentle ladies served tea and sand-
wiches and cake. Only the sandwichmaker, a professional, was paid,
and profits went to the cause."
Meanwhile the young men were enlisting en masse and going off
for training. Early in April an expansion of the National Guard was
authorized and no fewer than six companies began recruiting El Paso
boys: Companies A, B, and K (infantry); a hospital unit under Major
T. J. McCamant; a supply company commanded by Captain W. Wind-
ham; and a sanitary unit under Major S. Terrell. Company K of the
infantry was put together in San Antonio, but Company A under
Captain James F. Colley and Company B under Captain Richard F.
Burges were locally organized and were the center of much attention
before they were shipped off to Camp Bowie at Fort Worth early in
September.'
Burges was a particularly interesting leader. As a prominent mem-
ber of the El Paso bar, a crusader for civic decency, a recent president
of the International Irrigation Congress, and a supporter of every
worthwhile enterprise engaged in by his fellow townsmen, he was
widely known and highly regarded. Young men were eager to join his
company and many parents made a point of entrusting their sons to
him-a fact which caused him grief and distress later when German
shell fire took a heavy toll of his men."
The Ist Texas Infantry left Camp Bowie for Europe on July 18,
1918, and were gone until the following June. Captain Burges went
ashore with his company at Brest on August 7 and moved up to the
front lines on September 26. He won his majority on the field of
battle when his commanding officer was killed, and he brought home
the Croix de Guerre, awarded to him for "great audacity, bravery and
technical knowledge during the attack on St. Etienne &t Ames" in
October. For the rest of his life, in the tradition of his southern an-
cestors, he was known as Major Burges.'
eMrs. Hugh White to C. L. S., interview, May 17, 1967.
7El Paso Herald, June 26, August 2, August 31, September 1, 1917. The record of Major
Burges and his company is preserved in his scrapbook collection, Book J, now in posses-
sion of his daughter Jane Burges Perrenot of El Paso.
8E1 Paso Herald, September 18, 1915; Stevens and Quinn to C. L. S., interviews, May
12, 1967.
*El Paso Herald, June 3, 1919. For the first detailed story of the 1st Infantry, compiled360
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 74, July 1970 - April, 1971, periodical, 1971; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101200/m1/372/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.