WAR DEPARTMENT
OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Local Board for the County of Wilkes
State of North Carolina
Wilkesboro, N. C.

[LOCAL BOARD STAMP]

June 26, 1918.

Hon. T. W. Bickett, Governor,
Raleigh, N.C.

Dear Governor:

I believe that the situation in this section of the State --- a situation that at any time is liable to grow worse --- calls for the immediate issue of arms to the 55th Reserve Militia, Captain Waters, headquarters North Wilkesboro.

Capt. Waters was an officer in the regular army and at the time of his discharge held the rank of captain. He was accidently injured at Camp Jackson to the extent that he was honorably discharged for physical inability. While he is not yet able to meet the physical requirements in the army still he is able for any ordinary military duty and is a most capable officer. This Company under him has for the past several months taken intensive training and I doubt if there is a better drilled Company in the State, insofar as it was possible to drill them without guns. The personnel of the Company is fine, indeed a matter of pride for the County. The men take a great deal of interest in their Company, are thoroughly patriotic and anxious to serve their country in any way that they can.

This Company’s headquarters is the gate way to this section of the State, being at the head of the southern railway. The Ashe situation is at our very doors, and, to say the least, it was a most threatening situation. I was notified two weeks ago by one of the leading citizens of that County that just such a situation as has arisen was likely to occur. While the situation in this County is not at all bad compared with that of Ashe, still we have no less than twelve actual deserters and something like a half-dozen technical deserters. From information received from reliable sources, I have no doubt that nearly all these deserters are now engaged in blockading. Most of them are up in the mountains of the Blue Ridge and have backers in the nefarious business in which they are engaged. On yesterday morning I had a note from one of the leading citizens of this County stating that he had fairly reliable information that five deserters were running a blockade distillery back in the Brushy Mountains. I immediately called this to the attention of the officers but I scarcely hope for any results. The good loyal citizens living in the communities where these deserters operate are afraid to take any steps for their apprehension because of the liability of private injury. This condition is have a bad effect on the morale of our boys, those who have gone to camp and those who expect to go later. Good people are complaining that these deserters are allowed to go at large for months. I have repeatedly approached men who, I knew, could communicate with these deserters and asked them to assure them that if they would come in voluntarily and return to camp I would use all the influence I had with the camp authorities to make their punishment light. The only way these men will ever be gotten back to camp is to arrest them and carry them back.

I do not mean to be understood as advocating the use of the military for the apprehension of these deserters so long as civil authorities can or will act, nevertheless a situation is liable to arise when it will be necessary to use a military company for the protection of life and property and the preservation of order.

Yours very truly,

F. B. Hendren
Chairman.