OFFICIAL BUSINESS
WAR DEPARTMENT
LOCAL BOARD TYRRELL COUNTY
COLUMBIA, N. C.

January 9th. 1918.

Hon T W Bickett,
Raleigh, N.C.

Sir:

We have your circular letter of the 7th. In reference to Soldiers allowances and allotments. I am enclosing you herewith correspendence which I have had in regards to a soldier who was originally of this County, but was sent to Camp Lee from Norfolk County, Va. The Status of these matters are as follows:

(1) My letter of the 23rd. Oct. addressed to the Adjutant Camp Lee Va. Oct. 31st. letter from Capt of Co. “E” 318th. Inf. in which he states that this soldier has set aside an allotment for his dependents and that it will be taken out of his November pay and sent to his dependents by the Goverment. My letter of the 26th. Nov. addressed to the Commissioner of Insurance Washington, D.C. My letter of December, 17th. addressed to the Capt of Co. “E” 318. Inf. Camp Lee. All this correspondence will explain itself.

This man has a dependent mother, a Dependent Step-Father and a dependent isiter. He should never have been certified in to army noway. His Step-Father is bed ridden and is absolutely without means of support. His mother is also helpless to support any of the family. The small sister cannot do anything to help. In fact the are at present and have been ever since he has been in the army, objects of charity.

Up to the present none of them has ever received one cent from the Goverment. The have never sent the 15.00 which he has voluntarily alloted to them. I have never received any answer to any of my letters except the first one. It seems that any effort to get this matter straight comes in contact with a wall of perfect indefference.

(2) Reference my letter of December, 22nd. addressed to the Adjutant Camp Sevier, S.C. As this letter explains they send this body to us at Columbia N.C. This mans address was Fairfield N.C. and should have been routed there via E City, N.C. The only way this Board had to get the body to its destination was to have it sent twenty miles in a wagon and 10 miles in a small gasoline boat. This was quite a costly trip, especially in view of the weather conditions at that time. It was nearly impossible to get transportation for the body. It had to be done, and now we are advised that this Local Board will have to meet the expense of this matter personally.

I am writing to ask you if you can do anything to help me get these matter in their proper shape, or to get them before the proper authority that has the disposition of them. Both are injustice, and should be adjusted at once.

I dislike very much to bother you with yhese things, but I hope you will understand my position when I tell you that I have done everything that I know how to get some recognition, and have failed. I am at a lost how to proceed futher. If there is anything you can do I certainly will appreciate it. Please return all papers to me.

Yours truly,

C. W. Tatem
Chairman.