Armistice Arkansas in

Soldiers’ letters and memories recall the end of the Great War, abroad and at home

A day I shall never forget in this world or the one to come. — Marvin Sullivan, Sharp County soldier at the Western Front

At 11 a.m. Nov. 11, 1918, the battle-torn Western Front, where millions had become casualties of the Great War, grew silent.

Charles Killian of Drew County was there. “Mother, I shall try to picture for you the morning and evening of the 11th of November

. . . On the 11th we got up with a rush and a grim determination to put a forceful fire over the way. At 2 a.m. we opened with a few shots of TNT, followed immediately by gas shells, as a befitting climax. In the meantime the entire Western Front was going through the most terrible bombardment the world has ever known.

“The roar was deafening, though joyful. Flames, signal shells and every weapon of death known to modern warfare were turned loose. Up until 11 o’clock there was a living hell on earth and then a dead silence followed and the terrible conflict passed into history. Rejoicing began immediately and happiness and joy ruled supreme in every human heart . . . . A grander sight was never seen.”

By September 1918, allied forces launched the Argonne Offensive, the war’s last major push on the Western Front. The allies slowly forced the German army into retreat with hope for the long sought-after victory quickly fading in the hearts of the German people. With hunger running rampant in Germany, riots erupted in the city streets.

The war was all but over for Germany when it was announced on Nov. 9 that Germany’s ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm, had abdicated. Terms for a ceasefire were negotiated; the final agreement was signed at 5 a.m. Nov. 11. The actual cease fire, the Armistice, would not go into effect until 11 a.m. For another six hours until the very last moment of the agreed-upon time, the killing continued.

The Wonder State, as Arkansas was known, provided approximately 72,000 men to America’s military forces during the Great War. Of the approximately 2,200 who died, some 500 were killed in action or died of wounds. Many participated in the war’s last major offensive, which began on Sept. 26.

In an interview conducted in the 1980s, Luther Woodall of McCrory recalled the death of a friend as they advanced in the last offensive. Woodall related that a shell “went off and knocked a hole in his side; you could see he had to hold his entrails. He could barely talk. He told me about his mother and sister. That got next to me.”

Woodall and other Arkansas soldiers came through the Argonne Offensive unharmed and witnessed the Armistice firsthand. Conrad Glover of Grant County recalled that “Five minutes before 11 o’clock the battle was still raging. I counted four minutes, three minutes, two minutes: even to one

minute … there was constant bombardment … at 11 o’clock the bombardment ceased, and there was calm … the last one of us cried like a baby.”

Charles Beasley of Scott County told the homefolks that the “news came so suddenly they couldn’t believe it true.” Marvin Sullivan from Sharp County wrote in a letter home that he would “never forget this day, for I was on my way to the front lines … marching on into the very jaws of death. But suddenly the firing from the rifles and the roar from cannons ceased and the good news reached us that the armistice had been signed … words are insufficient to express the joy which thrilled our hearts.”

Leonard Biggs of Little Rock stated he “knew that the Armistice must be signed by 11 o’clock that morning, but both the Germans and ourselves were laying down terrible barrages—we because we were afraid the Armistice would be signed and we wanted to get a last good lick; the Germans because they thought we were preparing to make another offensive. So it was with considerable interest that I waited to see if the guns would cease at 11 a.m., and when about 11:15 the noise was succeeded by silence, I was able to say the war was over.”

Soon the celebration among the soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force began in earnest. Hugh Cody of the 47th Infantry wrote to his sister in southeast Arkansas that “shortly after the firing ceased the boys began to celebrate, it was something like a Christmas chivaree.”

Lieutenant John Shackleford, serving in the 650th Aero Squadron, related to his family in Little Rock, “We knew the Boche had until 11 o’clock Monday to sign the Armistice and we were expecting something to happen. Sure enough, at 11 o’clock Monday we were notified that the Germans had come across, and you never saw such that followed. At camp the old steamrollers whistled and puffed, soldiers let out whoops of joy, and everyone felt fine.”

Many Arkansas soldiers serving near French villages joined with the local population in celebrating. Shackleford was one of them: “The joy was more impressed on my mind when I hit Paris about 6 o’clock Monday evening. The town was wild and you never saw such rejoicing. Americans, French, English and all were celebrating.”

Edward Lockett of Garland County wrote: “Every café here was full and running over with French and American soldiers. First a Frenchman would get up and yell, ‘Vive La American,’ and then an American would follow with ‘Vive La France.’ The women and the girls would kiss every American they met. I dodged the ugly ones, but when the good-looking ones came along, well, Dad, you know your boy.”

William Watson of Clark County marched in a parade at Autun, France, where he observed that “every Frenchman was wild with excitement.” Walter Yeager, who after the war became a newspaper editor in Sharp County, observed that he began to see “flags on every street and housetop” of the little French city where he was located. And soon “whistles began to drown the yell of the Yanks.” Verner Manning of Hot Spring County and his soldier friends were very happy to report the “way the French people treated we Americans was something wonderful.”

The news of the signing of the Armistice quickly reached Arkansas. By 2:17 a.m. Nov. 11, newsboys for the Arkansas Democrat were busy on the Little Rock streets hawking hot-offthe-presses extras announcing the glorious event.

It was reported that “the city went peace mad.” Thousands of people were in the streets with numerous cars, packed with yelling occupants, driving up and down the streets dragging strings of tin cans and other objects behind.

The Arkansas Gazette went on to report that “every conceivable method of noisemaker” was being sold and eagerly used on the city streets, among them church bells, firecrackers, factory whistles, dinner bells and cowbells. Some citizens had modified their cars so as to backfire, sounding like machine-gun fire. Red, white and blue banners, balloons, confetti and flags of the victorious nations were proudly carried and displayed with Old Glory.

A parade of thousands soon formed at Third and Main streets and stretched the full length of the business district. At the head of the parade was the Blass Department Store service banner, displaying a blue star for each of the firm’s employees who had joined the service. By noon most of the city’s businesses had closed, allowing employees to join the celebration.

Effigies of Kaiser Wilhelm quickly appeared, many being dragged from car bumpers. Missouri Pacific employees carried a coffin and straw likeness of the Kaiser sporting a sign that read “The Kaiser has gone to hell.” Upon its burning, the ashes were marked with a new sign: “The ashes of the Kaiser, Satan’s chief dictator.” Creative medical professionals marched with a human skeleton marked “was the Kaiser.”

At 10 a.m. the celebration became more solemn, with the ringing of city church bells for five minutes, while the celebrants stood in silent prayer. About the same time at Capitol and Main, a band struck up “The Star Spangled Banner” followed by speeches from Governor Brough, Little Rock Mayor Charles Taylor, and others.

Much of the same was taking place in North Little Rock and at Camp Pike, the massive infantry training base. There were probably no happier revelers than those recently arrived recruits; the Armistice would keep them home, safe from the battlefields of Europe. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of civilians mingled with soldiers driving up and down the camp streets, creating as much noise as possible.

North Little Rock’s Main Street was alive with marchers carrying Kaiser effigies, flags, banners and the like, led by a band from Camp Pike. Not to be outdone by the infantry, planes from Lonoke’s Eberts Field performed stunts over North Little Rock and Little Rock. Just before noon at City Park Governor Brough, among others, delivered patriotic speeches to the spirited crowd. The celebration carried well into the night on both sides of the river.

Every small town closed business and schools so all could participate in the celebration. Huntsville called its celebration the “greatest in the history of the town.” Fort Smith reported a parade with more than 20,000 participants. A two-mile parade marched down the streets of Malvern with many of the town’s windows being broken when a recently acquired cannon was fired in salute. Explosions set off in Morrilton not only broke windows but were so loud they were said to have knocked a flock of geese out of the sky.

Such explosions were heard across the state. Many were a common Arkansas practice used during other celebrations such as New Year and July 4 called anvil firing. This consisted of placing one upside-down anvil on another with a black powder charge and fuse in between. Ignition of the powder resulted in a tremendous explosion, launching the top anvil high into the sky. It was said that the anvil firing in Mountain Home was so loud that it was heard in Norfork some 10 miles away. In Lonoke the old Civil War cannon, which still sits on the courthouse lawn, was used in the celebration.

The parade in Judsonia, which stretched all the way to Bald Knob, included a float decorated with four devils and a coffin for the Kaiser. Many patriotic speeches were delivered across the state, with Congressman Otis Wingo speaking during De Queen’s two-hour celebration.

Two hundred fifty newly inducted draftees had just arrived at the train station in Fort Smith as the news was being announced. A happier group could not be found among the city’s 20,000 celebrating citizens. Recruits at the Searcy train station headed for Camp Pike were anxious as to why orders had been issued to hold them at the station platform. When they heard the Armistice news it was reported that “general pandemonium broke loose” in the streets, where recruits joined citizens, including a group of women students from Galloway College carrying signs announcing “Peace.”

Soon after the celebrations died down, Governor Brough issued a proclamation declaring that Nov. 17 would be set aside as an official day of thanksgiving. On that day, the first Sunday after the Armistice, thousands gathered in local churches to give thanks.

In 1919 President Wilson proclaimed that Nov. 11, to be called Armistice Day nationwide, would be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died … and with gratitude for the victory.” On that day businesses across the nation were expected to stop all transactions for two minutes in honor of those who had served and sacrificed.

This simple observation soon developed into the patriotic tradition of parades and gatherings across the nation that we know today. Some states began to observe the day as a holiday.

A federal holiday was established for federal employees in 1938. After the conclusion of World War II there was a movement to redefine the day as one to honor all U.S. veterans. President Eisenhower approved legislation in 1954 designating Nov. 11 as Veterans Day. Though the name changed, the day continued to be remembered for years as Armistice Day.

Armistice, a word that traditionally was printed on calendars as a day of remembrance, has all but disappeared. A tradition that recognized the “war to end all wars” continues under a different name.

Stroll through any Arkansas cemetery and you will see the marble and bronze headstones of a generation that made that day possible.

Michael David Polston is museum director at Cabot High School. For more information visit Arkansas Great War Letter Project, a special program of the Museum of American History/ Cabot Public Schools, at chsarkansasgreatwar.weebly.com, where over 1,900 letters written by Arkansas soldiers are posted.